As week one of the NFL has arrived, some fantasy football teams are looking to upgrade. Trading for players is one of the best ways to develop a fantasy football roster. While many players are in similar situations to last year regarding fantasy projections, some players are in prime spots to breakout this year. These breakout players can define a season, as running back Christian McCaffrey and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson did a year ago. These players carried whosever’s team they were on, frequently leading to a fantasy championship.
To begin, one vital player to trade for before the season is Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The Cardinals, added star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins during the offseason, who is widely regarded as a top five receiver in the league. Secondly, the past two NFL MVPs have been second year quarterbacks, and Murray is in the best spot of the sophomore quarterbacks to continue the streak. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is also a breakout candidate this season. After an offseason transformation which Brown gained over 23 pounds, he has looked very sharp in training camp. Brown’s rookie season was impressive, collecting 584 yards along with seven touchdowns even with a lingering foot injury all season. Another reason to trade for Brown is because of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is coming off an MVP season.
Cam Akers is another target for fantasy owners this season. The Rams lost Todd Gurley in the offseason, who was their feature running back. They selected Akers in the second round of the NFL draft, and Akers has already taken a prominent role in training camp. Akers will likely be a main part of their offense, and has a very high ceiling for a rookie. Although Akers likely will take some time to become the feature back, it’s a smart investment to trade for his potential. Tight end Hayden Hurst of the Atlanta Falcons will likely find a major role after being traded by the Ravens in the offseason. The Falcons traded for Hurst after their previous tight end, Austin Hooper, left the team in free agency to sign a lucrative deal, worth 44 million dollars, with the Browns. Hooper was able to get a huge deal after being one of the main redzone targets in the Falcons offense. Hurst will look to fill that role this season, and Hurst has a chance to be a top ten fantasy tight end this season.
With Covid-19 changing the course of sports as a whole, it will be interesting to see how this NFL season will play out. Some rookies like Clyde Edwards Helaire, could have a top five season for a running back after the other running back on his team, Damien Williams, opted out of the season. Some players may have opportunity to shine if players start to get infected with the disease. Trading for these players could win leagues, and especially prevent having to do a league losing punishment.
