Dynasty Fantasy Football: Targets Acquired
Standing still is the fastest way of moving backward in a rapidly changing dynasty landscape. The best dynasty teams are the most active in looking for ways to add value to their dynasty rosters, as part of a continuous process.
The Dynasty Targets Acquired series focuses on making dynasty buys to improve your roster, heading towards one of two key destinations – contending to win a dynasty title in 2024 or rebuilding for a dynasty title challenge in 2025. Each article in the series will highlight a dynasty buy for both contenders and rebuilders – with three trade ideas based on the DLF Trade Analyzer: Pivot Up, Same Tier or Pivot Down.
Buying as a contender is all about winning the title now, whilst leaving the window open to compete again year after year. Buying as a rebuilder is all about making the right trades to maximize roster value next season and become a contender for a dynasty championship.
Time Context and Strategy
We are seven weeks into the NFL season, and most managers can tell if your team is a contender. There have been so many injuries this season, so your season may have gone off the rails. If your team is underperforming, now is the time to look to the future and get young players or draft picks. On the other hand, if you are contending for a championship, this is the time to get a player to take you over the top.
There are still seven weeks to go in most fantasy leagues, but do you want to just sneak in the playoffs or finish just outside? Just like NFL teams it is important to know when to see the writing on the wall and build for the future. Let’s look at targets for both rebuilding and contending teams.
Rebuilder Buy: Justin Herbert, QB LAC
This is a weird one because Justin Herbert has finished as a top-11 fantasy quarterback in three of his four seasons. He also finished as QB2 in 2021, but the offense is rebuilding, and he will not have big numbers this season. The highest he has finished this season is QB17, which was against the Arizona Cardinals, who give up the eight most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
The Chargers are a run-first team, but the numbers will improve with better offensive weapons. Last week, the primary weapons were Will Dissly and Josh Palmer. Herbert still threw for 349 yards. He only has six touchdowns this year but also has only thrown one interception. Ladd McConkey will continue to improve, and they should continue adding weapons. Herbert may not have the top ceiling, but he is in the range of QB8 to QB14. He is young and could be one of your SF starters for years to come.
* All values represent those in Superflex (2QB leagues)
Pivot Up
Pivot Up – acquiring a higher-valued asset in exchange for multiple lower-valued assets.
Jared Goff and Brian Robinson = Justin Herbert
In my opinion, Justin Herbert is a longer-term solution at quarterback and has a higher upside. Goff has two top-four finishes this year but also has three finishes outside the top 18. In addition, he may lose offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in the offseason. Brian Robinson has finished in the top 20 running backs in every game he has played. He is touchdown-dependent with six touchdowns already and has three games where he averaged under three yards a carry. He is a good fantasy player, but I am not sure he is the long-term solution to that position for the Commanders.
Same Tier
Same Tier – acquiring an asset in the same tier of valuation in a straight-up swap deal
Brock Purdy = Justin Herbert
This could be controversial because some people consider Brock Purdy a top five to eight quarterback. I think he consistently is a top-12 quarterback but has limitations. This is just an eye test for me, and Herbert is just more talented. Both teams will rely on the running game, so once Jim Harbaugh gets the weapons in place, I think Herbert could have the big games that Purdy has had.
Pivot Down
Pivot Down – acquiring multiple lower-valued assets in exchange for a higher-valued asset.
Kyler Murray = Justin Herbert, 2025 mid-2nd round pick, Javonte Williams
I was high on Kyler Murray this year, but it has been a mixed bag so far. He has three top-five finishes but also three outside the top 15. The rushing output is there, but he has only passed over 215 yards once this year. He also only has more than one passing touchdown once. Murray has always broken down later in seasons, and as he gets older, he will have to improve as a passer. Javonte Williams has started to look more like himself before his injury and is still young at 24. Add on top of the 2nd round pick, and this is a trade that could set up a rebuilding team up very well in the future.
Contender Buy: Terry McLaurin, WR WAS9
Terry McLaurin has been a good receiver since he was drafted in 2019 but has dealt with bad quarterback play his whole career. He has had over 1,000 receiving yards in four of his five seasons. The problem is that he has not had any touchdowns. He has not gone over five touchdowns since his rookie year in 2019.
McLaurin was thought to have a breakout with Sam Howell starting in 2023, but that did not happen. One of my bold takes was that he would finish as a top-12 receiver this year. He was going to have his best quarterback in rookie Jayden Daniels. Early on, this prediction looked like it would not age well. McLaurin only had eight catches for 39 yards through two weeks.
After game two, he has really come on and is averaging five catches and 83 yards a game. He has four touchdowns and has finished as a top-20 receiver four out of five weeks in PPR scoring. Daniels left week seven early, but McLaurin was still finished as WR16, with backup Marcus Mariota. Through Week 7, he is the 12th-ranked wide receiver in fantasy points per game, according to FantasyPros. He is on pace to have his best season as a pro and should have his best fantasy finish. McLaurin is a borderline WR1 for the rest of the season and could put your team over the top.
* All values represent those in Superflex (2QB leagues)
Pivot Up
Pivot Up – acquiring a higher-valued asset in exchange for multiple lower-valued assets.
Josh Downs and Christian Watson = Terry McLaurin
I would do this trade immediately. It would be appealing to a rebuilding manager because you get two young receivers for an aging asset. Some people are higher on Christian Watson than me. When healthy, he can be a great player, but he is not healthy often, and Jayden Reed has passed him by. Josh Downs is a very good player, but his ceiling is limited as long as Anthony Richardson struggles.
Same Tier
Same Tier – acquiring an asset in the same tier of valuation in a straight-up swap deal
Isiah Pacheco = Terry McLaurin
This one is a tough one for me because I really like both players. Isiah Pacheco will return this season, but I don’t think Kareem Hunt will go away completely. So, if you are a contender, this is a trade I would do immediately. As a rebuilding team, you get a young back who has finished in the top 20 in his first two years.
Pivot Down
Pivot Down – acquiring multiple lower-valued assets in exchange for a higher-valued asset.
Zay Flowers = Terry McLaurin, Chase Brown, and 2026 2nd-round pick
Zay Flowers is an extremely talented receiver, but his ceiling is limited in how the Baltimore Ravens offense operates. He is a boom-or-bust play in this offense. Flowers has three games with less than five targets and four games with less than 40 yards. He has three games as a top 15 receiver but also three outside the top 60 receivers. Chase Brown has taken over the main role, and Zack Moss has not been as involved in the last few games. In three out of the last four games, Brown has been a top-20 running back. The draft pick is a nice addition, even though it is two years away.
Summary
It is midseason, and some teams are trying to position themselves for a run. Now is the time to sell off aging assets to the highest bidder if you are not in contention. Many think you must get picks to rebuild, but younger players will also help right the ship. On the other side, as a contender, late first-rounders may not help you. So go get a vital piece to win a championship today. Even though it is week seven, there is still plenty of time to make moves to improve your team this year or in the future.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Cornerstone Report, Week 14 - December 13, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football: Targets Acquired - December 6, 2024
- 2025 NFL Draft: First-Round Dynasty Rookie 1QB Mock - December 6, 2024
