Browsing: trade

Quinshon Judkins had himself a day on Sunday, rushing for 84 yards and three touchdowns in the Cleveland Browns’ 31-6 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins.

So after that sort of performance, how much should you be asking for—or offering—in a trade involving Judkins?

Despite the huge performance, you probably still want to consider Judkins to be in the RB2 tier at the position. In PPR leagues, he isn’t going to benefit you much in the passing game (nine receptions through six games), for starters, and Cleveland’s offense in general has been pretty rough outside of Sunday’s outburst.

That risks a fair amount of games in which the Browns fall behind and game script calls for a heavier passing attack in a comeback attempt.

There’s also the fact that despite Sunday’s scoring trifecta, Judkins had just two touchdowns in his first five games. Banking on him scoring multiple touchdowns per week is unrealistic.

The above factors limit Judkins’ upside just enough to keep him outside of the elite options at the position and in more of an RB2 tier from a value perspective. But there is plenty to like here.

For starters, Judkins has rushed for 80 or more yards in four of his six NFL games and has found the end zone five times. More importantly, he’s getting a lot of usage—he was given 25 carries on Sunday, while Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson combined for just four carries against the Dolphins. There is a clear hierarchy in place.

Judkins now has 18 or more carries in four of his six games. If you are paying a hefty price for a running back who offers a limited impact in the passing game, you want them getting a consistently heavy workload and getting the goal-line work. That appears to be the case here.

It’s also promising to see the burst Judkins showed on his 46-yard touchdown run. It’s obvious he has talent.

It’s just not quite enough to pay top-tier prices. Likewise, he’s not really a sell-high candidate either—he should continue to produce. When evaluating what types of offers to accept or to make, consider him a low-end RB1 in deeper leagues or a high-end RB2 otherwise.

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Did Rashee Rice immediately emerge as a true WR1 in fantasy football after his season debut on Sunday?

There’s certainly an argument to be made that he did. The Kansas City Chiefs wideout caught seven passes (on 10 targets) for 42 yards and two touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders, good for 23.2 fantasy points in PPR formats.

Rice was trending toward being a dynamic option for the Chiefs—and fantasy players—in his first two seasons, with 103 catches for 1,226 yards and nine touchdowns in 20 games. He was excellent in four games last year before injury cut his season short, with 24 catches for 288 yards and two scores.

There was little doubt that once he was healthy he would be the top option in this passing game. Travis Kelce is no longer an elite option at tight end, while Xavier Worthy is more of a gadget play option and deep threat and players like Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton aren’t leading men.

All of those names listed are probably why you should still consider Rice more of a high-end WR2 option than a true WR1, however. Patrick Mahomes spread the ball to nine different pass-catchers on Sunday, with an array of options that makes Kansas City’s passing game tough to defend but also could limit some of Rice’s target share on a week-to-week basis. (There’s also the fact that this was a pretty porous Las Vegas secondary he was facing to consider.)

Yes, he led the team in receptions on Sunday and had twice as many targets as any of his teammates. It’s just hard to consider him in an upper tier of fantasy wideouts that includes players like Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among others.

Whether Rice can crack into that next tier remains to be seen, but it’s probably not wise to pay WR1 prices to acquire him until you know he’ll regularly be matching Sunday’s upside. Rice isn’t going to find the end zone every week—his receptions, yardage and target share are going to determine his ultimate worth.

For now, only pay WR2 prices to acquire him. If you’re the seller, however, you may be able to fetch WR1 prices after Sunday.

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The New York Giants may yet trade veteran quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Raanan reported Sunday that “there is a belief in league circles that Wilson could eventually become a trade target for a quarterback-needy team.”

The 10-time Pro Bowler, for his part, is eager to get back onto the field.

“I definitely want to play. I know how much more ball I have left in me,” he said, per Raanan. “I’m doing everything I can where my feet are and helping our football team win, and that’s important and learn that along the way is be present where you are and try to do everything you can to be prepared every day. So that’s what I’m focusing on.”

Jaxson Dart hasn’t excelled under center since replacing Wilson ahead of New York’s Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Through three starts, he has thrown for 508 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Giants are 2-1 with Dart as the starter, though, and the rookie is arguably ahead of schedule in his development given the general predraft belief he’s a long-term project.

