close
close
Fantasy Football Week 1: Examining the Trade Market for the Top 100 Flex Players | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 22: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) passes the ball during the game against the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals on August 22, 2024 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

We’ve all been there: Someone in your league doesn’t make the draft, has to try their luck with the auto-draft feature, and ends up with five quarterbacks and an incredibly unbalanced roster. It’s hilarious.

But that person also desperately needs to hit the transfer market to fill needs across their entire squad, and that’s where you step in, hoping to wring some good deals out of a desperate player. Trades are difficult early in the season, but with the return of the trade value chart below, you’re in business.

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

2. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

3. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

4. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

6. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

8. AJ Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

11. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

12. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

13. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

14. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

15. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

16. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

17. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

18. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

19. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

21. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

22. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

23. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

24. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

25. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

26. Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles

27. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

28. Lamar Jackson, quarterback, Baltimore Ravens

29. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

30. Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

31. Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions

32. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

33. Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

34. De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

35. DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

36. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

37. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

38. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

39. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

40. Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans

41. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens

42. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

43. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

44. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

45. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns

46. ​​Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

47. Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

48. CJ Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

49. Patrick Mahomes, quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs

50. Dak Prescott, quarterback, Dallas Cowboys

51. Joe Burrow, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals

52. Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

53. Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans

54. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

55. Kenneth Walker II, RB, Seattle Seahawks

56. Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins

57. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

58. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

59. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

60. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

61. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

62. Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

63. George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

64. Anthony Richardson, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts

65. Jordan Love, quarterback, Green Bay Packers

66. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

67. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills

68. Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys

69. D’Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears

70. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

71. David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions

72. JK Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

73. Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders

74. Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

75. Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans

76. Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers

77. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

78. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

79. Brock Purdy, quarterback, San Francisco 49ers

80. Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears

81. Devin Singletary, RB, New York Giants

82. Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns

83. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

84. Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings

85. Zack Moss, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

86. David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns

87. Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

88. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

89. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

90. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

91. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

92. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, New York Jets

93. Kirk Cousins, quarterback, Atlanta Falcons

94. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

95. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

96. Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

97. Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

98. Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans

99. Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

100. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

All players not listed have a trade value of 1. Trade values ​​are determined using PPR ratings and projections.

The trade value chart before the start of the regular season is based purely on projections, so some players may trade higher or lower than expected. Let’s take a look.

Let’s focus primarily on Anthony Richardson, arguably the most intriguing fantasy player this season. He has an average draft position of 57.5 on ESPN drafts and 47.4 on Yahoo drafts, but ranks 64th on the trade value chart. There are several reasons for this.

First, the trade value chart looks at value a little differently than standard projections because of the depth at the position. In standard leagues last season, the difference between the No. 7 quarterback (Jared Goff) and the No. 19 quarterback (Geno Smith) was about 3.1 fantasy points per week. Aside from the elite options at the position, there is a lot of depth available, making these players less valuable in trades.

Now the question is, do you think Richardson is one of the best options or more of a mid-range player? In his four games last season, he averaged 18.2 fantasy points per game. In a full 17-game season, that equates to 309.4 fantasy points, which would have put him sixth overall last season.

And the fantasy hype followed:

Josh Norris @Subscribe

Statistics from the Great @LordReebs
In his two complete games, Anthony Richardson was QB4 and QB2 in the weekly rankings
“For a better overview: CJ Stroud had only two weeks with top-6 points in his 15 starts as a rookie” https://t.co/xoBJKQ4qAi

A large portion of that fantasy value, however, came from his 136 rushing yards and four touchdowns. That style of play also contributed to a series of injuries that resulted in him appearing in just four games as a rookie. Suffering the kind of major setbacks he suffered last season on a permanent basis is unsustainable going forward.

The Wrestler @Ringtone

Only in our fantasy football podcast you will get a comparison between Wine Country and Quarterback.🍷😂@Danny_Heifetz tried to convince the Seattle audience that there is no difference between Temecula (Jayden Daniels) and Portugal (Anthony Richardson).
Presented by @Nationwide. Nationwide is on your side. pic.twitter.com/7VfEy5b7hE

But has Richardson ever proven that he’s an elite passer only at the college or professional level? As a passer, he threw for 577 yards, three touchdowns and one interception last year, for a total of 2,452 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

His best season in Florida was 2022, when he threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions, completing just 53.8 percent of his passes. Of course, he also excelled as a runner, posting 654 yards on the ground and nine scores.

There are now many dynamic running quarterbacks who remain healthy enough to be a force in fantasy football. Many of the top quarterbacks listed above have a big impact on the ground.

But Richardson is a little more up-and-down than anyone else. He probably needs to run to make a big impact as a fantasy quarterback, but his running style is very risky for injury. We’ve never seen evidence that Richardson, despite his tremendous talent, can be the type of passer who makes a splash in fantasy leagues if he puts more emphasis on staying in the pocket.

There’s still upside if he’s more responsible, but don’t overpay for that opportunity in early-season trades.

One player who could break out this season is Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed. When quarterback Jordan Love went Super Saiyan in the final stretch last season, Reed was a major factor. In his final seven games of the regular season, he caught 36 passes for 376 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Over the course of 17 games, that’s 87 catches for 913 yards and nine touchdowns, and that doesn’t even take into account that the young receiver had time in the offseason to develop and build a better relationship with Love.

There’s a wide pool of wide receivers available, so don’t overpay for Reed. Plus, there’s Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks who also soak up targets in Green Bay. But Reed is a player you can get pretty cheap right now and has the potential to make a big jump in year two.

By Jasper

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *