Fantasy Football Trade Value Rankings: D’Onta Foreman a solid RB2; Justin Fields surging
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: Maligned Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields seems maligned no more. Fields had a rough September but now has consecutive top-5 finishes at QB and more than 17 PPR points in four consecutive games. For perspective, Green Bay Packers future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers has yet to reach 17 points in a game this season. Fields shoots up the rankings, though we’d hardly call him safe for fantasy. Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa slips past Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady into the top 10. Hard to call either of them safe, either.
Trade for: We expand the “safe” quarterback list from the top seven names to include Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins and rejuvenated Dallas Cowboys starter Dak Prescott. That makes nine. Trade for Tagovailoa at your own risk. He threw on the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Still need to see a month of health and production. Fields is still too risky as well.
Be cautious: Las Vegas Raiders starter Derek Carr scored 1.94 points at New Orleans. OK, so it’s only one game, but Carr hasn’t reached 20 fantasy points yet, so perhaps we were all overrating him. Washington Commanders fill-in starter Taylor Heinicke looked good, but there remains no guarantee he’ll keep on starting — as foolish as changing back seems — when starter Carson Wentz returns to health. Brady, Rodgers, Denver Broncos starter Russell Wilson and Los Angeles Rams starter Matthew Stafford still inspire little fantasy confidence.
Rankings changes: While recent acquisition Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers accounted for 40.2 PPR points in his second game, his former teammate D’Onta Foreman established himself as starter for the Carolina Panthers with 31.8 PPR points. McCaffrey moves up to No. 2 at running back, and Foreman rises into mid-RB2 territory.
Another big mover is Tony Pollard. While Ezekiel Elliott figures to retain volume when healthy, Pollard is the Dallas game-breaker. We also moved Latavius Murray a spot ahead of Broncos teammate Melvin Gordon III, saw several New York Jets fall and welcome potential Rams difference-maker Kyren Williams to the rankings.
Trade for: Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry continues to smash past 100 rushing yards each week, getting 219 yards against the Houston Texans. He always performs against them and will get another chance in Week 16. McCaffrey and New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara also gain ground in the overall rankings on the top wide receivers. Just be careful, as none of these players, including Henry, played a full season in 2021. Pollard might never get huge volume with or without Elliott, but he seems safe for enough touches to trust.
Be cautious: Lions star D’Andre Swift returned to action and did his damage in the passing game, with the assumption being that much more volume is pending. Is it? Jamaal Williams continues to thrive. There is little indication Pittsburgh Steelers sophomore Najee Harris will suddenly turn his season around to the level of his busy rookie campaign.
Rankings changes: Injuries are the story at this position, as the Cincinnati Bengals will be without star Ja’Marr Chase (hip) for several games, at the least, and the Los Angeles Chargers lose Mike Williams (ankle) for at least a month. How much time is left in your regular season? Williams leaves the top 100. With Chase, there is reason for optimism. We also watch to see whether new Kansas City Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring) will play and make an impact this week. He arrived from the New York Giants via trade. He should be more statistically relevant than Arizona Cardinals trade acquisition Robbie Anderson has been.
In other news, the Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins and Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle force their way into the top 10, while the Commanders’ Terry McLaurin (thanks to the backup QB) and Panthers’ DJ Moore return to WR2 range. The Broncos’ Courtland Sutton glides past teammate Jerry Jeudy, while intriguing Atlanta Falcons wideout Damiere Byrd slides into the rankings. The Saints’ Michael Thomas keeps moving backward.
Trade for: We await more news on Rams star Cooper Kupp (ankle), but the team believes it is a minor injury, so he remains at No. 1 overall. Carry on. It’s a good time to get the Bengals’ Tee Higgins and, for the short term, Tyler Boyd, but remember, they have yet to serve their bye week. That matters.
Be cautious: Perhaps Chase will return soon. Perhaps not. It’s always dangerous assuming injured players will return quickly. McLaurin looks great again, but knowing that franchise, it might go back to the injured QB soon. Let’s not presume Toney will be safe to trust yet, even with Patrick Mahomes.
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Rankings changes: Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts had his best fantasy effort of the season, topping 25 receiving yards for the second time. Is it a harbinger of things to come? We hope so! Jet Tyler Conklin was the high scorer at the position this week, and he moves up in the rankings. Chicago’s Cole Kmet scored his first touchdown since 2020. Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely showed how likely he is to contribute if Mark Andrews (shoulder) misses time. Enticing Giant Daniel Bellinger might miss a month, or more.