The NFL Trade deadline has come and gone. We are seeing a true picture of the league now. Teams that identified opportunities to acquire talent and have made moves to do so. Now is the time to react to this by being as aggressive as the NFL managers and make your team better! Who do we look for? Are there certain players trending up and down? Of course, the answers are here, that's why you come back! So get ready to win your league and ring the bell! Another market is coming!
Fortune 5
Stock Up: Travon Walker, Jacksonville
Walker hasn't exactly lived up to the billing of the number one overall pick in the NFL draft, but there are moments recently that we have seen the vision. Last week was a perfect example of why he was so lauded back in 2022. Seven total tackles and a touchdown. Touchdowns are an anomaly, of course, but the real story is that he is in a career-best year. Halfway through the season, he is pacing for a career-high in sacks and tackles. If he is available in dynasty leagues on waivers, he is worth a stash on the bench until we see more consistent play. However, he is ticking up and had a great week. Don't sleep on him.
Stock Up: Nick Cross, Indianapolis
When opportunity knocks, you better answer the door. Cross is in the middle of his greatest opportunity as a professional, and he is crushing it. He has played all but one snap this season for the Colts, has already achieved career highs in all major categories, and is young enough to be considered a dynasty darling. The 23-year-old safety is having his coming out party in the league. If you were savvy enough to get him after the 14-tackle game in Week 1, you are likely as deep at the safety position as anyone playing the game currently. Sometimes safeties are overvalued, but the ones who are undervalued win you leagues. Cross won't be undervalued next season, that's for sure.
Stock Up: Kerby Joseph, Detroit
The sexy name for the Detroit Lions at safety is Brian Branch, and you won't hear me denying that. Even Batman needed Robin, and in Detroit, Robin is Kerby Joseph. Joseph has been a good player since he entered the league in 2022, and this season, even with the emergence of Branch as a top player in the league, Joseph has quietly been an elite option at safety. He currently is tied for the lead league in interceptions with six and has a great schedule upcoming against teams who aren't afraid to pass in Houston, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis. Two defenders at the same position on the same team can be good; don't worry about who is No. 2.
Stock Up: Logan Wilson, Cincinnati
I have been a staunch supporter of Germaine Pratt being the No. 1 linebacker on the Bengals, but this week, we saw a significant shift in that assessment. Wilson had his best game of the season, padding the already great stats he's had this season, with a nine-tackle game. He also recovered two fumbles, adding icing to the cake. There's not much to go over here; Wilson is a tackling beast! He doesn't often get other stats, but the consistency with which he gets tackles is always going to make him a safe and viable fantasy option. This season, he has taken a step into the top 8 dynasty linebackers for me, and as long as the health stays the way it is, he is a must-start each week.
Stock Up: Kaden Elliss, Atlanta
We need to quit pretending that Kaden Ellis isn't an elite linebacker option. I understood our hesitancy to crown him as the next big thing, considering he came over from the Saints, where he played a role that wasn't exactly full of stats. That reputation has come and gone. The Elliss we see in Atlanta is a lot like last week's version: 13 total tackles and a sack is a stat line that wins weeks. He's only 29, so don't worry, you ageist fans! He has a quality 3-4 years left, and he's in a role that we've seen players age well in. He's currently pacing for over 150 total tackles and has very favorable matchups down the stretch this season.
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