Arguably the best thing about season-long fantasy football is the ability to trade.

Via the trade market, teams can dramatically alter their rosters overnight in a way that just isn't possible from free agent pickups.

It's not always easy, but if you can identify underperforming players who have the potential to improve as the season progresses, that can be the difference in making the fantasy playoffs or getting banished to the losers bracket.

That's what we'll try to do here. Now that we're a few games into the season and have a decent 2024 sample to look at, I'll be breaking down the top buy-low running backs to target every week until the deadline.

Which running backs should you trade for in fantasy football ahead of Week 8?

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Statistics via NFL Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise stated.

Buy-Low Running Back Targets for Week 8

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Alvin Kamara has totaled a combined 20.4 fantasy points across two full games with Derek Carr sidelined. He's coming off his lowest snap rate (57.6%) in a game the New Orleans Saints managed just 4.2 yards per play and didn't score a touchdown until 1:22 remaining in the game.

Oh, and 2023 third-round pick Kendre Miller was active for the first time, turning 12 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) into 37 yards -- 7 fewer than Kamara managed off 25 adjusted opportunities of his own.

So, uh, why do we want to buy Kamara?

Well, we saw firsthand that Kamara is still a matchup-altering player when he's surrounded by a competent offense. He was the RB15 or better in all four games before Carr went down, finishing as a top-seven back in three of those games. During that stretch, Kamara averaged 30 adjusted opportunities, 134 scrimmage yards, and 24.5 fantasy points per game. He racked up a 20.4% target share and saw 42.2% of New Orleans's red zone opportunities.

Now, granted, the last three weeks haven't been great. But that's what makes Kamara such a good buy-low. Carr has a throwing session on Tuesday of this week, and there's speculation he could return earlier than anticipated. Star receiver Chris Olave remains in concussion protocol, but this shouldn't be a long-term concern.

There's a world where those two are back for this week's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers or next week's against the Carolina Panthers. Whenever they return, Kamara is going to be ranked as a top-10 -- perhaps even as a top-five -- running back. But coming off a few bad games and with Carr's status still in doubt, Kamara likely isn't being thought of in the same tier as other clear RB1s.

Especially if you can afford to wait a week or two for the Saints' offense to get healthier, Kamara is a clear buy-low heading into Week 8.

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

Last week, Nick Chubb returned to the field for the first time since Week 2 of the 2023 season last week. He hardly missed a beat, turning a team-high 11 carries into 22 rushing yards and a touchdown.

He only played 35.1% of the snaps overall, although his snap rate was north of 60% in the first half. Chubb didn't look quite like the world beater he was pre-injury, but for his first game back? Not too shabby.

But if whoever has Chubb rostered in your fantasy league was expecting him to immediately return to RB1 status, this could be the perfect time to buy low on Chubb. We could see the Cleveland Browns' offense as a whole look better with a quarterback change coming, and there are plenty of touches up for grabs with Amari Cooper off to Buffalo and Jerome Ford banged up.

It may still take some time for Chubb to return to a full workload, and Cleveland's upcoming schedule doesn't make him super appealing to start right away. But if you already have your sights set on the playoffs, Cleveland's schedule from Week 15 onward is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

A Week 15 date with Kansas City isn't ideal, but they face the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins in Weeks 16 and 17 -- two teams you can run on. And by then, Chubb could be rounding into form, making him worth taking a shot on if you're a contender and can exercise patience.

Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins

Everyone's going to be trying to buy De'Von Achane this week, and I can't blame them. Achane's workload has been incredible, and that offers tons more upside if Tua Tagovailoa is able to return for Week 8.

Still, you probably aren't getting Achane at a discount with the recent Tua news. But you could still buy-low on Raheem Mostert, albeit for less upside.

Mostert's magical 2023 season feels like eons ago, but we're less than a year removed from him scoring more fantasy points than any running back not named Christian McCaffrey. Now, this year's situation is much different, but Mostert's flashed enough in a limited role that we shouldn't cast him off as dust just yet. He turned 23 adjusted opportunities into 98 yards with Achane sidelined in Week 5 before reverting to a 33.8% snap rate with Achane back last week.

Even so, Mostert handled 100% of Miami's red zone rush attempts last week and was on the field for 85.7% of their red zone plays. He finished with 11 rushing attempts for 55 yards -- compared to 15 for 77 for Achane.

Granted, we'd like to see more usage. But the red zone utilization was especially encouraging to see with Tagovailoa nearing a return. Mostert feasted on red zone work in Miami's high-flying offense last season, and there's a chance that rears its head if the Dolphins begin to click over the second half of the season. That makes Mostert someone to buy low on if Achane's trade value is too rich.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.