Fantasy Football Week 2: Updated Trade Value for Top 100 Players

It's everyone's favorite time of year: the return of the fantasy football trade value chart.

Now, it's probably a bit early to seriously consider many trades unless you have a surplus at one position and a deficiency at the other. Greg Olsen owners, I feel you. But in the event you do decide to seek a trade, let this value chart guide you.

As always, players have been separated into tiers, with a value given to players in each tier. So if you have a player with a value of 10, you want to get back players who either equal or exceed the value of 10.

Note that early in the season, there will be no straying too far away from initial rankings, barring a major change in a player's circumstances. The key to success early in a season is understanding the difference between when you need to make a change and when you should remain patient. One bad week, remember, doesn't define a season.

Trade Value: 11

1. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

3. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

5. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

This tier is pretty self-explanatory. Simply put, these are the five best players in fantasy who combine the highest ceiling with the history and ability to reach or even break through that ceiling. It's unlikely any of these players will fall out of this tier, barring injury, while few other players will reach this high.

If you have one of these players, you probably shouldn't even consider trading them. But if you do, get a king's ransom in return.

Trade Value: 10 

6. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

7. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

8. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

9. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

10. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

11. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Rams

12. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Saquon Barkley will be a mainstay in the top tier on the trade value chart throughout his career. After one game, he's trending in that direction. But he's still a rookie, so we won't quite king him just yet. Still, 18 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown in your NFL debut is a pretty darn good start.

This group doesn't offer quite the same reliability as the top group, but these players can carry a fantasy season. Part with any of them at your peril.

Trade Value: 9

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13. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

14. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

15. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

16. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

17. Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears

18. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

19. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

20. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

21. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

The two players to keep an eye on in this group are Mike Evans and Joe Mixon. After a disappointing 2017 season for fantasy owners, Evans opened 2018 with seven receptions for 147 yards and a score. He has elite talent, so if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feed him consistently—especially in the red zone—he could ascend to top-five receiver status.

As for Mixon, he was excellent in Week 1, rushing 17 times for 95 yards and a score while adding five receptions for another 54 yards. Mixon's talent has never been in question, and with a clear role as the Cincinnati Bengals' feature back this season, he should shine.

Already, he's earning high praise from his teammates.

"You mention him with Le'Veon [Bell] or [Todd] Gurley," wide receiver A.J. Green said after Mixon's strong performance against the Indianapolis Colts, per Geoff Hobson of the team's website. "He's there with those guys."

Fantasy players who drafted Mixon this year will be hoping Green is right. And if he is, Mixon will be the sort of player you probably won't consider trading.

Trade Value: 8

22. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

23. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

24. Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns

25. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

26. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

27. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

28. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

As long as Josh Gordon is on the field, he's extremely valuable. After missing much of the Cleveland Browns' training camp, he still managed to snag a 17-yard touchdown pass in Week 1. While it was his only contribution of the day, it was a reminder that even a rusty Gordon is still dangerous.

Jarvis Landry is going to see a lot of volume. But Gordon is going to stretch the field, and as he continues to gain chemistry with Tyrod Taylor, he will be a force.

As for Aaron Rodgers, monitor his situation. His value obviously diminishes if he's off the field, but even on one good leg against the Chicago Bears, he reminded everyone just how ridiculously valuable he is when he's playing.

Trade Value: 7

29. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders

30. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

31. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

32. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills

33. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

34. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

Landry is going to have a big year, and in PPR formats, he would be much higher on this chart. He was targeted 15 times against the Pittsburgh Steelers, pulling in seven receptions for 106 yards. That kind of workload should see him consistently post solid numbers in fantasy.   

Trade Value: 6

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35. Carlos Hyde, RB, Cleveland Browns

36. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

37. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

38. Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

39. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

40. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Jay Ajayi is going to be an interesting player to watch this year and could be frustrating for fantasy owners. The positive sign for Ajayi owners is that he reached the end zone twice in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons and should get the majority of the team's goal line touches.

