With the fantasy football playoffs set to start next month (and trade deadlines looming), now’s the time to start thinking about making a deal or two. You might have drafted a sweet team that’s sitting pretty in first place, but there’s always room for improvement.

I’m in four leagues, and I made a trade in two of them over the weekend. One was a minor deal, while the other was an eight-player blockbuster that landed me Peyton Manning, Antonio Gates and more. In both cases, my teams, both playoff-bound already, got even better. And trust me, I’m not done dealing.

If you’ve stockpiled talent, you have an excellent opportunity to land a stud while not sacrificing anything from your starting lineup. The bye weeks will be over soon, meaning you could have excess talent on your bench. Pull the trigger on a big 2-for-1 deal (or 3-for-2) and make your squad that much more dangerous.

This Week’s Studs: Michael Turner, Ray Rice, MJD, Mike Sims-Walker, the Packers offense, Tom Brady and his wideouts, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Matt Forte, Larry Fitzgerald, Jay Cutler, Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, Jeremy Shockey, Vincent Jackson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Frank Gore and Jason Witten.

This Week’s Duds: Knowshon Moreno, Derrick Mason, Cedric Benson, Ronnie Brown, Jake Delhomme, L.T., Vince Young, Marion Barber and the Giants’ D/ST.

He’s Heating Up: Ryan Moats took advantage of Steve Slaton’s benching to rumble for 126 yards and three scores. He’ll be valuable if Slaton stays glued to the bench.

He’s On Fire: Chris Johnson’s torrid 2009 continued Sunday with 228 rushing yards and two TDs on just 24 carries. To quote Paris Hilton: “That’s hot.”

Fantasy Doghouse: Kurt Warner did his best Delhomme impression in an ugly loss to the Panthers, throwing five picks and losing a fumble.

Lose These Zeros…: The Chargers let Chris Chambers go, and you should, too. Also ditch Lance Moore, Larry Johnson, Mohamed Massaquoi and Tony Scheffler.

…And Get With These Heroes: Chambers’ loss is Malcolm Floyd’s gain (and perhaps yours, too, if you pick up Floyd). Also grab Shonn Greene, Matt Hasselbeck, Moats, Stewart and Jamaal Charles.

Trainer’s Table: Owen Daniels (knee) is out for the season. That will raise Kevin Walter’s value, though. … The return date for Calvin Johnson (knee) is a mystery right now. … Aaron Rodgers (everything) will play. … Kevin Smith (shoulder) is OK. … Brian Westbrook (head) will be a game-time decision. Same goes for Donald Brown.

This Week’s Reader Question: Reader Dan Frank e-mails “Why do I continue to be nervous about playing Housh, even against Detroit? Last chance, or he’s done!” My advice: Bench Housh, but don’t drop him; give him a chance to turn it around.

Extra Point: If you owned Daniels, fantasy’s top tight end, you’re reeling (I know I am). But I’ve got a creative solution: Pick up Redskins TEs Fred Davis, who should be productive in spite of the ’Skins’ struggles, and Chris Cooley, who is out with a leg injury. It was originally thought that Cooley would be out for the season, but he’ll return in time for the fantasy playoffs. I know it’s a gamble tying up two roster spots with Redskins tight ends, but it just might pay off.

Matt Vensel is a content creator for b. E-mail him at matt@bthesite.com.

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