Many fans starting counting down Wilson’s days in the Big Apple from the moment he got benched. From New York’s perspective, it makes too much sense not to seriously entertain trade offers.

The 36-year-old is only signed for one season, and he presumably won’t want to return to a situation where he’s all but guaranteed to be a second-stringer in 2026.

The security and leadership Wilson provides as a backup is basically no different than the Giants would get with Jameis Winston moving up a spot in the depth chart, either.

Even if New York only recoups a late-round draft pick for Wilson, that’s something of value in return for a player who’s not helping that much now and is likely out the door next spring.

And surely, when surveying the QB landscape, another team would be willing to make a play for Russ.

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The San Francisco 49ers could use some defensive reinforcements given the injuries they are dealing with this season, and they are reportedly interested in a handful of New York Jets players ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported Sunday there is belief around the league the 49ers will inquire about edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald IV and linebacker Quincy Williams.

Notably, former Jets head coach Robert Saleh is the defensive coordinator for the 49ers. Cimini called that trio of defensive players “some of Saleh’s favorites in New York,” so there is already an obvious connection in place.

What’s more, Williams is playing on the final year of his deal, so the Jets may want to move him and get something back in return before he potentially leaves next offseason.

New York is 0-6 and already seems to be playing out the string on a lost season. Whether it is these defensive players, running back Breece Hall or someone else, it is an obvious trade candidate team that could start focusing on the future with draft assets.

San Francisco is a team that entered the season with a win-now plan, and a 4-2 start has done nothing to quell those expectations. However, defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are both out for the season.

Williams could help make up for some of the veteran leadership lost with Warner in the middle of the defense after four straight seasons with more than 100 tackles, while Johnson and McDonald are potential replacements for Bosa on the edge.

It is unrealistic to expect either of them to be as productive as Bosa, but the 49ers need healthy players to bolster their depth chart.

And Saleh is someone who is familiar with the options from the Jets and could maximize their impact after a trade.

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Even though the vibes around the Philadelphia Eagles are odd right now as they search for answers amid their two-game losing skid, the defending Super Bowl champs aren’t looking to trade A.J. Brown.

Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Eagles have told teams asking about Brown they “aren’t moving him now.”

Brown’s future in Philadelphia has been a hot topic of discussion ever since his social media post quoting a Bible verse following the Eagles’ 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.

Addressing the post on Oct. 1, Brown said it wasn’t directed at Jalen Hurts or any of the Eagles coaches and he just “let my frustrations boil over.”

The Eagles were 4-0 after that victory over the Bucs, but they have since lost back-to-back games to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants. The offense has scored a total of 34 points in those games.

In the aftermath of the Giants’ loss, Albert Breer of SI.com reported the Eagles view Brown’s actions “as part of the deal with their mercurial receiver” even as teams have tried calling to gauge their interest in trading him.

Philadelphia’s offense under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo has received a lot of criticism so far this season. Even when the team was winning games, the offense has failed to impress both in terms of scheme and performance.

There are plenty of reasons for the issues, including injuries on the offensive line, Saquon Barkley not being as explosive as he was in 2024 and no juice in the passing game.

Trading Brown would seem like an extreme move for the Eagles, especially since he received a three-year, $96 million extension in April 2024 that runs through the 2029 season.

Brown is only 28 and has been named to the All-Pro second team in each of the past three seasons. He’s averaging a career-low 11.0 yards per reception so far this season, but history suggests his output will improve over the course of the season.

For all of their recent struggles, the Eagles still lead the NFC East with a 4-2 record. They are the only team in the division that is currently over .500.

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It’s complicated.

That’s one of two consensus opinions I found in speaking with six scouts/executives from different teams about the Tarik Skubaltrade speculation that has become the talk of the baseball industry over the last 48 hours.

At least it was the talk before Shohei Ohtani’s sublime performance late Friday night, but in a way, the stories are connected, especially for a team like the Mets, who need someone like Skubal to have a chance at competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for baseball supremacy in 2026 and beyond.

More on that to come. For now, the larger point, as the scout/execs point out, is that the Detroit Tigers are in a very difficult position. They would be risking the wrath of their championship-starved fan base if they trade Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, after reaching the postseason the last two years, yet they’d almost certainly lose him to free agency a year from now if they choose not to trade him.

