Fantasy Football Trade Targets Analyzer: Week 4 players to buy, sell, hold

Griffin Missant

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Fantasy Football Trade Targets Analyzer: Week 4 players to buy, sell, hold image

Deciding which players should be involved in a trade is one of the toughest decisions you'll have to make during a fantasy football season. 

Between struggling to fully give up on a player, or sticking it out with someone who is struggling. Trades are full of these difficult choices. 

Identifying buy-low candidates worth your while is a great way to improve your team on a discount. It's important to note, any team that is winless heading into Week 4 is someone to target with trades. 

Here are 3 buy, sell, and hold candidates heading into fantasy football Week 4. 

TOP FANTASY PICKUPS: Week 4 waiver wire

Week 4 fantasy trade targets to buy

Chase Brown, RB, Bengals 

There is no doubt that any manager who drafted a Cincinnati Bengal is fed up with what has transpired. Chase Brown was one of the more popular picks coming into this season due to his extreme volume. 

That volume has not been there for Brown, but the odd thing is, it's not because it's going elsewhere in the Bengals RB room. Tahj Brooks and Samaje Perine have had a combined 11 touches through 3 weeks. 

There have been some crushing stats about Brown that have come out after Week 3. 

We all know what Brown is capable of, and between Joe Burrow going down and then the disaster against Minnesota, he hasn't been given a fair shot to show it.

Brown has not been good; it's essential to note that. This is a risky trade, but the schedule gets easier, and the managers who own Brown are on edge.

He's a perfect buy-low candidate if you can land him for a deal. 

Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers

Through 3 weeks, Josh Jacobs has been the RB17 overall in fantasy football. This is by no means bad, but it's not what managers had hoped for when drafting Jacobs. 

In his first 3 weeks, Jacobs played Detroit, Washington, and Cleveland. All of these defensive units are great at stopping the run. In fact, the Browns and Commanders are both top 3 at fewest fantasy points per game allowed to the RB position (Detroit is 9). 

The schedule for the rest of the way is amazing for Jacobs. The only team they play that is currently top 10 for lowest FPPG to the RB position is Detroit again. 

These stats and averages can change; however, Jacobs is a league winner with that schedule. While you might not be able to get him for cheap, you can certainly trade for him at a discount. 

Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders

This should be the most unlikely name a manager should trade, but Brock Bowers has been a frustrating player to have over the last two weeks. 

Bowers looked like Bowers in Week 1, but then he tweaked his knee and has been wearing a bulky brace. It's clear he looks slightly uncomfortable in this brace and therefore has been average. 

The thing with Bowers is that his getting 9 points is a bad week for him because of where you drafted him, but it's still nice to not have to worry about the TE position at all. 

When Bowers gets back to full health, you can expect him to return to having fantasy performances such as Week 1. He's a great buy-low candidate with major upside at a scarce position. 

LINEUP TIPS: Week 4 sleepers | Week 4 busts

Week 4 fantasy players to sell in a trade

DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles

Week 3 was by far the best game of the season for not just DeVonta Smith, but the Eagles' passing attack as a whole. 

Smith was targeted as many times in Week 3 (9) as he was in the first two games combined. Call me a skeptic, but this sort of volume and production is not going to be a trend. 

Smith, and A.J. Brown, for that matter, have value right now that you might not get for the rest of the season. If I'm a Smith manager, there is no doubt in my mind that selling is the best option. 

Tyquan Thornton, WR, Chiefs

In Weeks 2 and 3, Tyquan Thornton has looked spectacular, and his fantasy outputs show that. Over these weeks, Thornton has been the WR11 overall and seemingly has won the trust of Patrick Mahomes. 

Week 3 was a great performance all around with great volume. Thornton caught 5 passes off of 9 targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. But in Week 2, he had just 2 catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.  

Thornton is extremely talented, but this just feels like the usual Chiefs WR carousel. Ever since Mahomes has been in the league. We, as the fantasy community, try to predict boom weeks from his WRs.

The sell is cemented because of the fact that Xavier Worthy (shoulder) is creeping toward activation, and Rashee Rice will be back in Week 7. They'll consume a large portion of the target share. 

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals 

This has to be rock bottom for Marvin Harrison Jr., and his fantasy managers are right there with him. Look, he has all the talent in the world, and to be fair to him, the Cardinals are not using him properly. 

However, dropping the ball on a guaranteed touchdown pass and a wide-open catch where you have nothing but green grass ahead of you cannot happen.  

If Harrison catches those two passes, he's a WR10 or better overall in Week 4. To some, that might be enticing, but there has been nothing but a lack of production and usage since Harrison was drafted.  

LAST WEEK’S RECAP: What happened in fantasy Week 3 | Week 3 Injuries

Week 4 fantasy trade targets to hold

Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers 

This might be a hyperbolic statement because Ja'Marr Chase is also struggling, but Ladd McConkey not feasting in the current state of this Chargers offense might be the most shocking thing to transpire this season. 

If you told me in August that the Chargers were a pass-heavy attack, but Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston were the ones benefiting from it the most, I'd laugh in your face. 

It just does not add up. McConkey is playing the most snaps and has shown his ability to be the WR1. The fact that he is third in targets makes absolutely no sense. 

The moral of this rant: hold onto McConkey. It's going to even out as the season goes on; there's just no way he doesn't start producing more with the sheer amount of snaps he's playing. 

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals 

This just goes to show that truly anything can transpire in fantasy football. Having to tell managers to hold Ja'Marr Chase feels like a gimmick, but there's real concern surrounding all the Bengals' fantasy options. 

Now, if someone throws the right package at you, then sure, trading Chase away could work. But this is Ja'Marr Chase; if he's as good as we all think (and know) he is, you cannot trade him for nothing. 

It's a long season; if Jake Browning continues to play as poorly as he did in Week 3, the Bengals will make some sort of move for an upgrade under center. (Kirk Cousins? Jameis Winston?!)

You have to understand that people are trying to buy low on Chase, so if you do trade him, you cannot let that happen. 

Deebo Samuel, WR, Commanders 

In Week 3, Deebo Samuel looked uninvolved in the Commanders' offense under Marcus Mariota. He was targeted just 3 times and was able to haul in two of them for 11 yards. 

However, under Jayden Daniels, Samuel was electric as a short-range target and an extension of a shaky run game. In Weeks 1 and 2, Samuel was the WR8 overall with Daniels as his QB. 

With Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) questionable for Week 4, Samuel could get more work under Mariota against the Atlanta Falcons. However, even if Samuel has another rough game, Daniels will return soon -- and the ground attack still has plenty of questions that facilitates a few extra touches per game.

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Griffin Missant

Griffin Missant joined The Sporting News in 2025 as a fantasy football intern. He graduated from Grand Valley State University, where he covered the Lakers football program. He has also worked for Sleeper and the Fantasy Trade Room. He has played fantasy for over a decade, and has been passionate about fantasy football ever since.