Fantasy football gives us a taste of what it's like to run an NFL team. We draft players, release underperformers, scour the waiver wire, manage IR spots, and make trades. Over the next few weeks, the trade deadline will come and go for the NFL and fantasy leagues alike, so now is the time to make your moves.
NFL teams trade for one of two reasons: to push the chips in and win now, or to build for the future. In non-dynasty fantasy leagues, there is no future. Everyone has the same goal: make the playoffs and string together a few wins. But that doesn't mean every team should be shopping in the same aisle. In fact, it works the other way around. The best teams in your league can afford to play the long game, and the worst teams need to win now.
The first thing I do when seeking a trade is look at my record. Your record should almost entirely dictate the players you target. And here's the good news: one tier's buy list is another tier's sell list. That's what makes these trades work.
6-2, 7-1, or 8-0
Congratulations. You've built a great team and all but punched your ticket to the playoffs. But that doesn't mean you should coast in and get upset in the first round. You're the one team that can afford to be patient, so target the players other teams can't afford to wait on. Jordyn Tyson has yet to play, and the manager who drafted him may be growing impatient. Jeremiyah Love's season has been marred by injuries, but he can get healthy and be an RB1 down the stretch. Mike Evans looked elite early in the year and has missed a few games since. A.J. Brown is expected to miss some time, and now is a great time to pounce on a steep discount. When you're choosing between similar targets, check the fantasy playoff schedule and favor the guys with soft matchups in Weeks 15 through 17. To pay for it, sell the healthy depth you won't need in December. And for a cherry on top, stash a few running backs who are one injury away from a big role.
3-5, 4-4, or 5-3
You're at a fork in the road, headed to either the playoffs or the toilet bowl. Start with the waiver wire. Rather than auto-setting the best version of your current lineup, find every edge you can by targeting risers and streamers with good matchups. When it's time to trade, match your strength with a leaguemate's weakness. If you hit on multiple late-round receivers and your running backs are shaky, target the team with excess running backs and a need at WR3. If you double-tapped quarterbacks and both are producing, trade one for a position of need. Prioritize players with defined roles who can help you right now, like Chuba Hubbard or Tee Higgins, over high-variance stashes. And if you're holding an injured player who won't be back for a month, he's worth more to a contender than he is to you. Those small trades are easy to make when they're mutually beneficial, and they could be what pushes you over the hump.
0-8, 1-7, or 2-6
First, keep setting your lineup. Don't be the manager giving away free wins in the second half of the season because you can't be bothered to set a lineup. You signed up for the league. If you're going to go down, do so with dignity. But as far as trades go, you should be swinging for the fences. You don't have time to wait on injured players, so sell your stashes to a contender and buy disappointing stars with the skill set to turn it around in the second half: Saquon Barkley, Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Nico Collins, Rashee Rice, Ladd McConkey, Brian Thomas Jr. You'll see a few of these names as fallers below, and that's exactly why they're cheap. At worst, you continue down the same losing path you've been on. At best, these guys flip a gear, and you've fixed your roster for a late-season sweat.
These rest-of-season rankings are a good guide for trade value and waiver priority, but your specific targets should depend on your record and what you need for the second half. Contenders should lean toward late-season upside. Everyone else should care most about the next few weeks.
As a reminder, all movers will be noted with a "+" or "-" showing the change from last week's rankings. Players with a "+" next to their name rose from last week, with a number showing how much they've risen. Players with a "-" are noted with their fall from last week's rankings. Significant movers will have a write-up explaining the change. New additions to the rankings will be marked as "New." Use these rankings to guide waiver wire moves and trade decisions. Target risers, cut fallers, and try to improve your roster where you can.
Rest-Of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
Rest-Of-Season Quarterback Rankings
Overall, this was a pretty quiet week at quarterback, as this position sees the least week-to-week movement. Lamar Jackson's injury is the major storyline. This is also the time of year when a lot of losing teams look to make quarterback changes, so productive guys on the hot seat start to dip in value while their successors creep up. Beyond the news-based movers, a few small tweaks come from recent performances.
