Players to sell high on ahead of Week 5 Fantasy football

With a quarter of the 2023 Fantasy football season in the rearview mirror, the time is now to address holes on the roster. That could mean a manager who is off to a 3-1 start searches to upgrade his team's starting quarterback. This could also mean one in the midst of a 1-3 start might ponder looking to acquire quality depth. Regardless of your situation, staying up to date on the value of trade chips is crucial for anyone competing for a title.

Here's a look at three players managers should sell high on before the NFL gets underway in Week 5.

Raheem Mostert, RB (Miami Dolphins)

This one is about as simple as it gets. Raheem Mostert ranks as the RB2 through four weeks of action despite the fact that he only logged 5.5 points (PPR scoring) against the Bills on Sunday.

His subpar outing was much more about his shrinking role in the backfield than it was Buffalo's run defense. Mostert played in a season-low 43% of the offensive snaps and saw seven carries, while rookie De'Von Achane played in 60% of the offensive snaps and paced Miami with eight rushing attempts.

Achane is averaging 11.4 yards per carry on the year and has also tallied 13 touches in the red zone over the last two weeks (compared to six for Mostert). Head coach Mike McDaniel has to like what he has seen. Mostert's floor will remain secure given his reliability as a pass-catcher, but trading him away while his value is still sky-high is a smart move. His path to a top-12 RB finish is suddenly much harder than most of the players currently ranked around him (Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker, etc.).

George Pickens, WR (Pittsburgh Steelers)

George Pickens is a volume-based FLEX option right now as he is the healthiest wideout on the Steelers offense. However, Pittsburgh now faces a Baltimore defense that held Pickens to 107 yards on five receptions across two matchups last year (zero touchdowns).

A bye week follows that showdown, which is noteworthy as it could give wide receiver Diontae Johnson enough rest to come back from his hamstring injury. Look for Pickens' value to take a nosedive before Week 7 even arrives.

Another thing working against Pickens moving forward is the scheme he finds himself stuck in. Pittsburgh ranks 29th in offensive yards per game (263.0) and 22nd in yards per completion (9.2).

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada cannot find his footing and a knee injury suffered by quarterback Kenny Pickett could make moving the football even more difficult. It's best to ship Pickens away to a Fantasy manager desperate for wide receiver help.

Alexander Mattison, RB (Minnesota Vikings)

Much like Mostert, Alexander Mattison is starting to see some increased competition when it comes to carrying the football. Cam Akers made his Vikings debut in Week 4 after being acquired in a trade, appearing in 29% of the offensive snaps and turning five carries into 40 yards.

It was a noteworthy jumping off point for the former Rams ball carrier given it was already a bigger role than previous backup Ty Chandler had in any of the Vikings' first three contests.

Akers also out-targeted Mattison in a game that stayed relatively close, so seeing the workload move toward a split over the next few weeks in Minnesota would not be surprising. Mattison has always thrived as a third-down bruiser, yet is struggling to replicate that success on early downs.

It's something that limits his fantasy ceiling. Given the former Boise State stud ranks as the RB19 in PPR scoring, managers can safely include Mattison as part of a package to secure a star player.

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