It’s that time in the season for dynasty fantasy football owners, just like real general managers, to try to figure out if it is time to buy or sell. We are going to put together a two-part series to that effect. Let’s start with players to buy, as we assume that all of you are preparing for a championship run. Here are your 2019 Week 9 dynasty trade targets.
One reminder before we get started, you can be a buyer even if you are not in the championship hunt. You can buy injured players, rookies that are underwhelming, and other stashable players on the cheap, as the top teams are looking to make win-now moves.
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield – Cleveland Browns
One famous front office phrase is, “you never give up on talent.” That is why you see a lot of these highly recruited, first round draft picks linger on around the league. They get a much longer leash, more chances, and every coach believes they can unlock that talent. Mayfield has had an unbelievably tricky schedule, and this move might be more for the future than it is for now. Even with a schedule lightening up, the offensive line did not get better at the trade deadline.
I do believe that Baker does have a better second half of the year, and the team will make adjustments, but he is still outside of my top 12 for the rest of the fantasy football season. The team will have a ton of weapons next year, and they will most definitely look to improve the offensive line this offseason.
Veteran quarterbacks (Tomy Brady, Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees)
Most dynasty trade targets will be young players with high upside. It is crucial to have bridge players and to balance your roster with some veteran players for consistency while those players develop. If you are a top team and you need a short term fix, veteran quarterbacks are the most efficient option. They are not going to cost as much, and they should be available. No one is looking to trade Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes, who could be their quarterback of the future. Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, and Drew Brees would be the players I would use. Dynasty Trade Calculator values all of them as a mid-late 2nd round pick in 2020.
Running Backs
Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon has been a big story in the fantasy football world, and his usage has been the topic of conversation. Mixon is looking like the 2017 version of Todd Gurley. The similarities of the offensive line, quarterback play, the lack of involvement in the passing game are all factoring into this comparison. Mixon has not eclipsed 5 targets in the passing game once this season and has had three or less in five of eight games this year.
The main issue on this team has also been the offensive line who saw their 1st round pick go down to a season-ending injury in training camp. They also had two offensive linemen retire this offseason while their left tackle has struggled both on and off of the field, recently being suspended by the team for a week. Mixon is a dynasty trade target that has seen his value drop
Veteran running backs (Carlos Hyde, Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson)
Championship contenders only for this one. If you are looking towards the future, Frank Gore has no use to you. If you need depth for the next five weeks, you can buy a guy like Adrian Peterson or Frank Gore for a 3rd or 4th round pick. Those picks generally are guys that never make it off of your dynasty taxi squad. Don’t take your foot off of the pedal this late in the season, depth
Carlos Hyde is probably my favorite because he is part of a high powered offense. There is much more upside when attaching yourself to high scoring offenses, and the Houston Texans are one of the better offenses in the league. Hyde will have much more scoring opportunities than the previously mentioned Gore or Peterson.
Handcuff running backs (Alexander Mattison, Tony Pollard, Ryquell Armstead)
This is handcuff season, and you need to grab insurance for your top running backs. Do what you can to acquire Alexander Mattison, Wayne Gallman, or a guy like Tony Pollard relatively cheap. You want to get them now before something happens as you will have to pay three times the amount if something were to happen to the running back in front of them. Even if you are a team that is rebuilding, these players’ values could change on any given play. The Leonard Fournette owner might be willing to pay twice the amount for Ryquell Armstead if Fournette were to go down before your trade deadline.
These players are great dynasty targets over having a bench full of 6th or 7th WRs. Even if you do not have the other half of the handcuff, you should still target some of these handcuffs. These handcuffs provide you insurance if your top guy goes down and even better if you end up keeping them away from your playoff opponent in the event they needed him.
Devin Singletary – Buffalo Bills
Devin Singletary has missed a lot of time due to injury, and this may have bought you enough time to buy. Singletary has been extremely efficient averaging 8.6 yards a carry and 7.9 yards a catch this year. He is still behind Frank Gore and will likely have to wait until next year to get the full backfield to himself. As he gets more involved and continues to produce, his price will increase.
Singletary is a dynasty trade target that not only could hold stand-alone value, but he could see a massive increase in value if he were to take over the lead role. Also, if Gore were to go down due to injury, we could see his stock skyrocket. Singletary brings both short and long term value; he is one of my favorite targets right now. Dynasty Trade Calculator values him as a late 1st or early 2nd.
