Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post: Tank Dell

There are only a few aspects of fantasy football that cause pure pride and elation. Winning championships, crushing some trades, and mercilessly trash-talking your league-mates after a victory are some of the strongest examples of this. But I think one of the best feelings is being right on a player.

Whether you were watching them as a prospect, reading articles, listening to podcasts, or watching the fantastic videos on the Dynasty League Football YouTube channel, we form opinions and sometimes feel so strongly that we plant our flag, saying: “I like this player. He will be good”. This can be easy when we are talking about players at the top of draft classes. Sure, we all knew Ja'Marr Chase was going to be good. Oh, you thought Breece Hall was talented? Cool, so did just about everyone else. But when you get further into the draft class and slide down a few rounds of a rookie draft, that is the sweet spot of planting your flag and screaming from the rooftops. The kind of proclamation that has you doing victory laps on social media (and sometimes in your living rooms on Sunday).

The next best part of being right on a player is the cost of acquisition. You are drafting these players in the third or fourth rounds of rookie drafts, or just getting them very cheap in auctions, and get to sit around and watch the value skyrocket as points start racking up on your team. The first, and strongest example of this situation this year was Puka Nacua. Nacua was drafted in rookie drafts on average as the WR16 at pick 49 and in February 2023, and his 1QB ADP was WR94 at pick 225. Leaving his draft capital in the wind, he then finished the season as WR5 in total points and now ranks as the WR7 at pick 10 in January 2024, 1QB ADP.

We aren’t talking about Nacua though. We are talking about the rookie wide receiver drafted on average one pick earlier in startups. We are going to look at the current value of WR93 at pick 224 in February 2023, 1QB ADP and WR12 at pick 36 on average in rookie drafts...

Tank Dell, WR HOU