It seems like only yesterday that the 2021 fantasy football season was getting underway. But as we roll into Week 8, we're already getting into the second half of the regular season...
Fantasy Football Week 8: Top 100 Players' Updated Trade Value and Advice
Oct 28, 2021
San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell runs against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
In 1867, the United States bought Alaska from Russia for the incredibly modest price of $7.2 million. Were Alaska to be sold today, its sheer size and oil reserves would fetch the U.S. trillions of dollars. Suffice to say, the United States fleeced Russia in that transaction.
You probably aren't ever going to pull off a trade in fantasy that proves to be that one-sided. But, hey...you can always try.
That's where the weekly trade value chart comes into play. As the season nears its midpoint, it's more important than ever to bolster your roster for a playoff run. Trades remain an excellent resource for doing so.
Remember, any players not listed below have a trade value of one. And as always, may the fantasy points be with you!
100. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
So, uh, are we worried about Patrick Mahomes yet?
As the Chiefs have shockingly stumbled to a 3-4 record on the season, Mahomes has mostly been a steady force for fantasy players at quarterback. Well, at least until Sunday, when he threw for just 206 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and a fumble before leaving the 27-3 blowout loss versus the Tennessee Titans with a head injury.
Patrick Mahomes had his 1st career game without 250 Pass yds or a Pass TD, and threw an interception in his 6th straight game (longest streak of career). pic.twitter.com/Xe77wSaPmw
He hasn't been trending in a great direction. Over the first four games of the season, he averaged 304 passing yards, 3.5 touchdowns and an interception per game. Over the past three, those numbers have regressed to 291 passing yards, 1.3 touchdowns and 1.6 picks per game. Big yikes.
Still, it would be unwise to bail on Mahomes now, given his pedigree and obvious upside. And you're unlikely to find a fantasy player willing to bail on him for less than standard value. He is probably in a holding pattern at this point.
You might think that players like D'Andre Swift and Cordarrelle Patterson are sell-high candidates, but avoid the temptation. They each have established a big enough role in their respective offenses that their excellent production should continue:
D’Andre Swift is averaging 13.3 PPR *receiving* points per game, which would be good enough to make him the RB19 and the WR34 by FPG alone.
For reference, CMC is averaging 14.7 FPG as a receiver since the start of 2019.
It could be argued D'Andre Swift has developed into the best pass-catching back in the NFL. Elusive, decisive, explosive, reliable -- he repeatedly gashes Ds underneath.
Only thing preventing him from joining the 100-catch club at RB this season is injury. Stud.
So, not only is he getting more RB work – he's out-carried Mike Davis 28 to 17 over the last two games – Patterson is also getting way more burn as an actual WR.
Mike Davis suffered a late-game injury, but even still, Cordarrelle Patterson saw almost 74% of Atlanta's running back rushes today when his season high was 50% (which was hit in their last game).
Unless you get blown away by an offer, hold on to these two. They're going to remain valuable.
On the flip side, try to buy low on Elijah Mitchell if you can. Savvy owners probably will hold on to him, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Only six RBs have handled at least 75% of their team's carries this year:
1. Derrick Henry (95%) 2. Najee Harris (88%) 3. Elijah Mitchell (85%) ** in his four starts ** 4. Alvin Kamara (84%) 5. James Robinson (76%) 6. Joe Mixon (75%)
Sunday was easily Elijah Mitchell’s best game as a runner. He averaged 1.01 yards over expectation per carry, per NFL Next Gen Stats, his highest mark of any single game — that’d rank #8 of all RBs if extrapolated over the whole season. Four explosives, too #49ers
The window to buy low on Dallas Goedert may have closed as well following Zach Ertz's trade to Arizona, but he's another player worth kicking the tires on. After a slow start to the season, he has a promising three catches for 70 yards on Sunday on five targets.
He should be an important part of Philly's offense moving forward.
As expected, Dallas Goedert's usage was amazing in Week 7 with Zach Ertz gone:
* Ran a route on 88% of pass plays. For reference, Darren Waller leads all TEs in pass play involvement (90%).
* Lined up in the slot or as an outside WR on 70% of his routes, which is Kelce-esque.
Again, savvy fantasy players won't let you steal him. But he has the potential to be a productive player, possibly a top-five tight end, in the second half.
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