Fantasy Trade Targets Week 6: Didn’t I Just ‘Buy’ You?

Wanna know something fun about this week’s group?

The “sell” list includes two guys we previously listed as “buys” in this space. Does that mean I’m getting confusing or schizophrenic with my advice? I don’t think so. But you’ll have to let me know after you check out the reasoning.

Overall, we’re looking to capitalize on unfulfilled opportunity while sending away some over-producers. Let’s get to it.

Week 6 Buys

Week 6 Sells

Buy These Fantasy Trade Targets

Yep, you’ve seen this first name before. But there’s renewed reason to go after him.

Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears

When I wrote up Colston Loveland as the first “buy” back in Week 2, the case basically boiled down to: There’s no way this guy’s going to keep getting such light usage. And the production will follow.

That production still has yet to arrive. Loveland sits tied for 48th among TEs in PPR points per game as I write this, trailing at least several players that I’m sure got hallucinated into existence by ChatGPT.

But the usage has picked up, and there’s one more reason to bet on the numbers following.

Turns Out the Bears Didn’t Forget This Guy

Let’s start with what we’ve already seen. Loveland followed two worrisome weeks to start the year with three in the range where he belongs.

The second-year TE has rebounded from 23rd among TEs in expected points over the first two weeks to ninth in that category over his past three games.

Playing with backup QBs has kept the production down, though. Loveland has seen just a 72.2% rate of catchable targets over the past three weeks, 25th among 29 TEs who saw 10+ targets over that span. That rate was 81% with Caleb Williams last year (including the playoffs).

The passes Loveland has managed to catch have generated just 8.9 yards per reception, compared with 12.3 in his rookie year. Blame his significantly shorter average target depth: 6.3 vs. last year’s 9.1.

Put it all together, and Loveland leads the position in points under expectation per game over the past three weeks (minus-4.5).

QB’s Return Could Deliver Large Boost

Williams has missed the past three games after leaving Week 2 late with a hamstring injury. He returned to a limited practice Friday, though, affording hope that he could be ready for this Sunday’s visit to the Falcons.

We’ve already established that Williams was better for Loveland’s catchable target rate last year. He also sports an 8.6-yard career average depth of target vs. 6.5 for Tyson Bagent’s career. And the Bears figure to pass more willingly with their starter back in place.

Chicago’s 48.3% neutral pass rate over the past three games ranked 22nd league-wide. Last year’s Bears — with 17 games of Williams — checked in at 53.1%, 13th in the league.

There may even be upside from there, given RB Kyle Monangai’s absence for turf toe and RB D’Andre Swift managing hip and knee issues.

Capitalize on Lowered Expectations

We’re now five games into a season that started with Loveland as the clear TE3 in ADP. He’s tied for 23rd among tight ends in receptions and has yet to find the end zone.

All that means we no longer need Loveland to live up to his preseason valuation. Any manager who has dealt with the Chicago TE’s presence to this point would at least consider moving him for decent value.

If you can even just get continued TE9 usage with production to match at a modest trade cost, that would be a win for you — even while it would count as a loss for the league mate who drafted Loveland much higher.

And the ultimate upside remains. Despite playing three games with backup QBs, these Bears still rank seventh in total yards and 12th in expected points added per play.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

Whereas the Loveland case leans on a teammate’s impending return, this one begins with the loss of a teammate.

Pats RB TreVeyon Henderson suffered a high-ankle sprain in Sunday’s lopsided victory over the Raiders.

The Rhamondre Stevenson manager in your league undoubtedly knows about that. But being aware of the situation is not the same as properly evaluating it.

Stevenson’s Modest Start Makes Him Sneaky

Let’s start with the actual production: Stevenson ranks just 21st among RBs in PPR points per game, tied with Miami’s Ollie Gordon. And he has done that by slightly outperforming expectations (27th in expected PPR points per game).

But there’s more immediately available.

New England RBs collectively rank 10th in the league in carries and tied for 14th in receptions. Henderson’s share of that work has fluctuated wildly. Here’s how his season has gone:

• Missed Week 1
• Led Stevenson 16-6 in Week 2 carries
• Edged Stevenson 8-7 in Week 3, with Stevenson’s last touch coming in the third quarter of a blowout loss
• Edged Stevenson 14-13 in Week 4
• Left early in the second quarter of Week 5

Stevenson maintained his passing-game lead over Henderson even while seeing the young guy nudge ahead in rushing work. Expect the veteran to reclaim a dominant share in both areas while Henderson’s out.

That should at least mean high-level work shares over the next couple of weeks, and perhaps through the Week 11 bye. High-ankle sprains historically impact RB performance even after the player returns.

Schedule Adds a Boost

The Henderson injury hits at a particularly good time. The Patriots get the second-best RB scoring schedule by our adjusted fantasy points allowed. That starts with a particularly good run over the next four weeks:

Stevenson’s impending workload boost will come for an offense that’s up to 11th in EPA per play after a slow start. The Patriots also sit just 19th in scoring vs. eighth in total yards. That points to some positive regression in team scoring.

