Eric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments".
Eric Karabell ranks players for their fantasy football trade value for the rest of the 2022 NFL season every week until the fantasy football trade deadline (noon ET on Nov. 30). Use the information to propose or assess trades and to optimize the players on your bench for their future potential. Eric's top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.
Quarterback
Rankings changes: Two young quarterbacks move up into the top 10 of the position and the top 100 overall. Bears star Justin Fields leads all QBs in fantasy points over the past five weeks, thanks mainly to his rushing ability. He broke the single-game record for rushing yards on Sunday. What Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa is doing may be more sustainable, as he surpassed 300 passing yards in consecutive games and threw three touchdown passes in each. Regardless, each moves up. Future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers keep moving in the other direction.
Trade for: As great as Fields and Tagovailoa have played recently, No. 10 QB Kirk Cousins is safer. He isn't ranked as well due to statistical upside, but there is a track record of security there. What about Seattle surprise Geno Smith? Yeah, hard to believe what he's doing statistically, but he continues to do it. Smith looks safe to trade for. Note that the Browns' Deshaun Watson will debut soon.
Be cautious: There's no right answer to how much more of Fields and Tagovailoa we need to see, but their trade value may be a bit too much at this point. Perhaps it lasts. Titans rookie Malik Willis has started a few games and there's immense rushing upside, but he may not start for long. This has not been a great season for rookie QBs. Atlanta's Desmond Ridder may not get a chance until next season.
Running back
Rankings changes: Bengals star Joe Mixon was easily the high scorer at this position, as he delivered a career game with 55.1 PPR points, but fantasy managers should note he hadn't reached 20 points in a game since Week 1. He moves up a bit, passing Colts disappointment Jonathan Taylor, because only one of them is healthy. Other movers in the positive direction this week include healthy Falcon Cordarrelle Patterson, relevant Dolphin Jeff Wilson Jr. and Baltimore's Kenyan Drake.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's Leonard Fournette hasn't seen double-digit rushing attempts since Week 6, for whatever odd reason, so he falls behind the Patriots' Rhamondre Stevenson and others. The Lions' D'Andre Swift isn't getting enough touches, either. His teammate Jamaal Williams is. Yep, go with Williams now. The Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems a bit forgotten, too.
Trade for: The impressive, young crew of Seattle's Kenneth Walker III, Houston's Dameon Pierce and Jacksonville's Travis Etienne Jr. continue to motor toward RB1 territory in their first seasons with stats. Stevenson looks terrific. Patterson is the touchdown maker in Atlanta and zoomed back into RB2 status.
Be cautious: Perhaps Indy's Taylor (ankle) plays this week, perhaps not. Regardless, that offense is a mess. Green Bay's Aaron Jones is frustrating again. Fournette (and Brady) needs blocking help that he isn't getting.
Wide receiver
Rankings changes: It's a quiet week for movement at wide receiver. Miami's Tyreek Hill moves up to No. 2, and some could argue he deserves the top spot over the Rams' Cooper Kupp, who still averages more PPR points per game. Good race! Far later in the rankings, Arizona's Rondale Moore and Kansas City's Mecole Hardman bump into WR3 range. They may catch injured Charger Keenan Allen and sputtering Colt Michael Pittman Jr. soon. We say farewell to the Saints' Michael Thomas (again) and Raven Rashod Bateman.
Trade for: The WR2 options seem relatively healthy and safe at this point, with Cleveland's Amari Cooper and Steeler Diontae Johnson perhaps the dividing line. Cooper gets a strong-armed QB soon, so those thinking of trading for him should act quickly.
Be cautious: Keenan Allen is similar to Jonathan Taylor at this point. It's tough to rely on veteran receivers we assumed would deliver, such as Pittman Jr. and Brandin Cooks, when their QBs are struggling so much.
Tight end
Rankings changes: The Kyle Pitts rollercoaster ride continues. He and injured Raider Darren Waller probably should be ranked outside the top 10 at the position, but they retain more upside than players actually in the top 10 for season scoring, such as the Jets' Tyler Conklin, Chargers' Gerald Everett and Bengals' Hayden Hurst. Yeah, weird season at tight end. Good for the Bears' Cole Kmet, Buccaneers' Cade Otton and Saints' Juwan Johnson for moving up in the rankings. Perhaps a spot in the top 10 is close!
