Campus to Canton Leagues: Trade Targets/Supplemental Gems

Here at DLF, we strive to evolve and grow with the game of dynasty fantasy football. In that spirit, we have started a new article series, introducing the latest dynasty craze – campus-to-canton leagues. My goal is to start off focusing on the basics while establishing an understanding of how everything works. As we progress through the series, I aim to dive into strategies, player values, buys and sells, and more! If you’re new to C2C and missed part one or two of this series, make sure to go back and check them out.

Welcome back to the Campus to Canton series. I got a lot of feedback on the last article, and let me just tell you, people really like Luther Burden! When writing that article, I knew I would probably get some pushback on that one, and I was right. That fervor is precisely what makes him such a great sell; you can get the world in return!

Now, I want to bring the focus back to positivity, so we’ll be looking at some C2C trade targets or waiver gems. Most of these players are either forgotten or simply unknown by the masses, and some could even be on your league’s waiver wire. If these players are on someone else’s roster, it may be best to try to get them thrown into a larger deal rather than going after them straight up, but that is where knowing your league-mates tendencies becomes essential.

Trade Targets/Supplemental Gems

Dylan Sampson, RB Tennessee

Sampson is being entirely dismissed by most C2C players, and I don’t understand why. Coming into college as a four-star recruit with blazing speed, Sampson didn’t see the field often as a true freshman, but he stood out in a big way when he did! Rushing the ball only 58 times, Sampson amassed 397 yards and six touchdowns while adding three receptions for 24 receiving yards. In the regular season finale, Sampson rushed 12 times for 131 yards and a touchdown while earning the honor of SEC Freshman of the Week. Albeit a small sample size, Sampson’s advanced metrics jump off the page, with 1.3 PPR points-per-touch and a 10% big-time run rate. Picking up right where he left off, Sampson has recently received strong praise from coach Josh Heupel during spring practices.

The only thing holding Sampson back is the presence of Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright. Small could quickly lose touches to Sampson after a lackluster 2022 campaign, but Jaylen Wright will likely continue to be the lead back, assuming health. Coach Heupel has mentioned recently that they expect to use all three running backs during the season, so we know that Sampson will at least be in the mix in some form. Small is entering his senior season, while Wright is entering his junior year, so there is a decent chance both could move on following the 2023 season. Even if this year ends up being a letdown for Sampson, it’s still a good idea to get in cheap now rather than waiting for him to possibly be announced as the starter in 2024.

Cyrus Allen, WR Louisiana Tech

Allen does not currently have an ADP and is not being ranked by most services, so he should be available in your league. Heading into his true sophomore season, Allen broke out in year one with 22 receptions for 500 yards and four touchdowns. We should expect some progression in year two, but it gets better. Last season’s leading receiver for the Bulldogs, Tre Harris, transferred to Ole Miss this offseason. That leaves Allen and Smoke Harris as the top returning players, and Smoke is a sixth-year player who has never surpassed 800 receiving yards. If Allen can get anywhere close to Tre Harris’ 65 receptions, 935 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns, he could be a valuable asset for your campus squad. If Allen does take that step forward, he could also look to transfer up as Harris did. At the very least, you have a cheap, young player that can score points for your campus squad for years to come!

Jerand Bradley, WR Texas Tech

Bradley is a third-year player who took a big step forward in his sophomore season, leading the Red Raiders in receiving. While his 51/744/6 receiving line may not jump off the page, Texas Tech was in a state of transition in 2022. Tyler Shough has been named the starting QB after producing the best out of the three Texas Tech quarterbacks to see significant playing time last year. Another year in Zach Kittley’s offense and some much-needed continuity from the QB position should see Bradley take another step forward, possibly getting on the NFL’s radar as well. Bradley is currently being ranked and drafted around WR100 in C2C leagues. Let’s fix that ADP and make sure to add him to all of our leagues!

As I continue to work on my C2C rankings behind the scenes, I keep coming across more and more gems like these three. I wanted to get some names out to you guys as soon as possible, so you can get to work adding/trading for them, but the plan is to get back into strategy mode for the next article. As always, I appreciate you all sticking with the series, and I’m always here to help if you have any trade questions!