“That’s why it’s hard to predict which way this thing will go,” said an executive from a mid-market NL team. “In a vacuum, it’s a no-brainer, unfortunately, considering Skubal is a (Scott) Borasguy and all that. You make the best trade you can and move on. But in the real world, that’s a tough sell when you haven’t won in 40 years.”

It’s 41 years, actually, since the Tigers won the World Series in 1984. And there is another layer to their conundrum.

For years, the late Mike Ilitch, the Tigers’ owner, operated with one of the higher payrolls in baseball while trying to win another title, spending big in free agency and once locking up Justin Verlander to a seven-year, $180 million extension that at the time was the highest in the game. But Ilitch died in 2017 and his son, Christopher, has run a more budget-conscious operation since taking over.

“It’s kind of like Hal(Steinbrenner) taking over after George died,” said one midwest-based scout. “The fans there long for the days when they felt like Mike Ilitch would spend whatever it took to try to win. The son is not very popular as it is. Trading Skubal would make him persona non grata in Detroit.”

In short, this isn’t Garrett Crochet, who was traded for prospects last winter by the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, or even Corbin Burnes, traded by the small-market Milwaukee Brewers from a team that had enough pitching depth to continue winning.

Skubal is far more essential than that to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Still, the same scouts and execs don’t rule out a trade. For it to happen, however, it would take a more attractive package than either Crochet or Burnes brought back.

Which leads to the second consensus opinion that emerged from my various conversations: That is, no team is more motivated or well-positioned than the Mets to make such a trade happen.

“I’d make them the favorite to get Skubal, no question, if the Tigers decide to trade him,” said an NL scout. “They have the pieces to get it done and they obviously have the need. Steve Cohen apologized to the fans for missing the postseason — what does that tell you? He’s going to want to make big-splash moves to change the narrative.”

To that point, SNY’s Andy Martino reported Friday the Mets are expected to be “involved” if Skubal is made available, and willing to “shake up their current position-player group” if it means acquiring a top pitcher.

So the question on the Mets’ end would be just how far they’re willing to go for a player they could lose to free agency after one season.

“Steve Cohen changes that equation,” said one team exec. “His money takes significant risk out of losing the player. And when you look at the Mets, as badly as they played down the stretch, they’re still talented enough that a pitcher like Skubal could be the difference-maker that gives them a chance to compete with the Dodgers and win it all next year.

“But I’d still expect them to draw a line somewhere as to how much they’d be willing to give up, knowing they could sign Skubal in a year without giving up assets.”

So what would it take? The scouts/execs all made the point that this has to be more than trading prospects, as the Tigers, even without Skubal, would go into next season trying to win, with the core of a team that had the best record in baseball until a September collapse.

“They would want players who could help them win next season, plus prospects too,” said a team exec. “They’re going to ask for (Nolan) McLean. He’s a guy you can sell to your fans as a rising star who can be another Skubal. You get him with some other pieces and maybe your fans can live with it.

“But if I’m the Mets, McLean is the one untouchable. The ceiling is too high and you have him under control for six years. Other than that, it’s finding the right combination of players on your major league roster and top prospects.”

Sep 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski – Imagn Images

Scouts identified catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty, and lefty starter David Peterson as possibilities the Tigers would want off the major league roster.

One suggested Clay Holmes as well.

The prospects in demand, other than McLean, figure to be pitchers Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, infielder Jett Williams, first baseman Ryan Clifford, and outfielder Carson Benge.

“It has to be some combination of those players,” said a scout.

Two players sparked much debate among the scouts/execs: Alvarez and Benge.

“Other than pitching, Alvarez could be the key,” one exec said. “It depends how the Tigers’ scouts evaluate him. He showed some growth after the Mets sent him to Triple-A, but is he still a 30-home run guy as he was projected to be when he came up? As a catcher, that would make him a difference-maker and something to help justify the trade from a PR standpoint.

“If you’re the Mets, you have to make the same evaluation. Is it worth giving up a catcher who’s still young (Alvarez turns 24 in November)? I’d have a hard time doing that, on top of what else you’d have to put in the deal.”

