The DLF Mailbag

Eric Hardter

dlfmailbag

Welcome to the latest edition of the weekly mailbag.

Send me your questions using the DLF Mailbag Form and I’ll include the best in future articles.  Remember the guidelines to have the best chance at seeing your question get posted:

1.) Dynasty questions only, no start/sit questions

2.) Help me help you by providing sufficient information about your league (e.g. line-up requirements/PPR or non-PPR/etc.), and include your first name and where you’re from.

3.) Your chance of getting your question answered is inversely proportional to the length of the question.

Let’s get to it!

*Editor’s Note – For total team evaluations, please be sure to use the DLF Newsletter Team Advice Form!*

  1. In my 14-team PPR league I’m in need of a solid quarterback and this potential trade partner is looking for a receiver (he is a Jordy Nelson and Dez Bryant owner). I’m proposing a trade of Alshon Jeffery and Jameis Winston for Aaron Rodgers and Dorial Green-Beckham. Should I pursue this trade, or should I maybe look to get more in return for Jeffery?Casey in OR

It’s not an unreasonable deal, especially given the slightly greater need at the quarterback position in a 14-team league. While you’re giving up the best asset in the deal in Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, you’re getting back one of, if not the best quarterback in the game in Aaron Rodgers, as well as a promising rookie in Dorial Green-Beckham. Bucs signal caller Jameis Winston certainly has promise, as evidenced by his selection as the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but it’s not unreasonable to believe Rodgers could vastly out-produce him for the next five to seven years. Over that same time frame it’s also significantly more likely that Green-Beckham becomes a key piece of your roster than would Winston. So while it hurts to lose Jeffery, I like the deal for you given the potential for accumulating multiple starting assets.

  1. I lost Dez Bryant and have a lot of bench receivers who haven’t “popped” yet. I’m looking at waiver wire, and was wondering if you would add Devin Street or Jamison Crowder? Which has a better chance of producing, and who has a better chance of having enough dynasty value to not get dropped afterwards?Cory in OR

I think I’d rather go for Jamison Crowder right now. While it’s true Dallas’ Devin Street theoretically has more of an immediate opportunity as the Cowboys’ WR3, he’s still fifth on the pecking order (throwing in Jason Witten and Lance Dunbar as well) in an offense that’s now helmed by ageless “wonder” Brandon Weeden – in other words, if you’re digging in that direction you’re more likely to find fool’s gold. Crowder isn’t any higher on the pecking order, but neither Ryan Grant nor Andre Roberts is a huge hurdle to climb for the 2015 fourth round selection. So while there’s a chance neither ever amounts to much, I’d rather take the chance on the former Blue Devil.

  1. I hate to ask another Dez Bryant question, but I’m in a salary cap league where Dez was my best receiver. I put him on IR in hopes of him returning to help me with the playoffs, but someone offered me two second round picks for him. This is Dez’ last year on the contract and I’d love to have him for the playoffs, but I’m also concerned he gets shut down and then I miss getting at least something for him. Do I roll with Dez, or cut my losses and take the picks? I’m a league favorite this year so I really want to be in “win now” mode.Sean in NY

[inlinead]This is a tough one – on one hand I can certainly understand your fears of losing Bryant and getting nothing in return. On the other hand, there remains a reasonable possibility he’s able to return for the fantasy playoffs, likely bringing a multitude of points with him. To that point, I think there’s a reason Bryant wasn’t placed on the short-term IR, and that the Cowboys must truly hope there’s a shot he’ll return in six weeks. The second round picks are nice, and would obviously represent a “win” if Bryant is indeed lost for the year, but it’s far from guaranteed they’ll pan out. Given your status as a contender, I’d rather go for broke while you still have a shot.

  1. I’m in year two of a total rebuild. I positioned myself with picks 1.01, 1.02 and 1.05 in our rookie draft and chose Todd Gurley, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker. My other assets are Matt Stafford, Teddy Bridgewater, Jeremy Hill, Allen Robinson, Charles Johnson and Zach Ertz. I’ve tried unsuccessfully numerous times to trade for Mike Evans, but the Evans owner recently offered me Evans and his 2016 first round pick (I’m projecting in the 1.05-1.09 range) for Gurley and Parker. I accepted. I’m just curious if you think it was a wise move?Jeff in NJ

I have no problem with the deal. The goal of rebuilding, ironic as it sounds, is to ultimately not rebuild, and snagging one of dynasty’s top receiver in Tampa’s Mike Evans is a step in the right direction. Sure, you had to give up on two of 2015’s hottest rookies in Todd Gurley and DeVante Parker, but the fact remains there’s a chance they simply don’t pan out. I don’t want to take the lazy tact here and bring up Trent Richardson, but he and many other highly coveted rookies remain as cautionary tales on freshman projections. If they both wind up being top-tier players you might live to regret this one, but you ultimately got the bird in the hand over two in the bush, as well as a nice “egg” in the future first round pick. It’s a true “pick ‘em” here, but as I stated in the first sentence I have no issues making the move.

  1. My league is a super dynasty where you can keep up to 40 players total, so waiver pickings are slim. Free agent pick-ups are this week and I have the second pick. I’m extremely thin at receiver because Andre Johnson is disappointing, I lost Jordy Nelson to ACL, and DeVante Parker is not producing as quickly as I hoped. Both Travis Benjamin and Rishard Matthews will be there when I pick, and I was wondering your thoughts on who is the better season-long investment? I’m leaning Matthews because of targets, but wanted a second opinion.Cameron in VA

I agree with your assessment here. Browns receiver Travis Benjamin has certainly been a revelation thus far in the season, but the simple truth is he’s not going to continue averaging 34.0 yards and 0.5 touchdowns every time he catches the ball! Instead give me Dolphins receiver Rishard Matthews, who plays on a better offense than Benjamin and has sequestered nearly double his targets as well. Though I believe Jarvis Landry is “the man” in the ‘Fins receiving corps, DeVante Parker simply isn’t ready yet after missing nearly all the off-season, and Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills haven’t asserted themselves either. For now, at least, Matthews seems like the team’s WR2, which should lead to fantasy viability on a team currently doling out 39 pass attempts per game – he’d be my add of choice.

  1. I am in a half-PPR dynasty league where we only have to start one running back. My problem is that I don’t really have a reliable one to play, with only David Johnson, Andre Ellington, Tre Mason, Latavius Murray, Duke Johnson and Khiry Robinson. I do however have a very solid group of receivers such as DeAndre Hopkins, Jordan Matthews, Allen Robinson, Donte Moncrief and Brandon Coleman. My team has started off 2-0 thanks to very good play from the receivers and my defensive players, so should I be looking to package one my receivers with a pick or one of my unknown running backs, and if so what should I be looking to get in return?Dylan in PA

I’d absolutely be looking to make a package deal here, using three of your hype-train all-stars in David Johnson, Latavius Murray and Donte Moncrief. All three have put together solid to impressive performances thus far, and due to that, as well as their youth, have rocketed upwards in terms of value. Taking either running back and pairing him with Moncrief could now legitimately net you an upper-echelon ball carrier such as Carlos Hyde, TJ Yeldon, Melvin Gordon or perhaps even Jeremy Hill, given his slow start. Though it’s true none of these players have much in the way of an established track record, each was a high draft pick by their team, and also have defined roles in their respective offenses. And as long as you have this group of “extras” sitting on your bench, you might as well look to an even greater level of upside.

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eric hardter