The DLF Mailbag

Eric Hardter Posted On May 10, 2016

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!*

Trade feedback: I gave Amari Cooper, pick 1.01 and Zach Ertz for Odell Beckham, Melvin Gordon and Tyler Eifert. In a vacuum, is this fair? Was it reasonable enough value back to move both Cooper & Elliott? – Jeff in NJ

I think the value is fair. Giants receiver Odell Beckham is popularly considered to to be the top asset in all of dynasty football, and considering he has set the record for the most yards in a player’s first two seasons, it’s not hard to understand why. Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott are also considered top-end assets, with the former going in the first round and the latter pulling up the rear of the second. In all likelihood they’ll stand as the second and third best pieces in the deal.

However, Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert isn’t far behind, if at all. He emerged as one of the best young tight ends in the game, and should afford a reasonable upgrade over Zach Ertz. Melvin Gordon is likely a downgrade from Elliott, but let’s not forget that at this point last year he was viewed as a top dynasty ball carrier himself – it’s far too early to shovel dirt over his fantasy grave. All told, you got the best player in the deal and improved at two positions – I like it for you.

I have the pick 1.02 in the draft this year, and I already have TY Hilton, Michael Floyd, Kelvin Benjamin, Kevin White and Phillip Dorsett as my receivers. Is it worth drafting Laquon Treadwell at my slot, or should I trade this pick for first and second round picks next year? – Isaac in NY

I don’t think you’re well off enough at receiver to consider not taking Laquon Treadwell (or Corey Coleman, or Josh Doctson) at pick 1.02. TY Hilton has an outside shot at finishing the year as a non-PPR WR1, but I’m not as bullish for the prospects of the rest of your receiving corps. I’ve previously extolled the virtues of Michael Floyd, but his path towards fantasy stardom remains circuitous. Kelvin Benjamin now faces a more crowded depth chart, and Kevin White and Phillip Dorsett are basically enigmas – adding talent to the position can’t hurt.

Moreover, it’s simply too good an asset to trade for a pair of question marks. Perhaps you’d get lucky and wind up with an early 2017 first rounder, but it’s far from a guarantee. Given how early your pick is this year, if you want to trade it, I’d rather seek something with a bit more certainty, or multiple first round picks for 2017.

I have multiple mid to late first round draft picks, and think that Sterling Shepard could be an option for me. Given that I already have OBJ, should that affect me drafting him? It seems like I would only be drafting him to trade him later, not to ever start him. – Darrell in DC

If he’s the best player available, I think you should take him. I’m never really scared off from owning players from the same team, especially if I think there are enough points to go around. And with Eli Manning at the helm, and former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo now in charge of the team, there’s a good chance the Giants could finish the year as a Top 10 passing offense.

Continuing, the horrifyingly awful Rueben Randle was able to finish as a PPR WR3 last year, albeit largely on the back of an unsustainable touchdown rate. He’s gone and has taken 90 targets with him, and Sterling Shepard could very well step in and soak them up. The opportunity and talent are there, so if he’s the best player available, I’d say you have more reason to snag him than to leave him hanging.

I have been offered Le’Veon Bell for Mark Ingram and a 2017 first round pick. With everyone hyping next year’s draft class mixed in with Bell’s injuries I actually have some hesitation. Ingram has been very good to me and I have Hightower just in case. What would you do? – Scott in Canada

Run, don’t walk. Le’Veon Bell is my dynasty RB1, and one of only two tier-one players at the position (along with Todd Gurley). Given his usage in the passing game, as well as the prolific nature of the Pittsburgh offense, he offers arguably the highest floor at the position, to go with a sky-high ceiling. To wit, he actually finished 2015 as a top-50 PPR running back, despite only playing in six games. Mark Ingram had a very good year as well, but is more than two years older than Bell, and also has his own share of injury issues. Adding in the uncertainty of the pick, and the time between now and the 2017 draft, I think Bell is the clear choice here.

