Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, with thrilling touchdowns, shocking upsets and more fantasy heartbreak than Rhea Ripley at Wrestlemania (I’ll stop with the pro wrestling here).
As your roster might be limping out of Week 2 with injuries and underwhelming performances, it’s time to channel your inner trade guru and shake things up. Let’s get after it with my Week 3 fantasy football trade targets!
(Average Draft Position [ADP] data courtesy of ESPN)
Week 3 Fantasy Football Trade Targets (2024)
Trade For: Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)
The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-2, and they’re missing star wide receiver Tee Higgins. The offense feels clunky when you watch it. After fellow wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase sat out most of training camp due to a contract dispute that still hasn’t been resolved, his season is off to a slow start, and that’s a tough pill for fantasy managers to swallow. At his ceiling, Chase is an elite top-end talent, so he’s impossible to bench. Through two weeks, however, Chase hasn’t even gotten 20 Points Per Reception (PPR) points combined.
Per ESPN’s Mike Clay, Ja’Marr Chase has two fewer targets on the season than TE teammate Mike Gesicki, who played the third-most snaps of Bengals’ TEs on Sunday. Is that out of whack? Yes. Do I expect that to continue? No. If it does, 2024 will be the weirdest football season ever.
To this point, things have looked grim for Chase, but I have a salve for you: it’s the Washington Commanders. In two weeks, the Commanders have given up six touchdowns to the wide receiver position. In Week 2, Daniel Jones connected with rookie Malik Nabers for 10 receptions and 127 yards.
You cannot afford to wait for Chase to blow up in Week 3; you have to go out and trade for him ASAP. The sample size for Chase says he’s an elite talent, which is why he was a first-round pick in fantasy drafts. This Bengals’ offense will get going, and it will likely be because of the increased opportunity for Chase. The time to trade is now.
Trade Away: Diontae Johnson (WR, Carolina Panthers)
Oh, boy. You know that saying, “Things can only get better”? I said that as a Carolina Panthers fan and a fantasy football manager before the 2024 season. Through two weeks, however, and despite all of the new talent on the offensive side of the ball and the coaching staff change, the Panthers look like the worst team in the league.
Quarterback Bryce Young has 246 total passing yards in two combined weeks, along with three interceptions and no passing touchdowns. He had no pass attempts over 15 yards in Week 2 and only two over 10 yards. Now, the team is shifting to veteran Andy Dalton at quarterback, but it might not make much of a difference other than in the offense’s perceived value.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a 22 and 23% target share, respectfully, to start his career in Carolina. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated to fantasy points, as Johnson has failed to score five PPR points in either contest.
Joe Person of The Athletic tweeted this:
Panthers WR Diontae Johnson on whether he’s surprised by the lack of downfield throws: “We all are. But it is what it is. We’re not the ones calling the plays. So our job is to go out there and execute every play that they call, and put it on film.”
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 15, 2024
The vibes are bad in Carolina. This is absolutely selling low on a player, but if you can find someone… anyone… who still believes, ship Johnson for almost anything.
Trade Radar: Braelon Allen (RB, New York Jets)
The New York Jets’ backfield may be a unicorn; they just might have not one but two RBs capable of popping into your fantasy lineup.
In Week 2, RB Braelon Allen saw his rush share jump from 8% to 33%, and he also earned a 13% target share (four total targets). Allen racked up 33 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards and two tuddies on his touches.
While this offense still runs primarily through teammate Breece Hall, Allen may be one of the top insurance RBs across the fantasy football landscape. Though his weekly usage may fluctuate, Allen finds himself in a unique position, and keeping him off the field will be challenging. He’s a good player who is stuck behind a great player. Heading into Week 3, the Jets’ breakdown of touches in the backfield should be closely monitored, as Allen could be a valuable addition to your fantasy lineup.
Check out all of our Week 3 fantasy football content:
- Fantasy Football Week 3 News & Notes (2024)
- NFL Week 3 PrizePicks Player Predictions (2024)
- Week 3 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
- Week 3 Fantasy Football Trade Targets (2024)
- Week 3 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag
- Week 3 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 3 In the Scope Targets (2024)
Thanks for reading my fantasy football trade targets for Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season. Find me on Twitter @ThatMattKelley for more fantasy fantasy football and entertainment content!
*Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita – USA TODAY Sports*