Then there is Benge, the minor leaguer who could be the long-term answer to filling the Mets’ hole in center field. Scouts love him for his athleticism and advanced approach at the plate.

“He has a chance to be a .300 hitter with power who can play center field,” one scout said. “How many of those guys are there in the game these days? If I’m the Mets, I’m doing everything I can to keep him.

“You know you’re going to have to give up pitching, probably either Tong or Sproat, plus Peterson. And you can live with giving up Jett Williams. But Benge could be special offensively and he fills a big need for the Mets.”

The bottom line is the scouts/execs believe the two teams could find enough common ground on a trade package to make it work if the Tigers become committed to making a deal. But only two of the six people I spoke to think the chances of it happening are more than 50-50.

The other four think it’s far more likely the Tigers will listen but ultimately decide that Skubal is worth more, even for one more season, than what the Mets or anyone else is offering.

“I just don’t think they’d want to deal with the uproar it would cause among their fans,” one exec said. “That’s a very real factor, especially when you haven’t won a championship in so long and the public perception is that Skubal gives them a chance next year.

“But I’ll say this: if the Mets are willing to go the extra mile, in terms of what they’d give up, they could make it awfully tempting for the Tigers to ignore all the outside noise and decide, let’s do it.”

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Teams are reportedly expressing interest in Miami Dolphins pass-rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips ahead of the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Dolphins have received “lots of calls” on Chubb and Phillips.

It comes as little surprise that teams are lurking around the Dolphins in hopes of them selling off assets since the team is tied for the second-worst record in the league at 1-5.

Both Chubb and Phillips are coming off major knee injuries, and their performances so far in 2025 have been at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chubb, 29, missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a torn ACL. He has shown no ill effects this season, though, registering a team-leading four sacks through six games.

The 26-year-old Phillips was limited to four games last season due to a torn ACL, and he also missed nine games the previous season with a torn Achilles.

Given the severity of the injuries he suffered back to back, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Phillips has only one sack in six games this season.

Originally the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos, Chubb was traded to the Dolphins in 2022.

The two-time Pro Bowler made a major impact early in his tenure with the Dolphins, and in his only full season in Miami thus far, Chubb had 11 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles in 2023.

Miami selected Phillips 18th overall in the 2021 NFL draft out of the University of Miami, and he showed immense potential early in his career.

Phillips had a career-high eight sacks as a rookie, followed by seven in his second year. In 2023, Phillips had 6.5 sacks in eight games before tearing his Achilles, and he hasn’t been the same player since then.

While Chubb is signed through 2027, Phillips is playing under his fifth-year option this year, meaning he is set to become a free agent during the offseason.

That suggests the Dolphins may be more willing to part with Phillips, but given Chubb’s production, he would likely land more in a trade.

Miami’s performance in its next three games against the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens could potentially go a long way toward determining whether the organization sells off pieces or tries to make a run at the playoffs.

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You. And you. And you too.

You all ripped the Dodgers for standing fairly pat at the trade deadline, despite glaring holes in left field and in the bullpen. Heck, this was the headline in this very newspaper: “Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers†urgent need for a closer.â€

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How ever would the Dodgers return to the World Series?

The San Diego Padres had crept within three games of the Dodgers, and they had given up one of their two elite prospects for Mason Miller. The Philadelphia Phillies, a team that would finish with more wins than the Dodgers in the regular season, had swapped prospects for Jhoan Duran.

The Dodgers, the team that had spent $85 million on veteran relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates over the winter, had gotten their last three saves from Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius. Their trade deadline pickups: Brock Stewart, a setup man who soon would be lost to injury for the season, and Alex Call, a fourth outfielder.

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The Padres will not represent the National League in the World Series. Neither will the Phillies.

The Dodgers will, so that was Friedman late Friday night, drenched in celebratory alcohol after a championship series sweep, sloshing through pools of liquid forming on plastic sheeting.

You love him now. Three months ago, you crushed him.

“Yeah,†he said with a shrug. “It comes with it.â€

Friedman, the Dodgers†president of baseball operations, appreciates your passion, if not your advice.

“The thing I canâ€t do is make moves based on what people think we should do,†he said. “Weâ€re going to make mistakes. Weâ€re going to be aggressive taking shots.

