ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: Who should be traded (or, who you are glad was traded)?
SCOTT SACHS
Mike Williams seems to have fallen out of favor with the Jets. After a couple of key misses, the last of which Aaron Rodgers detailed ad nauseum in his post-game comments about how Williams was at fault, deflecting blame from himself. Perhaps a return to the Chargers would make him feel more comfortable, rejoining Justin Herbert, and adding some depth and firepower to their receiving corps. As of now, he is not very viable in the league, nor in fantasy.
With 2 perfect seasons and multiple league championships to his credit, Scott Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, featuring LIVE Talk & Text Advice. He is a 3-time winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Auction League, as well as a previous winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Poll.
JASON WOOD
Answer received prior to trade to Bills - ed. I suspect the most common response will be Davante Adams, as he was stuck on a struggling Raiders team, hoping a contender acquires his services. But I'll choose Amari Cooper instead. Cooper is 30 years old, has a career-low 45% catch rate, and leads the NFL in dropped passes. The Browns seem tied to Deshaun Watson but must recognize that major changes are needed. Cooper has an easily manageable contract that voids after the season, allowing a wider range of potential suitors compared to the few that can afford Adams' price. If Cooper can land as the No. 2 receiver on a playoff team, I expect he'll come alive and provide significant fantasy value down the stretch.
Wood is Senior Editor at Footballguys.com and has been with the company since its start in 2000. For more than 20 years, Footballguys has provided rankings, projections, and analysis to help fantasy managers dominate their leagues.
IAN ALLAN
I like Khalil Herbert. I think he’s a good running back. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry in the 2022-23 seasons. That’s No. 2 among the 49 running backs with at least 200 carries. The Bears don’t seem to have any interest in using him. He’s their third-string back, hardly getting on the field. I would like to see him get dealt somewhere with the opportunity to compete. How about the Cowboys?
Allan co-founded Fantasy Football Index in 1987. Since that time, he’s written and edited most of the content published in the magazines, newsletters and at www.fantasyindex.com. Allan is a member of the FSGA Fantasy Sports Hall of Fame and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.
DAVID DOREY
Answer received prior to trade to Bills - ed. I'd like to see Amari Cooper leave the Browns where they are committed to keeping the player formerly known as Deshaun Watson. It is just not happening in Cleveland this year and the Browns are so hamstrung with Watson that their season is just a waste. Cooper could be a great addition to a wideout-needy franchise like the Chiefs or Bills. His contract is over this year, and they won't be getting him back. Trade him away - a very easily assumable contract of around $9M for this year that could be prorated. Get a draft pick to help the Browns get a QB next year.
Dorey co-founded The Huddle.com in 1997. He's ranked every player and projected every game for the last 26 years and is the author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. David has appeared on numerous radio, television, newspaper and magazines over the last two decades.
SAM HENDRICKS
Deshaun Watson to any Canadian Football League team! I am so done with him and any expectations.
Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 30-year fantasy football veteran who participated in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). He won the Fantasy Index Open in 2013 and 2018.
ANDY RICHARDSON
It's not going to happen, but two guys it'd be nice to see traded are Joe Flacco and George Pickens. Since the Colts will remain in the playoff hunt in the AFC South, Flacco will toil away behind a young quarterback he's better than (right now). But imagine if Flacco went to say Pittsburgh, and started putting up the kind of numbers he did with Cleveland and briefly with the Colts? If that happened, I wouldn't want Pickens to be traded. But as it is, he's being wasted in a dysfunctional offense with no good quarterback (Fields can't do it, but Wilson won't be a huge upgrade). Pickens with the Commanders or Lions or perhaps even Kansas City would be fun.
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He writes a weekly gambling newsletter, Index Bets, during the NFL season and also previews all the games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays.