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 – Trevor Lawrence, QB JAC
I am a huge fan of buying superstar quarterbacks whenever there is an opportunity for a buy window. Yes, I said superstar, and I believe Lawrence is a superstar quarterback. He has played okay this year but has been hugely let down by a poor offensive line, wide receiver production, and scheme. The issue with the Jaguars is that their offensive line is so poor that they can’t run the ball with any success. Because of this, they are running a massive number of screens to try and offset the lack of a ground game. They run the second most screens in the league yet are 32nd in EPA on WR and TE Screens.
If you improve the offensive line, you will allow this offense to be balanced and remove the need to try and replicate a ground game with screens. This will allow Lawrence to destroy in the short to intermediate areas of the field where he is truly elite. Add into that Lawrence is still only 24 and will be going into his third real season in the NFL (nobody can count the Urban Meyer year). It is absolutely realistic he can take the leap. From a fantasy perspective, Lawrence is the QB11, averaging 16.8 points per game with 6 of 14 weeks as a top 12 producer and 12 of 14 as a top 24 producer.
Lawrence was the QB10 in December ADP and given his injury and limited production in recent weeks, I would expect that to drop in January. If you can buy him right now for two future first-round picks, I would do that in an instant. I think there is a real outcome where Lawrence is a top-five quarterback by the middle of the next year.
Buy – Tyjae Spears, RB TEN
Spears has been fantastic whenever he has seen the field this year, averaging 0.9 points per touch, which is seventh among backs with over 100 opportunities. That is ahead of Alvin Kamara, Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, and James Cook, and plenty of others. He is the RB35 despite the fact he is playing behind Derrick Henry, has seen only a 33.5% opportunity share, and he is in line for a much larger workload next year. Henry is a free agent and is already talking about leaving the Titans after the season. Spears could be a steal in your league right now. If people haven’t realized that he would be the lead back next year and likely a workhorse three-down back, you need to pounce.
I would happily pay a late first for him right now, but I don’t believe you need to pay that much to acquire him. You may be able to tempt him away for an early second or perhaps even a couple of mid to late seconds.
Sell – DJ Chark, WR CAR
Chark is a roster clogger. He has cleared ten fantasy points on one occasion this season. That was this last week when he blew up for 27.8 points. If you can use the recency bias of this blow-up week to sell, you need to do it. Chark is a free agent after this season, and given his production this year, it is hard to see any team making him a priority in free agency. He has struggled to gain separation consistently this year and is 65th out of 76 WRs with over 50 targets in yards per route run at 1.07.
At this point in his career, I struggle to see a world in which you feel comfortable starting him on any given week. So, I would sell for as little as a third-round pick if you can get it done right now.
Sell – Joe Flacco, QB CLE
If you’re starting Flacco this week, he is worthwhile holding. However, if you are rostering and not starting him, you need to sell him for whatever you can get. The chances that he earns a starting job in 2024 are slim to none, and given he is 38 currently, there is little future. So whatever you can get in return to sell him is more than he will be worth in two weeks. So even if it’s a third- or fourth-round pick, it is a trade you should be making rather than just releasing him for free in the off-season.
Rebuilding Buy – Terry McLaurin/Jahan Dotson, WR WAS
I have long believed that Sam Howell was not the long-term answer for the Commanders moving forward. That is even more the belief now, with the Commanders currently projected to have the third overall pick, which could rise higher given how they’re currently playing.
If the Commanders land one of the two elite prospects at quarterback in this year’s draft, it will likely boost the trade value of both McLaurin and Dotson. You don’t even need to hold either of them long enough to see whether an increase in production is realized. If you buy them now as they’re both cheaper than they should be, you can sell them in the off-season when they are more expensive. Given their struggles to produce, you can likely buy each for a random second-rounder and perhaps even cheaper right now.
I need more information – Chris Rodriguez, RB WAS
As a sixth-round rookie, you’re not expecting anything phenomenal out of a rookie season. And Rodriguez hasn’t done anything spectacular this rookie season. He averages 2.9 points per game and cleared four fantasy points for the first time this week. He played well, scoring twice and finishing with 19.5 points on 11 touches. Antonio Gibson is a free agent after the season, which could help open up a more significant role for Rodriguez. Still, I haven’t seen enough from him yet to commit to him as a potential fantasy-relevant player. If he produces and shows more in these final two weeks, it could give you more confidence to buy into him moving into 2024.
- Dynasty Decision: David Montgomery - April 18, 2025
- Dynasty Decision: Michael Pittman - April 11, 2025
- Dynasty Decision: Rhamondre Stevenson - April 4, 2025