Make a move for Stevenson now before your league mate realizes the value they’re sitting on.

The potential short-term payoff is attractive enough. And there’s a chance that Henderson’s second ankle injury of 2026 stops him from returning to full strength and usage at any point this year.

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

Let’s continue the injury theme here, but now we’re turning to a guy still working his way back.

Breece Hall has missed the past two games with a quad issue, and he just watched teammate Braelon Allen rack up a 24-116-1 rushing line in a win over the Browns.

Both of those factors play into why we’re targeting Hall this week.

Uncertain Return Date Should Lower Price

The Jets didn’t place Hall on IR after his Week 3 quad injury, which tells us they hoped to get him back in fewer than four games. He has yet to return to the practice field, though, and HC Aaron Glenn still called him “week to week” ahead of the Cleveland game.

That uncertainty will make it easier for the Hall manager in your league to get comfy with moving him, especially if that team’s in trouble at RB right now. Allen’s strong outing figures to test that manager’s resolve further.

Does a good rushing day for the RB2 mean Jets coaches will shift the workload after Hall returns? Perhaps. But how much do we really expect the team to take away from the RB they extended at $15 million a year this offseason?

Hall sits 12th among RBs in expected PPR points per game so far this year, even while watching Allen claim 23 touches across the first three contests (with Hall available).

Bet on Talent Plus Schedule

Even if Hall remains out for this Sunday’s visit to New England, a Week 7 return would get him back for a high-upside spot against Miami.

The Dolphins have been the second-best scoring matchup for RBs by our data, and they play a big part in the Jets owning the best RB schedule from Week 6 through Week 12 (ahead of the Week 13 bye).

Getting Hall for that span could deliver a nice boost to your playoff chances ahead of the season-ending push.

How Do Last Week’s ‘Buys’ Look?

Let’s look back at our Trade Target recommendations from the past two weeks and see how we’d treat those players now …

Week 5 report

• Dalton Kincaid’s price has probably dipped further after a second straight 1-catch outing. We’re still betting on a rebound in opportunities. His route rate hasn’t declined.
• Matthew Golden has sandwiched a strange 3-21-1 ilne between a pair of 100+ yard games. Good luck buying him from the current manager.
• No WR has scored further under expectation over the past three weeks than Michael Wilson (minus-6.7 points per game). That points to positive regression coming.

Week 4 report

• Chase Brown’s performance has continued to disappoint, and Week 5 introduced Samaje Perine vulturing work. I’m certainly not chasing Brown on his bye week, and probably not on the other side of it either.
• As I mentioned last week, Tetairoa McMillan’s monster game against the Lions probably ended any realistic buy opportunity.
• We’ll cover Jameson Williams below.

Sell These Players

I didn’t set out to pick three “J” names, but I’m not sad it worked out that way.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders

I hoped this guy would perform like a breakout candidate in his second season. That has not happened, but he might have given us drafters an out with his Week 5 TD run.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored from 33 yards out against the Giants, his second TD of the season and enough to push him to RB18 for Week 5. Now it’s time to knock on the door of every RB-needy manager in your league.

Usage Matching Performance … and That Ain’t a Good Thing

Washington coaches indicated this summer they were optimistic for JCM improving in Year 2, while reports from camp indicated he presented more juice than the other backfield options. But that has yet to convert into regular-season production.

Croskey-Merritt opened with 16 carries in Week 1 and peaked at 19 in the team’s lone win vs. Seattle in Week 3. Through five weeks, though, he’s averaging just 3.6 yards per rush — down 1.0 vs. last season.

The O-line doesn’t help, but Croskey-Merritt’s down only slight from 2.5 yards before contact per carry to 2.2, according to Pro Football Reference. He’s down worse, however, in:

• Yards after contact per attempt
• Missed tackles forced per attempt
• Rush yards over expected per attempt
• Pro Football Focus elusive rating

And his usage is declining.

The team missed Rachaad White in Week 4, so newly signed Austin Ekeler combined with since-released Kaytron Allen to match JCM’s snap total and beat him 14-13 in pass routes.

White returned Sunday to play 15 more snaps than Croskey-Merritt (37-22) and double his route count (12-6).

The second-year back looks mired in a committee for an offense that ranks a mere 19th in EPA per play and 24th in offensive DVOA. See what you can get now before a Week 7 bye — and this week’s matchup with the 49ers — halts any momentum.

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

It was only two weeks ago that we listed Jameson Williams as a “buy” in this space. He rewarded that with WR19 and WR14 PPR finishes the past two games. So why not just enjoy it?

We got the positive regression on TDs, but the biggest issue haunting Williams’ fantasy reliability remains in place.

