Week 5 Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Targets: Build Depth as Bye Weeks Begin

The first month of the 2024 NFL season has flown by. Believe it or not, bye weeks start now, with the Lions, Eagles, Chargers and Titans all off, so your fantasy team’s depth becomes that much more important. Now that fantasy managers have had four weeks to evaluate their teams, they may be more willing to shake up their rosters. For those languishing at the bottom of the standings, that’s certainly the case. That means there could be some terrific opportunities to pull off some trades — and that’s where we come in.

Each week during the season, Sleeper takes a data-driven approach to identify the best buy-low and sell-high candidates around the NFL while explaining why these players are intriguing options. This past week, several of our recent buy-low recommendations played well (Jayden Reed, Mike Evans, Bucky Irving and Marvin Harrison Jr.) while some of our sell-high candidates endured a bit of regression (Josh Jacobs, Jauan Jennings and J.K. Dobbins). So which players should you target and offload ahead of Week 5? 

Buy-Low Targets

TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

Last week, we listed Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb and Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Brooks as terrific buy-low options, because they will be coming off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list very soon. Hockenson, who is available in 28% of Sleeper leagues, is an excellent buy-low target for the exact same reason. 

It can’t hurt to check in with managers in your leagues who drafted and stashed Hockenson to see if their patience is running thin. If their team is struggling, they may be willing to part with Hockenson for a win-now piece, allowing you to add a potential stud tight end for pennies on the dollar. It seems like Hockenson, who tore his ACL and MCL in Week 16 last season, will be back at some point in the next few weeks, and he can then slot in as an every-week starter for your team. 

Tight end has been a dumpster fire this season in fantasy, so Hockenson should be one of the best options once he returns. Last season, he was one of the most reliable TEs in the NFL, finishing with 95 receptions (on 127 targets), 960 yards and five touchdowns. He was the TE4 last year after finishing as the TE2 in 2022. 

Entering the season, there was some concern over how Hockenson would look with Sam Darnold under center, but the Vikings QB has been a pleasant surprise thus far, and there’s a world where Hockenson dominates in the second half of the season. (Injured Browns tight end David Njoku falls into this category as well).

RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Whoever drafted Robinson in your league likely did so with an early first-round pick or with premium salary cap draft capital, so they’re probably quite frustrated right now. Through four games, Robinson has just one touchdown, and he has yet to record a 100-yard rushing game.

There’s no question that Robinson has failed to live up to expectations thus far, and Tyler Allgeier remains a threat to cut into his workload. Allgeier actually finished Week 4 with more carries and rushing yards than Robinson, as he recorded 60 yards on eight carries, while Robinson had just 28 yards on seven rushes. It’s worth noting that Robinson had a 20-yard touchdown reception overturned on a ticky-tack call that even the announcers disagreed with, which could have salvaged his week.

But given Robinson’s start — and his recent appearance on the injury report with a minor hamstring issue — fantasy managers are panicking about him. Check with your league-mate who owns Robinson to see if they are emotional and looking to jump off the Bijan bandwagon. If they are, you could land one of the most talented running backs in the NFL at a bargain price. 

Robinson should figure things out, and he should only get better as he gets more comfortable in the Falcons’ new offense and as Kirk Cousins settles in. He is extremely talented and due for a positive touchdown regression. There’s also no scenario, injuries aside, where the Falcons go away from the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft. He’s going to remain a key part of this offense, and there’s a good chance he salvages his season despite this slow start. 

Sell-High Options

RB D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears

Swift just had his best game of the season, rushing 16 times for 93 yards and a touchdown while adding seven receptions and 72 receiving yards. So, why should you sell the Bears RB?

Well, Swift was absolutely dreadful prior to this week, totaling 68 yards and zero scores through the first three games. He was averaging 22.6 rushing yards per game! Swift faced a Colts team that allowed 474 rushing yards through the first two weeks of the season, yet he could only muster 20 rush yards on 13 attempts (1.5 yards per carry). The week before, he averaged just 1.3 yards per carry against the Texans. 

The Bears’ offensive line is awful and Roschon Johnson received a significant uptick in snaps (22) and carries (seven) this week and even poached a goal-line TD, so it's possible this could become a greater timeshare if Swift continues to struggle. Try to cash in on Swift ASAP for a more stable option while there’s a solid stat line atop his game log.

RB Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals

Moss has looked like the Bengals’ RB1 through the first month of the season, but Chase Brown’s role has gradually increased.

After receiving just 14 carries through the first three weeks of the season, Brown received 15 attempts in Week 4. Also, Brown's snap share has increased in each of the last three weeks. What’s even more concerning is that Brown has looked great, so there’s a real chance that he has played himself into a bigger role. In Week 4, he rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. On the season, he's now averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Moss has put up solid numbers through the first four weeks, including 17.8 fantasy points in Week 4 (thanks to 51 rushing yards, four receptions, 27 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown). Moss played 80% of the snaps in Week 2 and 76% in Week 3, but that number dipped to 59.7% in Week 4. He has looked like a great RB2 thus far, so he certainly has some trade value. If you are concerned about Brown overtaking Moss, it might be time to sell.

Hit the Trade Market

Trade values can change rapidly, so pounce on these opportunities while you can. Proactive dealing can often make the difference for your squad, and the window to acquire these players may close quickly.

Check back each week for our buy-low and sell-high recommendations, so you can continue to improve your roster throughout the season. And for more fantasy tips, trade tools and community discussions, be sure to play around on the Sleeper app.