The DLF Mailbag

Eric Hardter Posted On November 23, 2015

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!*

I’m near the top of my league at the moment, and feel I have a solid team and solid chance at postseason success. I also have too many running backs to keep. Realistically I can keep 4-5 next year with the makeup of my roster. I’m toying with the idea of trying to acquire a draft pick or two for some of my excess. I have Jeremy Hill, Gio Bernard, Darren McFadden, Matt Jones, Dion Lewis, Jay Ajayi and Thomas Rawls. Which one or two guys do you feel are expendable for me, and would they have more value now or next summer before keepers are declared? – Aaron in NY

All of those players are certainly worth keeping, as you have a nice blend of current and future value. Gio Bernard and Darren McFadden are playing well so far in 2015, and 2016 and beyond looks bright for Matt Jones, Jay Ajayi and Thomas Rawls. Heck, even Dion Lewis was one of the best running backs in football (both fantasy and real life) before his unfortunate injury.

Truth be told, the only name that sticks out like a sore thumb to me is Bengals sophomore runner Jeremy Hill. He’s been downright awful this season, consistently running into his own blockers and looking sluggish in the open field. His own backfield mate Bernard has been running but literal and metaphorical circles around him. It’s hard to believe he was viewed as a second round pick in startup drafts this past off-season.

With that said, there are many who view this as a bump in the road and are likely to still give you upwards of 80 cents on the dollar. Given the need isn’t there for you, and Hill isn’t producing right now anyhow, I’d seek out such a buyer. This would help you clear the clutter out of your running back corps, while also providing you with the ability to diversify your dynasty portfolio.

I am a contender this year (in four-way tie for first place in our league), but my tight end position has been an issue all year. An offer of Jordan Reed for Austin Seferian-Jenkins and two 2016 second round picks (both mid to late) has emerged (or Davante Adams in place of one of the seconds). Another option is Jimmy Graham for ASJ and a 2017 first round pick. Should I consider either of these options? The prices seems high, especially for Reed. I could also target Antonio Gates or Ben Watson on a non-contender, but am not sure what a fair offer would be. – Jamie in Canada

I agree with you that the price is high, especially in the case of Redskins tight end Jordan Reed. He’s one of the most talented positional options in the league when healthy, but it’s that caveat that always seems to pose a problem. Simply put, the dude just struggles to find the field as often as we’d like, and now has potentially chronic hamstring and concussion issues – while Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been hurt in his own right this season, I’d side with him and the picks over everyone’s favorite injury ward denizen.

[inlinead]The deal for Jimmy Graham seems more palatable to me. Not only do I view him as a superior asset to Reed, but you’re also pushing your pick off an additional year. It’s still a high price to pay, especially given Graham’s somewhat underwhelming performance this season, but tight end is a shallow position and the fact is you need help. Given that, it’s not an unfair proposition.

Ultimately though I think it might be in your best interest to seek an aging player like Antonio Gates, Ben Watson, or even Delanie Walker. The first would be the most expensive (possibly ASJ straight up,), but the latter two should come more cheaply (a late second for either should get the job done). This won’t push you over the top, but it should hide your weakness – in such a shallow position, there’s not much more you can ask for.

I am in a dynasty league that has a pretty deep bench. Do you have any rookie sleepers who could break out ROS or would be good stash candidates for next year? The usual high end rookie class are mostly scooped up (I would say top 20-25 rookies from last years draft). – Mat in Ontario

Our own Ryan McDowell highlighted a few such players today in his Dynasty Stock Market, and I’d encourage you to give it a read. In addition to his suggestions, I’d add the following players:

DeAndre Smelter – No one has really emerged in San Francisco, and Anquan Boldin isn’t getting any younger.

Maxx Williams – Crockett Gillmore has played well in his own right, but Williams has come on as of late and the team is running more 2TE sets. He should be a big part of the offense moving forward.

Mike Davis – There are many problems in the Bay Area, perhaps contributing to starter Carlos Hyde’s plight. But the fact is he’s underwhelmed after week one. The door is only cracked open for Davis to make an impact, but he’s a smart end-of-bench add.

Jamison Crowder – There’s a reasonable chance both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are gone next year. He could be in for a big bump next season.

Kenny Bell – Vincent Jackson isn’t getting any younger, and there’s going to be a hole opposite Mike Evans.

MyCole Pruitt – Kyle Rudolph is terrible, end of story.

Alright, another receiver (Julian Edelman) goes down on my 10-0 team which already lost Keenan Allen, and on top of that Antonio Brown’s got a bye this week. Now I find myself trying to pick two starting receiver for this week off the waiver wire. My choices are Chris Givens, Jamison Crowder, Nate Washington, Leonard Hankerson, Robert Woods, Dontrelle Inman, Marquess Wilson or Ted Ginn. Which two would you go with for this week? – Mike in NC

Editor’s note: This question was submitted and answered before the games on Sunday, but Eric’s advice held true and still applies in the future: if you’re a playoff-bound team, continue to look to the waiver wire for strong potential dynasty assets if there are no clear weekly plug-and-play options.

Given that you’re already in the playoffs, and none of the above players are likely to have massive weekly impacts, I’d just go with the best dynasty assets of the bunch. TO me, that’s Crowder and Robert Woods. No, it’s unlikely either will ever function as anything more than a WR3, but to me they have the highest likelihood of fantasy relevance. A case could also be made for Leonard Hankerson, who might actually possess the best combination of current production and future value, especially given the steeply downward trajectory of Roddy White. Chris Givens is a personal favorite, but a flyer at best, and Dontrelle Inman is largely similar – they’re not terrible stashes if you have the depth, but I wouldn’t be expecting any miracles. The rest of the group deserves to stay where there are – on the waiver wire.

In a 12-man league I’m pretty much out the playoff hunt at this point. I own a surging Charcandrick West and would like your input into what his long term dynasty value is at the moment? Is it crazy to think that he could be another Justin Forsett type where he emerges out of nowhere and hold onto him for the rest of the year and see what happens in the off season? Or do you think Jamaal Charles still has a stranglehold on the RB position in KC? His trade value at the moment to a contender could probably yield me a first round pick (we keep 10 every year). I also have TJ Yeldon and the Bengals running backs. Would it be worth it to just find the best trade for West at the moment? – Long in IL

I certainly don’t think you need to force anything. While it’s true I called Chiefs running back Charcandrick West a “sell high” in this week’s rendition of Tuesday Transactions, it doesn’t mean you need to rush to make a move. West is clearly a good player, and should hold some sort of value past this season.

But yeah, Jamaal Charles is arguably the best runner in the NFL, and he’s signed with Kansas City through 2017. West will undoubtedly be back, as his “free agent” status is more of a farce than anything – the Chiefs own his contract as an exclusive rights free agent, meaning they can sign him to the league minimum for the duration of the next three years. I suppose they could do him a solid and sign him to a more player-friendly deal, but there’s absolutely no incentive to do so. He’ll get carries, but I think Charles is still the guy.

So given your status as an also-ran this year, I think it makes sense to seek a deal, and if you think you can get a first-round pick I think it’s more than fair. Again, I wouldn’t force things if you’re getting low-balled – West is a good sell right now, but you shouldn’t be accepting peanuts. If you can’t get a first round pick (or an early second), give it another week and try and drum up some interest then.

Follow me on Twitter @EDH_27

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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.