Getting value in trades isn't entirely about finding players whose skills are on an upward trend. Sometimes, the schedule itself can help identify trade candidates, as the matchups, quite often, prove to be the difference during the fantasy football stretch run.
Using the same data that I publish in my weekly Matchups Map column, what follows presents a "strength of schedule," if you will, for each of the four skill positions.
To briefly explain the methodology, the Matchups Map presents a schedule-independent way of analyzing matchups, comparing players' seasonal averages to their outputs against specific defenses, in order to determine which matchups are the best and worst each week. A plus-3 would mean that the defense, on average, boosts the opponent's PPR fantasy point total by three points, while a minus-3 would mean that it suppresses the scoring by three points.
The "strength of schedule" ratings below total all teams' remaining matchups (Weeks 10-17). This means that a team listed with 15.0 PPR fantasy points added should expect to see its players at that position -- and be aware that it's all players at that position; meaning that if for wide receivers, it's for the team's collective group -- score 15 more points than it would have while facing a league-average schedule. I've also listed the number of "elite" and "tough" matchups the team has remaining.
For each position, there's a recommended trade target, as well as one you should be trying to trade away.