Week 6 Breakout Fantasy Football Players to Sell High in Trades: Rico Dowdle, George Pickens and More

The past several weeks, I've been putting together a series of fantasy football stories based on the previous week's performances.

In one series, we go over panic meters for players - that's a popular article, so that will continue on. 

The other series was on breakout performers, and we determined if they were here to stay or flukes. I'm going to alter that story a bit and turn it into a trade article focused on selling high on certain players. The first story with that new theme will be covered below, so let's get into it!

Wish a real fantasy expert could break down your team, not just spit out generic advice? Now you can - get a personalized Team Breakdown, tailored for your exact league.

Running Backs

Rico Dowdle and D'Andre Swift were two breakout performers in week 6 who I'd be looking to sell high before week 7.

Dowdle has been nothing short of amazing while filling in for Chuba Hubbard the past two weeks. He had 183 rushing yards on 30 carries and 56 receiving yards and a touchdown on four receptions and five targets this week.

Last week, Dowdle rushed for 206 yards and a score on 23 attempts, while adding 28 receiving yards on three catches and four targets.

Hubbard still could miss more time, so I understand if you want to soak as much out of Dowdle as you can, but selling him high could land you a player in a better situation for the rest of the season.

We don't know how the Carolina backfield is going to look after Hubbard looks, but Dowdle's fantasy value could dry up in a hurry. With the uncertainty surrounding him, selling him now rids you of the problem down the road, and maybe helps that roster spot keep producing.

If you are set at running back, you can flip Dowdle for another position of need. If you need a back, you aren't likely to get a high-end fantasy talent in return, but a mid-level or weekly starter in return is definitely doable for those in need, so I'd see if I could land some help for the rest of the season while Dowdle's fantasy value is sky high.

Swift is ironically one of the backs I could see Dowdle being flipped for. Swift was stellar on Monday night, going for 175 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches - he had 67 yards and a score on two catches and three targets, with the rest of the production coming on the ground.

Swift has been the clear lead back in Chicago, but isn't likely to keep delivering like he did in week 6. So I'd be looking to sell him high before he loses fantasy value. 

You could chase a high-end producer over the past couple weeks (like Dowdle) or simply look for a back or skill player in a better long-term situation. I don't see Swift's value growing too much more, so capitalize while you can on him.

Wide Receivers

George Pickens and Jameson Williams are a couple wideouts who I'd be looking to sell high on before week 7 kicks off.

Pickens went off again on Sunday, but with the news of CeeDee Lamb possibly returning soon, Pickens' value could drop off significantly soon.

Pickens had 168 yards and a score on nine receptions and 11 targets. He has at least 57 yards and a score in five straight games. Some of that was with Lamb around, but these 100+ yard games are going to be less frequent when Lamb is back in the mix.

All fantasy owners know that, so Pickens' trade value probably isn't as high as it appears. Still, you could land another weekly starter in a more favorable fantasy situation in return, and that's always a win for fantasy teams.

Make the move before Lamb returns and Pickens possibly has a down showing.

Williams is a boom-or-bust fantasy wideout, and is coming off a boom. He had 66 yards and a score on six catches and seven targets. He set season highs in several marks.

Williams is at least the No. 2 passing option in Detroit (more on that later) with Amon-Ra St. Brown around. Throw in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and there's a lot of mouths to feed in this Detroit offense.

That leads to inconsistent showings for guys not named Gibbs or St. Brown. Williams is capable of big-time fantasy outings, but he's not very consistent, and that can really hurt fantasy teams. I'd always be looking to sell him high after his boom performances as a result.

He could net you an average-or-so No. 1 wideout from another team, or a WR2 in a bit better situation. You could also use Williams to address another position you are weak in.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert and Sam LaPorta are the two tight ends who fared well in week 6, but who I'd look to sell high on before week 7.

Goedert ended up as TE1 in week 6 after going for 110 yards and a score on nine catches and 11 targets on Thursday night. 

He's really been underrated this season, because he has at least one touchdown in four straight games, which has offset some lower-yardage totals. After a big game with over 100 yards, it's an ideal time to sell him high.

He's a good weekly starter right now, but the touchdowns are likely to not continue, and his value will drop when those slow. Goedert will then be a borderline starter, and not someone to use every week.

The return for him won't be anything crazy, but I think it makes most sense to deal him away now, instead of hoping he can continue his scoring trend.

LaPorta is in the mix for the No. 2 pass catcher in Detroit too. He had 55 yards and a score on five catches and six targets this week.

LaPorta had five catches and six targets in week 5 as well, but for 92 yards and a score. He might look like he's trending up, but those were his only really good fantasy outings since week 1, and that inconsistency is why I'd look to sell him high now.

You can stream a tight end and find enough success the rest of the season. Moving LaPorta could get you a needed starter at another position, which would be more beneficial than hoping that LaPorta continues to deliver week after week.

Quarterbacks

Daniel Jones and Dak Prescott were a couple high-end fantasy QBs in week 6, but I'd be looking to sell them high before week 7.

Jones had another high-end fantasy QB finish in week 6. He threw for 212 yards, two scores and a pick, while rushing for 20 yards and a score on five carries.

Jones has been surprisingly good to start the season, which is why the Colts are good. I still have some long-term doubts about Jones as a fantasy asset, and instead of worrying about those things, I'd look to sell him high.

There's enough fantasy QBs out there in most leagues to safely move on from one of the better performers so far. You could look for a fantasy QB with a little more success in his past, or maybe package Jones with another player to improve your team at a specific spot.

I just don't see Jones continuing to deliver these high-end fantasy performances and expect him to be in the middle of the pack going forward, so I'd capitalize on his value while I could.

Prescott has been on an absolute heater over the past three weeks. After 261 yards, three scores and no picks this week, he has 817 yards, 10 TDs and no INTs over his past three games.

That's elite-level fantasy production, but I don't see it continuing. Prescott has some tough matchups for the remainder of the season, and eventually defenses are going to start altering gameplans to force Dallas to beat them on the ground.

I'd look to flip Prescott for a fantasy QB with a more favorable schedule the rest of the way, or use him to address another position of weakness.