NFL Trade Deadline 2026: Grading the Top Candidates Before Nov. 10

NFL Trade Deadline 2026: The Nov. 10 Buzzer Is Approaching

The NFL trade deadline 2026 hits at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the list of teams likely to be sellers is already taking shape. Four straight weeks of losing records in Los Angeles, Arizona, Washington and with the Jets have turned what is usually a quiet month into one with real names attached, led by a future Hall of Famer who has never once been traded in a 14-year career.

Khalil Mack Is the Name Everyone Is Watching

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler flagged Khalil Mack as the most logical trade candidate on the board, and the logic is simple. The Chargers opened the season 0-4, Mack turns 36 during the season and is a free agent in March, and a team that is not going anywhere has no reason to keep its best pass rusher on the roster through a lost year. Chicago has already been floated as a landing spot, and any contender needing an edge rusher for a playoff run should be calling Los Angeles before the deadline.

The Rest of the Board

Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Cardinals): The 2024 fourth overall pick has seen his PFF receiving grade fall every season, down to 51.9 in 2026. Arizona's 1-3 start could make a change of scenery deal in Chicago's (or the Chiefs', Giants', Texans', Raiders', 49ers' or Packers') interest, and a fresh offense is the single biggest swing factor in his career outlook.

Tuli Tuipulotu (EDGE, Chargers): In the final year of his contract with an 80.9 PFF grade, 12th-best among qualified edge defenders, he is a cleaner rental than Mack for a team that wants a younger piece.

Jerry Jeudy (WR, Browns): Owed $13.5 million next season with only five catches for 62 yards through four games, but Cleveland's 3-1 start and reliance on a three-receiver rotation with Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion and Harold Fannin Jr. make him a long shot to actually move.

Josh Sweat (EDGE, Cardinals): GM Monti Ossenfort said in August there were no plans to trade him, but a 1-3 start and $23.6 million cap hits over the next two seasons with no guaranteed money after 2026 could change Arizona's math fast.

Tony Pollard (RB, Titans): In a contract year with a 73.6 rushing grade, Pollard is the clearest fit for a run-game-needy playoff team like the Packers, Seahawks, Broncos or Vikings.

Daron Payne (DL, Commanders): A pending free agent on a 1-3 team with roughly 11 percent playoff odds, and his grade has sat below 63.0 for four straight years.

Brandon Stephens (CB, Jets): A 2028 free agent whose path to snaps narrowed the moment the Jets drafted D'Angelo Ponds, on a 1-3 roster with little reason to keep him.

Beyond the names already drawing attention, a handful of one-year rentals are worth tracking as the deadline nears. Zach Sieler in Miami and A'Shawn Robinson in Tampa Bay are both older interior linemen on short-term deals, exactly the profile that tends to move for a Day 3 pick once a team is mathematically out of contention. Will McDonald IV in New York is a similar story on the edge, a one-year addition whose snaps shrank once the Jets brought in more pass rushers this offseason. None of these move the betting markets the way a Mack trade would, but all three are the kind of depth pieces contenders quietly add in the two weeks before the buzzer.

Betting and Fantasy Angle

A Harrison trade is the single biggest fantasy swing on this list. A move to a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love or even a change into a simpler route tree could unlock the talent that made him a top-five pick, while standing pat in Arizona's offense keeps him a bench stash at best. Mack landing with a true contender is a prop-market story more than a fantasy one: watch his sack and pressure lines shift the moment a trade is announced, since a pass rusher on a contender chasing a ring tends to see a usage bump down the stretch that a 0-4 team never gives him.

Pollard is the cleanest season-long fantasy value play if a trade happens. A workhorse back leaving a crowded Tennessee backfield for a true lead role elsewhere, especially in Green Bay or Seattle, is the kind of midseason value add that wins fantasy playoffs. Jeudy and Sweat are the ones to watch rather than act on; both situations depend heavily on whether their current teams keep winning between now and Nov. 10, and a losing stretch in Cleveland or Arizona over the next three weeks would change the calculus on each.

For live odds and model-driven picks across every Week 7 matchup, see our AI predictions hub, and check our NFL Week 6 odds breakdown for how this week's lines compare to the board heading toward the deadline.

FAQ

When is the 2026 NFL trade deadline? 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026.

Who are the top NFL trade candidates this year? Khalil Mack is the headline name per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, with Marvin Harrison Jr., Tuli Tuipulotu, Jerry Jeudy, Josh Sweat and Tony Pollard also drawing significant trade buzz.

Will Khalil Mack actually get traded? Nothing is finalized, but a 0-4 Chargers start, his pending free agency and his age all point toward a trade being more likely than not before the Nov. 10 deadline, with Chicago among the teams already linked.

How would a trade affect fantasy football value? It depends entirely on scheme and target share. A receiver like Harrison moving to a better offense is a buy-low fantasy signal, while a pass rusher like Mack joining a contender matters more for sack and pressure prop markets than season-long fantasy scoring.

Track every trade, line movement, and model-driven pick through the Nov. 10 deadline and beyond with StatSniper's AI predictions.

---

*21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Stat Sniper provides data and projections for informational purposes; you are responsible for your own wagers.*