Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post

Welcome to the Dynasty Trading Post! This series will highlight the trading tools we have for our DLF subscribers. We’ll use the DLF Trade Finder to look at actual trades that took place in dynasty leagues hosted on myfantasyleague.com, check in with the DLF Trade Analyzer to see what it thinks, and then discuss those deals. One caveat to mention is that the Trade Analyzer value of a player changes constantly, so all values discussed were at the time of writing. If you have a trade you’d like addressed in this space, please reach out to @MattPriceFF on Twitter!

We all know it’s wise to hold on to draft picks as long as possible because they generally increase in value as we get closer to rookie drafts. We’re now within a week of the NFL Draft, so it’s time to start thinking about what we could potentially get for our 2022 rookie picks and decide if we want to add a known asset to our squads or make the pick and embrace the unknown upside of our rookie selection.

Let’s look at the value of some draft picks according to the Dynasty Trade Analyzer, compare them to the value of veterans around that pick, and finally, use the Dynasty Trade Finder to see actual trades that have recently taken place in dynasty leagues.

One of my favorite things you can do with the trade analyzer is to view the asset values all in one place. The drop-down menus are great for inputting actual trades or comparing specific values, but sometimes you just want to check out a player and every other asset in his orbit. You can also download them into a CSV file to play with the data yourself.

Using the view all values feature, let’s look at the value of the 1.01 in superflex leagues and see its value compared to the players above and below the pick.

With the data laid out like this, you can clearly see some options if you are looking to move the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The premium between the 1.01 and the two most likely prospects to be selected there comes from the idea that having the choice of any player in the draft or an excellent veteran asset comes with great value. Once the pick becomes the rookie, the value comparison is more straightforward.

The most likely scenario for a holder of the 1.01 is that they are a terrible team and should either just make the pick or trade it straight up for a young player who has shown something in their first few years in the leagues. If you’re looking at option B, some great starting points might include CeeDee Lamb, Trevor Lawrence, Javonte Williams, or Trey Lance. Those are all great options if you are skeptical of the top prospects at each position in the 2022 class. There are other options like acquiring more picks or several lesser prospects, but for this article, we’ll focus on those first two.

If you’re fortunate to be a contender who might have acquired a random future first that became the 1.01, then you have great options as well. Acquiring a player like Christian McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp, or Russell Wilson could be what it takes to put you over the top. When you’re in a window, are you going to bolster your youth with a lottery ticket that may not help you win this season, or will you turn that pick into a stud that can carry you to the title?

If you end up with a mid-first, the one-to-one swap options for your pick expand greatly, especially if you’re a borderline contender looking to win now instead of beginning the rebuild. Players like Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, Aaron Jones, and Derek Carr are options with limited utility to rebuilders but could be contributors for playoff contenders every week.

Players like Cam Akers, Travis Etienne, Zach Wilson, and Jerry Jeudy are starting points for deals if you are rebuilding and want to take a shot on past prospects who haven’t lived up to their billing over this year’s draft class.

Moving over to the trade finder, we can see the most recent deals that have taken place involving the 1.01. Moving your top two picks in the 2022 class for a starter at quarterback and receiver plus some dart throws is a solid way to convert your picks into production and hedge against rookie volatility.

This deal shows the value of a known quantity at quarterback in the superflex format. Would you prefer Najee Harris and Malik Willis or Joe Burrow? Willis is likely the only quarterback in this class that has a chance to be as good as Burrow. If he hits, you acquired an RB1 on the cheap. If not, and you lack QB depth, it could be disastrous.

Here’s an excellent example of jumping up the QB tiers using the 1.01. After 2022, we will have a better idea if it would be better to have two shots at a starting QB or if the known quantity of Kyler Murray was the better play. The final deal is potentially questionable depending on the state of the team acquiring Aaron Jones and Michael Thomas. It feels like you could do a lot better for the 1.01.

Let’s wrap up with some trades involving mid-first round 2022 rookie picks.

Here we see another instance of using a pick to upgrade a QB room. It’s often difficult in superflex leagues to trade a quarterback without receiving one back. I’m not sure if we can call Drew Lock a real starting quarterback yet, but it makes one side feel better and doesn’t bother the team getting the upgrade, creating a win-win situation.

Really like Breece Hall, Malik Willis, or your top wide receiver? It will cost you your mid-second (or likely more) to move up to the 1.01 from 1.05. A mid-second is a fair price, but I’m not sure I’d pay more than that to make that move in this particular class. Remember to at least make some calls about what sort of player you could get with your pick before making these kinds of swaps. Do your due diligence on the market for these picks in your league.

Here’s a great example of turning picks into production. The player you select at 1.06 likely won’t help you in 2022, and the random (potentially mid-late) first-round pick you might get next season won’t help you in 2022. Josh Jacobs and Amon-Ra St. Brown almost certainly will.

That will do it for this edition of the Dynasty Trading Post! Let us know what you think of these trades and how the trade analyzer values the pieces. Remember, the trade analyzer is but one tool in your dynasty toolkit. In the end, it’s up to you to pull the trigger on a trade. If you’d like a specific player or trade run through this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post