Four weeks into the NFL season, it may be time to start looking into fantasy football trades.
Whether you’re 0-4 and looking for a shot in the arm, or you’re 4-0 and trying to prey on the desperate teams, there is a large enough sample size to start some serious conversations about how to move forward. Injuries have left plenty of managers short-handed, as have disappointing starts from some notable stars.
Fantasy football trades are always tough to get across the finish line, so it could take a while for a deal to come together. Before Week 5 gets underway, it’s time to take stock of where certain players of note stand — like A.J. Brown, Drake London, Brian Thomas Jr., Ja’Marr Chase and Ladd McConkey. DraftKings is here to break down who could be worth moving, with Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb up next.
CeeDee Lamb Fantasy Value
Even though he missed a pair of games due to injury in 2024, CeeDee Lamb still finished last season as WR9 in fantasy. It was a step back from when he ranked first among receivers and second among all players in fantasy points in 2023, but his 1,264 yards and six touchdowns on 115 touches were still more than promising. With the Cowboys widely expected to air it out in 2025, Lamb entered his sixth professional season as a consensus first-round pick yet again.
Lamb, despite not finding the end zone, lived up to his draft stock through two weeks. He caught seven of 13 targets for 110 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, then nine of 11 targets for 112 yards against the New York Giants in Week 2. To that point in the year, he was averaging 19.1 PPR fantasy points per game. Lamb’s season got derailed the following week against the Chicago Bears, though, when he left with a high-ankle sprain before recording a single target. He was out Week 4 and is tracking to miss Week 5, as well.
While Lamb is not officially practicing with the Cowboys, he is no longer wearing a walking boot and has resumed light on-field work. He also avoided the IR, where he would have gone if he was going to miss four games.
Should I trade CeeDee Lamb?
When fully healthy, Lamb is among the best players in fantasy football. If you are 3-1 or 4-0 despite Lamb’s injury, hold strong. It seems like he should be back by Week 7, and getting him back while retaining a winning record would set you up for success down the stretch.
On the other hand, if Lamb’s goose egg from Week 3 locked you into a loss and you are currently below .500, a deal shouldn’t be ruled out. Leaning into a win-now mentality for Weeks 5 and 6 could mean dealing Lamb to stay in the hunt. Just remember not to sell too low, since his absence is likely to wrap up shortly.
One thing to keep in mind is that the kind of fantasy owner who is trading for an injured player is probably operating from a position of leverage. If you want to shop Lamb, your list of suitors is likely going to be restricted to teams that are 4-0, maybe 3-1. Those teams may try to make lowball offers on Lamb and pry him away at a discount, thinking that they hold all the cards, but don’t fold without getting a legitimate return.
What trade package could CeeDee Lamb fetch?
Fantasy owners considering trading away Lamb are probably thin at receiver. In terms of what you could get in a one-for-one swap, Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Ja’Marr Chase, Davante Adams and Rome Odunze would all be reasonable targets. Going for an ice-cold Chase in a bad quarterback situation isn’t advisable, though, when you’re in win-now mode. The same goes for A.J. Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. Adding additional chips around Lamb could net you Nico Collins or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Justin Jefferson are still probably untouchable.
If you’re looking for depth or some kind of larger haul, building a package around Zay Flowers, Emeka Egbuka, Quentin Johnston, Xavier Worthy or Courtland Sutton could be a good starting point. Add in Deebo Samuel Sr., Tetairoa McMillan, Quinshon Judkins or Travis Etienne and it might be worth it to pull the trigger. Maybe you can get Jake Ferguson, Tyler Warren or Tucker Kraft tossed in, as well, if you have a low-end TE1 to give back.
