Week 7 Breakout Fantasy Football Players to Sell High in Trades: DeVonta Smith, D'Andre Swift and More

It's time to dive back into a couple series. In this one, we will look over some of the breakout performers from week 7 and explain why you should be selling those players high.

No tight ends caught my eye this week, so we'll focus on wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks this week.

Check back in a bit for the panic meter series.

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Wide Receivers

DeVonta Smith and Keenan Allen are two wide receivers I'd be looking to sell high on after big week 7 fantasy outings.

Smith went off for 183 yards and a score on nine receptions and 11 targets in week 7. It was his second time over 100 yards this season, with the other coming in week 5. 

Smith hasn't topped 60 yards in any other game though, and if you take away that showing (which included his only other touchdown this season), you can start to see why I'd sell high on Smith.

He's the Eagles' No. 2 receiver after all, and even with A.J. Brown underperforming for most of this season, Smith has struggled to consistently deliver for his fantasy owners. Sure, he's one of the better No. 2 wideouts in the league, but that inconsistency makes it tough to rely on him.

I'd be looking to sell high on him, because I think you could get a No. 1 wideout in return. It's not going to be a top-end option, and they might have consistency issues of their own, but getting a clear No. 1 option instead of a No. 2 guy definitely makes sense in most cases.

At the very least, I'm throwing Smith's name on the trade block to see what kinds of offers come in. He's played pretty well of late, so his fantasy value is up. You could also sell Smith high based on his upcoming schedule, as it's pretty favorable.

Allen had another good showing on Sunday, going for 119 yards and a score on 11 receptions and 14 targets.

Every time I think he's going to fade off a bit, Allen delivers again. His fantasy value is on the rise again, and even though he might be the No. 3 wideout on his own team, many fantasy owners would love to add Allen.

With Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston around him, I don't love Allen's outlook in the long run. He plays the least amount of snaps of that trio, and it's really not close. That makes what he's done this season even more impressive.

Add in that tight end Oronde Gadsden is on the rise and Allen has even more competition for targets and production. I think there's going to be consistency issues for all four of those guys (McConkey, Johnston, Allen and Gadsden), so I'd be looking to move on from them whenever the time is right.

Coming off a huge game, now is the time to possibly move Allen. He's delivered enough this season to land a low-end WR1 for a team or a very good WR2 in return. You could also upgrade a position of need in return for Allen, who is still a good weekly fantasy option, even with so many pass catchers around in LA.

The schedule ahead for the Chargers' wide receivers is pretty solid, but ranks in the bottom half of the league. That's just another reason to move on from these guys after they post big fantasy scores.

I get wanting to hold all of them, but if you are looking for more consistency and less headaches, parting ways with the Chargers' pass catchers could help you achieve that.

Running Backs

Most of the top-end fantasy performances from running backs were from guys I'd want to keep rostering. D'Andre Swift and Jaylen Warren were at or near 20 PPR points each, and are the two backs I'd be looking to sell high on now.

Swift went off for a second straight week. After having 175 total yards and a score on 16 touches in week 6, Swift went for 138 total yards and a score on 20 touches in week 7.

The Bears' running back gashed a couple weak run defenses, which is part of the reason why I'd be looking to sell Swift. Another reason is the emergence of Kyle Monangai, who has factored in here and there before really delivering on Sunday.

I think there's a chance Monangai continues to get enough work to take away snaps and touches from Swift. Coach Ben Johnson has run an offense with two backs for the past several years, and that could be happening now in Chicago too.

Even if it doesn't happen, I don't see Swift delivering these kinds of numbers every single week. He has a really tough schedule ahead, so now is the time to bail on Swift.

You can swap Swift for a back with better matchups ahead, or maybe help you out at a position of need. Swift has some legit trade value after the past two weeks, and running back desperate teams would be happy to add him, maybe even overpaying to get the job done.

Throw Swift on the block and see what happens.

Warren went for 127 yards on 16 carries and added 31 receiving yards on four receptions and five targets back on Thursday of this past week of play.

It was his second time over 100 total yards in five games this season. He's gone over 80 total yards once in the three other games, and hasn't scored since week 1.

There's really not many mouths to feed in Pittsburgh, so I'm shocked Warren hasn't scored more, or produced more for that matter. Kenneth Gainwell is around to steal some snaps and touches, and rookie Kaleb Johnson could eventually factor in too.

Calvin Austin has missed a couple games for the Steelers too, and his return could mean less production for Warren too. He wasn't viewed as a high-end fantasy talent this season, so he was probably a depth guy for you.

If you are set at running back, or simply want to upgrade, moving Warren now makes a lot of sense to me. His schedule ahead is also pretty tough, so that's another reason to move him now.

Maybe you can land a back with better matchups ahead, or go after a player at a position of need. I just don't see Warren being a good starting option for standard league teams with title aspirations. I'd see if I could sell him high and move off the Steelers' lead back.

Quarterbacks

Bo Nix and Matthew Stafford are the two quarterbacks worth trying to sell high on after week 7.

Nix led a historic comeback on Sunday. He completed just 27 of his 50 passes, but for 279 yards and two scores. Nix avoided a pick and added 48 rushing yards and two scores on five attempts. 

He was the top-scoring fantasy QB in week 7, which obviously won't happen all that often the rest of the season. Nix has really underperformed more often than not this season, so after a huge game, it's a great time to sell high on him.

Nix has so-so matchups the rest of the way, so he should remain an average-or-so quarterback. If you need more, maybe you can sell Nix for a better fantasy asset in the long run, whether that be a QB or player at a position of need.

Nix still has enough fantasy value to be a worthwhile trade asset, and on his name alone, he could net you a pretty decent return. See what kinds of offers come in.

I'm a big fan of Stafford, so it pains me to put him on this list today. 

He threw for just 182 yards on 21-of-33 passing on Sunday, but five touchdowns and no picks helped him to a big fantasy showing. Stafford ran for a yard on two attempts.

It was a nice bounceback outing for the veteran QB, who has been an underrated fantasy asset all season. He's capable of these bigger performances, but really, he's just an above-average option, and not a locked-in starter.

See if a fantasy team is desperate for QB help, which Stafford could alleviate. He was probably a waiver pickup for you, so getting anything for him would be a win. 

You can keep streaming quarterbacks after getting rid of Stafford, but maybe improve your roster by moving him, even if it's shoring up some depth.