Moves to Make for Contending Dynasty Teams

Tyler Justin Karp

The fantasy football community lost a great person recently when Mike Tagliere of FantasyPros passed away from COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated against the disease. His shocking and sudden passing has left a huge void behind the scenes in the industry and he leaves behind a beautiful family, including Tabbie (Mike’s wife) and their children, Alyssa (18) and Jonathan (4). Many have rallied to support the Tagliere family and there’s a GoFundMe account set up to do just that. If any of you feel the calling to give, there are few people better to support than “Tags.” He will be missed!

If you’re a contender, now is the time to set up your dynasty roster for the stretch run and the playoffs. Typically, dynasty contenders want to buy players that score points in exchange for future draft picks or players who aren’t helping their lineups right now. However, we all have our favorite buys, and I want to give you my favorite contending buy at each position. I’ll use the DLF Trade Finder to look at real-life trades involving each player. Let’s jump into it!

Jalen Hurts, QB PHI

Quarterbacks are primarily relevant in superflex dynasty leagues, where you can start two quarterbacks each week. Right now, Hurts is the QB5 on the season, averaging 24.32 fantasy points per game. He’s also provided rock-solid weekly value because of his rushing floor.

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Chart courtesy of DLF Player Scoring History App.

Hurts has between 21 and 29 points in each game in his seven starts, finishing as a fantasy QB1 every week.

However, Hurts’ fantasy success has not translated to real-life success for the Eagles. The Eagles are currently 2-5, and their offense looks lost. They also may have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft if Carson Wentz plays 75% of offensive snaps and the Colts’ pick transfers. Most notably, they own the Dolphins’ first-rounder, which would currently be the second overall pick. Therefore, they have a clear path to replacing Hurts next year if they want to improve the quarterback position.

Because of Hurts’ long-term questions, rebuilding rosters may let go of him at a reasonable price. So here are some recent trades from the trade finder.

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Hurts went for a future first and third-round pick in this deal, which seems cheap in a superflex league. I assume the team acquiring Hurts is a contender, and that manager just added a QB1 to their roster without giving up any players from their current team. It’s also possible Hurts remains the Eagles’ starter or starts for another team next year, so this deal could even work out in the long run.

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I completely understand this second trade as well. Deshaun Watson may not play this year, Elijah Moore hasn’t done anything, and Michael Carter is just a mid-RB3 in the Jets’ putrid offense. Hurts helps fill the hole Watson left in their lineup, and Smith is more likely to help their team this year than Carter or Moore. I also don’t hate this trade long-term, as I believe in DeVonta Smith as a long-term asset.

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This trade is slightly older than the rest, but it brings up Justin Fields, who I wanted to discuss. I still think Fields will turn it around and have a successful NFL career, but it won’t happen in 2021. If you’re a contender with Fields on your roster, I’m fine trading him away in a deal like this one. I also think Mike Gesicki has strong rest of season value at tight end, so it’s possible the manager acquiring Hurts filled two spots with this move.

Of course, not every trade for Hurts in the trade finder was cheap. There were plenty of deals where he was extremely expensive as well. However, if you want to acquire a QB1 relatively cheaply for the rest of the season, Hurts and Tom Brady are likely your only options. And unlike Brady, Hurts at least gives you a shot at future dynasty value, whereas Brady is a strictly declining asset.

Austin Ekeler, RB LAC

There’s zero doubt that Ekeler is a locked-in weekly RB1 in fantasy football. He’s currently the RB4 overall in PPR formats, despite only playing six games since he’s had his bye week already. Ekeler trails only Derrick Henry in fantasy PPG, averaging 21.47 points per game.

Here’s Ekeler’s weekly plot for 2021 so far.

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Chart courtesy of DLF Player Scoring History App.

He had his worst game of the season in week six, which can only help when buying him in dynasty formats. However, it likely doesn’t matter too much, as only rebuilding teams would even sell Ekeler, and any contender would hang onto him for the rest of the season.

I’ve often suggested buying Ekeler as a cheaper alternative to top running backs like Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook, especially since all three of those players are 26 years old. Ekeler also doesn’t possess the same injury concerns as Cook, and he’s on a far superior offense to Kamara. Let’s look at some recent trades involving Ekeler from the trade finder.

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This first trade is a smash accept to acquire Ekeler. He should cost more than a first-rounder, especially in a 16-team league. I would hit the accept button so fast on this deal.

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Even this second trade is still an easy decision to acquire Ekeler. Ebron is worth nothing, so this trade boils down to five second-rounders for Ekeler. Second-round rookie picks can be valuable, but they often end up as dart throws. Ekeler could provide RB1 value for the next two seasons, and I’d be happy to acquire him without giving up a first-rounder.

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This trade is somewhat brutal, as Saquon Barkley has been a high-end dynasty asset for years. But if you’re a contender, it’s impossible to rely on Barkley this year with his injury history. I’d hate to trade Barkley away right now, but I understand the move, especially with a pick upgrade on the Ekeler side. Barkley is similar to Fields from the previous section as a player with value who I’m okay selling in a pure contending scenario.

