4 must-have trade targets for your fantasy playoff push

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Entering Week 10 of the fantasy football season, the waiver wire is a cauldron of mediocrity. While injuries each and every week open some doors, it has been quite a while since a legitimate long-term option was given a real opportunity. Owners who find themselves several spots outside the playoff picture at this point may need to consider some more positive action.

Using RotoViz's Buy Low Machine, we'll look at four players with excellent schedules from Weeks 10-13 who make for logical trade candidates.

Teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers also have favorable matchups in each of those weeks, but RBs David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell aren't available in trade at this point of the season. Additionally, only teams playing a full four games during this stretch should be considered.

RB Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears

All four of Howard's matchups come against teams allowing at least 17 standard fantasy points per game to running backs. He played 82 percent of the Bears' offensive snaps in Week 8, gashing the stout Minnesota Vikings rush defense prior to his team's Week 9 bye.

His most favorable matchups come in Week 10 and 13. The 49ers are allowing more points to running backs than any other team in the league. A waiver play as recently as a couple of weeks ago, Howard can be viewed as a high-floor RB1 for the rest of the season.

What will it cost? Trading for Howard will take some negotiating; don't be afraid to start low. He was claimed off waivers by his current owner, and he may not necessarily be a weekly starter. Trading a WR2 or WR3 may be all it takes to land him.

Alternatively, you can consider selling high on someone like San Diego Chargers RB Melvin Gordon, who has an inflated touchdown total, and get Howard and another piece in return.

RB Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars

While the Lions are a reasonably tough matchup, Ivory's two home games in the next four weeks are rather favorable. Games against the Texans and Bills should come with more favorable game scripts than the Jaguars have typically played.

Ivory is being outsnapped 64 percent to 30 percent by teammate T.J. Yeldon over the course of the season, but it has been closer to a 55/45 split in recent weeks. Ivory's best game of the season came in Week 9, when he gained 107 yards on 18 carries. He has 53 carries for 188 yards in games decided by seven or fewer points, while going 9-54 when losing by eight or more.

What will it cost? Unlikely to cost much due to his inconsistency and the poor play of his team's offense, Ivory is likely a need-based trade; he could probably be had for a WR of similar importance. If you're deep at receiver, offer a slight downgrade at the position with Ivory as a throw-in coming back.

WR Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

Landry has topped 90 percent of the Dolphins' offensive snaps each of the team's past three games. Even as the team rides RB Jay Ajayi, Landry has received at least six targets in each of his past three games. He has had no fewer than three receptions in a game this season, but he hasn't topped 100 yards since doing so in Weeks 2 and 3. He has just one TD on the year.

Each of the Dolphins' next four opponents are allowing at least one touchdown reception to opposing wide receivers per game. WR Kenny Stills leads the team with three receiving TDs on the year, with no one else having more than one. Landry has considerable leads in receptions, targets and yards and will benefit from any decline in Ajayi's usage.

What will it cost? Landry has a much higher pedigree than the two players mentioned above, making him harder to obtain. Still, his career numbers have made him much more relevant in PPR formats than in standard leagues, and that has held true this season. He is a consistent WR3 option with upside. Trade a touchdown-dependent receiver or running back for his higher usage.

WR Sterling Shepard, New York Giants

While Shepard's 50 yards in Week 9 represented a five-week high, he received six targets for the seventh consecutive week. Over his next four weeks he'll face two teams in the bottom 10 in defending fantasy receivers and two other likely high-scoring games against the Bengals and Steelers. Shepard's three TDs have come in games where the Giants have scored at least 20 points.

What will it cost? Shepard may be unattainable in keeper leagues, but his middling production should make him a fairly easy get in redraft leagues. An RB3 should easily do the job. Shepard has WR2 upside in each of his team's next four games.