Fantasy Football Week 5: Tips, Trade Value Rankings for Top 100 Players

With a quarter of the season in the books, fantasy players begin entering peak trade season. By now, you know your team's strengths, its weaknesses and which players you might be willing to dangle to address your needs. 

Still, properly evaluating a player's worth can be difficult. That's where the trade value chart comes in.

Below, you'll find the top 100 players in fantasy football separated into 10 different value tiers, from a trade value of 11 down to a trade value of two (with any player not listed holding a trade value of one). Hopefully, this guide will help you make smart trades as the autumn wheeling and dealing begins.

Trade Value: 11

1. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

2. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

Gurley and Kamara have set themselves apart from a fantasy perspective this season, though some folks might be hesitant to keep Kamara in such an elite tier with Mark Ingram returning from suspension. And yes, Ingram will siphon some of Kamara's carries.

But Kamara is way too good for the Saints to stop relying on him heavily. Plus, a huge chunk of his fantasy value already comes from the passing game, which isn't going to stop. Kamara is third in the NFL in receptions (35), tied for fourth in targets (47) and 15th in receiving yards (336). 

Those numbers supplement his rushing stats (275 yards, five touchdowns). Maybe some of his carries will go to Ingram. Maybe Ingram will steal a touchdown or two from Kamara as the season progresses, too. But Kamara is one of the most dangerous weapons in all of football. That won't change—and the Saints won't stop feeding him—just because Ingram is returning. 

Trade Value: 10

3. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Rams

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

6. Carlos Hyde, RB, Cleveland Browns

7. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Just below the tier of Gurley and Kamara comes these five running backs, who offer consistent production and strong ceilings.

Each offers their own strengths. Gordon and Barkley are dynamic in both the run and pass games. Elliott leads the NFL in rushing yards (426). Hunt is on the best offense in football. And Hyde leads the NFL in rushes (83) and is tied with Kamara for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (five)—both strong indications that he's Cleveland's feature back and will continue to get a heavy workload. 

These five haven't quite reached the heights of Gurley or Kamara, but they remain among the truly elite when it comes to trade value.

Trade Value: 9

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8. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

9. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

10. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints 

9. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

12. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

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

This group remains largely the same. Some of these players (Evans, Thomas) are having big seasons. Most are providing solid numbers for fantasy players and remain in the elite tier of wideouts due to their history as elite production. 

Players like Brown and Beckham, for instance, aren't quite producing at an elite level after four weeks. But given their immense talent and historical consistency, it's hard to imagine they won't soon be posting WR1 numbers.

Trade Value: 8

14. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

15. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

16. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

17. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

18. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

19. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

20. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

21. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

22. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

At some point, Fournette is going to have to get dropped down this list if he doesn't get healthy and begin producing. Still, the trade value chart is about projecting value forward alongside acknowledging value to this point, and Fournette's upside remains high when he's on the field.

It's frustrating, but the truth is, most players wouldn't give up much to get Fournette at the moment. What you might get when he's healthy far outweighs the value you'd probably get in a trade right now, which is why his trade value on this chart is probably higher than what you'd see in your league.

In other words, don't pull the trigger just yet. 

Kupp and Jeffery, meanwhile, make big jumps this week. Kupp has had at least 50 yards receiving in every game this season, and in the past two weeks, he has caught 13 passes for 233 yards and three scores.

The 25-year-old isn't without concerns, as he has just 32 targets on the year—tied for 31st in the NFL. That's one less target than Brandin Cooks and two less than Robert Woods, which is an indication that Goff is spreading the ball around liberally.

Kupp is doing the most with his targets, however, making him a safe bet to remain a WR2 this season and a valuable option for fantasy players.

Jeffery was electric in his return, meanwhile, catching eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. With Carson Wentz back under center as well, Jeffery should post nice numbers for fantasy players going forward as Philadelphia's most dangerous playmaker in the passing game.

Trade Value: 7

23. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

24. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders

25. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

26. Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints

27. Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington

28. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

29. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

30. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Cook's ongoing issues with his hamstring are a concern, though the fact that he's playing at less than 100 percent does explain his lack of production. Don't give up on him yet.

To this point in the season, Mahomes and Newton have separated themselves from the loaded pack at quarterback. Given the depth at the position, that doesn't mean either player quite has elite value in a trade.

But let's say you had the foresight to draft both and want to move one of them. What might you get back for, say, Newton in a trade?

• Robert Woods and Royce Freeman
• Mike Williams and Jared Cook
• Alex Collins and Kenny Golladay
• Jay Ajayi and Jimmy Graham

It's not the sexiest package, right? It's not a good time to have a surplus of quality quarterbacks—they simply aren't worth much at the moment.

