Fantasy Football Trade Input: Assessing Values for Amari Cooper, De'Von Achane and Christian McCaffrey

A little dive into some FantasySP website analytics revealed that fantasy football owners were checking out the fantasy trade values for Amari Cooper, Christian McCaffrey and De'Von Achane, so I’m going to dedicate an entire article to it.

We’ll discuss each player and their fantasy outlooks before determining how to approach them and then naming some potential trades to make.

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Amari Cooper Fantasy Outlook

Cooper had 24 catches, 250 yards, two touchdowns and 53 targets across six games with the Browns. He was traded to the Bills on Tuesday. 

While it remains to be seen if Cooper can play in week 7 for the Bills, I’m going to focus on him as a fantasy asset for the remainder of the season.

The road ahead for Cooper offers a mix of favorable and tougher matchups, with just a few more favorable games giving him a B+ grade on the FantasySP Strength of Schedule page.

He’s definitely in a better situation with Josh Allen than he had in Cleveland with Deshaun Watson, but it’s always a mystery as to how quickly a traded wide receiver can start making a difference with his new team.

Cooper’s fantasy value is down since the start of the season because of how he played in Cleveland, and because fantasy owners are unsure as to how he’ll fit in with Buffalo, so the only way I’d want to be in a trade for Cooper is if I was buying him. I would not sell Cooper, instead waiting to see how he fares with the Bills.

Right now, Cooper ranks 56th on the FantasySP Trade Value Chart. That puts him around receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. Jameson Williams, George Pickens and Xavier Worthy" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#player-pop-up" href="/nfl_player_news/Xavier_Worthy/">Xavier Worthy. I currently would probably prefer all those other receivers over Cooper, but if you are one who likes to play matchups, Thomas and Williams have a bunch of tough matchups ahead, and aren’t their team’s locked in No. 1 wideouts, so I could see making those swaps for Cooper.

If you are set at receiver and looking for another position in the return, running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason and tight ends Sam LaPorta are all pretty close to Cooper. Jones and Mason are dealing with injuries right now, while Mason also has McCaffrey to deal with, as we’ll get to in a bit. Getting a top-end drafted TE who has struggled to consistently contribute like LaPorta in a swap for Cooper makes some sense, but those different position swaps are hard to navigate without knowing your entire fantasy team.

Christian McCaffrey Fantasy Outlook

McCaffrey hasn’t played this season, and there’s no definite return date for him either. There’s been rumblings about him returning after the team’s bye in week 10 though.

Mason has done well in McCaffrey’s place, but now has his injury to deal with. San Francisco is still at the top of a weak NFC West this season, but losing ground to other NFC title contenders as time passes.

At some point, the team is going to have to see if McCaffrey can give it a go or not, and the longer they wait, the riskier that becomes. The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, and there aren't a lot of good RBs available as free agents right now.

Because of the uncertainty surrounding McCaffrey, it’s hard to really judge his fantasy value. Right now, FSP has him ranked 65th overall. A healthy McCaffrey would be in contention for the No. 1 spot, but with his injury, it’s hard to rank him any higher. But at the same time, his big upside might allow you to trade him for a player much higher on the trade chart.

So instead of giving you some possible players to deal for/or get in return for McCaffrey, let me offer up some final thoughts on his situation.

I believe McCaffrey will be back after the team’s bye week, and a week after that at the latest. I do not think he will be the workhorse back he’s been since coming to the Niners, and instead will split the touches and snaps with Mason. CMC will probably end up with a couple more touches per game, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Mason outsnapped him often.

The team feels it can still compete for the Super Bowl, but probably needs McCaffrey to get the job done. Even having CMC for 12-15 or so touches a game is better than none at all, and limiting his workload will help the star back maybe get through the season without any more injury issues.

Even in a limited role, McCaffrey can be a starting RB in all formats. He might not be the top fantasy back in the game, but he could still put up top 20 numbers each week, and he always has top-10 potential if he scores or gets a couple more touches per week.

If I drafted McCaffrey and had already waited this long, I’d hold out hope and wait for him to return, especially if my fantasy team was doing OK without him. Adding a player like McCaffrey to the mix could be just what your fantasy team needs to become a title contender.

I think a lot of the fantasy owners who drafted CMC are sick of waiting for the star RB to return, and that probably means he can be acquired for a lower cost. As long as you can still compete afterward, I wouldn’t mind dealing from a position of depth to acquire McCaffrey. Then you just need to stash him until he’s ready and then unleash him as you try to chase a fantasy title.

It’s a very tricky situation, but one I wouldn’t mind being in because of the elite fantasy talent CMC can be.

De’Von Achane Fantasy Outlook

Achane suffered a concussion in his last game, but hasn’t missed any time because the team had its bye in week 6. He’s rushed 56 times for 183 yards and a touchdown across five games, while adding 186 receiving yards and a score on 21 receptions.

Achane started the year hot, but has gotten worse each week. A lot of that has to do with Tua Tagovailoa being out, and running back Raheem Mostert also missing time.

Without Tagovailoa, defenses have been able to key in a bit more on Achane, since the backup quarterbacks aren’t able to incorporate Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle into the passing game like Tagovailoa can.

The Dolphins need to get through just one more game before Tagovailoa can potentially return, and there’s rumblings that he’ll be out there starting in week 8. If that’s the case, not only do Hill and Waddle get big boosts to their fantasy value, but Achane should regain his fantasy prowess too.

It’s risky because of Tagovailoa’s concussion history, and because Achane struggled with injuries as a rookie last year. He was drafted near the end of the second round for a reason though, and was delivering early on before injuries ruined his fantasy value.

Achane sits 29th on the trade chart right now, and some of that has to do with his injury status. I still think some fantasy owners would be willing to part with Achane, and might do it for less than that price tag because of the uncertainty around Tagovailoa, and factoring in Achane’s injury history.

This is another situation in which I’d hold out hope if I rostered Achane. I think the grass is greener moving forward and would only part with Achane if I was able to get a really good fantasy asset, or assets, in return. His schedule ahead is rough, so again if you like to play matchups, then you probably fall more into the trade category.

I see big things ahead for Achane and the Dolphins’ offense, and would try to tread water another week or two before the entire offense is back in place. Just remember what Achane did with Tagovailoa in weeks 1 and 2 and think where those kinds of performances could take your fantasy team in the second half of the season.