Fantasy football trade advice, Week 5: Buy-low, sell-high running back trade candidates

This year’s fantasy running back landscape is currently a little different than it was just a season ago. The top two rushers from 2015, Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin, have only ran for a combined 135 rushing yards this year. Four different running backs have already eclipsed that total during a single game this season.

So which running backs should fantasy owners be able to steal from under their opponent’s noses and which ones should they be shoving out the door?

T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars

In his second season with the Jaguars, Yeldon randomly fell into the team’s starting role after an illness kept fellow running back Chris Ivory out of the lineup for Jacksonville’s Week 1 game against the New York Jets.

The 23-year-old back is doing decent as the team’s primary ball carrier (17 touches per game) and could possibly keep the Jaguars’ starting spot for the remainder of the season. Yeldon struggled against a few tough run defenses (Packers and Ravens) earlier in the year but the next few games on the team’s schedule should make fantasy owners feel optimistic about adding him to their rosters.

Current standard fantasy average: 7.8 points

Yahoo! fantasy ownership: 65 percent

Next four games: Bye, at CHI, OAK, at TEN

Terrance West, Baltimore Ravens

With the news of Justin Forsett’s recent release from the team, West is now officially the Ravens’ starting running back.

During his first start of the 2016 season in last week’s game against the Oakland Raiders, West showed that he felt right at home in his new role with the team. He finished the game with 113 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.

If fantasy owners are unable to snatch him off the waiver wire, his price is not yet high enough that acquiring him via trade would require a complete roster dismantling.

Current fantasy average: 8 points

Yahoo! fantasy ownership: 32 percent

Next four games: WAS, at NYG, at NYJ, Bye

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Charles has had a great career and it was amazing to see him recover from a torn ACL in 2011 and come back even better the next season. But he suffered another ACL injury during the middle of 2015 and his redemption story may not be as bright this time around.

He is less than three months away from his 30th birthday and fantasy owners should not be expecting to see Charles play like the three seasons before his injury last year. It may be best for owners to see what they can get for him in a trade now before it’s too late.

Current fantasy average: 0.7 points

Yahoo! fantasy ownership: 98 percent

Next four games: Bye, at OAK, NO, at IND

Rashad Jennings, New York Giants

The Giants running back has only appeared in two of the team’s four games this season due to a thumb injury. But even when he was able to play this year, it was nothing too amazing.

If Jennings does end up playing this weekend and for the next few weeks, he will definitely have his work cut out for him. New York will be facing the three teams that have given up the least amount of fantasy points to opposing running backs this year (Packers, Ravens, Eagles) over the next five weeks.

Fantasy owners should try to find a decent trade offer before Jennings potentially ends up in a slump that he cannot recover from.

Current fantasy average: 5.9 points

Yahoo! fantasy ownership: 80 percent

Next four games: at GB, BAL, at LA, Bye