I’m happy to buy Ekeler for dynasty contenders, as high-end running back production is hard to find at his price. He’s also past his bye week, so you can use him in your lineup for the rest of the season. Make sure you don’t overpay, though, as there were plenty of overpay-type trades in the trade finder. Instead, try and make a deal like the ones I listed.

Calvin Ridley, WR ATL

Ridley certainly hasn’t lived up to his preseason billing so far. He was a borderline top-five wide receiver in redraft formats, and he was the WR7 in DLF’s September ADP data. It’s not like Ridley has been terrible, but he’s currently 28th among wide receivers in fantasy PPG with 14.22.

However, Ridley’s peripheral statistics are still there.

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Chart courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

He missed the Falcons’ London game with a personal issue, but he’s been a crucial part of the offense in his five starts. He has 52 targets in those contests, averaging more than ten targets per game for the first time in his career. But, unfortunately, he only has 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns on those targets, averaging a career-low 5.4 yards/target.

Luckily, it’s not all gloom and doom for Ridley. He still has 6.2 receptions/game, another career-high, and he’s still an elite receiver. According to DLF’s Air Yards App, Ridley ranks seventh among wide receivers with a 40.7% air yards market share. He has 521 air yards in his five games, averaging more than 100 air yards per game. Plus, he also has a 26.53% target share, ranking tenth among wide receivers.

There’s nothing wrong with Ridley’s usage whatsoever, but his lack of fantasy production through five games makes him acquirable in dynasty leagues at a lower price. The trade finder, of course, tells the whole story.

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I included this first trade to bring up Cam Akers, a great candidate for contenders to trade away. There were recently workout videos of Akers going around, and a rebuilder might be interested in acquiring Akers right now. This trade is reasonable, as Ridley is by far the best and most secure asset in the deal. Also, the manager receiving Ridley gets an added player without giving up any fantasy production this year.

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love Josh Allen, but this is a 1QB league where quarterbacks are replaceable. Ridley is worth more to me than any quarterback in that format, and I assume the manager making the deal has a good QB2 behind Allen when making this trade. This deal likely helps their starting lineup, and it’s even a good dynasty value as well.

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This trade hurts me because I loved Laviska Shenault entering the 2021 season. However, he hasn’t worked out in the Urban Meyer offense, and he will likely have his third coaching staff in three years in 2022. I’m just not confident that Shenault will ever become a reliable fantasy asset, and he certainly won’t help a contender in 2021. Therefore, this trade seems like a solid move to acquire Ridley and add firepower to your starting lineup.

Overall, Ridley is one of my favorite buys right now based on his slow start to the season. Like Ekeler, he’s already had his bye week, so you get to play him every week moving forward. I fully believe that Kyle Pitts is for real, but Ridley will also succeed in this offense. Matt Ryan has quietly played better over the past four games, throwing ten touchdowns and just one interception in that period. Buy Ridley now while his price is down, before his true breakout over the next few weeks.

Dalton Schultz, TE DAL

Unlike the other positions, there was no contest for my tight-end buy candidate for contenders. Schultz is the clear, easy choice, as he’s a cheap way to access TE1 production for the rest of the season. Schultz is currently the TE5 and fourth in fantasy PPG among tight ends, making him a massive hit from one of my summer sleeper articles.

Yes, he’s done that without Michael Gallup in the lineup, but it’s clear that Schultz is now the Cowboys’ starting tight end over Blake Jarwin.

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Chart courtesy of DLF Snap Count App.

As you can see, Schultz has outsnapped Blake Jarwin in every game, opening a massive gap from weeks four through six. When the Cowboys return to 11 personnel with Michael Gallup in the lineup, I expect Jarwin to lose most of his playing time, as Schultz has been too good to return to the bench.

Unfortunately, in the trade finder, it’s difficult to tell which leagues are tight end premium and which are not. But either way, some of these trades are great deals for Schultz.

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At this point, Austin Hooper is almost worthless in dynasty formats, so I’d be happy to pay him and a third-rounder for Schultz. If I have a massive hole at tight end, this seems like a ridiculously cheap way to fill it.

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This trade makes little sense to me, as it’s a 1QB league. Schultz is worth more than Brady in that format, let alone with extra draft picks. So this trade is an easy accept for the Schultz side.

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Tim Patrick is a fine player, but you can find so many receivers like him in dynasty leagues. However, tight ends are far more scarce. I’d far rather have Schultz in any format.

There’s no question that Schultz is the best dynasty tight-end buy for contenders. He’s also only 25 years old, turning 26 in July 2022. The Cowboys likely can’t keep both Schultz and Jarwin for 2022, as Schultz is an unrestricted free agent while Jarwin has a $6.25 million cap hit with only $2 million in dead money. I would guess the Cowboys cut Jarwin and re-sign Schultz to a similar contract, but if they don’t, he will see tremendous interest in the free-agent market. Either way, Schultz is more than just a one-year asset.

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Moves to Make for Contending Dynasty Teams