The negative is that Darren Sproles and Corey Clement received five carries each (and Sproles had four receptions), and the Philadelphia Eagles are likely to cycle through the three backs all year long. Ajayi is going to be the top option, but there might be some weeks when he explodes and others when he ends up being a weak option.

Trade Value: 5

41. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

42. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos

43. Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington

44. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

45. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

46. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

47. James Connor, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

48. Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints

49. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks

There is a lot of uncertainty in this tier. Will players like Allen Robinson and Demaryius Thomas bounce back and return to elite fantasy status? Can Adrian Peterson turn back the clock for more than just one game? Are Alex Collins and Chris Carson capable of handling the top role in their respective backfields for a full season? For how long will Doug Baldwin be sidelined?

Mark Ingram is here because his value has taken a hit while he's suspended. And then there's Bell and James Connor.

If Bell ended his holdout tomorrow, he would be in the top tier on this chart. But no one knows when he will do that. He could decide to stretch his holdout for half of the season. 

If he does, Connor has immense fantasy value. But if Bell returns tomorrow, Connor has virtually no fantasy value. And so each player is the fantasy version of Schrodinger's cat, with both holding high fantasy value and none at all at the same time. So, you know, maybe split the difference. Until Bell offers some clarity on his return, what else can you do?

Trade Value: 4

50. Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots

51. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions

52. Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams

53. Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee Titans

54. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins

55. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders

56. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

57. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos

58. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

59. Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

60. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

61. Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

62. Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets

63. Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers

64. Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers

65. Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins

66. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

67. Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens

68. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

This is a pretty big tier, full of players with upside but question marks.

Brandin Cooks has ability, and his five receptions for 87 yards in his Los Angeles Rams debut were a positive sign. Still, it's hard to imagine Cooks is going to see an improvement without Tom Brady throwing him passes. That's no slight to Jared Goff—there's just only one Brady.

A full season of Rodgers could see Randall Cobb return to fantasy relevance. Nine receptions for 142 yards and a score was a strong start. Alshon Jeffery is more valuable than this, but the uncertainty surrounding his return from injury limits that value for the time being.

And as for Drew Brees, the depth at quarterback hurts the overall value of most players at the position. It may seem ridiculous that a steady producer like Brees is in the same tier as, say, Kenny Stills or Cooper Kupp, but it's simply easier to get value from QB2 options this year.

Trade Value: 3

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69. Chris Thompson, RB, Washington

70. Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans

71. Marvin Jones Jr. WR, Detroit Lions

72. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans

73. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

74. Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay Packers

75. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington

76. Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

77. Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders

78. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos

79. Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49ers

80. James White, RB, New England Patriots

Chris Thompson is not getting a ton of love but produces when he's on the field. A lack of consistency and a specific role—Thompson is Washington's scatback and will never get the touches a feature back might see—limit his overall value, but he is a nice flex option, especially in PPR formats.

Andrew Luck impressed in his return, throwing for 319 yards and two scores (with one interception). If he stays healthy, he's a major candidate for a top-10 finish at quarterback. 

Trade Value: 2

81. Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions

82. Alfred Morris, RB, San Francisco 49ers

83. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings

84. Trey Burton, TE, Chicago Bears         

85. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

86. DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

87. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

88. Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets

89. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

90. Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington

91. Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers

92. Isaiah Crowell, RB, New York Jets

93. Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders

94. Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis Colts

95. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

96. Frank Gore, RB, New York Jets

97. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

98. Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers

99. Vikings D/ST

100. Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans

This is the last group of players before you start getting to the players who don't hold any discernible value in trades and are mostly just throw-in names.

But there might be some diamonds in the rough that emerge from this group. Are Jared Cook and Eric Ebron primed for big seasons, or were their Week 1 performances more fluke than trend? Once DeSean Jackson clears the concussion protocol will he put up big numbers, or did the New Orleans Saints simply forget how to play defense? What kind of value will running backs in potential committee situations with the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers hold going forward?

One thing you will notice as you go down the trade value chart is that the questions are more plentiful than the answers. Uncertainty is inevitable in fantasy, but there are some players who have the talent and resumes to offer fantasy players security.

This tier of players doesn't offer that security.