The biggest drafting weekend of the year just wrapped up, meaning the vast majority of fantasy football rosters are set for the 2024 season. We are just days away from the beginning of the NFL season where we will be able to see how our fantasy teams look after months (maybe days, hours, or minutes) of draft preparation.
Even though Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson haven't yet taken the field to ring in the new NFL season, it's not too early to consider roster moves for your fantasy squad. We're not talking about adding a defense to stream in Week 1, we're talking about trades that will truly change your team's outlook for the season.
There may be a player you missed out on during your draft or a player you've soured on since drafting them. Don't be afraid to make some moves before the season is underway. If any of these nine players are on your roster, consider adding them to your roster or sending them off to another squad before Week 1 begins.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Fantasy Football Trade Advice Week 1: Buy-low candidates
Rico Dowdle, RB, Dallas Cowboys: The cost-to-opportunity ratio for Rico Dowdle is sky-high. He can likely be scooped up for a bench asset (or on the waiver wire) but has the opportunity to be the lead back in one of the league's best offenses. Yes, Ezekiel Elliott may have some gas left in the tank as a pass catcher and goal line specialist, but if anyone is going to emerge from this backfield to be an absolute smash in fantasy, it's Dowdle. Recent reports out of Dallas seem to indicate that Dowdle has been impressive throughout preseason practices and may even be the favorite to lead the team in carries.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders: If you were one of the last managers to draft a quarterback and ended up with someone like Tua Tagovailoa, please go out and trade for Jayden Daniels before it's too late. We're talking about a player who scrambled at a higher rate in college than Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, and every other highly touted dual-threat prospect in recent years. It doesn't hurt that he has the arm to go along with his willingness to run. Don't be surprised if he comes out of the gates flying against a subpar Buccaneers defense and becomes even tougher to acquire next week.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons: Yes, this is the year for Kyle Pitts. After teasing fantasy managers by becoming the second rookie tight end to clear 1000 receiving yards, Pitts has fallen flat on his face for two straight years. It's put up or shut up for Pitts in 2024. He is still 23 years old, has a quality quarterback, and an offensive coordinator who will finally deploy him in a logical manner. There are few tight ends with the skill set and all-around talent of Pitts. Buy into the talent before Pitts fully lives up to his potential.
WEEK 1 NFL: Power rankings | ATS picks | SU picks
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants: It doesn't matter who the quarterback is, the Vikings' pass defense can be exploited. Last year they ranked 23rd in passing yards allowed and gave up 250-plus yards to Taylor Heineke, Jake Browning, and Russell Wilson, just to name a few quarterbacks who had success against Minnesota. They also ranked 29th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Minnesota didn't make any significant improvements to its secondary this offseason and could very easily allow Malik Nabers to explode in his first career game. The offense may be ugly, but Nabers could realistically be a high-end WR2 by dominating the targets in New York.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The bounce-back campaign begins in Week 1 for Chris Godwin. His step back in fantasy production perfectly coincides with his move from the slot. During his best seasons, Godwin routinely ran 50-60 percent of his routes from the slot. Last year, this number fell to 32 percent. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen made it quite clear throughout the offseason that Godwin will be their primary slot receiver, something we saw hold true in Godwin's limited preseason action. The Buccaneers have an absolute gift in Week 1, taking on the Washington Commanders who allowed the second-most fantasy points to WRs last year and will compete for the worst secondary in the league this year.
Fantasy Football Trade Advice Week 1: Sell-high candidates
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens: It's fair to be excited about what the "Big Dog" can do in a Baltimore Ravens uniform. But this is a solid reason to sell on a player whose name still carries plenty of value. Sure, there is an outcome where Henry rushes for 20 touchdowns and is a top-3 back this season. But the more likely outcome is that Henry fails to pay off the second-round price tag after failing to dominate the workload to the degree that many had hoped while also maintaining a minor role as a receiver. A Round 2 price had always been hard to swallow for a running back who depended on a large workload but saw his volume significantly decline last year. Check around your league and see if someone will overpay for Henry in anticipation of an exciting matchup with the Chiefs.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns: Ford serves as a perfect "bridge running back" for teams who drafted Jonathon Brooks or teams that are waiting on a young RB to emerge after the first month. If this doesn't apply to you, consider selling Ford to someone who is fired up about his workload early in the year. We saw the perfect scenario play out for Ford last year. Chubb went down for essentially the entire year (Week 2 injury), yet Ford was a rotational back who didn't see goal line work. More specifically, he played just 51 percent of snaps and handed 21 percent of goal line attempts. Even in an ideal situation for him to succeed, he was a fringe starter from a per-game perspective.
2024 NFL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Defense
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Given their lack of volume, it's very hard to justify the cost of either Niners receiver this year. But Kyle Shanahan's system, combined with the talent of both Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel, creates an environment where both can be highly efficient. But if either were to take a step back it's likely to be Samuel, who is coming off a career-best seven receiving touchdowns and whose reliance on YAC production can create high levels of volatility in his fantasy production. A tough Week 1 against the Jets is also likely to put a dent in his trade value. If you're nervous about rostering Samuel this year, trade him before the Niners get off to a slow start against the Jets.
Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys head into Cleveland for a Week 1 matchup that will likely be centered around the defenses of each team. The Cleveland defense was colloquially known as the "Tight End Erasers" last season, allowing just three different tight ends to clear 40 yards in the regular season last year. They held George Kittle to one yard, Pat Freiermuth to nine total yards in two matchups, and all Colts TEs to -6 yards. Ferguson could very easily suffer a similar fate in the 2024 opener, cratering his trade value.
