Behold, Byepocalypse is here! I’ve been playing this game a long time, and I can’t remember a week where we, as fantasy managers, had to deal with such a ridiculous number of injuries on top of nearly 20% of the league being on bye. It’s absolute madness.
It’s officially a war of attrition here at the midpoint of the season. This is where having a deep, well-rounded bench can pay off — you’re probably going to be starting some gnarly names this week. Swing for the fences and plug in the high upside guys if you have them. Don’t settle for the boring floor play — that rarely helps you win.
It’s also a great time to use these bye weeks to your advantage. Scan your league mates’ rosters and see who is desperate for an RB2 or WR3 this week. If you’re sitting at 7-0, 6-1, or even 5-2 and can weather the storm, see if you pull off a dynasty fantasy football trade for a player stuck on bye at a good value. It’s a smart way to potentially add some extra firepower for your playoff run.
If you’re looking for an edge or some guidance on the best dynasty fantasy football trade to make before the majority of Week 8 kicks off, I’ve got you covered. I’ve highlighted three players I think you should buy, sell, or hold in Week 8, depending on your roster build. Check them out below — and go make some deals.
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Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Advice Week 8
Buy: RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills
What have you done for me lately? Even in dynasty, fantasy managers can’t help but fixate on a player’s most recent play. Too many take Ted Lasso’s “be a goldfish” advice a little too literally and forget to see the bigger picture.
If one of your league mates feels that way about James Cook, now’s the time to pounce and make an effort to acquire him. It’s been nearly a month since he delivered anything of note for fantasy managers — he’s coming off a bye, and in the two games before that, he totaled 136 scoreless yards and zero catches, posting just 4.9 and 8.7 PPR points. What. A. Bum.
In all seriousness, head coach Sean McDermott knows they need to get their star running back going. After Cook played just 53% of snaps in their last game against Atlanta, McDermott told reporters he spoke with offensive coordinator Joe Brady about getting Cook more involved.
James Cook‘s Advanced Metrics
As they should. Cook is averaging an awesome 5.0 YPC, and he’s averaging 17.9 fantasy PPG even with his low receiving output — his 89 receiving yards is 30th among RBs. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk has more receiving yards (110) than Cook. Unacceptable.
Obviously, he’s not going to come cheap, but I think Cook is worth ponying up for. He’s in his prime and he’s one of the few backs who’s shown he can consistently put up 20+ fantasy points without needing a massive workload. Cook got his contract extension in training camp, so he’s tied to this high-powered offense and perennial MVP-candidate Josh Allen for the foreseeable future. That’s a setup any RB would kill for.
If you’re flush at receiver, I’d be willing to send Nico Collins or Garrett Wilson straight up for him. If they want picks and you can get him for a first and second-rounder combo, I think that’s a deal worth making.
Cook’s value is simmering right now, but it won’t stay that way for long — buy before he heats up again.
Buy: WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
Here’s the wide receiver version of Cook. Much like the Buffalo RB, Rome Odunze came out like gangbusters to start his sophomore campaign. In Weeks 1-4, Odunze got nearly nine targets a game and cashed them in for some excellent numbers: 20 receptions for 296 yards and five TDs, good for 21.9 fantasy PPG.
Since the Week 5 bye, however, it’s been ugly. Odunze has just four catches on 11 targets for 63 sad, scoreless yards and a grand total of 10.3 total fantasy points in the last two games. Womp, womp.
Rome Odunze‘s Advanced Metrics
But fret not, there are some reasons that caused the sudden downturn in production. First, the Bears have established the heck out of the run — racking up 145 and 222 rushing yards in the last two weeks with D’Andre Swift topping the century mark in each. Second, they dealt with some bad weather last week against the Saints, which resulted in Caleb Williams‘ worst passing game of the season.
If the Odunze owner in your league has soured on him after this mini dry spell, I’d be looking to swoop in and buy. He’s still the top look for Williams — his 32% first read target share ranks 18th among all WRs, and he is WR5 overall in Dominator Rating. He’s also the WR4 in deep targets and WR13 in air yards, meaning he’s getting plenty of chances to make splash plays in this Ben Johnson offense.
Odunze has some get-right matchups on deck, starting this week against the Ravens and then the Bengals. If he has a big game in either of those contests, his price goes right back up. You’ll need to be aggressive in your offers if you want to acquire him, but given Odunze’s youth, talent, and role, he’s worth chasing — even if you slightly overpay.
Sell: WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Kansas City Chiefs
This one’s pretty simple. With Rashee Rice back, Hollywood Brown has been reduced to a part-time role player in this offense. In Sunday’s beatdown of the Raiders, Brown played just 34.6% of the snaps, catching two of his four targets for a meager 14 yards. A trip to the end zone salvaged his fantasy line, otherwise it would’ve been a total dud.
It appears as though he’s going to be a part of a messy committee with Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster, all rotating in as the WR3 and fighting for scraps. That makes Brown unplayable moving forward.
Sell now while his name still has some value. Use the fact that Brown is still the WR22 in total points scored to your advantage when pitching him out there in trade talks. Also mention that he’s seen the sixth-most red zone targets (nine) and that he’s scored four TDs over the last four games. Really lean into your inner dynasty fantasy football trade salesman.
Hollywood Brown‘s 2025 stats
Ideally, you’re packaging Hollywood as a sweetener in a two-for-one deal to move up a tier. Think Zay Flowers and Brown for Odunze. Or Travis Etienne Jr. and Brown for Javonte Williams. Something along those lines.
Squeeze any value you can get out now because Brown’s headed for “roster-clogger” territory here soon.
Hold: WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Poor Nico Collins. He’s a stud, but his prime is currently being wasted in Houston. His production is bogged down by abysmal offensive line play, a revolving door of playcallers, and a young QB who’s clearly taken a step back after a promising 2023 rookie campaign.
While Collins still has a respectable 24.1% target share (WR18), the rest of the metrics paint a pretty grim picture:
- #25 in yards per route run (1.98)
- #30 in Explosive Rating (106.4)
- #31 in expected fantasy points (12.2)
- #32 in first-read target share (27.8%)
- #48 in route participation (80.7%)
- #58 in first downs per route run (0.070)
- #70 in catchable target rate (63%)
- #81 in target separation (1.07)
Nothing in there screams “positive regression” to me. Add in the fact that he’s also dealing with a concussion, and this season is beginning to go off the rails in a hurry — both for Collins and, likely, anyone counting on him in fantasy.
Nico Collins‘ Advanced Metrics
All that said, don’t sell low. Unless you can get a guy like Cook straight up — as I mentioned above — you have to hold and wait for things to (hopefully) improve. Collins’ talent isn’t in question here. After all, before a hamstring injury sidelined him in 2024, he was pacing for a 2,000-yard season. The upside is still there, but right now, the situation sucks.
Maybe the Texans’ O-line can gel in the second half. Maybe OC Nick Caley figures out how to call a better game. Or maybe C.J. Stroud gets back some of that 2023 magic that won him ROTY. However it happens, fantasy managers just want to see something positive from this Texans offense. Like yesterday.
If Collins starts producing again and you decide to cash out, I get it. Just don’t screw yourself over and sell a top 10 WR talent for pennies on the dollar.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
