Receivers On Bad Teams to Target in Trades

Rishi identifies wide receivers on bad NFL teams that could be buy-low trade targets in fantasy football for the remainder of the 2021 season.

The fantasy season is well underway, with six weeks done and the middle stretch of the season soon coming. By now, many managers know what their team is made of and who is a consistent contributor. 

At this time, many trades to enhance rosters may be going on and you could be one of those managers too. Now, just because a team in real life isn’t great, that doesn’t mean there aren’t hidden gems from those teams you can scoop up.

Let’s look at some wideouts who are on bad teams that you SHOULD absolutely try to obtain if possible. 

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Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle should certainly be on your radar. With fellow wideout DeVante Parker having missed the last two weeks with injuries (shoulder, hamstring), the rookie posted a career-high 10 receptions for 70 yards and two scores on 13 targets in Week 6. 

Waddle has been a bit inconsistent this season but the talent is there, as evidence of his most recent performance. The Dolphins are struggling at wideout with Parker, Preston Williams, and Will Fuller’s injuries, so Waddle should be the WR1 and see many targets if the other three wideouts cannot take the field. 

Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans

The Texans are an overall mess and completely devoid of talent, but Brandin Cooks remains a bright spot on this offense. With literally no stiff competition for targets, the veteran has been having solid outings for the most part this season, getting at least 78 yards in four of six contests and posting over 100 yards twice.

With 481 yards on the season, Cooks is far and away the best WR on this team. The next best is Chris Conley, who only has 134 yards on the season. Despite the lack of talent at QB, Cooks is seeing a good number of targets and still producing as the clear WR1, making him a solid add. 

Marvin Jones Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Veteran Marvin Jones Jr. has been a solid addition for the Jags and Trevor Lawrence. He has compiled at least 55 yards in four of six games and posted his best totals of the year in Week 6, seven receptions for 100 yards and one score on 10 targets. With D.J. Chark Jr. on IR due to an ankle injury, Jones will shoulder on a bigger role and is currently the Jags’ leading receiver.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team may be in the midst of a struggling season with the defense ailing and the QB situation hazy, but the WR1 situation is not. Terry McLaurin has balled out and continues to do so even with a carousel of QBs. The 26-year-old has seen at least seven targets in five of six games while posting at least 62 yards in four of six games.

He also has two contests with over 100 yards. Washington’s second-best receiver is J.D. McKissic, which goes to show the disparity between McLaurin and the rest of the WRs along with the lack of talent at the position. In fact, the only other WR with over 100 yards on the season is Adam Humphries. The Ohio State product should continue to gobble up many targets each week. 

Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

With no Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley stepped into the WR1 role in 2021 by default and it’s just been target after target since then. Ridley has seen double-digit targets in three of four games played and in the only game he didn’t, he still saw eight. 

Now, the numbers haven’t been off the charts (51, 63, 61, 80 yards in each game) but what should give fantasy managers hope about Ridley is his incredibly large role. I mean, who besides TE Kyle Pitts could steal away targets from Ridley? Cordarrelle Patterson is a nice story this season, but he’s an RB and his good numbers fluctuate between the rushing and passing game each week. Trade for Ridley with confidence given his role and lack of competition for targets. The fact that he recently missed the team's game in London due to personal reasons could have league mates nervous about him going forward but he's set to play in Week 7 and should have no further issues.

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

With T.Y. Hilton out for most of the season so far, Pittman has stepped up and is making a case for a second-year breakout. The 24-year-old has seen at least seven targets and posted at least 59 yards in four of six contests. 

Even if Hilton is on the field, he is much older now and Pittman is the future. The youngster is standing out over guys like Zach Pascal and now Parris Campbell will be out for an extended period due to a foot injury. Pittman is currently the best pass-catcher on this team with 403 yards on the season. The next best? It’s RB Jonathan Taylor, who has half Pittman’s numbers with 210 receiving yards. Coming off a down game, it's a good window of opportunity to acquire Pittman.

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