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“Our goal is to be essentially the casino: be right more than weâ€re wrong, and have it yield a really good product that has a chance to win the World Series.â€

To be the casino means to have options, and to hit on one of them, rather than depending on only one option.

“Our thing on not acquiring some pitching was, we thought we were going to be leaving talented pitchers off our playoff roster as is,†Friedman said. “It wasnâ€t as front of mind as it was for others.â€

Letâ€s rewind here.

In left field, the Dodgers had to decide whether to acquire a productive bat for a corner outfield spot and release Michael Conforto, pick up a platoon partner for him, or let him ride. They picked up Alex Call, with an unannounced postseason contingency.

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“I will say Kiké (Hernández) — trading for him last year, re-signing him this year — that was part of the calculus, given his postseason pedigree,†Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So thatâ€s not something that was lost on us.â€

It ainâ€t bragging if you back it up. The Dodgers include October on their schedule every year, so they could afford to carry Hernández and his .255 on-base percentage and 0.1 WAR for six months because he conveniently transforms into a star for one month. Hernandez can play anywhere in the infield or outfield.

The Dodgers did not include Conforto on their playoff roster. Hernández has started every game this postseason, with a .375 OBP.

That took care of left field.

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The closer?

Dodgers catcher Will Smith hugs pitcher Roki Sasaki after the final out of Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Friedman believed the Dodgers had enough good arms that one would emerge, even with so many quality arms available in trade. He readily admits he had no idea Roki Sasaki would be the one, as Sasaki was on the injured list at the trade deadline and did not emerge as a reliever until mid-September.

“We said internally that things are lining up that we are going to be at the peak of our health in October,†Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “And, if thatâ€s the case, we love our rotation, we love our lineup, and we love our bullpen.â€

Still, while the starters were headed toward health, the Dodgers made an audacious bet in not adding a late-inning relief arm. Scott, Yates, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips all were injured, ineffective, or both.

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In the postseason, Sasaki has given up one run and three hits in eight innings. He has three saves, as many as Yates had in the regular season.

“Those trades in July for relievers? Thatâ€s why we tried to do what we did in the offseason: be aggressive,†Friedman said.

“Not only are the prices out of whack, the same reliever volatility that we were suffering from in that moment can still happen after you make a trade.â€

Miller and Duran — and, for that matter, David Bednar — performed well for their new teams. Camilo Doval and Ryan Helsley did not. So the Dodgers kept their prospects and determined some kind of solution would come from within.

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“What we werenâ€t going to do was do something that we felt was foolish just to placate in that moment,†Friedman said, “and thatâ€s how we have to try to operate and explain it as clearly as we can.

“That said, weâ€re going to make mistakes. Weâ€re going to make mistakes quite often, and our goal is to learn from them and try to be right more than weâ€re wrong.â€

What appeared in the moment to be two big mistakes turned out not to be. Friedman has built two World Series champions within five years, with a third seemingly on deck, so he does not appear to be a moron, no matter what you might see on social media or in the comments section.

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Perhaps the Dodgers†World Series berth might silence his skeptics among the fan base.

“Theyâ€re enjoying the success,†Friedman said. “And Iâ€m glad they are.â€

Winning the trade deadline is not the goal. Winning a championship trophy is, and the sometimes confounding but always contending Dodgers are four victories away.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Despite being benched just a handful of games into the new season, one struggling Philadelphia Flyers defenseman has at least one admirer out in the Western Conference.

On Friday afternoon, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported that the Calgary Flames, who did business with the Flyers as recently as January with the Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee trade, are looking for a young defenseman. They also reportedly want to move some defenders out.

 ”Sounds like the Flames are looking for a young, left shot defenseman with size. They have too many bodies on 1-way deals on defense and want to move some out; Bean and Miromanov being two, I’m told,” Di Marco wrote on his X account.

“PHI’s Zamula, who played JR in CGY, I’ve heard CGY likes.”

If the Flames indeed like Zamula enough to make an offer to the Flyers for his services, there could be mutual motivation to get a deal over the line.

Rick Tocchet Issues Blunt Warning to Struggling Flyers DefensemanThe Philadelphia Flyers may have lost to the New York Islanders in Thursday night’s preseason game, but their continued struggles on defense are of much greater concern.

