Fantasy Football Trades Based on Upcoming Strength of Schedule: Chase Brown, Emeka Egbuka and More

Fantasy football can be pretty easy if you have a team full of star players, but if matchups are dictating your player's performances, that's when things can get tough.

Today, I wanted to check out the strength of schedule page and highlight players to sell high and buy low based on matchups to come. Let's dive right in.

Use the FantasySP trade analyzer and trade value charts as you propose and accept trades all season. 

Running Backs

Chase Brown and J.K. Dobbins are two backs I want to discuss this week.

Brown has one of the best remaining schedules for a running back. Brown has underwhelmed most of the season, but has trended back up a bit after the team traded for Joe Flacco.

He's coming off his best fantasy showing of the season, and some might take that as a time to sell him high. With his remaining schedule being so favorable though, I'd be happy to trade for Brown, even if it costs a bit.

I see Brown re-emerging as a top-end fantasy wideout down the stretch, and he could take a so-so fantasy team over the top. If you rostered him to this point, I'd roll the dice and hope he keeps delivering in his favorable matchups ahead.

If you need running back help, Brown would be a pretty affordable option who I'd inquire about. Trade from a position of strength, or move a couple flex-level players for Brown. I think he'll be a good/great weekly starting option the rest of the season, even after Samaje Perine has emerged and started taking away some snaps and production from him.

On the other end of the schedule spectrum is Dobbins, who easily has the toughest schedule ahead for a back.

He's also dealing with RJ Harvey, who is coming off his best game as a pro. It all adds up to me wanting to sell Dobbins high, and do it as soon as possible.

Dobbins has been a pretty steady and solid fantasy back so far this season, so he'd be a valuable pickup for a lot of fantasy owners. I don't like his schedule moving forward, and see him regressing as the year moves on.

Throw in that Dobbins hasn't dealt with many injuries yet, but has over his career, and it's another reason to sell Dobbins now and look for backs with more favorable schedules ahead.

Wide Receivers

Emeka Egbuka is a wide receiver who has a notable strength of schedule. He's been such a big name that he will be the focus of this entire section.

Egbuka has been a good fantasy asset most of the season, but has the worst wide receiver schedule ahead of him, so it's a time to possibly sell high with him.

He's lost fantasy value over the past two weeks with so-so performances, and injuries have hampered him over that time as well. That will make him a bit less desirable, but most fantasy owners would probably love to add the Bucs' top wideout for the stretch run.

The matchups do not favor Egbuka, and if the injury hampers him a bit the rest of the season, he could be more of a flex-level option than the locked-in starter he's been for several weeks.

I'd look to sell him high before he turns in any more down performances. Again, his value isn't as high as it was a couple weeks ago, but you should still get a great return for him.

Maybe try to land another team's top wideout - every one will have a better schedule ahead than Egbuka. You could also use Egbuka to land a top-end back, tight end or quarterback, if you are lacking at those spots but are set at receiver.

At least see what kinds of offers trickle in.

Tight Ends

Mark Andrews and Oronde Gadsden are the two tight ends with notable schedules ahead.

Andrews has the best fantasy schedule ahead for a tight end. 

Andrews has underwhelmed just about every week this season, with only one above-average performance, so his value is way down. Some of you can even add Andrews for free right now, and if you are struggling at tight end, I'd definitely give him a long look.

The return of Lamar Jackson should help Andrews' fantasy outlook, but it's those favorable matchups that should really be catching your attention. Even if Andrews can be around TE10 the rest of the season, that'd be a huge addition to any fantasy team.

His most trade value comes in deeper leagues, and with him not costing a ton, I'd be asking what his asking price was. I like playing matchups, especially at tight end, and there's no schedule better than Andrews' right now, so I'd be happy to add him for the stretch run.

Gadsden has the toughest schedule ahead, so that's a bummer after how he's looked over the past three weeks.

He had one double-digit performance over the first five weeks, and didn't even play in weeks 1 or 2. In the three games since, he has at least five catches and 68 yards, and has scored twice.

He's dealing with all those wide receivers in Los Angeles already, and with a brutal schedule ahead, it makes even more sense to try to sell high on Gadsden.  I'd do it now before he possibly delivers a fantasy dud.

The return likely won't be anything crazy, but for a waiver wire pickup from a couple weeks ago, getting a weekly starting option should be considered a win. Maybe you could package him with another flex-level guy and go after a really good fantasy player at a position of need.

I'd make the move instead of hoping Gadsden continues his breakout. I just don't see it happening because of the tougher schedule and the several LA pass catchers he has to contend with.

Quarterbacks

J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray are quarterbacks I want to discuss this week.

McCarthy has the best fantasy schedule for a QB the rest of the season.

He hasn't played since week 2, but is trending toward playing this week. McCarthy is needed, as Carson Wentz is now out for the season with an injury.

McCarthy was so-so for most of the first two weeks, although a great finish against the Bears in week 1 helped him post a huge fantasy score. I see him as an average-or-so fantasy QB most weeks, but favorable matchups could get his own and start percentages pretty high in a hurry.

You won't need to trade for McCarthy in most leagues, but I would recommend adding him in a ton of leagues going into week 9. He should be picked up in deeper leagues for sure, even if he doesn't start for you this week.

If he starts delivering in a couple starts, he'll work back into standard leagues again. With favorable tests ahead, there's a chance McCarthy can stick in your lineup the rest of the way.

Murray has the toughest schedule ahead, and it's not all that close either.

He's also been banged up, and he's missed the past two games. Murray will be added back in a lot of leagues, but his strength of schedule says that he might be a better deep-league asset the rest of the way.

You could look to capitalize on his value by adding him now and then hoping he delivers big in week 9. If that happens, you could sell him high before week 10 kicks off.

I just see him as an average-or-so fantasy option the rest of the year, and in tougher matchups, he'll be a better deep-league starter most weeks. I'd avoid adding him in standard leagues for that reason, while trying to sell him high soon where I could.