Comprehensive Guide to Deadline Dealing: Who to Target, Who to Dump

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Two weeks from Friday, most standard fantasy leagues will see their trade deadline come and go.

Considering that most fantasy trades take time to develop, now is the time to really assess your team and determine if you need to make some moves.

Notice that your team is weak at a certain position? Lacking depth in key areas? Think you are out of contention in your dynasty league, and looking to rebuild for 2010? Now is the time for action.

Obviously the mantra for most successful trading is to sell high and buy low.

Here are some position-by-position players to consider trading away or dealing for before the coming trade deadline.

Quarterbacks

Trade for:

Kurt Warner, ARI —Coming off one of the worst games of his career against the

Panthers last week (27-for-46 for 242 yards and five interceptions), Warner’s stock is very low at the moment. He’s 16th in scoring among all fantasy QBs. However, Warner has a really easy schedule coming up...one almost too easy for quarterbacks to have significant value.

However, the Cardinals offense is centered around the pass. With playmakers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to throw to, Warner’s numbers can’t continue to be this pedestrian. Warner’s best statistical outputs came against the three easiest teams during the first eight weeks: Jacksonville, Houston, and Seattle. Now after a game in Week Nine where the Cardinals match up with an up and down Chicago defense, Arizona then plays Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee, Minnesota (yes, the Vikings are weak in passing defense), San Francisco, Detroit, and St. Louis.

Warner should be targeted the hardest in all redraft leagues. It is hard to imagine him having much value beyond this season, however. If you do land Warner, make sure to pick up Matt Leinart off waivers. If Warner does somehow struggle against cupcake teams like he did against Carolina, Leinart could see more action in an offense that is loaded with talent.

Alex Smith, SF —Warner too expensive for your wallet? Try Smith for a cheap source of stats the rest of the way. Smith has fared well since taking over the reins from Shaun Hill two weeks ago, and has a sexy-good slate of opposing defenses down the stretch. The Niners finish with Tennessee, Chicago, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Seattle, Arizona, Philadelphia, and Detroit. San Francisco’s young receiving corps is improving with time, especially rookie Michael Crabtree, who had six catches for 81 yards against the Colts.

Trade away:

Matt Schaub, HOU —It may seem crazy to deal away a player that has probably carried your team this season, and who is currently the second-highest fantasy scoring QB in the NFL at the moment. However, it is hard to imagine him keeping up his torrid pace. He lost one of his most trusted receiving options (tight end Owen Daniels is out for the season), and the Texans still have their bye on the horizon (week 10). Plus, Houston has some really questionable matchups in the near future, including two against the Colts in the next four weeks and Miami in what will be the championship game of many fantasy leagues. Questions about Steve Slaton’s availability moving forward thanks to issues with fumbles means that Schaub may see yet another hit in his receiving options.

Brett Favre, MIN —He is tied with Matt Schaub for the lead in QB touchdown throws this year. He is coming off a 33-point performance (in leagues where he earned six points per TD and one point per 25 yards passing) in his revenge match against the Green Bay Packers. After this week’s bye, however, the Vikings play a series of games against teams who are mediocre at best. Favre won’t be needed to carry the team—it

will be Adrian Peterson’s show for the foreseeable future. Plus, Favre followed this same pattern last season—playing great the first half of the season until injuries took their toll and slowed him the rest of the way. Not saying he’ll break down again this year—he does have a much better supporting cast in Minnesota—but there is always the possibility.

Running Backs

Trade for:

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