Week 12 Fantasy Football Trade Targets
Week 12 Byes: NONE
Below are my Week 12 trade targets based on rest of season strength of schedule, both to trade for and trade away players. THESE ARE EXCLUDING THANKSGIVING DAY PLAYERS
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Trade For…
Quarterback: Russell Wilson
Honestly, I really dislike the matchup this week vs. CLE, but it’s at home in DEN, and the rest of his schedule is prime! In the spirit of cooking week, let’s… ride. Russ has looked good, and the Broncos have won four straight. Courtland Sutton has been unguardable, and Jerry Jeudy has been inches away from numerous big plays lately. Wilson has the 2nd easiest strength of schedule (SOS) rest of season (ROS). His next three games after CLE are on the road, but all in domes @HOU, @LAC, @DET heading into your fantasy playoffs. It may be a tough watch, but if you’ve lost any of the numerous QBs to injury, Russ may be the cheapest trade for target with the most upside for the price.
Running Back: Rachaad White
We expected a tough outing from White vs. the 49ers last weekend. Instead, he scored and caught six passes for 58 total yards and an RB13 finish in PPR. That’s the first time he’s failed to land inside the Top 12 in five weeks. Best news is White has the 5th best SOS ROS, getting IND, CAR and ATL heading into your fantasy playoffs. The Bucs don’t put up a ton of points, but when they do, it comes from Mike Evans or White. He’s a gem in PPR leagues, especially.
Wide Receiver: Michael Pittman
Pittman has out a quietly solid season. He’s WR16 on the year and could see a boost down the stretch. IND just had their bye and now get the 11th easiest SOS for WRs ROS. TB, TEN and CIN are all a Top 15 matchup for WRs; TB and TEN are Top 6. He’s seen 11 or more targets in six of his 10 games this season, with three consecutive eight-reception games before the bye. Pittman is not a household name and should be cheaper to trade for than, say DJ Moore, Mike Evans or Tank Dell.
Tight End: David Njoku
I know, Deshaun Watson is out for the season. Oddly enough, this might help Njoku (horrible for Amari Cooper, though). Njoku has the 8th easiest SOS ROS but has an incredible next three games heading into the fantasy playoffs. CLE faces DEN, LAR and JAC. DEN is the best matchup for TEs. LAR is the 6th best and JAC is middle of the pack at 15th. More exciting, though, is that Dorian Thompson-Robinson targets Njoku 15 times in his first start. Before that, he saw 9, 6, 8 and 9. We want an opportunity at TE. Njoku is not a big name, but could legit be a league winner down the stretch. Trade away Evan Engram and roll with Njoku. He may even be available on your waivers!
Trade Away…
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford
Stafford has been over 15 fantasy points just three times all season and has thrown multiple touchdowns in one… ONE (!!!) game back in Week 5. Cooper Kupp just got injured again, and while he may suit up this week, he’s not 100%. Kyren Williams returns, but that may only help the run game. Stafford has the 10th toughest SOS ROS. The Rams are @ARI, which is a decent match-up, but then vs. CLE and @BAL off their bye the week before your fantasy playoffs? Nah. Hard pass. Even with a healthy Kupp and Puka Nacua, I don’t trust Stafford. He wouldn’t be on your roster if not for so many QB injuries. Go get R. Wilson instead.
Running Back: Joe Mixon
Mixon has the 5th toughest SOS ROS. Joe Burrow is out for the season. Mixon has scored four weeks in a row, which is great. However, now, with Jake Browning running the show, that may change in a hurry. Mixon still has name-brand value enough to move for a consistent RB1/2 like Alexander Mattison or Jaylen Warren. Mixon has accumulated 100+ total yards just twice this season and has yet to rush for 90+ yards at all… I can’t see that getting better without Joe Burrow.
Wide Receiver: Christian Kirk / Calvin Ridley
JAC WRs have the 3rd toughest SOS ROS. To make matters worse, Trevor Lawrence has the 4th toughest for QBs, too. Kirk and Ridley alternate being the No. 1 in Jacksonville. Now, they have Zay Jones back, and there’s always Travis Etienne as well. @HOU, CIN and @CLE before BAL in the first round of your playoffs is a rough stretch with so much uncertainty. I’d try to move each for Adam Thielen, Zay Flowers, Tank Dell or Courtland Sutton.
Tight End: Evan Engram
You catch the theme? Fade JAC passing game. I’ve already mentioned Lawrence’s tough schedule above. You may think, “Well, the ball has to go somewhere”. True, but where? We just can’t tell right now, and I don’t want to gamble at an important position that either sets you apart or drags down your team. Engram has the 10th toughest SOS ROS. He started hot this season with eight Top 9 weekly finishes before their bye in Week 9. Since then though, he’s TE21 and TE17 in PPR. Yikes. He has just four receptions in each of the last two games. He had at least six in five of the first eight games before the bye. Engram is fine, but I’d rather have the guaranteed looks from Njoku. For NFL purposes, spreading the ball around is smart and productive, but for fantasy, it’s the worst.
For more from Sky and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @skyguasco.