Receiver Lacks Reliable Opportunity

Even in advocating for Williams ahead of Week 4, I pointed out a target share that lagged behind the previous two seasons. That aspect hasn’t improved.

Williams’ 15.2% target share ranks him just 57th at the position. That trails players such as Rashod Bateman, Tre Tucker, Quentin Johnston, and Mack Hollins. It’s also worse than Williams’ 2025 rate (18.6%, 43rd) and his 2024 rate (18.7%, 52nd).

But if we knew that already, why the quick shift?

Because the pre-Week 4 version of Williams lagged behind his historical work after the catch and was scoring under expectation as a result. The past two week, however, presented an over-correction.

Williams beat his expected PPR points per game by 6.6 over those two outings, sixth-highest among wideouts.

Only Sell if it Helps You

Overall, Williams now ranks 30th among WRs in PPR points per game vs. tied for 39th in expected. That’s a reasonable range. His combo of speed and situation make Williams likely to commonly score above expectation. But let’s look at the real numbers.

He has exceeded 4 targets in just two of five games and is averaging just 55.2 yards per contest despite a hot offense that ranks sixth in pass attempts and third in passing yards. That average is down 10.5 from last year and 11.5 vs. 2024, and even that number’s inflated by his Week 4 yardage. That’s the only game in which Williams has reached 50 yards this season.

His 2 TDs against the Cardinals came on his only 2 catches. That’s a pretty fortunate day.

Williams will have other good outings, but he’ll also continue to vacillate between impressive and frustrating. It’s what he does.

So if you can find someone willing to pay WR2 price or higher for a key piece of the Lions offense, make your move to gain weekly reliability. If you can’t, just try to fortify with more reliable pieces around Williams and benefit from his spike weeks.

Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

If you’ve had Jaylen Warren in your lineup the past three weeks, then this one might annoy you. Before we get to the sell case, make sure you keep this in mind:

You should only sell Warren if you can get a strong return. We’re not expecting his production to crash. Rather, this looks like a time to target peak value if you can spare the RB.

Warren Feasted on Opportunity

That 188-yard, 2-TD outing against the Colts has pushed Warren to fifth in PPR points per game over the past three weeks and ninth in that category for the season.

He has clearly benefited from Rico Dowdle’s toe injury.

Warren already led Dowdle in both areas — Dowdle drew a 34.1% carry share and 7.4% target share over the first two weeks — and he should certainly maintain that lead. But Dowdle’s impending return will cut into the rushing and receiving work at least some. Check out what Steelers RBs coach Ramon Chinyoung said about Dowdle just last week:

And even the Dowdle-less weeks put Warren at 15th among RBs in expected PPR points per game.

That’s a good level, especially vs. where we drafted him. But notice that Warren has scored above that usage, which leaves some room for regression.

The Matchups Could Turn as Well

Warren also faced soft run defenses the past three weeks. The Bengals, Browns, and Colts rank 22nd, 26th, and 32nd in EPA per run play as of this writing.

Things look much worse the rest of the way in fantasy terms.

Pittsburgh gets the second-worst remaining RB schedule by our numbers. That starts this week at a Buccaneers run defense that ranks second-best in EPA per play.

None of this means you should panic-sell Warren before Dowdle returns, but it’s a good time to target high-end value for a hot RB with some question marks.

How Do Last Week’s ‘Sells’ Look?

Let’s look back at our sell recommendations from the past two weeks and how we’d treat those players now …

Week 5 report

• It’s awesome that Malik Nabers has delivered two straight games of 100+ yards. It’s also important to keep in mind that they came against defenses that rank 30th (Arizona) and 26th (Washington) in pass DVOA. We’re not selling Nabers because he’ll stink the rest of the way. We’re selling because of the potential for volatility. The way his past two games have gone should have you seeking — and holding out for — a higher price. The Giants do get another positive draw against the Saints this week before visiting a tougher Houston D in Week 7.
• Ollie Gordon’s a similar case at a lower level. He has delivered three straight highly usable fantasy lines, including a TD in each. I still wouldn’t bet on him keeping that production going. Gordon did most of his damage at Minnesota with a single long run (amid just 9 carries) and then paid off against a soft Cincinnati D. The Week 6 bye will make him tougher to sell right now, though.
• Devaughn Vele didn’t help his sell case with a season-low 26 yards against Minnesota, but I’d still be looking to move him. Every week is another one closer to Jordyn Tyson returning.

Week 4 report

• This is why we were trying to sell Jones the past two weeks. He’s now got a Week 6 bye and then the potential return of Jordan Mason. Feel free to continue seeking opportunities, but don’t be surprised if you can’t find them this week.
• Travis Kelce comes off his Week 5 bye to potentially re-open the sell window. Just beware that you might have to wait through another good performance to get a worthwhile return. He caught just two passes in each of the past two games.
• The Deebo Samuel sell case has been rendered moot by his hamstring injury.