Navigating trades is one of the most exciting and anxiety-inducing aspects of fantasy football. Negotiating deals, sending trade offers, and rebuilding your roster are essential parts of a fantasy championship season. These opportunities in your league are likely ending soon.
The NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, which means the fantasy football deadline is not far. After this, managers will only have the waiver wire to make any roster changes.
The trade deadline varies across platforms, but we will review it on three major ones: ESPN, Yahoo!, and Sleeper. We will also discuss trade strategies and player targets that fantasy managers should consider as the deadline arrives.
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Fantasy football trade deadline 2025
When is the ESPN fantasy football trade deadline?
The default deadline for all ESPN fantasy football league trades is Wednesday, Nov. 26, at noon ET.
This can vary based on customized league settings. The best way to confirm is to check your league info or ask your commissioner.
Yahoo! fantasy football trade deadline
The default deadline for all Yahoo! fantasy football league trades is Saturday, November 22.
This is the earliest one out of the three major platforms. Again, double-check your exact league settings to be sure.
Sleeper fantasy football trade deadline
Sleeper is the only one without a default deadline. Instead, the commissioner decides a deadline between Week 9 and 13.
You can access this information in the "General Settings" tab on your leagues page.
FANTASY LINEUP TIPS: Week 9 Start-Sit | Week 9 Sleepers | Week 9 Busts
What are some fantasy football trade deadline tips?
Acquire players that fit your team's needs
This is one of the more obvious pieces of advice, but no one knows your team better than you do. You have managed them for half a season at this point. You know where your weaknesses are and should be able to address them where you can.
Shave off depth for overall improvement
This goes hand in hand with the last tip, but having the deepest team means absolutely nothing in the playoffs. Much like any sport in real life, when the postseason comes around, the rotation gets smaller.
Only the best players are getting the most playing time, and it's for a reason. If you are loaded at RB, but are lacking in the WR department, trade one of your RBs for an upgrade at receiver. Come playoff time, you want to have the best starting lineup possible.
Recognize league mates' roster needs
If your league mate has sustained injuries at the RB position and you have depth there, offer them one. A lot of the time, managers may be desperate enough to force a bad trade if it means they get a much-needed position.
Who are the top candidates to buy and sell at the trade deadline?
Buy: Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
When Omarion Hampton returns from IR, he will be the clear RB1. Not just that, but he can also be perceived as the bell cow for this offense.
Kimani Vidal has played well, Hampton is much better, just from a talent standpoint. The Chargers are high on their rookie RB out of North Carolina, and he offers more of an incentive for touches.
Sell: George Pickens, WR, Cowboys
While George Pickens has been awesome and will continue to be solid, I'm afraid the upside is drastically lower with CeeDee Lamb back.
Pickens is the WR3 through Week 8; he has tremendous trade value right now. Using that value to sell high could be a great move if you have the depth at the WR position.
Buy: Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders
Managers might not be open to trading Jayden Daniels, but it's been a frustrating season if you used a high draft pick on him. The truth is, we have hardly seen Daniel and Deebo Samuel on the field together. Now that Daniels is hurt again, it may be your chance to buy low. Daniels' playoff schedule is insanely favorable.
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Sell: Oronde Gadsden III, TE, Chargers
Again, it's not that I don't think Oronde Gadsden is outstanding, but the hype is unbelievably high. Taking advantage of this, if you have another option at TE and selling high on a three-game sample size can help improve your roster. When Hampton returns, you have to think the offense does not have to pass as much as they have.
Buy: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
The disrespect toward Michael Pittman Jr. as a fantasy option continues. He was drafted far too low in August and has destroyed his ADP thus far through 8 weeks. Pittman is the current WR6 overall, but his name doesn't seem to carry that weight. The playoff schedule is quite good; he's one of my favorite buys.
Sell: D'Andre Swift, RB, Bears
The way you should view this suggestion is that D'Andre Swift's trade value is at an all-time high ahead of Week 9. If Swift goes out there against the Bengals (a horrific run defense), it will only skyrocket. On top of simply not thinking Swift is that good, the playoff schedule is brutal.
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