- QB1 - Josh Allen
- QB2 - Drake Maye
- QB3 - Brock Purdy
- QB4 - Caleb Williams
- QB5 - Joe Burrow (+1)
- QB6 - Jayden Daniels (+1)
- QB7 - Jared Goff (+1)
- QB8 - Patrick Mahomes II (+1)
- QB9 - Dak Prescott (+1)
- QB10 - Trevor Lawrence (+1)
- QB11 - Matthew Stafford (+1)
- QB12 - Jordan Love (+2)
- QB13 - Bo Nix (+5) - Nix has looked much better over the last few weeks, and his fantasy production has matched it. Nix was the QB24 through the first five weeks. Over the last two, he's been the QB4. Nix ran for a big 62-yard score in Week 7, and the game seemed to slow down for him after that. With extra comfort on his surgically repaired ankle, Nix has thrown for 444 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions over the last two games. While the Cardinals' game may have been a soft get-right opportunity, he carried that momentum into a Week 8 win against a stout Chiefs defense. Nix has returned top-eight fantasy production in each of his first two NFL seasons. While Year 3 may have started bumpy, Nix is moving back into the QB1 conversation.
- QB14 - Bryce Young (-1)
- QB15 - Tyler Shough
- QB16 - Kyler Murray
- QB17 - C.J. Stroud
- QB18 - Kirk Cousins (+2)
- QB19 - Michael Penix Jr.
- QB20 - Deshaun Watson (+1)
- QB21 - J.J. McCarthy (+3)
- QB22 - Aaron Rodgers (+1)
- QB23 - Malik Willis (+2)
- QB24 - Geno Smith (+2)
- QB25 - Justin Herbert (-3)
- QB26 - Sam Darnold (+1)
- QB27 - Cam Ward (+2)
- QB28 - Lamar Jackson (-23) - Jackson missed a few games with an ankle injury, returned in Week 8, and injured his thumb on his first play of the day. This injury will require surgery, and Jackson will head to IR. He'll miss at least the next four weeks, and possibly the rest of the season. He's droppable in all single-quarterback redraft formats.
- QB29 - Baker Mayfield (-1)
- QB30 - Tanner McKee (+1)
- QB31 - Tyler Huntley (+5)
- QB32 - Daniel Jones (-2)
- QB33 - Anthony Richardson Sr. (New) - Richardson got some work late after Daniel Jones was benched. The Colts' staff has said they plan to see if through with Jones, but Richardson is worth a stash in deep two-quarterback and superflex leagues.
- QB34 - Gardner Minshew II (+15) - After making the switch during Week 8's game, Cardinals' head coach Mike LeFleur confirmed that Minshew will start ahead of Jacoby Brissett going forward. Rookie Carson Beck will be the QB2, and Brissett will serve as the emergency QB3. Expect Beck to take over soon so the team can evaluate him heading into the 2027 offseason. Minshew is on the radar in two-quarterback and superflex leagues as a desperation starter. Beck should also be picked up in those leagues where available.
- QB35 - Carson Beck (+2)
- QB36 - Fernando Mendoza (-2)
- QB37 - Joe Milton III (+1)
- QB38 - Carson Wentz (+2)
- QB39 - Jacoby Brissett (-7)
- QB40 - Jameis Winston (-7)
- QB41 - Jalon Daniels (-6)
- QB42 - Justin Fields (-3)
- QB43 - Shedeur Sanders (-2)
- QB44 - Mac Jones (-2)
- QB45 - Joe Fagnano (New)
- QB46 - Ty Simpson (-3)
- QB47 - Tyson Bagent (-3)
- QB48 - Drew Lock (-3)
- QB49 - Tua Tagovailoa (-3)
- QB50 - Marcus Mariota (-3)
- QB51 - Riley Leonard (-3)
- QB52 - Case Keenum (-2)
- QB53 - Will Howard (-2)
- QB54 - Joe Flacco (-2)
- QB55 - Athan Kaliakmanis (-2)
- QB56 - Cade Klubnik (New)