Fantasy Football Trade Value Rankings: Aaron Rodgers dips; Breece Hall creeps higher
Eric Karabell ranks players for their fantasy football trade value for the rest of the 2022 NFL season every week until the fantasy football trade deadline (noon ET on Nov. 30). Use the information to propose or assess trades and to optimize the players on your bench for their future potential. Eric’s top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.
Rankings changes: Quarterback is normally so deep that we find it difficult to narrow down 13 or 14 choices into the top 10. Not this season. Packers starter Aaron Rodgers continues to underwhelm, for whatever reason, falling short of 17 PPR points in each game, and he falls to No. 14. Yep, even behind Seattle’s surprising Geno Smith and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. Hey, we deal in numbers here, and Rodgers enters Week 7 with fewer fantasy points than Denver’s Russell Wilson, Washington’s Carson Wentz and Cleveland fill-in Jacoby Brissett!
Meanwhile, Vikings starter Kirk Cousins deservingly breaks into the top 10, which isn’t so shocking; he’s been a borderline QB1 in standard, 10-team leagues for years, and he is 10th among QBs in PPR scoring today. He passes Buccaneers starter Tom Brady, though Brady remains top 10 for now, mostly due to the position lacking someone that deserves his spot. Geno Smith over Tom Brady? We can make the case.
Trade for: While the Bills’ Josh Allen remains in his own top tier, the truly trustworthy fantasy options here end at the Bengals’ Joe Burrow at No. 7. Perhaps that’s unfair. Cousins may not win real playoff games, but he’s always serviceable in fantasy, perhaps underrated, really, especially as top-end depth eludes us in 2022. The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott likely returns this week. Trade for him as a borderline QB1, but not a safe one.
Be cautious: As we keep noting weekly, assuming normally dependable Rodgers or Brady (or Wilson or the Rams’ Matthew Stafford) simply alter the trajectory of their rather disappointing seasons and start playing like their versions from recent seasons is asking a lot. The Bears’ Justin Fields still has that QB1 upside because of his legs, occasionally showing it, but trading for him remains high risk. The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa likely returns this week. He is not Prescott. Be wary.
Rankings changes: Young running backs continue to rise, with the Jets’ Breece Hall forcing his way into the top 10, even jumping ahead of the Bengals’ Joe Mixon. Volume matters, and Mixon’s odd season continues. The Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson is getting volume for now and joins the RB2 party along with Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III. The Jaguars’ Travis Etienne Jr. closes in as well. A pair of Packers (Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon) fall, along with the Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins and Commanders’ Antonio Gibson. The Rams seem to want Cam Akers on their team even less than you do, and who knows what’s happening in Denver?
Trade for: As long as the Jets and Seahawks keep feeding their rookies, we can count on them. The Saints’ Alvin Kamara certainly looks safe again. There was much skepticism surrounding the NFC East running backs in the preseason, but the Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Eagles’ Miles Sanders, Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard continue to stay healthy and play well. Perhaps the Commanders’ Brian Robinson becomes statistically trustworthy soon. Trade for the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor with fingers crossed.
Be cautious: The risk on acquiring Stevenson is that he goes back to splitting touches with Damien Harris. May happen, may not happen. The only RB to outscore Stevenson in Week 6 was the Colts’ Deon Jackson, but there’s no looming timeshare there. When Taylor is healthy, he gets the touches. Who gets the touches for the Rams? It’s so risky to assume it is Darrell Henderson Jr. Nor can we assume Kenyan Drake is safe for the Ravens or that Latavius Murray, of all people, is Denver’s guy. We want to believe the Packers will figure everything out soon, but Jones and Dillon aren’t giving us much hope.
Rankings changes: The big mover at this position is someone who hasn’t played all season. The Cardinals get DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension for Thursday’s game against the Saints. It should aid QB Kyler Murray and the running game. In addition, Arizona acquired disgruntled Panther Robbie Anderson, and he replaces an injured Marquis Brown, who may be done for a while. Lots going on in Arizona!
Meanwhile, it was nice to see the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr., 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk and Steelers’ Chase Claypool remind us of their special talents. Pittman returns to safe WR2 range. It remains to be seen if Aiyuk and Claypool remain statistically relevant. Finally, learn the name of Patriots rookie Tyquan Thornton. He scored two touchdowns Sunday.
Trade for: It’s still not many targets, but the Bills’ Gabe Davis makes big plays, and his QB may win MVP. Now is a good time to get the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, seeing that he is presumed healthy and his bye week passed. Saints rookie Chris Olave should play Thursday. Who knows about veteran Saints WR Michael Thomas?
Be cautious: Just because the Cardinals dealt for Anderson, who has been disappointing since his breakout 2020 campaign, doesn’t mean you need to. The Jets sure are running the football quite a bit, lowering the value of their receivers. Rams disappointment Allen Robinson II outscored Cooper Kupp in PPR points, but we can count on only one of them at this point. Ben Skowronek scored a touchdown, too.
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Rankings changes: There remains a rather large drop between the top two options and the rest. While the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Ravens’ Mark Andrews thrive each week, it was nice to see some strugglers rebound. The Falcons’ Kyle Pitts, Bills’ Dawson Knox and Patriots’ Hunter Henry scored touchdowns, the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki scored two, and the Packers’ Robert Tonyan was the prime Rodgers target. Names to watch in deeper formats: the Broncos’ Greg Dulcich, Buccaneers’ Cade Otton, Giants’ Daniel Bellinger. The Saints’ Taysom Hill remains all or nothing statistically.