Fantasy Football 2014: Top 10 Wide Receivers to Target or Avoid in Trades

Fantasy football 2014 trade season is in full swing. Researching the wide receiver strength of schedule reveals which ones are best to target and avoid. Read this list so you’ll know if you should buy or sell studs like Julio Jones, Jordy Nelson and Demaryius Thomas.

The most important aspect of weighing any trade is knowing when the trade deadline is in your league. All the speculation below is moot if you don’t get the deal done before the deadline.

CBS Sports’ trade deadline strikes during Week 11; ESPN, Yahoo and NFL.com block trades during Week 12.

Guidelines

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The running backs on this list are ranked based on strength of schedule from Week 8 on, according to Fantasy Pros.

Strength of schedule is determined by Fantasy Pros’ points allowed to WRs statistics. The average WR PA is 22.2. Tampa Bay comes in last, allowing 31.4 points per game. Indianapolis is the toughest, yielding only 14.2 PPG.

Individual fantasy scoring is reported from ESPN’s standard scoring list.

Bye weeks are figured into this assessment.

The end of the fantasy regular season for this ranking is considered Week 13. The fantasy playoffs are Weeks 14-16, ignoring the often chaotic Week 17. If your league plays through Week 17, all I can do is offer my condolences.

Avoid: Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

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Let’s hedge our bets and guess that Brandon Marshall’s locker room meltdown after Week 7 did little to motivate Jay Cutler, one of the least excitable people on the planet.

The Bears WRs face New England (16.0 points per game), Detroit (16.8) and Dallas (16.6), plus they have a Week 9 bye. That leaves Tampa Bay (31.4) and New Orleans (28.4) as the only favorable matchups left.

Although those are the two worst defenses in WR PA, it wouldn’t justify the lofty price tag attached to these underperforming talents.

If you’re a Marshall or Alshon Jeffery owner, Miami slammed the sell-high window shut.

Target: A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals

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A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu suitors have a lot to look forward to with just one tough matchup left—the Week 14 tilt against Pittsburgh (18.7).

Just make sure you have the stomach for Cincinnati’s reputation for choking in the spotlight.

Factors like Green’s nagging turf toe and Sanu’s chart-topping seven drops—according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—aren’t helping matters either.

Still, the potential plus the schedule make these two desirable trade targets, as long as you can buy low.

Target: Julio Jones and Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

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Speaking of injuries, Atlanta’s offensive line is beyond decimated. This does not bode well for a date with Detroit, the fifth-ranked defense in WR PA (16.8).

Couple that with a Week 9 bye and it’s going to be a down couple of weeks for Julio Jones and Roddy White owners.

Then Atlanta faces a parade of soft defenses in WR PA from Weeks 10 to 13: Tampa Bay (31.4), Carolina (26.6), Cleveland (23.3) and Arizona (26.9).

Be sure to strike in the downturn and then reap the rewards after the bye.

Target: Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers

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This one isn’t breaking news.

Obviously any fantasy owner still paying attention would like to take advantage of two of the most talented receivers catching nothing but dimes from Aaron Rodgers. If you covet Jordy Nelson and/or Randall Cobb, there’s no way you’ll be buying low.

However, the luxury price tag might be worth it for either one of these sporty models.

Green Bay’s last two speed bumps on the schedule are a Week 9 bye and New England (16.0) in Week 13. If you can weather those potential shortfalls, Tampa Bay—league-worst in WR PA (31.4)—is positioned to reward your perseverance on championship weekend.

Sometimes you have to spend big cheese to buy a title.

Avoid: Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

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To be clear, I’m not predicting some unseen demise in Denver’s phenomenal passing offense.

The problem for Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders is the lack of favorable matchups remaining on the schedule. Week 11’s game against St. Louis (28.1 PPG) is the last truly weak defense in WR PA left on the Broncos’ slate.

Detractors to this notion can point to the fact that the duo combined for 40 points against a Chargers defense giving up only 18.9 heading into Week 8. But we all know Thursday night results are wildly inconsistent when compared to normally scheduled games.

Denver already took its bye, which is a bonus, but late-season road games against Kansas City (20.7), San Diego (18.9-plus) and Cincinnati (16.7) are not.

Obviously if you decide to sell high on Thomas and Sanders, don’t settle for less than blue chips in return.

But if you’re in the buyer’s market, the asking price for one of these potent WRs might not fit the performance.