My Dynasty Off-Season: Dynasty Players to Buy
Well, that was fun. Free agency was an absolute whirlwind, so hopefully you’re all caught up with the latest news. This is actually my favorite time of year. Yes, I actually enjoy the off-season more than actual fantasy football. I love breaking down the NFL Draft, evaluating rookies, re-establishing the veteran dynasty fantasy landscape and giving you all as much information as I can in order to be prepared for the beginning of the upcoming year.
This year, I’m posting a regular series – My Dynasty Off-Season.. This series is intended for me to pull back the curtain a bit and share what I’m doing in terms of team building, roster evaluation, player assessments, trade possibilities, value changes or anything else I’m thinking of. My hope is this series helps guide you through your off-season and helps you be in position to win again next year.
In this installment, I’m going to share some players I’m looking to buy in my dynasty leagues. It’s no secret the key to winning consistently in dynasty leagues is to maximize the value of your roster. This means you need to “sell high” and “buy low” whenever you can. It also means you can’t be in a position to have a player retire off your roster without getting any value out of them. Most importantly to me, it also means you need to evaluate the happenings in the NFL and the timing of the calendar to move or acquire players at the exact right time. With that in mind, here are some players I’m looking to buy prior to the NFL Draft.
Drake London, WR ATL
It’s easy to look at things and say London’s value is baked in already, but is it really? He was a top 20 asset about a year ago, then had his value slip immensely after posting a disappointing 69/905/2 line. With Kirk Cousins in the fold, he’s poised for a much better season. In my mind, the fact he was able to post more than 900 yards last year is actually a good thing based on the level of anemic quarterback play that team employed. While you can’t expect London to put up numbers similar to Justin Jefferson, I’d rather have him than take a chance on a rookie receiver not named Nabers or Harrison. If I was to pick a player who was best positioned to make a leap into the top ten next season, he’s on the short list.
Jordan Addison, WR MIN
For the record, I think Justin Jefferson will eventually get his money and be extended in Minnesota. If he somehow doesn’t, Addison is “no braier” buy at the moment. However, I think grabbing shares of him now are wise anyway. Some dynasty managers are down on him based on Jefferson’s return and the uncertainty at quarterback for Minnesota. To me, that opens up a window to buy here on a player who put up a magnificent 70/911/10 season as a rookie. There aren’t a lot of wide receivers I typically buy who are the #2 on their depth chart but this is an exception for me this off-season – I just think he has a ton of talent and long-term upside in Minnesota or elsewhere.
Tank Dell, WR HOU
The emergence of Nico Collins is overshadowing just how good Dell was. In the ten games where he played a full contest, he posted a 47/709/7 line and looked explosive in the process. I’m a big believer in what the Texans are building and CJ Stroud is clearly the real deal. Collins is obviously a great player but Dell is going to have some monster seasons should he stay healthy. Stroud is good enough to maintain value for a lot of players in this offense. At his current price, I’m a buyer.
Rashee Rice, WR KC
I like the signing of Marquise Brown but I also think people are overreacting to it. Rice’s 79 catches, 938 yards and seven touchdowns took him from a player with an ADP of around 125 all the way into the top 50 by the end of the season. He also posted a 8/130/1 playoff debut against Miami and had a whopping 56 targets over his last six regular season games. With 33 more in his four playoff games last year, he officially arrived. Brown is only on a one-year deal and Rice looks poised to grow aside Patrick Mahomes long-term. While many may look at the signing of Brown as an indictment on the value of Rice, I actually view it as a “buy low” window that just opened.
Mike Evans, WR TB
Wait. Isn’t he old? Yeah, he is. He’s also as consistent a player as we’ve ever seen. Dynasty managers need to balance contending now and building for the future. While I never want to see someone retire off my roster, I’m also of the mindset you have to have some sure-fire production in your weekly lineup. With an ADP around 60, our dynasty trade analyzer says you should be able to get him for a draft pick right around the round one to round two turn. Sign me up.
Derrick Henry, RB BAL
I think it’s dangerous to go after running backs you think will have an extended opportunity like Rico Dowdle or Jaleel McLaughlin (two of my favorite stashes at the moment) right before the NFL Draft. However, I think it’s more than fine to consider veterans who have already been paid this off-season. Such is the case with Henry, who may have only one or two years left of solid production but can also be had for a high second rounder or players in the range of Christian Kirk and David Montgomery in a lot of leagues right now. Again, I love acquiring late-career veterans, keeping them for a year or two, then cashing out before the cliff comes. While sometimes you don’t time it quite right, the price you pay to get them late in their career rarely destroys your dynasty team.
Nick Chubb, RB CLE
I’m actually stunned at just how far Chubb’s value has fallen. His value dropped nearly 100 spots after his season-ending injury last season. While the market is starting to correct itself a bit, Chubb can still be had for what amounts to a mid-second round pick in most leagues. The “bust rate” on picks in that range is enormous. I’d much rather take a chance on Chubb returning to form and giving me 2-3 more solid seasons over a dart throw like that.
I hope you enjoy my ramblings. Again, this is going to be my off-season space to share what my plans entail all off-season long. Hope it helps!
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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