Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades
Taking advantage of potential valuation trends in the trade market is imperative. That is even more true during the season when players can experience wild valuation changes on a week-to-week basis. Each week, I will be highlighting some players you should be looking to move or acquire and the reasons why.
Buy – Tank Dell, WR HOU
Sometimes, when a young player starts producing, the reaction in their price is slow to kick in. People take a cautious approach and like to rely on their prospect evaluation. This opens a window to potentially buy high on a player while, realistically, their value will continue to increase. Dell fits that mold currently; he is performing at an incredible level and is now the WR16 in points per game. He has flashed everything and more that he did in college. He is an elite route runner who can gain separation both in the middle of the route and late at the catch point. His agility is often just far too much for most defenders to handle.
You may need to pay up to acquire Dell, and it may take a late first-round pick to do so. That may feel incredibly rich to pay for a player that was a late second-round or third-round pick in this year’s rookie drafts. However, he is now a top-20 wide receiver for me in dynasty. His price could continue to climb as he pairs with CJ Stroud in one of the more exciting offenses across the league if you can buy down from a disappointing star like Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith while adding an asset on top that could benefit you in both the short and long term.
Buy – Ty Chandler, RB MIN
Alexander Mattison is not getting it done. He looks sluggish, lacks explosion, and is currently 39th out of 47 backs in success rate at 42.6%. That may not be enough for him to lose his job altogether, but Chandler looks more explosive and has the chance to carve out an even more significant role moving forward. As things stand, Chandler is probably considered an end-of-the-bench player and doesn’t hold much more value than a third or maybe a late second. If he carves out a more significant role over the coming weeks, that price will absolutely increase, and he could be seen as the future starter in Minnesota. It feels worth the risk for a low-price option that could return an almost immediate return.
Sell – Austin Ekeler, RB LAC
If you look at all the usage statistics, Ekeler seems he should bounce back from a poor week and continue to be a star for the rest of the season. However, I am not so convinced. I thought he looked slow on Sunday. Getting caught from behind several times and not looking explosive. When you add that Ekeler is a free agent at the end of the season, it could be that the fantasy value cliff is fast approaching.
Much of his value comes from the sheer volume of check-downs and screen targets he receives in Los Angeles. Given his pending free-agent status and the changes that are likely to happen within the coaching staff at the end of the year, it is unlikely that he will be in the same situation next year. If you’re not a true contender, now will be your last window to sell. If you can get any future first-round pick, I would make that move in a heartbeat.
Sell – Jaylen Waddle, WR MIA
I had high hopes for Waddle coming into this year. He proved he is an elite talent and produced last year when the whole offense was healthy. However, so far this year, he is not getting it done. Currently, the WR29 is averaging 13.4 points per game. He is nothing more than an average receiver. It is unlikely to change over the next two years as Tyreek Hill will remain the offense’s focal point with a heavy dose of the run game sprinkled in.
Despite this lesser production, he remains the dynasty WR8 in our most recent ADP. That price is costly despite his age and potential. The realistic scenario is that he will struggle to pay off that price while Tyreek Hill remains in Miami.
I would be looking to pivot off of Waddle before consensus realizes, and his price likely drops this off-season. If you could pivot from Waddle to another young wide receiver with better production and gain an asset on top, it could be a phenomenal move. Jordan Addison, Brandon Aiyuk, and Tank Dell could now be excellent targets.
Rebuilding Buy – Joe Burrow, QB CIN
In superflex leagues, superstar quarterbacks are almost impossible to obtain. The value is so high you can destroy your roster by looking to acquire one in a trade. So whenever a buy window opens, it is a great move to pounce and acquire them at a discount. That situation couldn’t be more pronounced than for Burrow right now. If a contender is rostering Burrow, then chances are they have gone into panic mode. Some of the trades I’ve seen this past week have been unbelievable.
Below, you can see trades made since the injury from our trade finder tool:
If you’re looking towards 2024 and haven’t asked around the price and availability of Burrow, you’re missing out. I would be looking to pivot from a tier two or three quarterback who is healthy and producing. Tua Tagovailoa, Dak Prescott, and Kyler Murray are the type of players you can move straight up for Burrow due to the injury discount. You’ll be pleased you made the move by the time the off-season rolls around.
I need more information – Isaiah Likely, TE BAL
In 2022, when Mark Andrews missed time, Likely flashed as a plug-and-play replacement option. As you can see below, he averaged well over 13 points per game with Andrews out of the lineup and only 5.3 points per game with Andrews active. Earlier in the year Likely disappointed, producing only 1.4 points in the game Andrews missed. So, with Andrews now out for the remainder of the season, I need to see a little bit more from likely before I declare him a plug-and-play tight end in Andrews’ absence.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades - December 12, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades - December 6, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades - November 28, 2024
