Fantasy Football Week 9: Tips, Trade Value Rankings for Top 100 Players

Let's be honest: We could probably use a few diversions in our lives at the moment. And what better diversion is there than fantasy football? 

Very few, if any. So, with that established, let's get into this week's trade value charts. We're in the thick of it now, folks, with playoff spots won or lost in the coming weeks. Don't get hosed on any trades—make sure you have the best idea of how to value your own players and those players you are targeting.

As always, any players not listed have a value of one. And, of course, may the fantasy points be with you!

Trade Value: 12

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

1. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Trade Value: 11

John Cordes/Associated Press

4. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

5. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

6. James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Trade Value: 10

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

7. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

8. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

9. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

10. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

11. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

12. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

13. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

14. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Trade Value: 9

Adrian Kraus/Associated Press

16. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

17. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

18. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

19. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

20. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

21. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

22. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

23. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

24. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

25. Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns

26. Todd Gurley, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Trade Value: 8

Derik Hamilton/Associated Press

27. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

28. Travis Fulgham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

29. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

30. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

32. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

33. Robby Anderson, WR, Carolina Panthers

34. Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins

35. David Johnson, RB, Houston Texans

Trade Value: 7

Susan Walsh/Associated Press

36. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

37. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

38. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

39. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

40. Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos

41. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

Trade Value: 6

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

42. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

43. Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

44. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

45. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

46. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

47. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

48. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

49. Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans

50. Will Fuller V, WR, Houston Texans

51. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

52. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

53. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

54. Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

55. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

Trade Value: 5

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

56. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

57. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

58. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

59. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans

60. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions

61. Noah Fant, TE, Denver Broncos

62. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Trade Value: 4

Adrian Kraus/Associated Press

63. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

64. Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

65. Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

66. Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots

67. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos

68. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

69. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

70. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

71. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

72. Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets

73. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

74. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Trade Value: 3

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

75. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans

76. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

77. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

78. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

79. Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants

80. Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo Bills

81. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints

82. Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans

83. Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers

84. Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints

85. Trey Burton, TE, Indianapolis Colts

86. Hayden Hurst, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Trade Value: 2

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

87. Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals

88. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

89. Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers

90. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

91. Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals

92. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

93. Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers

94. Jimmy Graham, TE, Chicago Bears

95. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

96. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

97. Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals

98. Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants

99. DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins

100. Antonio Brown, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Analysis

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Let's talk about Russell Wilson. Is he a player you should be holding on to as the top quarterback in fantasy football this year or a player you should be trying to sell high on given his outrageous touchdown pace thus far?

Phew, boy...this is a tough one.

On one hand, Wilson's 26 passing touchdowns through seven games has him on pace to finish with 59 on the season, which would smash Peyton Manning's NFL record of 55. Logic would dictate he'll probably slow on that pace, given his previous high in passing touchdowns is 35—a number he's easily going to surpass this year.

But other numbers suggest this all might be somewhat sustainable. Seattle is throwing the ball a lot this year, with Wilson projected to finish the year with 585 passes, which would be a career high. He's completing 71.5 percent of his passes, also a career high. He's on pace for 4,916 passing yards which, you guessed it, would be a career high. 

If the only number trending higher was his touchdowns, you could make the argument that Wilson was simply overperforming in one metric. But when he's having a career year in a number of metrics, and when he also has two top-tier weapons in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and an offense thriving with its current pass-heavy approach, it's harder to make the argument that Wilson's fantasy output will taper off enough to think that fantasy players must trade him now to maximize value. 

Let's just look at the value he's offering players relative to position. If we calculate his VORP, or value over replacement player—with that replacement player being defined as the No. 20 quarterback, No. 20 tight end, No. 40 running back or No. 40 wide receiver in points scored per game played—Wilson is one of the players with the most value in fantasy.

VORP LEADERS (the average points per week these players will add to your team in PPR leagues compared to a median replacement option at their position among healthy players, minimum four games played):

• 1. Alvin Kamara: 18.6
• 2. Dalvin Cook: 17.6
• 3. Davante Adams: 14.8
• 4. Aaron Jones: 13.6
• 5. Russell Wilson: 11.4
• 6. Derrick Henry: 11.1
• 7. Kyler Murray: 9.9
• 8. James Robinson: 9.7
• 9. Tyler Lockett: 9.0
• 10. Travis Kelce: 8.8
• 11. D.K. Metcalf: 8.4
• 12. DeAndre Hopkins: 8.3
• 13. Chris Carson: 8.1
• 14. Patrick Mahomes: 7.9
• 15. Ezekiel Elliott: 7.9

(The No. 20 quarterback and tight end and No. 40 running back and wide receiver is used as the standard for the "replacement player" because it represents a median point for players who should be benched across various league sizes, from 10- to 16-team leagues. In a 16-team league, for instance, the No. 20- quarterback is in the top half of QB2 options, while in a 10-team league, he's the worst QB2 option, and in a 12-team format, he's in the bottom half. Also, it's a nice round number.)

Even if Wilson's touchdown pace slows down, he's offering so much value relative to his position that he's still going to be a player worth keeping. Truthfully, you aren't getting value in a trade for him right now unless you are getting a Kamara, Cook, Christian McCaffrey (assuming he's healthy going forward), Adams, Jones or Henry. 

Chances are, players in your league won't dispense of an elite running back for Wilson. Meaning that you can't actually get the true sell-high value Wilson should demand given his season to this point. In other words, it's better to ride out his amazing run of play than ditch him now.