Kerryon Johnson – Detroit Lions
Kerryon Johnson could be an easy buy low right now as teams making a run for the playoffs will be scrambling for healthy players. If you are packing it in for 2020, he is a great option, and you could easily trade-off a veteran like Mark Ingram for Kerryon Johnson.
If the Kerryon Johnson owner is looking to collect picks, you might be able to wave a few picks at them for Kerryon to stash for next year. Dynasty Trade Calculator currently values Kerryon Johnson as a mid 1st round pick. I don’t know if I would pay that much with all of the unknowns of an offseason. But, if you could get Kerryon for a late 1st or cheaper, I would stash him.
Wide Receivers
Rookie wide receivers
Rookie wide receivers can be extremely frustrating as rookie receivers rarely produce year one, which makes them excellent dynasty trade targets. Team owners can be very impatient, and when they are looking to put the final touches on the roster, you can get them to throw in players like Parris Campbell, Preston Williams, or Diontae Johnson in to sweeten the deal. Trading veteran players for young players and picks are how you build a dynasty. Getting them both together will help you build twice as fast. Most rookies that were drafted in the 1st round this year are now valued as 2nd round picks by dynasty trade calculator.
Calvin Ridley – Atlanta Falcons
Calvin Ridley saw an increase in his value when Mohamed Sanu was traded, only to struggle this week. Matt Ryan was out this week, and Ridley left the game early due to injury. Ridley is a player that has immense upside, scoring 10 touchdowns as a rookie. Ridley has already had multiple games with 2 or more touchdowns. He will be a viable option this year, and all signs continue to point towards the Falcons passing attack being something you want to buy. Matt Schaub threw for over 400 yards last week.
The Falcons’ defense is horrible, and this correlates to a massive reliance on their passing attack. Moving forward, Ridley will be in line for an increased role, and if Julio Jones were ever to miss time, Ridley would be the only show in town. Ridley is the future #1 option in Atlanta who could breakout year 3. Ridley’s current value on the dynasty trade calculator as a mid 1st in 2020.
Veteran wide receivers
Teams that are looking to collect picks will sell off veteran wide receivers. Don’t be afraid to part ways with late-round picks. Grab a veteran like Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, or DeSean Jackson for your WR3 spot or flex position. DeSean Jackson is a big-play threat and a much-needed passing option in a struggling Philadelphia Eagle passing offense. Golden Tate is seeing at least 8 targets a game and has a fantastic playoff schedule, and Emmanuel Sanders is the defacto number 1 for the San Francisco 49ers. Dynasty Trade Calculator values all of these players for a mid-late 2nd round pick.
Tight Ends
Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert is already starting to break out and steal touches from one of the top tight ends in fantasy football. He might be someone you will have to pay for, and it will be worth it. If the team moves on from Ertz or he got hurt, he will automatically be a top 5 tight end. Ertz has an extensive injury history and is far more expensive than Goedert. Tight ends are a wasteland and a lineup nightmare each week if you don’t have one of the top guys. Goedert has the potential to be a top guy, and right now, he even has value as the number 2 option. Dynasty Trade Calculator currently values Goedert as a mid 2nd round pick, yet you will likely have to pay more.
Evan Engram – New York Giants
Evan Engram has seen an increase in target share with the trading away of Odell Beckham Jr. Engram has had a consistent target share and leads the team in air yards for the season. All of these are success indicators, and we have seen plenty of success this year. Engram is worth a late 1st round pick and could be the final piece to a championship roster. Engram is one of my favorite dynasty trade targets right now, even though you will have to pay for him. Engram is a vital piece of that offense, and that defense is so bad that he should be viable every week.
T.J. Hockenson – Detroit Lions
T.J. Hockenson burst on to the scene Week 1 with a dominant performance, but he has yet to produce top 10 numbers since. This is typical for rookie tight ends as they take more time to develop. The average breakout year for tight ends is year 3, and you might have to continue to wait even for a top prospect like Hockenson. The current value on the dynasty trade calculator is a late 1st round pick. If you can get Hockenson for a cheap veteran tight end or an early 1st, he is worth the stash.
David Heilman is a writer and director of fantasy football content for Pro Football Network. You can follow him at @DynastyDorks on Twitter.