The fantasy football landscape changed with Tyreek Hill's injury, but Miami Dolphins teammate DeVon Achane hasn’t given up. But here are three sneaky fantasy football trade targets to replace Hill.
First, it won’t be easy. Hill may not be what he used to be. But he seemed to be on track for another year where he could be a big factor in winning fantasy games for multiple weeks of the season.
To find a trade replacement will take some diligent searching and maybe a little luck.
Lions WR Jameson Williams is top target
The Lions haven’t made Williams the focus they claimed he would be in the 2025 season. His target totals of 5, 4, and 3 were lacking in the first three games.
Then in Week 4, they targeted him eight times, but Jared Goff only connected twice for a paltry 40 yards. And this is the right time to swoop in and try to pluck Williams from a disgruntled owner. It’s a great buy-low time to get Williams, according to Fantasy Pros.
“Buy Low,” Andrew Erickson wrote. “Chase the air yards [200 last week] and team-leading targets for when Detroit plays Cincy in Week 5.”
And here’s the thing. This is the week that Williams explodes. If you can get him at even a slight discount, you might not miss Hill as much as you think.
And the Lions still seem committed to getting him the ball, according to The Athletic.
“I think we would love to go to him as much as possible,” Goff said. “He’s as good of a player as there is in this league. I don’t think it was that this game was something different. He was open on some of them. He was covered on some of them. I’ve got no reservations with him at all. He can score from anywhere and (I’m) going to keep believing in him no matter what. I missed him on a handful, too.”
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey could be a steal
OK, facts are facts. McConkey has done next to nothing this season from a fantasy perspective. He finished as Nos. 28, 63, 51, and (gasp) 96. Just the fact that a player of McConkey’s stature could rank No. 96 is mind-boggling.
Now, the Chargers are in love with Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen. But let’s get real. Johnston stands well below McConkey for the rest-of-season rankings. McConkey also ranks about Allen. See the long-term picture?
Also, Week 5 is the perfect setup for McConkey to break loose. The Commanders can’t cover anything in the passing game. The Chargers can choose this game to get McConkey involved.
And remember, if a fantasy team is going to replace Hill, it has to take a big chance. McConkey offers the ceiling needed to replace Hill. If Allen gets hurt — he’s 33 years old, it will likely happen — McConkey immediately becomes the target eater he was last year. It’s worth the risk.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin is interesting
First, he held out, and that set his preparation back. Then he got hurt, which happens often with guys who hold out right up to the start of the season.
And in three games on the field, he didn’t do much. There are reasons for fantasy managers to have soured on McLaurin. And that’s the best time to make a trade.
McLaurin seems to be making a strong comeback from the injury and could play this week. And whenever he and Jayden Daniels get back in the lineup, the touchdowns will come. Fantasy managers with Hill need to find an owner who doesn’t believe those touchdowns are on the horizon.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said he sees positive things for McLaurin, along with other injured players, according to commanderswire.com.
“I would say we're all trending in the right space on there,” Quinn said of the three offensive starters. “We will have a better update on Wednesday in terms of practice planning and that, but arrows are heading up for a number of the guys … For the guys that have missed some, we're making progress.”
The main thing Hill managers need to do is target a game-changer who is off to a poor start. Not a slow, but a bad one. It's time to take a swing for the fences and go all in on a guy like Williams, McConkey, or McLaurin. That's the only way to overcome the loss of Hill.
