Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart Week 9: Wide Receivers

RSJ’s Jackson Barrett created a value-based drafting Excel tool to create the preseason values for this Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart. The tool uses the FantasyPros consensus projections to assign values based on a 12-team, full PPR league.

Each week throughout the season, these values will be altered to reflect the player’s value for the rest of the season. Changes made to player’s value will be based on FantasyPros Rest of Season ECR, results from the season thus far, and The Wolf’s Rest of Season Rankings. But for the most part, the below values should generally reflect consensus rankings. The values provided also allow for comparing player values across positions, not just within one positional group.

For more information on how to make successful deals, check out our strategies for negotiating trades.

Be sure to tune back each week throughout the season. We’ll be adjusting the chart, discussing risers & fallers, and pinpointing trade targets.

The trade value chart for each position is linked below.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Trade Value Chart: Wide Receivers

Wide Receiver Riser

Yeah, Puka Nacua is all the way back. After participating in just two practices leading up to his return to the field, Nacua posted a 7/106/0 stat line in his first game back. Nacua picked back up right where he left off following his record-setting rookie season.

Nacua posted a healthy 27-percent target share and 35-percent first read target share on Thursday night. The shocking part is that this came on limited playing time; Nacua ran a route on just 62 percent of dropbacks. On a per-route basis, the numbers are even better. He was targeted on 43 percent of his routes – simply absurd.

At times this has looked like an offense that can support multiple top-15 fantasy receivers. It looks like this could be a reality with Nacua and Cooper Kupp. This may involve some week-to-week ping-ponging, but this offense should be productive and condensed enough for both Nacua and Kupp to be elite fantasy options.

Wide Receiver Faller

Zay Flowers had been climbing the ranks in recent weeks. He hit a 28-percent target share in each of his last three healthy games and scored at least 18 PPR points in each of those contests.

Unfortunately, there’s a new receiver in town and his presence is objectively a negative for Flowers’ future outlook. The Ravens traded for Diontae Johnson to join Flowers in their receiver room.

Johnson has been a high-level target earner throughout his career and that hasn’t changed in this season. He’s been targeted on 27 percent of his routes this year and presents legitimate target competition for Flowers. Both Johnson and Flowers can be viable fantasy options, but this undoubtedly brings Flowers’ value down.

Wide Receiver Trade Target

Brian Thomas Jr. is a strong trade target for teams set up to make a playoff push. There are conflicting reports surrounding Thomas’s health, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz reporting he’ll be out for 2-4 and Jaguars’ head coach Doud Pederson saying he’s day-to-day and could play this week. Pederson hasn’t been the most reliable with his discussion on injuries and his day-to-day label is suspect.

Thomas has been incredibly impressive as a rookie. He’s WR14 in PPG and has been targeted on 24 percent of his routes this season. His 2.81 yards per route run ranks 4th among all receivers (min. 100 routes) this season.

We are witnessing an alpha wide receiver in the making. Without Christian Kirk (broken collarbone) in the picture, Thomas will have an opportunity to take on an even larger role. He’ll enter the WR1 conversation as soon as he returns from this injury.

Tier 1: The Alphas

Tier 2: High-End Starters

Tier 3: Quality Options

Tier 4: Emergency Starters and Bench Assets