Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades

Brian Robinson

Richard Cooling Posted On October 26, 2022

Editor’s note: This week’s dynasty trades article is sponsored by DraftKings Reignmakers, the first NFT-based fantasy sports game officially licensed by the NFLPA. Click the image below to receive a free full-roster starter pack.

What a brutal week. It may not have been any worse than previous weeks, but it felt like some horrible and crucial injuries this week. As we are heading towards the playoffs and some leagues have trade deadlines approaching, now is a pivotal time to be active to fine-tune those rosters for the stretch run.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB NE

This may be surprising to many as Stevenson has been riding high recently, particularly after a competent showing Monday Night in an otherwise forgettable Patriots performance. So this is a buy-high suggestion that I usually try to avoid. However, in dynasty, sometimes the best thing you can do is to zig when consensus zags to try and scoop up value.

The Patriots’ backfield scares people as they have rarely committed to one player, and even then, every back is one fumble away from riding the bench. However, a lot of that occurred in the James White era, where he was an elite third-down back, meaning no Patriots running back would see a whole workload. Without James White and Damien Harris, a pending free agent, the Patriots are committing to Stevenson as the feature back.

He is currently a top-ten back on a week-to-week basis, given the volume he is seeing and the amount of high-value touches around the goal-line and in the passing game. In October ADP, Stevenson was valued as the RB23; it may sound hyperbolic, but I honestly believe Stevenson is a top 12 dynasty running back, and people don’t realize it yet. Yes, this is inherited with vast amounts of risk, as he could be benched for Harris at any moment, but any running back is one carry away from injury.

If you can buy high on Stevenson before consensus realizes what he is, you could get a phenomenal piece ready for the fantasy playoffs. He will likely not come cheap, but I would be very willing to part with a late 2023 first-round pick to acquire him. Alternatively, you could pivot from an injured back like Javonte Williams or JK Dobbins to acquire Stevenson if the team currently rostering him is looking toward rebuilding. This is a high-risk acquisition, but one I feel confident could reward you significantly by the end of the season.

Brian Robinson, RB WAS

Robinson returning to the field this season may be the best story the NFL has seen in the last five years; it is incredible. However, from a dynasty standpoint, I think he is currently overvalued. While Robinson is the lead back in Washington, it is realistically a three-headed backfield. Robinson saw an impressive 20 carries on Sunday, but that was essentially game-script dependent; Antonio Gibson also saw ten carries. In a more pass-heavy game script, you can expect to see JD Mckissic on the field more, taking away from both Robinson and Gibson.

While Robinson is a great story, if he is going to split carries with Gibson and lose passing down work to a mix of Gibson and McKissic, it will significantly cap his fantasy ceiling. If you can sell Robinson for any 2023 second-round pick, I believe any player in next year’s second-round will have a higher potential ceiling than Robinson. This is before you add in the turnover and chaotic situation that the Commanders may find themselves in at the end of the season. They will likely have a new starting quarterback, a new head coach, and maybe even a new owner. It feels slightly grim selling such an amazing personal story like Robinson’s. Still, from a dynasty perspective, it makes sense to get out before people realize what he truly is.

Garrett Wilson, WR NYJ, and Drake London, WR ATL

Any time there is a value dip on any young stud wide receiver, I will ask the question to see if I can buy at a discount. Now is that moment for two of the studs from the recent 2022 draft class. Wilson and London have flashed at times this year and are already valued as top 14 wide receivers in October ADP. However, the last few weeks haven’t been pretty for either player. Neither player has topped ten fantasy points since week three, and an inpatient or shortsighted owner may be growing frustrated with what they thought was a bonafide stud!

A lot of the issue with both young receivers has been game-script dependent. The Jets and Falcons are 31st and 32nd, respectively, in pass attempts per game over the last three games. To give you an idea of how few pass attempts both teams have made, if you combined their total pass attempts per game, they would rank sixth in the NFL with 41 attempts per game behind the Colts, Chargers, Buccaneers, Steelers, and Rams. This game script situation will change; both teams will pass more moving forward and allow a higher volume of targets for both players. If you’re in a position where you can wait out the short term to recoup immense long-term value, it could be a great move to be aggressive and target both players.

I would happily pay a first and a second to acquire either player (as long as that first isn’t likely to be a top-four pick in 2023), but perhaps the move is to sell high on a player like Terry McLaurin or DeAndre Hopkins plus a little sweetener to make a move. One member of the discord community managed to sell McLaurin straight up for Drake London in a rebuild.