Zamula, 25, has been on the ice for 11 high-danger chances against at 5-on-5 in his two games this season – having been benched for the Flyers’ last two – and has been on the ice for only three high-danger chances for, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The formerly undrafted Russian’s 27.27% on-ice share of high-danger attempts is the lowest amongst Flyers defensemen by a large margin; Nick Seeler is the next closest at 48.15%.

In addition to Zamula’s performances on the ice, agent Shumi Babaev had some recent viral comments on his client’s perceived lack of opportunity to succeed and reach his full potential, so it’s just another unwanted fire the Flyers may have to put out.

As for Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov, it’s not likely the Flyers would have much interest in either, though Bean, 27, has 263 games of NHL experience and can move the puck at a high level.

Flyers Reportedly ‘Open’ to Trading Emil AndraeAfter Emil Andrae failed to make the Philadelphia Flyers roster out of training camp, the team is reportedly open to moving on from the undersized defenseman.

Bean has one year left on his contract at a $1.75 million cap hit, so if Rick Tocchet and the Flyers want more finesse from the back, that could be an option for them; Bean is 6-foot-1, while Emil Andrae, for example, is 5-foot-9.

Miromanov, 28, is mostly a reclamation at this point, especially given his age. The formerly undrafted Russian has one year left on his deal at a $1.25 million cap hit and finally broke though as an NHLer last season, scoring two goals, seven assists, and nine points in 44 games for the Flames to go with a respectable +2 rating.

The upside lies in his being 6-foot-4 as a right-shot defenseman, but, again, he’s already 28.

As far as defensemen go, the Flames and the Flyers would be making lateral moves unless they find other teams to be takers for these players.

It is, however, interesting that the Flames have interest in Zamula, given that the two teams made a rather large trade with each other earlier in the calendar year.

That line of communication is open, so there certainly could be something there down the road.

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• 

  Victoria MatiashOct 17, 2025, 02:00 PM ET

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  Victoria Matiash is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. Victoria has been a part of the fantasy team since 2010.

Trust me, it’s never too early to compile trade candidates, especially not in light of how many fantasy managers panic prematurely every single year. Five shots and zero points through four contests? I guarantee, no matter how rich the history or reputation, that player will be volleyed via trade to others in leagues everywhere. Having access to the cold data offered by ESPN Fantasy’s background transaction numbers, I can assure you as much. You should see some of the big names being shifted back and forth already.

With that view, in such cases of hasty hysteria, here’s a quintet of underperforming big names to target via trade. Plus, a handful of over-rostered figures that show less promise of turning matters around.

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Trade for

Elias Pettersson, F, Vancouver Canucks: I know, I know. As Yogi Berra would suggest — also popularly mined as a title for many serial television episodes — it certainly does feel like déjà vu all over again. But not in the light and bouncy fashion Mr. Berra communicated, especially for Canucks fans. With two assists on four shots through a quartet of contests, Pettersson is underwhelming once more. After last season’s drama-flavored thud of a campaign, the center’s fantasy managers and frustrated Vancouver fans alike have every right to feel irritated.

So why try to snag him for your own fantasy squad? Because the ceiling remains high. Still only 26 years old, Pettersson is three years removed from 102 points and two from 89. On Sportsnet radio this week, former Canuck Jannik Hansen put forward that the club’s top center has to be better for Vancouver to go anywhere this year. He’s right. So while a trade for No. 40 could fall terribly flat, the gamble still makes sense if your fantasy roster is middle-of-the-road. Who cares about finishing fifth?

Alex Ovechkin, F, Washington Capitals: This guy is no stranger to sluggish starts. The NHL’s leading scorer earned only two goals in his first dozen games two seasons ago and still ended up with 31. He potted all of two in his first seven last year, then rolled for 44 in 65 games. With sights set on 900 and well beyond, Ovechkin isn’t winding down his career with a whimper. Fully recovering from a minor injury suffered in camp, and shooting on net more often, will help.

