Trades can make or break your Fantasy EPL season. Fact. A successful Fantrax Draft Premier League manager needs to be active in the trade market, always sniffing out a deal to improve their roster. Be it trading in a player before they explode, or trading out a player who just isn't performing, our Gameweek 16 Trade Advice article has all of your needs covered!
Get out there and use the below advice for Fantrax trades this week. Trading is fun!
Gameweek 16 Trade In Advice
Here we're going to be recommending Fantasy EPL players to trade into your side. These may be Premier League players who are performing consistently well and are likely to continue to do so. Or they could be players who are currently underperforming but are likely to improve their points haul in the near future. These are your "buy low" players.
Reece James
Position: Defender
Team: Chelsea
Rostered: 97%
Prospects: James will only miss 1 more gameweek (unless he faces a setback). He is even pushing to be fit for the World Cup. Most managers would have held him this long, but I have also found managers to be very impatient. Any sort of tempting deal to get rid of him might be able to win you a DEF1. Managers may have forgotten the incredible numbers James can deliver as his on paper PPM is only 8.7 and there is still a red flag next to his name. Reece was looking solid under Potter until his injury (especially in the UCL), and I really expect him to cook when he is back fit and firing. He should be the set and forget RB/RWB for Potter given the mediocre displays by Azpilicueta, Pulisic, and Loftus-Cheek in those positions. No, Reece won't start every single game given his injury record but I do think he gets the majority of starts unless Chelsea make it into the latter stages of the Champions League. He is worth trading in if you can get him at DEF2/3 value, which you more than likely can in most leagues. He has DEF1 upside, and won't be on your bench very long so don't be afraid to throw some big names out there.
Verdict: I would look to offer some big name players who haven't been performing but are healthy in a 1:1 for Reece. Try offering players such as: Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Van Dijk, Mount, and Harrison for Reece.
Brenden Aaronson
Position: Midfielder
Team: Leeds
Rostered: 86%
Prospects: Aaronson is one of my favourite players to watch this season. He is a "team-first" player with one of the best workrates in the EPL. While he has put up some poor scores in the last 2 in wins vs. Liverpool and Bournemouth (1.5 and 1 respectively), I do expect his prospects to improve for a few reasons. Harrison is surely due a spell on the sidelines, he has been horrific the last few weeks, and with the form of Summerville and the new hype around Gnonto he might miss out now and even post World Cup. This will mean Aaronson basically has a full set-piece monopoly and will be the main creator on a team that can score many goals. He did take most of the sets vs. Bournemouth but it just wasn't his day. Before the Liverpool game he had some great ghost point performances of 14, 8, and 12. I expect these point levels to return soon. He is an upside MID4 type players, and unless he is rostered by myself or a Leeds fan, you can probably get him for much cheaper than the upside he can offer.
Verdict: Look to offer some of the more stable defensive midfielders who lack upside for Aaronson. I would offer players such as: Casemiro, Rodri, Xhaka, and Caicedo in deals for Aaronson. If you need to add more, feel free to add in a FWD3/DEF2-3 such as Edouard, Koulibaly, Zouma, Guedes, or Sinisterra for the Leeds midfielder.
Gameweek 16 Trade Out Advice
Here we're going to be recommending Fantasy EPL players to trade out of your side. These may be Premier League players who are performing badly and are likely to continue to do so. Or they could be players who are currently overperforming and are likely to decline in value of the coming weeks. These are your "sell high" players.
Daniel Podence
Position: Forward
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 84%
Prospects: Podence has been a very serviceable player this season, but I expect him to start rotating more as Wolves bring players back from injury, especially post World Cup. He plays on a team that really struggles for goals, and is in the midst of a relegation battle. Podence has cracked double digits just 3 times in his 12 starts, with 2 of those times needing a goal to get above 10. Podence is a great player, but one I am happily ready to sell. He got an assist this gameweek after drawing the penalty, but couldn't even crack 8 points, and was hooked at half-time (although this was likely just a tactical shift given Wolves went down a man after Semedo's red card). This is not promising going forward. With Jimenez back soon, Guedes entering the fray, Costa back from suspension in a few games, and the eventual return of Neto, Podence will just be another rotation forward on a team confused how to score. Currently he is at 7.1PPM, but you could probably get FWD3 value for him.
Verdict: If you are in need of a forward, I would look to package Podence with a defender such as: Cooper, Silva, or Dias and aim for a higher upside FWD2/3. Try to aim for players such as: Willian, Sterling, and Antony. I am happy to add in 5-10 FAB into any deal as well to get it over the line.
Bernardo Silva
Position: Midfielder
Team: Manchester City
Rostered: 100%
Prospects: Bernardo Silva is a big name who has been "meh" recently. The Portuguese is a key man in Pep's setup and a near mainstay in his XI, which will help you get great value for him. But he has only cracked double digits 1 time in his last 5 starts, due to him being less involved in the attack. A starting City midfielder has great trade value, and he is one I would happily trade. Despite being 9 PPM, I am not a huge fan of his prospects going forward. Yes, he will have that odd game of 25+ playing on City. However, I would much rather roster a player with a lot more consistency and a slightly similar ceiling but on a worse team. KDB and Haaland run the show on City and it is so obvious. Bernardo is a crucial facilitator but but unfortunately this doesn't fully translate into fantasy points each week. He should still finish around 9-10 PPM this year, so if you can't get proper value for him then I wouldn't panic sell him.
Verdict: I would look to ship him for a set piece taking midfielder on a worse team than City. There are some great assets drafted in lower rounds than Bernardo that you might be able to convince your trade partner to throw in a sweetener or some FAB. Aim for players such as: Eze, Gross, Andreas, Ward-Prowse, Gray, and Tielemans. All these midfielders should finish with similar PPMs but are a lot more involved in their team's attack week in & week out. It is also very unlikely any of these targets rotate unless injured or there is serious fixture congestion.
World Cup Trade Targets:
If you are missing Fantrax during the World Cup and are insistent on getting some trades through, I am sure you will find some like-minded trade partners in your leagues. I personally don't recommend making any big trades during the World Cup, and I personally will be taking a Fantrax break, but I do have some targets for you during this period:
IN:
Son Heung-Min (FWD, TOT) - Injury but will be back for GW17, only 11 PPM but the potential to reach 16-17. A mainstay in Conte's XI and if Spurs improve (which they will), so will he.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (DEF, LIV) - Inconsistent form, but won't be the guaranteed starter at the World Cup if he goes. This is a chance to buy low on a potential Top 10 upside player, who has a low injury risk over the break.
Harvey Barnes (MID, LEI) - Getting back to his best, will be able to stay at Leicester over the World Cup and improve his overall fitness and stay healthy, a buy low MID2.
Allan Saint-Maximin (MID, NEW) - Being protected to prevent a reinjury, will have a big part to play post World Cup to help Newcastle push for top 4. A MID1 when he starts.
Anthony Martial (FWD, MUN) - Will have 6 weeks to get fully fit and firing for the latter half of the season. Look to trade in cheap. He should start over Ronaldo when Ten Hag has the choice with 2 of Rashford/Sancho/Antony flanking him. FWD2-3 value.
OUT:
Jack Harrison (MID, LEE) - Atrocious form, first one hooked, what has happened? Try to trade out for MID3/4 value, or in a package for an injured player. Don't drop him, in the worst case scenario, hold and hope a benching or two does his form some good.
Kaoru Mitoma (MID, BHA) - Twitter is obsessed with him, looks a real talent. Back to back double digit scores. Try to package in a deal for a higher end player. Test the waters with a simple message to your league offering him out.
Martin Odegaard (MID, ARS) - A tougher run post World Cup, been great this year, but inconsistent vs. the better teams. His value could drop, time to package him and aim for a MID1.
Callum Wilson (FWD, NEW) - A form player, and this long hiatus won't help that. If he goes to the World Cup, he is always at risk to come back with an injury. Isak will also return after the World Cup and could force rotation. At 13.1PPM, you can use him in a deal for a bigger name player who is less "fragile".
Joachim Andersen (DEF, CRY) - Palace's great run comes to an end soon after the World Cup. Deal him out ASAP before you end up rage dropping him when he gets back to back negative scores. Right now he's a DEF2, over the tough matchups he's a DEF3-4 at best.
For all the latest from The Draft Society, follow @Draft_Society on Twitter!
And for more in-depth and exclusive resources, become a member of The Inner Circle.
