A six-team bye week is coming up, so panic trades might be in order for some fantasy football owners. "Throwing away a week" is a potentially viable strategy if you're 4-2 or 5-1, but if you're 2-4 or worse, you have a pretty slim margin for error. You should be able to find streamer help on the waiver wire, but if your team is dealing with both starting RBs on bye/injured or other long-term issues, you might be thinking about bringing in some permanent reinforcements. Identifying buy-low, sell-high trade targets is important, as you want good value in any deal you make. As always, FantasyPros is here to help with tips and trade advice in their Week 7 Stock Watch that includes Nick Chubb, Jaylen Waddle, Darrell Henderson, Josh Jacobs, Antonio Gibson, and Amari Cooper, among others.
As we've talked about before, bye weeks make it tough to trade, especially with injuries piling up. What does help is we have a better grasp of matchups right now, so you can plot out the favorable and unfavorable opponents in a player's future. Not only should you look at a player's overall outlook, but you should also look at specific weeks. If you know your team is in trouble because of byes/tough matchups in, say, Week 9, then finding someone with an extremely favorable matchup that week might boost their value even more for you. You need more than just a good Week 9, of course, but even the slightest things can help tip the scales. Ultimately, there are many factors to take into account when making a trade, so make sure you're thinking about them all.
MORE FROM FANTASY PROS: Trade analyzer
Don't forget that trade values can change quickly in fantasy football, so don't get too locked in on a specific target. Change your thinking as the trends change, but don't be afraid to strike if you have a good offer on the table, even this early in the season. -- Matt Lutovsky
MORE WEEK 7: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner
Week 7 Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Buy-low trade candidates
Nick Chubb (RB – CLE)
Chubb missed Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Cardinals due to a calf injury, but Kareem Hunt (who entered the game with multiple other ailments) exited with a calf injury of his own. As of Monday morning, it’s unclear what to expect for Cleveland’s backfield availability in Week 7. However, Hunt’s injury figures to cost him at least a game. Chubb could receive career-best usage for however long Hunt is sidelined. As of now, he appears to be the healthier RB. (Update: Hunt is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.)
Jaylen Waddle (WR - MIA)
Miami’s rookie wideout had a breakout performance in Week 6 against the Jaguars, scoring two touchdowns while hauling in 10-of-13 targets for 70 yards. Waddle is a better PPR asset, but his role continues to grow in Miami’s offense. It’s important to note that the Dolphins didn’t have DeVante Parker (shoulder, hamstring) or Will Fuller (finger) in this one, but Waddle’s talent should keep him relevant even when they return. Against Jacksonville, he ran a route on 94 percent of his team’s dropbacks while posting a 28-percent target share.
For more buy-low targets from Fantasy Pros, including Javonte Williams, click here.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 7 Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Sell-high trade candidates
Josh Jacobs (RB - LV)
There was some optimism entering Week 6 that Jacobs’ role in the passing game was growing. In Weeks 4 and 5, his target shares were 15.6 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively. Unfortunately, in Week 6, that dipped to 4.0 percent. Perhaps this was due to game script as the Raiders were leading for most of the contest, but it’s disappointing nonetheless.
Antonio Gibson (RB - WFT)
This "sell" recommendation is more about lowering expectations for current fantasy owners since leaguemates are probably unlikely to trade for the sophomore RB. Not only is Gibson dealing with a shin injury that cost him some playing time in Week 6, but his role also hasn’t grown at all this year. Since Week 1 he has had a 6.4-percent target share. During that same span, J.D. McKissic has a 14.6-percent target share. Hopefully, weekly readers took advantage of last week’s sell-high recommendation.
For more sell-high targets from Fantasy Pros, including Allen Robinson, click here.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 7 Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Players to hold
Darrell Henderson (RB - LAR)
Henderson’s playing time was down in Week 5, but sharp fantasy owners knew he was dealing with a bit of an arm issue. He was once again fantastic on Sunday against the Giants, totaling 23 touches, 107 yards, and two TDs. There’s no reason to sell high here. Henderson is a bona fide RB1 until further notice.
Amari Cooper (WR - DAL)
Cooper took a backseat to CeeDee Lamb‘s heroics last week, hauling in just five-of-eight targets for 55 scoreless yards. The 27-year-old receiver hasn’t finished as a top-24 fantasy wideout since Week 1, but now isn’t the time to sell. Dallas has a bye in Week 7, and there should be better game environments moving forward.
For more hold targets from Fantasy Pros, including Joe Mixon, click here.