This Week 5 Trade Report + Panic Meter article is sponsored by Polymarket.

Polymarket is the world’s largest prediction market. With football back and better than ever, you can trade every game live on Polymarket. Traders can get in, get out, and change position while the game is still going.

Sign up for Polymarket and use code WALTERPICKS for a $25 bonus with a $10 deposit.

🔍 Trevor Lawrence has scored under 14 fantasy points in two of his last three games. However, his fantasy numbers should improve moving forward with matchups against defenses struggling to stop the pass right now. Lawrence faces the Eagles in Week 5, the Texans in Week 6, and the Colts in Week 8. All three of those defenses rank bottom-10 against fantasy QBs.

🔍 Bhayshul Tuten would’ve had a big game last week, if not for two touchdowns being called back. The Jaguars running back continues to post efficient numbers on the ground and has scored a touchdown in two of his past three games. Tuten hasn’t had that big fantasy performance yet, but it’s coming.

🔍 Parker Washington has been a bit quiet in the receiving game over the past two weeks. He caught only three passes for 40 yards and one touchdown in Week 3, and one pass for seven yards last week. But his 26% target share and 43.7% receiving air yards share suggest that better production is coming.

🔍 Tucker Kraft is starting to heat up. He is coming off his best game of the season in Week 4, where he caught six passes for 42 yards and one touchdown. Kraft has seen 15 targets over the past two games and has an elite 23.1% target-per-route run rate through four weeks. He’s starting to return to his pre-ACL form.

🔍 Drake Maye finished as the overall QB1 last week behind a three-touchdown day. However, fantasy managers should be looking to sell him after this performance. He won’t play the Bills' 29th-ranked defense every week and faces some tough opponents later in the year. The Chiefs in Week 14 and Vikings in Week 15 are reasons to sell him.

🔍 Omarion Hampton remains the biggest sell heading into Week 5. He played a season-low 35% of the snaps last week and was third on the team in running back snaps. With the Chargers continuing to display a three-back committee, Hampton should be traded away.

🔍 DK Metcalf had a solid receiving game last week, catching five passes for 115 yards. But fantasy managers should use that game and trade him away for whatever you can get. Metcalf has just a 22.9% target share in a Steelers offense that hasn’t looked great. He's also finished outside the top-30 at WR in three of four games.

🔍 T.J. Hockenson turned back the clock last week and finished as the overall TE1. Don’t expect that every week, though. Justin Jefferson was out with an ankle sprain, and the Dolphins were a favorable matchup for the veteran TE. Trade him away now while his fantasy value is high.

A lot of 0-4 or 1-3 fantasy teams are likely panicking right now. These fantasy managers could be complaining that their team isn’t good enough and are almost ready to wave the white flag just four weeks into the season.

But if you’re dealing with injuries or know your team isn’t good enough to win it all, it’s time to sell your superstar player in exchange for multiple above-average players. This strategy could actually help turn your season around.

There’s a reason why your fantasy team is below .500 at this point in the year. There is likely a clear need or multiple needs that you must upgrade to make your team more competitive. Maybe you're lacking a clear RB2, or you’re still trotting out Kyle Pitts as your TE1 every week.

Trading one elite player for two strong starters raises your weekly floor, and a high floor matters more than a high ceiling when you need to win almost every week.

In a league where I am 1-3, I recently traded Ja’Marr Chase and Braelon Allen for Chris Olave and Jeremiyah Love. Chase is the best player in the deal, but I needed some major RB2 help after losing De’Von Achane for the season. While it hurts to get rid of Chase, it makes my team much stronger overall.

4-0 or 3-1 teams should look at teams under .500 in their leagues and offer trades for their top players, especially if they have a clear hole that you can help them fill. Sometimes, trading is that easy.

18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all
jurisdictions. Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur. See polymarket.com/tos for more
information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and
affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated exchange and
clearing organization.