Fantasy Football

Fantasy managers hunting for help at running back before the Nov. 30 trade deadline could do well to look at the Dallas Cowboys' situation with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.

The Cowboys have done a good job of finding a balance between their top two running backs since the start of last season. Elliott remained the No. 1 option in 2021 and played well with 1,289 yards from scrimmage (1,002 rushing yards) and 12 touchdowns on 284 touches.

Pollard has been the more productive player on a per-touch basis. He cracked 1,000 yards from scrimmage (1,056) on just 169 touches. He only found the end zone twice, but that's likely because Dallas kept feeding Elliott in the red zone.

Elliott entered this season at a crossroads, both in real and fantasy football. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks the offense should work around the three-time Pro Bowler, but Pollard's upside makes him a valuable asset.

Through seven games in 2022, Elliott has been fine with 475 yards from scrimmage on 115 touches.

Pollard showcased his skills as an every-down back in Week 8 when Elliott was out with an injury. The 25-year-old had 147 yards from scrimmage and three rushing touchdowns on 15 touches in a 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears.

In eight games, Pollard leads the Cowboys with 627 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 93 touches.

ESPN's Mina Kimes noted after the Bears game that Pollard ranks second among running backs with 5.47 yards per carry on runs between the tackles since the start of 2021. Elliott ranks 38th in the same category.

Despite how well Pollard played against Chicago, Jones reiterated after the game that Elliott will remain the No. 1 running back in Dallas.

Pollard is the more valuable fantasy back, though, which makes his trade value for interested suitors difficult to gauge. He ranks 21st in point-per-reception scoring on a per-game basis among running backs, per ESPN.

Elliott ranks 27th despite having 22 more touches. He's been such a non-factor in the passing game that his value is dependent on rushing yards and touchdowns.

Even when Pollard isn't scoring, he's more likely to get targets in the passing game. Elliott will continue to get touches like he's an RB1, but Pollard is the more valuable fantasy player for the rest of the season among Cowboys running backs.

If any fantasy managers are still holding out hope for players on the Indianapolis Colts, here's some advice about how to handle the Nov. 30 trade deadline.

Among many stunning moves the Colts have made this season, then-head coach Frank Reich's announcement Oct. 24 that Sam Ehlinger would take over as the starting quarterback began a ripple effect that is turning into a tidal wave for the franchise.

The Colts seemed like they had a strong infrastructure around their quarterback, but that hasn't been the case. The offensive line has been a mess, which compounded issues for Matt Ryan before he was benched.

Ehlinger was an unknown taking over the offense. The 24-year-old was a sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Texas in 2021. His only regular-season experience prior to Week 8 this year came in three games last season in which he didn't throw a pass and rushed three times for nine yards.

Through his first two starts, Ehlinger looks like a second-year quarterback who was drafted in the sixth round. He has thrown for 304 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. The Colts had just 43 net passing yards in a Week 9 loss to the New England Patriots as Ehlinger threw for 103 yards but was sacked nine times.

Michael Pittman Jr.'s performance has fallen off a cliff since Ehlinger took over the offense. He has 75 yards on 10 catches in the past two games after averaging 79.2 yards and 7.3 receptions with Ryan from Weeks 1 to 7.

Jonathan Taylor has missed time with an ankle injury and hasn't been nearly as effective through six games in 2022 (88.8 average yards from scrimmage, one touchdown) as he was last season (2,171 yards from scrimmage, 20 touchdowns).

Taylor was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in fantasy drafts coming into the season. He's probably the only Colts player worth rostering in fantasy, but his value is only as an RB3/flex player because of how limited he's looked because of the ankle injury and how poor the offensive line has been.

Looking ahead to the Nov. 30 fantasy trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers could present a few buy-low options for managers who hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

In a season full of surprises, the Packers might be the most disappointing team in the league. Even if some drop-off was expected after trading Davante Adams, no one predicted their offense would rank 14th in yards per game (345.3) and 27th in points per game (17.1).

Aaron Rodgers hasn't been great, but he's hardly playing poorly. The reigning two-time NFL MVP has thrown for 2,091 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions and is completing 64.7 percent of his attempts.