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Artemi Panarin, F, New York Rangers: Maybe he’s still a bit banged up after suffering a pair of minor injuries in training camp. Perhaps ongoing contract negotiations, and related trade talk, are more distracting than either side would like to admit. Either way, a pair of assists on 13 shots through six contests isn’t going to cut it. On the upside, the Rangers’ top power play, including Panarin on the point, looks pretty good. They won’t be hovering near an 11.8% success rate much longer. Plus, the 33-year-old can’t be hobbling too badly when logging more than 21 minutes per game. Panarin hasn’t paced out at less than a point per game since his second season in 2026-17, averaging 1.27 between then and now. The Rangers face the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames this coming week. Toss out an offer.

Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers: It hasn’t been a pretty opening for the Oilers’ top defender. Never mind the point drought to date, Bouchard’s been far from brilliant otherwise, serving as a well-rounded calamity in Thursday’s thoroughly earned loss to the Islanders. Nevertheless, we’ve seen such shaky play from the gifted offensive-defenseman before. As long as he’s logging heavy minutes, earning quality chances with the club’s best up front and anchoring Edmonton’s top power play, Bouchard will start steadily denting the scoresheet again soon enough. As fellow blueliner Mattias Ekholm put it, “I’m pretty sure we’ll see a different Bouchard on Saturday.” Fantasy managers might consider lobbing a reasonable offer for the top-10 blueliner before he gets back in scoring gear.

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Darcy Kuemper, G, Los Angeles Kings: Big breath please, the sky isn’t falling in L.A. as some might suggest. Essentially losing their past three games by a single goal (the Pittsburgh Penguins added an empty-netter), the club can largely blame a shoddy special teams’ effort, and in Thursday’s case, uninspiring netminding by backup Anton Forsberg. Promisingly and fortunately, the Kings’ 5-on-5 play is starting to appear solid. Once they clean up other matters, the ship will right itself in southern California again. Also, nominated for the Vezina last year, Kuemper finished in the top three in ESPN Fantasy standard leagues. How far to you expect the guy to fall? If your goaltending corps lacks fantasy pizzazz, chase L.A.’s No. 1 down via trade while he recuperates from a minor lower-body injury.

Trade away

Carter Verhaeghe, F, Florida Panthers:We often become too influenced by a player’s accomplishments in the postseason. Following up an impressive run the year before, Verhaeghe’s 23 points in 23 games this past spring went a long way in helping the Panthers secure their second straight Cup. While appreciably clutch, an irrelevant sum in the regular-season fantasy sphere. Collecting 20 goals and 33 assists (-14) in 2024-25, the Florida winger averaged only 1.6 fantasy points per game in ESPN standard competition. Now the team is without top center Aleksander Barkov (months), Matthew Tkachuk (many weeks) and blueliner Dmitry Kulikov (months). In trying to fill another roster need, try to mine Verhaeghe’s name value and playoff reputation for a reasonable return.

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Carter Verhaeghe stuffs one home on the power play

Carter Verhaeghe gives the Panthers the lead with a close-range finish.

Frank Vatrano, F, Anaheim Ducks:He’s averaging 12:35 on the third line, seeing essentially zero time with the extra skater (35 seconds total thus far), and “leading” everyone with a team-worst minus-4. Vatrano’s 37-goal/60-point 2023-24campaign was a long time ago now. Sure, try to trade the guy and best of luck. There are still likely better options for the grabbing on your wire.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild:Without question, Faber is a heck of a hockey player, one any NHL team would relish to have on board. But rookie Zeev Buium is currently anchoring the Wild’s top power play, while Jared Spurgeon patrols the second. So unless the defender starts blocking a lot more shots than is his habit, fantasy managers should consider putting him on the block. Good chance another manager will feel enticed by his rookie output of 47 points (2023-24) and current robust 86.2% rostership in ESPN Fantasy leagues.

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Ilya Sorokin, G, New York Islanders:Of course, the Islanders play their best game of the season when backup David Rittich is in net. The three losses preceding Thursday’s 4-2 win against Edmonton, in which Sorokin looked far from fantastic — and worse, terribly unconfident — were wildly different tales. It’s one thing to enjoy the advantage of shaking off feelings of doubt and uncertainty behind a well-oiled machine. Sorokin is a great goalie, who doesn’t feel great at present, playing for a definitely not-great team. You decide how patient you want to play it here.

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