The 2019 fantasy football season is finally winding down. Week 13 is the time of the year that dynasty managers are either looking at the playoffs or looking ahead to the future. This makes for an interesting window to make some moves you normally wouldn’t make, specifically buying shares of players who are in a down year with the mindset of stashing them for next season. With that in mind, as you feast on Thanksgiving leftovers all weekend, here are four fantasy turkeys for this season that are great dynasty league stashes for the future.
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
Jimmy G has been somewhat “blah” this season. He’s put up just over 2,700 yards, 20 TDs, and 10 INTs, which isn’t bad, but it’s not really something to write home about either. He’s currently QB13 on the season but has an ADP of QB22. It’s also very possible that he’s riding the bench on another team in your league who is heading to the postseason thanks to a higher-ranked QB.
These are the perfect players to target in your situation because their current owner isn’t seeing a lot of value from them on their bench and could be looking for an upgrade elsewhere to strengthen their team for the championship push. On the flip side, if you’ve got a guy like Philip Rivers or Derek Carr as your starting QB, then Garoppolo would be a potential upgrade as a youthful asset on the rise. Try offering an aging WR3 like Golden Tate or Alshon Jeffrey for Jimmy G and a rookie WR with upside or a rookie pick and see if that can get the deal done. You might be shocked at how little it would take and your team will thank you for it next year.
RB: Saquon Barkley, NYG
Running back Saquon Barkley makes this list primarily due to an injury dip, but I’d still be very thankful if he were on my team for the future. He’s currently being drafted as the RB1, but his output this year is RB27 thanks, in part, to only scoring 2 TDs and to him missing some time. Even on a points per game basis, he’s still only RB17. This means that his current owner may be more ready than ever to abandon ship and cash out to make a playoff push, but don’t expect to get him for pennies. Barkley still commands a high price on name value alone.
Again, look at the current owner and see what their needs are. Try offering someone like Chris Carson and a high-end WR2 like Tyler Boyd or John Brown to the Barkley owner to see if they bite. The odds are good that you’ll at least be able to see what they want, and if the price is right for you, then go ahead and pull the trigger. Barkley’s price is unlikely to drop much more, even in the offseason, so now might be your best window to get him if the offer is right, and your team will be set up for success in 2020 and beyond.
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
Another potential injury dip, but this one is more due to the offense in general. When Smith-Schuster lost Antonio Brown, everyone was nervous if he would step and be the true WR1 on that team. However, when Ben Roethlisberger went down for the year with an injury, JuJu owners everywhere got scared. Mason Rudolph hasn’t been very helpful for Smith-Schuster’s stats, and I doubt Devlin Hodges will fair much better. The odds are good that JuJu will not make much of an impact down the stretch.
So far this season, Smith-Schuster is WR47 on the season and WR53 in points per game. However, he’s currently got an ADP of WR5, so plenty of dynasty owners still think he’s the real deal for the future. This huge gap can play into your hands and make him easier to acquire than most.
It’s possible that his current dynasty owner has been contemplating benching him due to the lack of performance and his injury risk, meaning you might be able to pry him off that team for a discount. If the current Smith-Schuster owner is weak at WR, as expected, see if you can offer them a couple of current producers like Marvin Jones or Kenny Golladay, and see if that moves the needle. It won’t be free, but if you play it right, you should be able to get a stud WR in exchange for two WR2/3 players.
TE: O.J. Howard, TB
This one’s tough. Coming into this season, O.J. Howard was on the cusp of being in the elite tier of tight ends, behind guys like Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle. Now, you’d be lucky to even get close to that kind of value back in a trade for Howard. His ADP value has taken a nosedive as the season has gone on, going from TE4 to a current ADP of TE11.
In terms of actual production, he’s ranked at TE37 overall for the season. In the current tight end landscape, this is basically zero. He has fewer fantasy points than James O’Shaughnessy, Ricky Seals-Jones, and Nick Boyle, all of whom are likely on your waiver wire right now. O.J. Howard has clearly been a turkey for this season, and his owner knows it.
However, if you’re looking for a stash, he’s probably the best bet of the ones listed here. Howard is only 25 years old and under contract through 2021, still making him a valuable dynasty asset. His talent is undeniable, but he just doesn’t seem to be on the same page as the rest of his offense. Tampa Bay could be in the market for a new QB this offseason, given all of the issues that Jameis Winston puts them through, meaning Howard could see an increase with a new relationship. It’s unlikely that Tampa Bay cuts him, but they could find a suitable trade partner for him, which could also increase his value significantly.
The odds are very good that the current Howard owner is fed up with him and is willing to move on from him for very cheap. You might be able to trade a second-round rookie pick for him straight up, or maybe a guy like Delanie Walker who has been injured, but at least he puts up points when he’s in the game. Start a conversation with the Howard owner and see where it goes. You could be very thankful next year that you got him when you did.
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Andrew Hall is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can follow him @AndrewHallFF on Twitter.