Fantasy football buy low, sell high Week 12: 10 players to trade this week

Week 11 of the NFL season brought us some incredible performances from some unexpected players, giving us plenty of fantasy trade fodder.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley had his best day of the season after scoring under seven points in three of his last four games. New York Giants halfback Saquon Barkley dropped a 30 bomb with Tommy DeVito handing him the ball. Meanwhile, New York Jets running back Breece Hall averaged 2.3 yards per carry and still managed an 18-point day in PPR leagues.

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away for ESPN leagues, now is the time to make those pivotal decisions. Who should you hold onto for better days ahead? Who should you try to sell after their great games this weekend? These are the questions the best fantasy managers among us need to ask right now. Luckily, we've got some answers. Here are five players to buy and five players to sell ahead of Week 12.

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Buy low on these fantasy football players in Week 12:

Miami Dolphins RB De'Von Achane

Someone who just got off IR is hurt again. Why would anybody want him? Exactly! Why would someone want someone who could get hurt at any moment, leaving them with just one rushing yard and four receiving yards? Well, the biggest reason is what Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said yesterday.

Regarding Achane's knee injury, McDaniel told reporters that Achane's exit was just a precaution after someone landed on his knee. Achane even wanted to return to the game, likely meaning he was alright to return, but McDaniel would not let him. That said, anyone unaware of McDaniel's quote might be scared for Achane's immediate future, especially considering the Dolphins play on a short week against the New York Jets this Friday.

Achane's upside is too high to pass on. If his owner in your league is scared of his availability, try to grab him up.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson

One reception last week. Two receptions this week. That's obviously not good, but eight targets is nothing to scoff at. Anyone with as high a target share as Johnson has good upside. He has led the team, or has been tied for the team lead, in targets in all but one game since returning from injury, and that was his first game back. It doesn't matter how bad Kenny Pickett is. That man should have a very safe floor every week.

Obviously, the counterargument would be to point out that Johnson's floor is tremendously low given he's scored less than five PPR fantasy points each of the last two weeks. True, but volume is king in fantasy football. Even as the Steelers turn to a more run-focused attack, Johnson keeps getting looks from quarterback Kenny Pickett. Even as tight end Pat Freiermuth returned from IR, Johnson's targets did not diminish at all. Regardless of matchup, Johnson often gets the most looks from Pickett. Trust the volume. He will bounce back.

Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is playing some of the best football of his career. Over his last four games, Prescott is averaging over 300 yards per game and has 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions. While that has helped CeeDee Lamb above all else, Jake Ferguson has been a huge benefactor as well. Prior to Week 11, Ferguson had scored a touchdown in three straight weeks and had earned at least seven targets in two straight.

Remember Dalton Schultz? The guy who has been a huge benefactor of C.J. Stroud's hot streak in Houston this year? Well, he was a solid fantasy tight end last season when Dak Prescott was hot as well. Between Weeks 7 and 18 last season, Schultz scored at least 13 PPR fantasy points in five of eleven weeks. That's really solid for a tight end.

Schultz caught just 64 percent of his targets, which was lower than anyone else in the top-22 for tight end PPR scoring in 2022. Ferguson, meanwhile, is catching 70.9 percent of his targets. With how hot Prescott is, Ferguson should keep producing.

Philadelphia Eagles RB D'Andre Swift

Barring an incredible performance from the former Lion on Monday Night Football against one of the best defenses in the NFL, D'Andre Swift will have put up less than 11 PPR fantasy points in three of his last four games. Now is not the time to sell him though.

Swift is the lead back on a run-heavy offense with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. That alone should keep you interested, but even better is Swift's playoff schedule. In Weeks 16 and 17, the Eagles play the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, two of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL.

Swift may not have the receiving upside we'd hoped for when he was traded to Philly, but he consistently gets double-digit carries and is on a team where he should be the benefactor of several positive game scripts. If you can snag him for someone like Tony Pollard, definitely consider making the move.

New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson

0.9 PPR points is not pretty. I get you, but much like Diontae Johnson, it doesn't matter how bad Zach Wilson is. Volume is king, and Wilson has received 60 targets in five games. THAT'S 12 TARGETS EVERY WEEK! Look, I'm not going to tell you that you have to keep him, but that's only because I want every share of this man I can get.

Not only is Wilson bound to rebound in PPR scoring due to his insane volume, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers could maybe return to the Jets by the end of December, putting him in line to return for the fantasy championship. At worst, that elevates Wilson's ceiling at the most pivotal point of the season. At best, it means he wins you your championship.

Wilson's playoff schedule isn't particularly great, facing the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Even despite horrendous matchups throughout this season though (i.e.: Week 4 v. KC, Week 6 v. PHI), Wilson has still found success against some of the league's best defenses. He scored 15 against Kansas City and 17 against Philly. He also hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. He's bound for some positive touchdown regression soon.

