Fantasy Football 2018: How to trade for Le’Veon Bell

Le’Veon Bell is one of the biggest enigmas of Fantasy Football. He’s likely to reach the field at some point, for some team, but is currently on the trading block. How do you deal for the running back and what exactly is his value?

The NFL trade deadline is next week. Normally, this date is almost irrelevant. Big names are not traded in this sport for two reasons. One, it is hard to acclimate players at any position into a brand new scheme and playbook on the fly. Two, many contracts in football are non-guaranteed so rebuilding teams can simply release players in the offseason rather than using pieces to get out from under enormous contracts. This isn’t the NBA.

That said, 2018 has been different. The New York Giants are dealing away useful pieces from their defense. Amari Cooper has been shipped out; so has Carlos Hyde. And Demaryius Thomas and Patrick Peterson might be next.

One player who is not likely to be traded before the deadline is Le’Veon Bell. Bell is a constantly fascinating player in real life and in fantasy football And as it settles in that Bell is probably a Steeler the rest of the way, we got to wondering what his fantasy football trade value actually is. How does an owner make a deal for Bell?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Fantasy Football in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

I don’t personally own Le’Veon Bell in any of my Fantasy Football leagues, which means I have thought about acquiring him. What would I offer? Obviously this depends on the current owner’s needs and league settings. But beyond that, where does Bell slot into the fantasy football landscape the rest of the way?

He has yet to play a snap this season. His replacement has been pretty good. His team says it doesn’t miss him and won’t necessarily remove James Conner from the game plan even if Bell returns. He was supposed to return during Pittsburgh’s bye in Week 7 to prepare for Week 8, but that didn’t happen. Yet Bell has to return before Week 11 to play this season and avoid allowing Pittsburgh to franchise him again next season.

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So would you deal Joe Mixon for him?

A team secure in its playoff positioning should take a chance like that. A team that needs production will find the decision much harder.

Rather than getting into specific players like Mixon, though, would you trade a useful starting running back for Bell? We’re not talking about an elite guy but someone who garners the bulk of his team’s touches each week. I would not (depending on my hypothetical roster and team needs obviously). The value of a potential Bell for only a couple games is not worth the certainty of a top back. And what if Bell doesn’t unseat Conner at all? That seems unlikely but still possible.

That, for me, is the bottom rung of backs not worth a return of Bell. Taking a look at ESPN’s ranking for this week, I would not trade any of the top nine backs for him, but I would trade anyone 10 and below. (James White is probably a yes in non-PPR leagues.)

At other positions, a potential trade gets hairier. Would you trade Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce for him? Well, it depends on available tight end options because you don’t want to go from Ertz to nothing even if he scores much less than the top players at other positions. Tier two and three wide receivers are on the table for me too, but it would depend on who was readily available in free agency. Again, you can’t sacrifice 3+ weeks of production for the mere chance that Bell returns to the lineup.

Dan Salem:

The Pittsburgh Steelers would be foolish not to trade Le’Veon Bell, because doing so nets them draft capital. Keeping him on their roster for the rest of the season nets them a disgruntled player for Weeks 11-17 and possibly the playoffs. Pittsburgh is better with Bell, but does not need him because of Conner. Their biggest issues are on defense, so trading Bell makes perfect sense. That being said, dealing for him in Fantasy Football comes down to depth versus value.

If you are playing in a keeper league, then Bell’s value is infinitely higher. If Bell gets traded in real life, his value is immediately even higher. Make a deal for him this week, before the dominoes fall. He is absolutely worth adding, because his current owners are likely disgruntled and just waiting for an offer. You touched on which players are worth sacrificing to add Bell, but you ignored one key position. Don’t forget quarterback.

Most leagues feature a single quarterback on roster, meaning there is a lot of depth at the position. What about Aaron Rodgers for Bell and a second tier player? Rodgers has tremendous value and is thought of higher than his actual fantasy numbers warrant. There are also a lot of solid quarterback options to replace Rodgers. I would not deal a top tight end or second tier wide receiver. Their production is too valuable. However, I do want Bell on my team.

Any third-tier wide receiver, quarterback, or second-tier running back is a viable trade chip for Bell in Fantasy Football. It’s hard to envision him not playing a single down this season. It’s hard to envision the Steelers simply eating crow and paying him to do nothing for seven weeks, only to walk in free agency. Either Bell gets traded, or he plays a role in Pittsburgh’s offense.

That means you get something from Bell in Weeks 12-15. I skipped Week 11 because who knows, and left off the final two weeks because most leagues wrap up their playoffs earlier. If you are anywhere near a playoff spot and have depth to spare, make the offer. It’s likely to get accepted.