Trade Value: 6

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31. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions

32. Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams

33. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

34. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos

35. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

36. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

37. Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears

38. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills

39. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

40. James White, RB, New England Patriots

41. Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers

White is a fascinating player. He's been excellent in fantasy thus far, registering 21 carries for 110 yards and a score while adding 22 receptions on 30 targets for 193 yards and three additional scores.

To this point in the season, he's been Tom Brady's most potent weapon on offense, as players like Gronkowski and Chris Hogan have been lackluster and Josh Gordon has barely seen the field. 

The worry with White is that Sony Michel is likely to see even more touches in the backfield going forward, while the return of Julian Edelman could eat into his targets. Plus, if Gordon develops any sort of chemistry with Brady, he'll see an increase in targets, and Gronkowski is unlikely to finish with just four touchdown receptions this year, which is his current pace.

So it's hard to envision White continuing to produce like an RB1. But he is an important part of New England's offense, so it isn't difficult to see him maintaining RB2 value in some weeks and flex value in others. Obviously, he's valuable in PPR leagues, but he doesn't quite belong in a trade value much higher than this.

As for Howard, be concerned. He's only rushed for 75 or more yards once this season, and if you take away his 24 carries in Week 3, he's averaging a subpar 13.3 carries per game. 

Howard's history suggests he should remain in the RB2 tier, but his 3.2 yards per carry suggests that he could be on the path for an even smaller workload unless he starts doing more with the touches he's being given.

Trade Value: 5

42. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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

44. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks

45. DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

46. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

47. John Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens

48. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

49. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

50. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

51. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders

In the latest edition of "As Bell's Fantasy Value Turns," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler dropped this information on us:

"Bell is staying away from the team to preserve his body, but a source said Bell is expected to report during the Week 7-8 time frame. The Steelers are on a bye in Week 7. Bell plans to be ready for the Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 28 in Pittsburgh and will decide how much practice time he needs accordingly, a source said.

"'I miss football,' Bell said. 'When I do get back, I plan to give it my all. I still do want to go out there and win a Super Bowl with the Steelers.'"

So basically, if you've been holding onto Bell, you can expect to get him back in a little less than a month. That means when Bell returns, he will have missed seven games.

Once he's actually playing, his value will soar. But until then, you probably need players actually producing. So if you have the depth to swing a trade for Bell while remaining competitive for the next month, knock yourself out.

Otherwise, stay away.

Trade Value: 4

52. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

53. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

54. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

55. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

56. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans

57. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams

58. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

59. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

60. Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

61. Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots

62. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions

63. Josh Gordon, WR, New England Patriots

Watson is heating up. In the past three weeks, he's thrown for 1,070 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, resembling the player who dominated for a short stretch during his rookie season.

He gets lost in the mix at a strong position, but Watson has serious upward mobility on these rankings if he continues to produce at such an elite pace.

This tier also includes two running backs to keep a close eye on in Michel and Johnson. The former was excellent in Week 4, rushing 25 times for 112 yards and a score. The latter has now posted double-digit totals in each of the past two weeks in non-PPR formats. 

The upside of each player is limited by committee situations in the backfield, but each looks capable of carving out a valuable role that could benefit fantasy players going forward.

Trade Value: 3

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64. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

65. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

66. Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans

67. Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders

68. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

69. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington

70. Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay Packers

71. Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

72. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

73. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

74. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

75. Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans

76. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

77. Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

78. Philip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Tate may be the clear top option in Detroit's passing game, leading the team in receptions (28), receiving yards (389), touchdowns (three) and targets (44). But Golladay has emerged as the No. 2 option for Matt Stafford and is tied for second on the team in touchdown receptions (two) with Marvin Jones Jr. and alone in second place on the team in every other category listed above.

Golladay is the real deal on an offense that likely will have to rely on its passing attack to stay competitive this season. He's firmly in the flex conversation each week.

Trade Value: 2

79. Geronimo Allison, WR, Green Bay Packers

80. Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins

81. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

82. Marvin Jones Jr. WR, Detroit Lions

83. Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants

84. Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders

85. Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis Colts 

86. Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

87. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos

88. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos

89. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

90. Isaiah Crowell, RB, New York Jets

91. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins

92. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

93. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings

94. Trey Burton, TE, Chicago Bears

95. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

96. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

97. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

98. Chicago Bears D/ST

99. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears 

100. Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers

A defense? As one of the top 100 most valuable fantasy options?

Yes, the Bears have been that good defensively. They are fourth in yards allowed (294.5 YPG), tied for third in points allowed (16.3 PPG), second in interceptions (eight), second in turnovers (11), first in forced fumbles (8), first in sacks (18) and first in defensive touchdowns (two).

The addition of Khalil Mack took a solid defense and made it elite, especially from a fantasy perspective. If you had the foresight to add this unit after they traded for Mack, congratulations. They should continue to swim in fantasy points for the rest of the season.