A lack of trust in his receiving corps has impacted Rodgers' performance.

Allen Lazard has done a decent job as the No. 1 option for the Packers. The 26-year-old leads the team with 427 receiving yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

On a per-game basis, Lazard has been a WR2 with an average of 14.7 points in point-per-reception leagues. He has caught one touchdown in three of his last four games after racking up a season-high 116 yards in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.

Injuries have kept Lazard out of two games this season, including Week 8 with a shoulder injury. He could be available for a bargain because of the negative attention around the Packers given their struggles.

Aaron Jones has been the only must-start fantasy player in Green Bay's lineup all season. The 2020 Pro Bowler has been dominant in the running game (600 yards on 107 carries) and is a PPR machine because of his value as a receiver (32 receptions in nine games).

Jones has been a low-end RB1 in fantasy with 135.0 points in PPR leagues. He suffered an ankle injury in last week's loss to the Detroit Lions, though, and has been limited in practice this week.

Assuming Jones stays healthy, his fantasy value is extremely high. He will carry a heavy price tag in fantasy trade talks if you are looking for a top-tier running back.

On the flip side, you should take almost any potential deal you can get for AJ Dillon. He hasn't contributed much running the ball (389 yards, one touchdown on 98 carries) and has just one game with more than two catches since Week 1.

Some expected coming into this season that a two-running-back system with Jones and Dillon would carry the Packers offense and make up for the loss of Adams.

Jones has held up his end, but Dillon has failed to capitalize on his breakout 2021 season when he had 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

Fantasy managers searching for depth at wide receiver before the Nov. 30 trade deadline would do well to look at what's happening with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite some questions coming into the year about what the offense would look like without Tyreek Hill, things have more or less been the same as they ever were.

Patrick Mahomes leads the league in passing yards (2,605) and passing touchdowns (21) through eight games. The bulk of his targets are going to Travis Kelce, but the receiving options on the outside have been better than expected.

Week 3 was a sloppy performance for the Chiefs in a 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but it wasn't a major cause for concern going forward.

Kelce is leading the team with 77 targets, 57 receptions, 659 yards and seven touchdowns. Given how dire things have been at tight end around the NFL, no one with him on their roster should think about dealing him unless it's a ridiculous overpay.

JuJu Smith-Schuster was a great buy-low option coming into 2022 after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers and whatever Ben Roethlisberger was trying to do last year. The 25-year-old has 582 yards on 44 receptions through eight games.

Smith-Schuster has been a WR2 in fantasy this season. He ranks 20th in total PPR scoring (112.2) and 25th in average PPR scoring per game (14.0), per FantasyPros.com.

Adding to Smith-Schuster's value is how well he's played lately. The USC alum has 325 total yards in his past three games and is averaging 7.3 receptions on 8.3 targets during that span.

If you are trying to acquire Smith-Schuster for the second half, it's going to cost you a lot.

Mecole Hardman will certainly be easier to get in a trade, but he's not been nearly as impactful as Kelce, Smith-Schuster or even Marques Valdes-Scantling. The 24-year-old has scored five touchdowns in his past three games, but he would need to keep up that pace to have significant value going forward.

Hardman's most productive game as a wide receiver came last week against the Tennessee Titans. He turned nine targets into six receptions and 79 yards with a touchdown.

The lack of week-to-week consistency from Hardman over the course of the entire season makes him too volatile for me to bet on him as a regular starter. If you want to acquire him as a flex option down the stretch, you might be able to get him for a fairly low price.

Valdes-Scantling was a boom-or-bust player in four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He has the speed to take the top off defenses (career average of 17.5 yards per reception).

Much like Hardman, Valdes-Scantling continues to be hit-and-miss from week to week. He had a season-high 111 yards in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers, but he followed it up with one catch for 12 yards against the Titans.

Valdes-Scantling also is yet to find the end zone this season, despite averaging 16.6 yards per reception.

If you have decided you need to add one Chiefs receiver before the trade deadline, Smith-Schuster is the best player to target. Hardman is worth adding if you need depth, but he's a player who you should only be starting if there is a favorable matchup.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surely didn't envision a 4-5 record and their offense being largely to blame for the struggles through early November.

