Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer: Nico Collins and More Targets For Contending Teams

We like to look at the fantasy regular season as a “marathon and not a sprint.” Breaking it down into (pseudo-) quarters or chunks based on events (before the byes, heading into the playoffs, etc.) allows us to systematically approach the short term while keeping a long view. Our game is like a race, and we’re getting into one of the most important parts.

Each league’s landscape has started to take shape. You can look at a roster, check its record, and likely tell if it’s a contender or not. Or you could be on the opposite end of fortunate. Injuries and underperformances have torpedoed your outlook. Either way, let’s look into the players on the rise that are worth making moves for to shore up your squad for the next set of weeks.

RELATED: Fantasy Football Trade Rater

Analyzing Fantasy Football Players To Trade For

Nico Collins, WR, HOU

As much as I love efficiency, talking about the same player in two articles isn’t due to a lack of takes. But there is an element to Nico Collins’ role within the Texans’ offense that we’re not emphasizing enough.

I talked about Collins returning and commanding a 31% target share the instant he got back on the field. However, the part that should entice gamers to go after C.J. Stroud’s WR1 is how much he displaced the other pass-catchers. And sure, in a single game, one that came down to the wire, those shares make sense. But the same thing happened back in Week 1.

That’s two “consecutive” games where Collins was inside the top 10 among all WRs for volume on the week while creating a double-digit gap between himself and the next option on his team. I looked through TruMedia for similar cases, and Collins finds himself in good company.

• Zay Flowers: Weeks 3 and 4
• Drake London: Weeks 3 and 4
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Weeks 1 and 2, Weeks 3 and 4
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: Weeks 1 and 2
• Malik Nabers: Weeks 3 and 4
• Parker Washington: Weeks 1 and 2
• Michael Wilson: Weeks 2 and 3, Weeks 3 and 4

Collins is one of seven receivers to force a 10+% delta in two straight games. And if our rankings are any indication, his workload and matchup have him in line for another big day. Regardless, buying high on this type of player is the move that can turn your season around.

Romeo Doubs | WR | Patriots

Admittedly, trying to force a deal for Collins may be hard to execute. Romeo Doubs, at least in theory, should be more attainable. Luckily, his usage only tells part of the story.

If I looked at this chart without any understanding of Doubs’ offense, I’d view him as an inconsistent player. Target rates are up and down. Route rate gives off “rotational player” vibes. But let’s zoom in on that Week 3 line.

Nothing went right for Drake Maye against the Jaguars. They were down by two scores before halftime. Maye’s turnovers were inexplicable at best. But even through all the chaos, the point we all missed was that his rapport with Doubs was improving.

• Target Rate when Maye Pressured: 0.0% (Week 2), 18.2% (Week 3), 21.4% (Week 4)
• Red-zone Target Share: 0.0%, 20.0%, 37.5%

A.J. Brown won’t be off injured reserve until after Week 6. At worst, we’ve got time with Doubs as the top option against the Raiders, Jets, and the Bears. And even when Brown returns, the duo should reduce Mack Hollins’ snap share, reducing Doubs’ risk to remain as a mid-range WR3. 

Other Candidates: Michael Wilson, Quinshon Judkins

Players to Trade for and Stash If You Are Contending In Fantasy Football

Brian Robinson | RB | Falcons

To be fair, Brian Robinson is not going to play the Saints each week. But his place within Atlanta’s run game should be one that any manager with a (current) hold on one of the top spots in their league should covet.

I looked at Robinson as a contingent RB. He’d only have value should Bijan Robinson miss time. But my assessment was based on watching Tyler Allgeier holding the same job. And the Falcons’ run game operating similarly. But with Michael Penix under center, neither assumption has been correct.

• Rushing Success Rate: 65.3% (2026 - Weeks 3 and 4), 49.3% (2025 – w/ Penix)
• EPA per Play: 0.31, 0.01
• Explosive Rush Rate: 5.6%, 7.4%

Having a QB that minimizes sacks (1 sack on 46 dropbacks) helps. But also seeing Atlanta dig into its under-center run game, enabling more RPOs (skewing more targets to the RBs), fits the style of both “B. Robinson”s. Plus, if there were ever any questions about Brian Robinson’s workload should the other Robinson go down (repeatedly knocks on wood), OC Tommy Rees has answered them.

Again, I’m not paying attention to the point totals. We should focus on how Robinson spends his snaps. I see routes, targets, and goal-line carries. It’s a small sample size, of course. But with RBs in short supply, having one with even partial standalone value is worth the bench slot.

Other Candidates: Jordyn Tyson, Zach Charbonnet

Let’s Make a Deal

Now that we’ve got some trade candidates. Let’s see what it’ll take to get them on our rosters. I’ve got our Trade Analyzer tool at the ready. It pulls our rest-of-season rankings, projections, and UR Score to project the future of your team should the deal go through.

I wanted to see if Bucky Irving’s big night against the Cowboys was enough to get the ball rolling to secure Collins. And it seems like we’re in the right ballpark. 

 However, let’s inject some reality. An opposing manager may see this as a sell-high tactic. That’s where our tiered rankings can assist should your first offer fall flat. Instead of looking at Irving as a single player with a unique ROS outlook, we can see that there are other options with similar ranges of outcomes.

With this approach, you’re not stuck looking at Irving as your only piece to offer. Yes, you’ll likely have to tack on another player (e.g., Deebo Samuel, Wan’Dale Robinson). But the rankings, along with the tool, give you the flexibility to explore more ways to conduct business. However, as I mentioned in the intro, managers can value short- and long-term differently.

Quinshon Judkins is another under-the-radar RB to target in trades. It’s hard for most to get behind the idea that the Browns are good (for fantasy). But he’s had a double-digit target share in three of four games. Either way, the trade analyzer has flipping DeVonta Smith for Judkins as a toss-up. However, anyone who’s rostered Smith (WR47, WR5, and WR31 finishes before injury) would pray for this type of return. So, let’s consider an overpay. 

Again, this goes back to how you view the Eagles’ prospects after all of the personnel changes. Besides, Aaron Jones will have to share the backfield when Jordan Mason returns in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, you’d have a younger RB without any competition for touches. In short, viewing these trade scenarios through the lens of the tool gives you the long-term perspective. But with only four games of data, what we’ve seen will drive more of the discussions needed to complete deals.