Five Dynasty Fantasy Football Players to Buy and Sell

Bradley Ylitalo Posted On June 7, 2018

Trading for and trading away players can oftentimes feel like a stock market game. In fear of making critical mistakes, it’s easy to want to simply hold onto your players, just like stocks. With the right insight, however, the risk is dampened, and the reward is only enhanced. Here I will take you through five players I’m buying and five players I’m selling in dynasty leagues. I hope I can give you another perspective to consider when making your off-season deals as timing in dynasty leagues can be everything. With all that being said, let’s get into some buys and sells.

Buys

Mitchell Trubisky, QB CHI | Dynasty Ranking: 139 | QB Ranking: 22 | Age: 23

They’ve been fairly quiet but the Bears are about to come out of hibernation. I really like Mitchell Trubisky’s place in Chicago. After adding Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton and Anthony Miller this offseason, I think Trubisky will really begin to blossom in 2018.

Having an up and down season, the former second overall pick didn’t quite prove himself to be a franchise quarterback in year one. And that’s just fine for a player who had as little college experience as he did. In 2018, expect to see Trubisky up his completion percentage considerably which will help him in the yards and touchdowns department as well.

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Jerick McKinnon, RB SF | Dynasty Ranking: 42 | RB Ranking: 21 | Age: 26

There’s a whole lot to like with Jerick McKinnon. As we know, Jet signed a massive four year deal with the 49ers back in March and now appears to be their unquestioned franchise back. McKinnon had an excellent season in Minnesota and is just beginning to come into his own. In an offense that should really hum in 2018, I think we’ll see Jet put up big numbers.

McKinnon played four years in Minnesota, but barely any tread has worn off his tires. He never came close to 200 carries as a Viking and only twice reached 200 touches. I hope you can feel my excitement over what he’s going to do. Ranked as RB21, I’m buying him all day long.

Will Fuller, WR HOU | Dynasty Ranking: 61 | WR Ranking: 36 | Age: 24

In my past few articles, I’ve talked a lot about this young Texans offense. If Will Fuller can lock down his spot as the number two receiver, his long-term value looks pretty darn solid. With a lot of the defense’s attention assuredly targeted at DeAndre Hopkins, Fuller has the opportunity to become a tremendously productive weapon for Deshaun Watson.

Neither of Fuller’s two seasons have been fantastic. We can’t hide from that. But we have to remember this kid is still growing. Any year now, we could him truly break out. While Fuller’s yards took a bit of a hit this past season, his touchdowns per game were extremely encouraging. If he can get anywhere near his 2017 number of .7 touchdowns per game, he’ll start to rise up the wide receiver ranks.

Sterling Shepard, WR NYG | Dynasty Ranking: 68 | WR Ranking: 45 | Age: 24

Who is the Giants quarterback of the future? It’s unclear, but truth is, it might not really matter. This offense may just terrify the league for years to come. So I’m trying to buy any piece of it I can get my hands on, including Sterling Shepard. The former Sooner isn’t a sure thing, but at his price, he’s a steal.

Shepard has played in 27 total games thus far. His per-game numbers aren’t unbelievable, but they sure are promising. 4.6 receptions, 52 yards, and .37 touchdowns. In PPR, that’s twelve points. I’ll gladly take that from someone who is supposed to be my fourth receiver.

George Kittle, TE SF | Dynasty Ranking: 156 | TE Ranking: 17 | Age: 24

George Kittle is the bona fide starter in an offense directed by Kyle Shanahan and led by Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s hard to not like his situation. At just twenty-four years of age, it’s not unrealistic to think Kittle will be the starter in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.

While he still has a fair amount to prove, in just seven starts, I liked what I saw last year. Gathering 515 yards on 12 yards a reception, I think he cemented himself as a big part of this offense. I really believe he has a great chance to one day be a true TE1.

