We are officially past the halfway point of the fantasy season, and in NFL terms, that means the trade deadline is looming. While it’s exciting to think about top-flight players suiting up for a new team and the upside it would unlock, much of the opportunity comes from the players left behind. Reading the trade market tea leaves and targeting the players whose playing time or role would expand in the event of their teammate being traded is exactly the type of savvy move that can pay dividends down the stretch run.
Devin Neal | RB – New Orleans Saints | 2% Rostered
Kendre Miller has been a favorite stash of many savvy fantasy managers and a feature of this very article a few short weeks ago. Miller was seemingly taking more and more opportunities from Alvin Kamara with each passing game, but unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 and has been ruled out for the rest of the season. This opens the door for the next man up, which is now Devin Neal. Neal was drafted in the 6th round by the Saints this offseason and offers one of the more interesting profiles in this year’s class. There’s a fork in the road ahead of the Saints now; overload Kamara with the lion’s share of the work or ramp Neal up to the approximate split that Miller garnered. The latter scenario makes Neal a worthwhile stash who could have some fringe flex appeal in deep leagues or as managers navigate the byes. The former would render Neal almost a pure stash play, but it also exposes the aging Kamara to increased injury risk. Either way you slice it, Neal should be rostered in far more than 2% of leagues and could offer significant upside if things break in his favor.
Malik Washington | WR – Miami Dolphins | 14% Rostered
Malik Washington is the most widely-rostered of the names in this week’s article, but he is also among the most-dropped players at his position over the recent stretch of weeks. I think that is a mistake. While his production on the field and fantasy performances haven’t been anything to get excited about, his opportunity has taken a stark uptick since Tyreek Hill was lost for the season, and I believe the output will catch up before long. Washington is averaging 6 targets per game since that point and, more excitingly, has earned 5 red zone targets over that stretch; the most among Dolphins receivers. This week, as it will be quite often, Miami is slated to trail their opponent from the outset and spend most of their snaps in pass-heavy game scripts, creating ample opportunity for Washington to show his game-breaking speed. As a cherry on top of the case for Washington, there is a legitimate chance that Jaylen Waddle gets moved ahead of the November trade deadline, which would immediately vault Malik Washington to the top of nearly every waiver priority list.
Jack Bech | WR – Las Vegas Raiders | 1% Rostered
The case for Jack Bech is essentially a light version of the one made above for Washington, but with a heavier emphasis on the likelihood of the guy in front of him on the depth chart getting moved. Jakobi Meyers, the guy in question, had been one of the more vocal players about his desire to be traded throughout the off-season and doubled down on his position when prompted by a reporter this week. “Oh, for sure” was the exact response given when asked if he still wants to be traded, and with several teams publicly expressing interest in the veteran receiver, a move seems imminent. This would pave the way for more playing time for the Raiders’ 2nd-round rookie Jack Bech. Bech is by no means a world-beating type of prospect, but his reliable hands and ability to create separation at the top of his routes are very reminiscent of a guy like… Jakobi Meyers. Obviously, the Raiders aren’t exactly the ’08 Patriots on offense this season, but getting cheap access to an exciting prospect who’ll be playing in pass-heavy game scripts is something of value, and Bech checks all those boxes (especially the price one).
Isaiah Davis | RB – New York Jets | 5% Rostered
Arguably the only name being circulated as heavily as Jakobi Meyers’ in trade markets is the Jets’ star running back, Breece Hall. The 0-7 Jets have been an abject disaster this season, and the presumed benching of Justin Fields, who they paid handsomely to acquire a few short months ago, signals that a house cleaning is likely. Hall’s skill as a runner and pass catcher, as well as his contract, make him a very appealing trade target, and a deal would leave Isaiah Davis as the last man standing in that backfield. Being 3rd on this depth chart to start the season doesn’t mean Davis is just a guy, however. He’s got the bruising profile and big frame of a workhorse back, but has shown some ability as a pass-catcher in his limited run this season. Davis will need to unlock that ability to truly reach any upside outcome, but even if not, he’d profile as a high-floor RB2 should the Jets move off of Hall.
Photo by Ella Hall/GettyImages | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@CarbonFoxGFX on Twitter/X)