After all, Tom Brady returned after a temporary retirement, and there aren't many better one-two punches at wide receiver than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Throw in Leonard Fournette at running back, and it was reasonable to expect the unit to be one of the NFL's best.

Instead, Tampa Bay is 25th in the league in points per game (18.0).

Brady's frustration has been apparent at times while yelling at his teammates on the sidelines or throwing a tablet, and fantasy football players who were relying on the all-time great are surely frustrated as well.

So frustrated that they may look to trade him in what could be a buy-low opportunity for other managers as fantasy trade deadlines approach.

While Brady has had just one game all year with more than one touchdown pass, he has thrown for 325 yards or more in three of his last six contests. The yardage production has been noteworthy, and the Buccaneers will still face a number of vulnerable secondaries down the stretch.

Tampa Bay finishes with games against the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, who are 25th, 21st and last in the league in passing yards allowed per game, respectively.

That means trading for Brady could set you up with ideal matchups come the fantasy playoffs, and his early-season struggles wouldn't even matter at that point.

The same can be said about Evans and Godwin, who figure to be productive given their track records.

Evans has never failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards since entering the league in 2014, and Godwin has surpassed 1,100 receiving yards in two of the last three years. The latter could be quite the buy-low candidate in a trade considering he has dealt with injuries and is yet to catch a touchdown.

The Buccaneers have been frustrating, but they could break out against poor secondaries during the fantasy playoffs.

That makes Brady, Godwin and Evans worthy of targeting in potential trades.

Denver Broncos wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy were projected to take a major leap this season, but the pair has fallen short of expectations. As the fantasy football trade deadline approaches, let's take a look at how managers should try to recoup some assets.

Sutton leads Denver with 35 receptions, 467 yards and 62 targets, but he has reached the end zone just once this year. Jeudy has caught a team-high three touchdowns to go with 30 catches for 449 yards on 54 targets.

After the Broncos acquired nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason, many expected the team to have a high-powered offense predicated on a potent passing attack. However, Wilson has failed to develop chemistry with his new crop of pass-catchers through the first half of the season. Tim Patrick's season-ending torn ACL in training camp didn't help matters, either.

Both Sutton and Jeudy can be considered WR2, at best, but even that might be wishful thinking that the Broncos offense will turn things around in the second half of the year. Neither of them can be depended on to produce each week in a Denver offense that lacks any consistency.

Fantasy managers would be best served attaching Sutton or Jeudy to another player as part of package to land a bigger star. A straight-up trade for one of the receivers isn't likely to secure a difference-maker in return.

There's also the option of holding on to either player and riding it out for the rest of the season. The Broncos will try to make a late push toward the playoffs, which could lead to a pass-happy offense in the second half of the year.

If more opportunities open up for Jeudy and Sutton, fantasy managers will be rewarded for their steadfast belief in them. But if Denver's offensive struggles continue, what's a little more disappointment on top of the massive regret already felt for drafting them in the first place?

The Kansas City Chiefs would never dream of trading Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in real life.

But fantasy football doesn't always mirror real life.

Perhaps someone in your league has Kelce and is in drastic need of a running back to replace an injured playmaker. That sounds like the perfect time to step in and make a trade for one of the biggest game-changers in all of fantasy football.

From a positional standpoint, the drop-off from Kelce to the No. 2 tight end is arguably bigger than the gap between first and second at any other spot on the field.

That means fantasy football managers with the University of Cincinnati product at a position that is often defined by weekly inconsistency have a distinct advantage over their opposition, whereas there isn't a huge difference between having an A.J. Brown compared to Christian Kirk at wide receiver.

Kelce leads all tight ends in catches (57), receiving yards (659) and touchdown catches (seven).

By comparison, Zach Ertz is second with 46 catches, Dallas Goedert is second with 521 receiving yards, and Mark Andrews is second with five touchdown catches. Nobody does everything quite as well as Kelce, which makes him worthy of a trade featuring a running back or wide receiver.

The same might not be said about Mahomes.

