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With Week 6 of the NFL season on the horizon and the first bye week in effect, it is a good time to evaluate the trade market for running backs in your respective fantasy football league. At this point of the season, we already know the running backs such as Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry, and Ezekiel Elliott have been must-starts each week.
However, we’ve also started to see other running backs such as Saquon Barkley, Chuba Hubbard, and Leonard Fournette emerge onto fantasy managers’ radars. Here’s a list of running backs that you should trade for in your fantasy football leagues.
RBs to trade for in fantasy football
Saquon Barkley, Giants: RB17
Don’t look now but Barkley has quietly put together a couple of good games after a slow start to the season. The all-world running back exited last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys with an ankle sprain and will likely be out for 2-3 weeks.
Despite this latest news, it should not deter fantasy football managers from acquiring Barkley. Heading into Week 5, Barkley scored 21.4 and 29.6 fantasy points against the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. He also had 11 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdowns over that two-week span. The former Penn State standout could provide significant amount of value as a RB1/RB2 down the stretch.
Leonard Fournette, Buccaneers: RB15
If you cannot afford to acquire Barkley, then Leonard Fournette would not be a bad backup option. Fournette has established himself as Tampa Bay’s lead running back over the likes of Ronald Jones II.
In the Buccaneers’ latest win over the Dolphins, Fournette had 67 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown, along with four receptions for 43 yards. The former LSU standout scored 21.0 fantasy points, which was his fourth double-digit outing. When you think of the Buccaneers’ offense, you think of their passing game led by Tom Brady, but don’t sleep on Fournette in fantasy football.
Myles Gaskin, Dolphins: RB19
Staying in the sunshine state, Myles Gaskin might’ve emerged as the Dolphins’ lead running back, which would be good news for that offense. Gaskin had a breakout game against the Buccaneers last week. The young running back was dominant in the passing game with 10 receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 25 yards on five carries, which gave him a season-high 31.9 fantasy points.
The last time Gaskin had more than 10 points in fantasy football was Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders (10.4). In that game, the former University of Washington back had 65 yards on 13 carries, along with three receptions for nine yards. It remains to be seen if he can be a consistent option in the Dolphins’ offense, so he wouldn't be a high priority trade option.
RBs to trade away in fantasy football
James Conner, Cardinals: RB26
As crazy as it may sound, James Conner is the running back that you should trade away, while his value is currently high. The veteran running back doesn’t hold the same type of value that Chase Edmonds possesses, a dual-threat playmaker. Conner won’t give you much on the ground and is predominately a goal line running back. The former Pittsburgh Steeler has scored five rushing touchdowns in the last three games inside the red zone.
Miles Sanders, Eagles: RB30
Sanders came into this season as one of the first 5-10 running backs off the board in fantasy football drafts. However, he has not been able to produce as a RB1, thanks to first-year head coach Nick Sirianni deciding to be a pass first offense and not featuring the running game.
In five games this season, Sanders only has 48 carries for 214 yards and 16 receptions for 111 yards. Last week against the Panthers, the former Penn State running back had 11 carries for 45 yards and five receptions for six yards. For his efforts, Sanders put up 10.1 fantasy points, which is not what you want to see in a RB1. But it was an improvement to see him receive 11 carries after only getting nine total carries in the previous two games. It’s hard to trust what we will see from Sirianni’s offense and how he uses the running backs. Therefore, it might be time to move on from Sanders.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team: RB13
Unlike Sanders, Washington Football Team second-year running back Antonio Gibson is having a solid season. However, for most fantasy football managers, it’s not RB1 value, which you could move in a trade for two RB2.
In last week’s game against the New Orleans Saints, Gibson had 60 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, along with two receptions for 12 yards. The former Memphis standout had a season-high 21.2 fantasy points, despite not making a major impact in the receiving game. He’s also dealing with injury issues, which make him a high-risk play week-to-week. You may be able to unload Gibson now before the injuries pile up and force him to lose value.