We keep 10 players in my 10-man, non-PPR league. I have the first pick (Ezekiel Elliott), and my starting running backs are Jeremy Langford and Jeremy Hill. I received the following offer: get Johnathan Stewart, LeSean McCoy, pick 1.08, and a 2017 first for pick 1.01 (Elliot) and 2017 3rd. Thoughts? – Kevin in MI

Ultimately it comes down to how you want to build your roster. I’m a proponent of both Johnathan Stewart and LeSean McCoy, but it’s easy to posit that they’re commonly viewed as declining assets. They should have good seasons in 2016, but it’s fair to wonder how they’ll fare in the years after. Combining them with a mid-first round pick, as well as a 2017 first, reeks of an identity crisis.

With that said, you’ll be getting two solid players, plus two first round picks for what amounts to Ezekiel Elliott and change. If the players can help you win this year, with the picks providing you a solid foundation for the future, it’s easy to see taking the deal. If the veterans aren’t likely to push you over the top, then I’m not sure the deal makes sense, as Elliott stands as the bird in the hand. Once again, it’s all going to come down to the current state of the team.

I’m three deep at the tight end position (Greg Olsen, Julius Thomas, Zach Ertz) and pretty deep at receiver (AJ Green, Randall Cobb, Keenan Allen, Donte Moncrief, Willie Snead, Kevin White, and Kenny Bell/Chris Conley as pure prospects). I have one team in the league that needs a starting tight end and depth at receiver. I’m considering offering them Julius Thomas and Willie Snead for a 2017 draft pick(s). What rounds (out of six) do you feel is reasonable for each player, and/or for both? – Chad in CA

I’m a big fan of (pseudo) sophomore Saint Willie Snead. He didn’t score the ball much last year, but that was truthfully the only blemish on what was otherwise a splendid campaign – he actually had a higher yards per target average than teammate Brandin Cooks, while only securing one fewer first down on 27 less targets. Given how good he was, I’m genuinely surprised how many expect rookie Michael Thomas to easily push Snead aside en route to his preordained ascendance to the team’s WR2 position. Unfortunately, perception can often be reality, and as such I doubt you’ll get anything more than a 2017 second round pick.

As for Julius Thomas, he simply didn’t justify his contract last season. Numerous other tight ends appeared to pass him by in the fantasy pecking order, and even the pair of Allens in Jacksonville have clearly established themselves as the top dogs in the offense. You might be able to fetch a third round pick for Thomas, but truth be told I doubt pairing him Snead will sweeten the pot much, if at all.

Believing that questions should be worded to help the masses, I bring you the following trade: Antonio Brown and 2016 pick 2.12 for Allen Robinson, 2016 pick 1.09, and a 2017 first round pick. This is a salary cap league where Brown’s contract is 10x Robinson’s. Which is your preferred side of the trade? – Joe in NM

In a vacuum, I’d definitively take Antonio Brown over Allen Robinson. Despite the latter’s youth, the former is simply at the top of his game, and has outscored all the competition (including Odell Beckham and Julio Jones) over the past couple years. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him outscore Robinson by upwards of 100+ fantasy points over the next couple of years, which has nothing to do with the rising third-year player’s skill.

However, as is evident, this isn’t a simple player for player swap. The Robinson side is also receiving the benefit of a pair of first round picks, as well as a dramatic lowering of aggregate salary. In this instance I would actually take A-Rob in a heads-up deal, given the disparity in their contracts, so the picks make it that much better. You’re still getting a top-shelf player, albeit not the best one in the deal, but the ancillary pieces make the A-Rob side the winner in my opinion.

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Eric Hardter

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Eric is a Boston College chemistry grad school survivor with a minor in dynasty football. He prefers to utilize both statistics and sarcasm whenever possible, believes in process over results and thinks "Hot Takes" are the scourge of the fantasy landscape.