Sells

Cam Newton, QB CAR | Dynasty Ranking: 67 | QB Ranking: 5 | Age: 29

I love Cam Newton. He’s incredibly entertaining to watch and makes some plays no other quarterback can. But there are other quarterbacks I’m just as happy with that rank a little lower. At 29 years old, it’s time to start worrying about Newton’s running ability. As he progresses into his thirties, we have to think he’ll become more and more of a straight-up thrower. Newton’s pure arm talent is insane, but he’s never been an elite passer from the pocket.

The additions of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Ian Thomas over the past two drafts have me excited about his weapons going forward. So if you want to hold Newton, I get it. But his age and play style are going to begin conflicting a lot. I’m selling the former Heisman trophy winner and am perfectly happy if I have a younger signal caller such as Marcus Mariota, Jared Goff or Jameis Winston.

Carlos Hyde, RB CLE | Dynasty Ranking: 99 | RB Ranking: 28 | Age: 27

According to Pro Football Focus, Hyde ranked 50th among NFL running backs in 2017. Let that sink in. If he hasn’t already, I truly believe Nick Chubb will win that job before the season comes to an end. If that happens, Hyde will be relegated to a backup role. You can probably see why I just don’t like his future as a Brown.

Hyde signed a three year deal with Cleveland. Even if John Dorsey trades him or lets him go and he ends up with a new team in 2019, there’s no guarantee he’s a starter. San Francisco’s offensive line was pretty bad last season but still, Hyde’s 3.9 yards per carry were unideal. As a top thirty running back and a top 100 overall player, I think you can get very solid value for the former Buckeye.

Mark Ingram, RB NO | Dynasty Ranking: 45 | RB Ranking: 22 | Age: 28

It’s a pretty well-known fact for running backs that unless you’re a freak, you’ll start declining around age thirty – Mark Ingram only has two seasons before that happens. And as you know, one of those will be shortened by suspension. That scares me. If I’m not a contender right now, I have little reason to hold the Alabama product.

Also hurting Ingram is a kid named Alvin Kamara. To me it looks like he’s going to be the clear number one in the Saints backfield. He’s not only tremendously talented, but he’s an absolutely perfect fit in Sean Payton’s offense. Ingram has an impressive skill set of his own and hasn’t been used at an overbearing rate throughout his career, but valued as RB22, I’m looking to trade him for younger stock.

Demaryius Thomas, WR DEN | Dynasty Ranking: 54 | WR Ranking: 25 | Age: 30

Out of all the sells, I have to say I feel the strongest about Thomas. Ever since his unbelievable statistical output from 2012-2014, he’s been in steady decline. Bad quarterback play aside, that’s worrisome. Will Case Keenum be able to elevate Thomas’ play back to where it used to be? I’m betting not.

At age 30, it’s safe to think DT’s years as a starter are numbered. The Broncos seem to know that. In Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, John Elway added two receivers who now appear to be the future at the position for Denver. Thomas could very well up his production and be a viable receiver for the next handful of seasons, but if he’s valued at WR25, I’m selling hard.

Eric Ebron, TE DET | Dynasty Ranking: 144 | TE Ranking: 13 | Age: 25

I don’t really understand why we’re still supposed to believe in Ebron. The former top ten pick said this about why he joined Indianapolis, “Because of Andrew Luck, to keep it honest.” I have two qualms with this. A) Matthew Stafford is a fantastic quarterback. He’s not a top five passer but if you can’t produce with him, I don’t think you’ll be productive with hardly anybody. B) I can’t with any confidence place any trust in Luck. I love the kid and think he’s one of the best talents in the NFL, but his shoulder unfortunately, seems like a mess. Luck should play this year, but can we trust him long-term? I don’t know.

With Ebron valued as a high-end TE2, I feel like I can get decent value for him. Some owners will take chance on his athleticism and potential which isn’t the worst idea, but I feel pretty comfortable selling his stock.

Have a question about your team, a current player, or a prospect? Please leave a comment below. I’m always glad to interact with readers. If you have a more specific and in-depth question that you want to talk more about, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. Hope you enjoyed the article!

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