The trade market is heating up as contenders are separating from the pack. This week, we gave our staff a unique challenge of finding an actual NFL trade.
Playing NFL Matchmaker
Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne Jr., Amari Cooper, Evan Engram, and DeAndre Hopkins are all in trade rumors.
Trade one to a new team to create the most significant value increase for the player and the pieces around him.
WR Amari Cooper to Kansas City
Dan Hindery - Cooper to the Chiefs is the most realistic player trade that could significantly impact a team. His contract is particularly favorable for any acquiring team. The Browns restructured Cooper’s deal in the offseason, reducing his base salary to $1.2 million. This season is the last of a five-year, $100 million contract he originally signed with the Cowboys, but the acquiring team would owe less than $1 million for the remainder of 2024. The low cap number makes him a feasible option even for teams with limited space, like the Chiefs.
Kansas City is the ideal landing spot for a wide receiver. We only need to look at JuJu Smith-Schuster for proof—after running with the third team throughout Patriots training camp, he managed 130 receiving yards last week. Patrick Mahomes II elevates the players around him, and the Chiefs desperately need pass-catching upgrades with both Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice out for the season.
Cooper is a talented receiver who thrived down the stretch last season when he had competent quarterback play from Joe Flacco, averaging 22.9 fantasy PPG. This season, he’s been nearly unstartable (WR46) due to Deshaun Watson’s struggles. However, he could quickly become a fantasy WR1 by pairing Cooper and Mahomes.
WR Davante Adams to Buffalo
Matt Montgomery - Davante Adams going to the Buffalo Bills would shift the fabric of the AFC. We know that Buffalo has had a dynamic #1 receiver before, but I believe Adams’ temperament is much different than that of Stefon Diggs. I also think that his talent far exceeds Diggs. An offense that would boast Adams and Shakir as the top two receivers, with James Cook and Ray Davis in the backfield and Dalton Kincaid as the slot receiver/tight end mismatch, is the exact formula any defensive coordinator loses sleep over. Oh, and they also have Josh Allen at the quarterback spot!
RB Travis Etienne Jr. to Las Vegas
Zareh Kantzabedian - The Raiders are in dire need of a competent rushing attack. They currently rank last in team rushing success and are among the worst teams in runs-stuffed rate. This urgent need makes the potential trade for Etienne all the more significant. Meanwhile, Etienne has found himself firmly in a committee in Jacksonville. He has been dependable, but Tank Bigsby has been going above and beyond as a rusher.
While Las Vegas’ offense would be considered a downgrade, Etienne would instantly become the primary ball carrier. He also excels as a receiver who works well in space. He'd offer stability for the quarterback as a hot read with plenty of designed screens. Brock Bowers' target depth would likely increase, and the offense would see a boost in drive-by-drive efficiency.
Hutchinson Brown - Antonio Pierce wants to run the ball and play good defense. Since he took over as the Raiders head coach, that has been his desire; he made that transparent last season. He only threw the ball 32 times a game as the head coach in the 2023 season, which would have ranked him in the bottom ten in the NFL that season.
Las Vegas has played solid defense this year, allowing the fifth-fewest offensive points. However, they need someone to run the football effectively. The projected lead back, Zamir White, hasn't cracked 3.5 yards per carry in a game yet, and the backup options haven't done very well either.
Etienne would immediately take a vital lead role in this backfield and have a ton of volume-driven fantasy value in an offense that desperately needs him.
WR Tee Higgins to Buffalo
Ryan Weisse - Let me start by saying this trade is not happening. The Bengals are trading a working piece to the Chiefs or Bills while still in contention for the AFC Championship. However, Higgins could be a free agent after this season, so I may be just a year early. The prompt was to create the most significant value increase, and not one of the other players would move the needle the way a 25-year-old receiver would in this hypothetical.
The Bills offense needs an alpha receiver, and Higgins would fill the hole left by Stefon Diggs. Josh Allen is already most people's QB1 in Dynasty, and this move would lock that down for the next three years, at least. Higgins would have moved up to the top 15 among receivers, maybe even the top 10. This would also let Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman work against less talented corners, upping their value for the next two or three years. In Cincinnati, Joe Burrow doesn't take much of a hit, and this helps Andrei Iosivas and Jermanin Burton get on the field more often. It's a big win for every in fantasy.