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Sell high on these fantasy football players in Week 12:

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants shocked the world in Week 11, defeating the Washington Commanders thanks to Barkley's heroics. The former No. 2 overall pick had 30 points including two touchdowns through the air, and had 83 yards on the ground. Why is now the right time to get rid of him though?

Well, for one, he's got his bye coming up in two weeks. That's the least of Barkley's troubles though. The biggest issue is the Giants as a whole. Don't let Week 11 fool you. This offense is atrocious. Barkley may be the only bright light in that offense, but its ineffectiveness cannot be dismissed. So long as Tommy DeVito is the team's quarterback, teams will pounce on the opportunity to stop the Giants' running attack. Sure, he did well against a Washington team that just gave away its two best D-linemen, but that doesn't mean he'll find the same success against New England, whose defense has held opposing running backs to 3.5 yards per carry on the season. That doesn't mean that he'll find success in the fantasy playoffs against Philadelphia, who have yet to allow a single team's running backs earn more than 80 yards on the ground this season.

I'm not saying to give Barkley away for nothing, but if you can snag someone like D'Andre Swift as well as a mid-tier WR2 like Chris Olave, pull the trigger.

Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

I like Tony Pollard a lot, but even I can't deny how disappointing he has been this year. While Pollard did just reach the endzone for the first time since Week 1 and averaged five yards a carry for the third time this year, those were accomplished against the Carolina Panthers.

During the fantasy playoffs, the Cowboys face both the Dolphins and Lions, two of the best fantasy defenses against running backs this year.

Pollard was supposed to be a massive part of the Cowboys' passing attack. However, through ten games, Pollard has only received more than five targets twice. He hasn't been efficient. He hasn't been utilized in the passing game, and he hasn't been able to find the endzone consistently. Take advantage of this great performance and ship him out while you can. If you want to wait until after next week when he faces Washington, who just allowed Saquon Barkley to put up 30 points, be my guest. But Pollard was supposed to have a big game against the Giants in Week 10 too. He put up 5.5 points. Pollard's value is the highest it has been in a long while. Take advantage.

Houston Texans RB Devin Singletary

Two words: Dameon. Pierce.

Sure, Singletary has been great in Pierce's absence and has undoubtedly earned himself a consistent role in the Texans' offense moving forward, but the Texans likely aren't going to relegate Pierce to a backup role when he is healthy again. In all likelihood, the Texans' backfield will become a committee, meaning Singletary's carries could be cut by as much as 50 percent. Even if Singletary maintains 70 percent of his snap share, the last two weeks would've seen Singletary reduced from 30 carries to 21 and from 22 carries to 15.

Furthermore, as efficient as Singletary has been each of the past two games, he has not seen that same efficiency in any other game this year. He hadn't averaged five yards per carry in a single game all season up until Week 10.

This honeymoon likely will not last. Singletary will come down to Earth soon. With Singletary's lack of usage as a pass-catcher, he is a volume-based fantasy player, and his volume will take a hit when Pierce returns, which could be as early as next week.

Washington Commanders WR Jahan Dotson

Is 11 PPR points really a sell high? Absolutely. Why? Because Dotson's floor is too low to be consistently put in starting lineups, and if he's not going to be in your starting lineup, there's no point in keeping him around.

Dotson has scored at least 11 PPR fantasy points in three of his last four games. However, a late touchdown is the only reason Dotson reached that figure to begin with. In the other two games, Dotson's biggest strength was his target share. However, the last two weeks have seen Dotson's targets drop to just three per game. Even though the Commanders throw the football as often as any team in the NFL, quarterback Sam Howell just spreads the ball around too much for Dotson to take advantage.

Furthermore, Dotson saw all of his targets after fellow wideout Curtis Samuel was ejected from the game for participating in a fight in the second quarter. Samuel's presence limits Dotson's upside. Try packaging Dotson with another key piece to upgrade at receiver.

Jacksonville Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley

I shouldn't have to explain this one. After a stellar performance in Week 1, Calvin Ridley has been absolutely disappointing. Prior to Week 11, the former Atlanta Falcon hadn't even surpassed 7 PPR fantasy point in three of his previous four games. He'd just gotten to a point where everyone felt comfortable benching him. Then he puts up 31.

Don't let this outburst fool you. Ridley has had three games with under five targets this year. He's only scored 20 or more three times. He is not a guy you want to consistently rely on come playoff time.

Rather than just hoping Ridley can start turning his season around, try taking advantage of some uncertain futures around the league. Perhaps package Ridley and a low-end RB2 for someone like Ja'Marr Chase. With Joe Burrow out for the season, Chase owners could be panicking. Use Ridley's big week to your advantage and try to upgrade at the position.

Fantasy Football: 5 players to pick up on the waiver wire ahead of Week 12

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Week 12: 5 trade targets to buy low, 5 to sell high