While he is a fantasy and real-life star who is capable of putting up five touchdowns in any given game, the drop-off isn't quite as drastic at the quarterback position. Fantasy players with Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and even Geno Smith are likely almost as happy with their signal-callers as they would be with Mahomes.

Even Justin Fields and Tua Tagovailoa have been fantasy stars of late, with the former setting records with his rushing ability.

Fantasy players could afford to trade Mahomes if the return is significant enough because there are better options at QB than at tight end for someone moving Kelce. Maybe one of those options would come back in a trade for the Chiefs quarterback.

Proceed with caution, but it is at least something worth exploring for the right price.

Las Vegas Raiders stars Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller are having polar-opposite offensive campaigns through the first half of the 2022 season. So how should fantasy football managers view them with fantasy trade deadlines quickly approaching?

Jacobs is enjoying a strong campaign, ranking fourth in the NFL with 743 rushing yards and tying for fifth with six touchdowns on 138 carries. He's on pace to shatter last season's output of 872 yards and nine scores, as well as surpass his career high of 1,150 rushing yards set in 2019, his rookie year.

The 24-year-old has developed into the focal point of the Raiders offense alongside an inconsistent passing attack. Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr hasn't exactly been lighting it up through the air (No. 13 passing attack), even with prized offseason acquisition Davante Adams on the outside, giving Jacobs more opportunities to shine.

Fantasy managers who have Jacobs should feel good about their chances heading toward the playoffs. The best course is likely to hold on to him and ride him to postseason success, but it could also be wise to sell high at the trade deadline, especially if dealing from a position of strength.

With Jacobs performing at the level of an RB1, a trade involving him should garner a player of equal value, perhaps at a different position, or managers could choose to flip Jacobs for a pair of lesser players who fill needs.

As for Waller, there won't be much value coming back in a trade for him. He hasn't lived up to TE1 expectations, recording just 16 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown through five appearances this year.

To make matters worse, the Raiders placed the star tight end on injured reserve Thursday because of the strained left hamstring that has caused him to miss the last three games.

With Waller set to miss at least four more weeks, it will be hard to convince another manager to take him off your hands. The 2020 Pro Bowl selection can be stashed until he returns in hopes he'll bounce back over the final five games, or he can be dropped if you need to make room on your roster.

With fantasy trade deadlines approaching, one interesting question for players is how to best value Baltimore Ravens running back Kenyan Drake.

The veteran running back blipped again on fantasy radars after serving as the team's starter in Week 9, rushing 24 times for 93 yards and two scores while adding two catches for 16 yards.

It was his second straight week with double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats and the third time in the past four games he hit that benchmark.

But context is everything.

With J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve after having a left knee scope and Gus Edwards missing last week's game with a hamstring injury, Drake was in line for a bigger role. That could change going forward, however.

The Ravens are currently on a bye week, and head coach John Harbaugh has already confirmed that Edwards is expected to be good to go come Week 11.

"Gus will be back next game, that's the plan," he told reporters.

In Edwards' two games this season, he's rushed 27 times for 131 yards and two scores. In those games, Drake had 22 overall touches for 72 yards and a score. A timeshare between the two backs appears to be looming, in other words, which leaves both with nothing more than flex upside.

And that means that neither is particularly valuable in trade talks, either. If anything, now might be a good time to sell high on Drake, who is currently in a timeshare and could see his value dip even lower if Dobbins eventually returns to the field.

Remember, the Las Vegas Raiders chose to move on from Drake this offseason, releasing him in August. The 28-year-old never quite clicked for the Raiders in 2021 and missed five games with a broken right ankle, rushing for 254 yards and two scores while adding 30 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown.

That was a far cry from Drake's excellent 2020 season with the Arizona Cardinals (1,092 yards from scrimmage, 10 touchdowns).

Drake has talent, and his ability to stay healthy this year unlike his fellow Ravens running backs has made him the most productive of the bunch. But if you are trading for him, you are doing so in the hope that his role either increases or that injuries continue to plague the Ravens. He's not going to be a true lead back in this offense otherwise.

So, to conclude: Either try to sell high or avoid Drake trades altogether. The upside here is limited.