Dynasty Buy/Sell/Hold: NFC East

DeVonta Smith

Eric Hardter Posted On August 24, 2023

With the NFL draft now months behind us and training camp/preseason just around the corner, we are nearing the crescendo of the NFL off-season. As such, the window for making final roster adjustments is drawing to a close, with the obtainment of actionable game information just over the horizon in September. Put another way, it would not be unreasonable to assert player values are less likely to fluctuate over the next couple of months (pending injuries) as compared to when the regular season is in full force.

In that spirit, I’ve selected players to buy, sell and hold for all 32 NFL teams. This miniseries will be broken down by division, with 12 players highlighted per article and 96 overall. In a 12-team league with 20 roster spots (similar to the DLF ADP), that accounts for 40% of the players!

Before we dive in, a few notes and disclaimers:

Player values were obtained from the combination of the most current ADP (pending the lead time necessary for authorship), and the DLF top 250 rankings;
The league paradigm is assumed to be PPR and 1QB (players in superflex and/or 2QB leagues would likely have some divergence from those I’ve selected);
Opinions on players are my own and do not represent all of DLF; and finally,
Exact player values are always going to be dependent on individual leagues and owners, and may not be consistent with the assertions provided herein.

With that said, let’s continue with the NFC East! Players will be profiled individually, with a tabulated summary of all 12 provided at the article’s conclusion.

Dallas Cowboys

Buy: Deuce Vaughn, RB (ADP = 213.7, Rank = 238.1)

I’ll preface this take by noting it would be unsurprising to see Vaughn’s ADP and ranking increase over the coming weeks given how well he’s shown in preseason action. Still, even a modest uptick could yield the Cowboys’ RB2 behind incumbent starter Tony Pollard. And while Pollard has proven explosive his whole career, he still has yet to sequester more than 232 touches in a year, and it’s fair to wonder if his efficiency might suffer.

Despite a diminutive stature (5’6”, 172 pounds), Vaughn has never had such concerns, accounting for 22.9 touches per game (3.4 receptions) over his final two collegiate seasons. While he shouldn’t be needed for that type of output in Dallas, it stands as assurance that he should be able to answer the bell when called upon. At cost, I’d rather have him than fellow pint-sized rookie De'Von Achane.