LeSean McCoy's Fantasy Trade Value, Updated Outlook Heading into Week 8

LeSean McCoy has been a disappointment for fantasy owners who took him early in their drafts this summer, but this could make him a great player to acquire in a trade. 

So far this season, the Philadelphia Eagles running back has just 422 rushing yards with one touchdown and an average of 3.6 yards per carry. This average would be the worst of his career, and it is a major reason why he ranks just 26th at the position in fantasy points.

Few expected players like Branden Oliver, Matt Asiata or Antone Smith to have more fantasy points at this point of the year than McCoy, who has played in every one of his team's games.

Fortunately, there will be good days ahead. Before the Week 7 bye, McCoy had his best game of the season, totaling 149 rushing yards on 22 carries against the New York Giants. This shows that the talent is still there for him to be a weekly stud in fantasy football.

After the game, he discussed the ability to remain confident no matter what happens, per Alex Smith of the team's official website:

"

Obviously it was a good game and we ran the ball well, but I still feel the same way that I did before this year. I feel like we have a good team here and I think we can run the ball well and we have the right guys up front to do it and the right guys in the backfield. It was a great game and we gashed them but I always feel the same way before games (coming off of) the 20-yard games or the 150-yard games. It doesn’t make a difference.

"

With one game, he showed that he is still one of the best players in the league at his position and is capable of posting big numbers every week. In most cases, this would mean the chances for buying low are gone.

However, McCoy has a tough matchup ahead in the Arizona Cardinals, who rank first in the NFL with just 3.2 yards per carry allowed. The team has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season.

Considering Arizona ranks 31st against the pass this season, the Eagles might try to lean more on Nick Foles and the passing attack in an important Week 8 battle.

You should still start him if he is on your team, but this will likely be another quiet game for McCoy, which could set fantasy owners over the edge. Feel free to keep pushing the fact that he would still only have one 100-yard game through half of the season.

If he does struggle, though, this would be the perfect time to jump on a trade because he is likely set for a big second half.

One of the major problems through the early part of the year was the poor offensive line play without Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis. Johnson returned in Week 5 after serving a suspension, and both Kelce and Mathis practiced this week in a limited capacity, according to Geoff Mosher of CSN:

Although they might not return in Week 8, they will be on the field before long and once again create the dominant offensive line that helped McCoy lead the NFL in rushing in 2013.

Additionally, even the early-season struggles and the presence of Darren Sproles have not stopped the Eagles from counting on McCoy, as Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted:

The starting running back will continue to get a lot of carries as the production starts to rise behind better blocking. Considering the four opponents after Arizona rank in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards per game, there should be plenty of running room.

Therefore, it is important to be patient this week and hope for another poor effort from McCoy. If he struggles, do what you can to make a deal before Week 9. It might cost you a lot now, but he could be a top-five player in fantasy football for the rest of the season.

If you have any way of pulling off a trade, that will be the best chance to do it. If he is currently on your team, keep him and hope for the best from here on out.

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