With the 2023 fantasy football season ending this week, it’s time to shift our focus to dynasty. Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandin Cooks have all had very different seasons, causing shifts in their dynasty values. How should fantasy managers treat these players going forward?
Should You Trade Tony Pollard in Dynasty?
Pollard’s dynasty value was at an all-time high entering this season. He was coming off yet another extremely efficient year and was locked into the lead-back role for one of the best offenses in football with Ezekiel Elliott gone. Unfortunately, the 2023 NFL season did not go as planned.
Pollard was a borderline first-round pick in redraft leagues. Yet, he was nothing more than a middling RB2, at best. His efficiency plummeted, and he scored just five touchdowns all fantasy season, none through the air.
While Pollard is far from nearing the end of his career and doesn’t have the tread of the typical running back, he is now 27 years old. From a macro standpoint, he’s at the point at which fantasy managers should be looking to move on.
The problem for fantasy managers is Pollard’s value now has plummeted relative to where it was when the season began. His inability to thrive in the lead role has him as a sell, but it’s going to be tough to get any value for him in return. As a result, I think fantasy managers have no choice but to hold and hope he rebounds in 2024.
Final Verdict: Hold
Should You Trade CeeDee Lamb in Dynasty?
While Pollard’s value took a hit, Lamb’s went in the complete opposite direction. The standout WR has improved every year of his career. But in 2023, he reached his final form. And in his final game of the fantasy season, when managers needed him most, he delivered in spades.
Against the Detroit Lions on national television, Lamb caught 13 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. One game should not have any real impact on a player’s dynasty value, but this one will.
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Lamb is not going to jump Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, but he should be viewed as the overall WR3 in dynasty going forward. With the Cowboys a pass-first offense, there’s no reason to think he can’t continue to be a 20-points-per-game wide receiver for the next half-decade.
Fantasy managers with Lamb should only be selling if they are getting a king’s ransom. And if you can buy Lamb for anything reasonable, go ahead and do it.
Final Verdict: Hold/Buy
Should You Trade Brandin Cooks in Dynasty?
After looking completely out of sorts last season, Brandin Cooks started the season looking like a faltering asset. He failed to reach 7.0 fantasy points in any of the first five weeks of the season.
Since then, though, Cooks has been pretty useful. Including Saturday night, the veteran WR reached 15 fantasy points in six games this season. Of course, he still had plenty of duds — he’s not the guy he used to be. But Cooks definitely still has some juice left.
With that said, Cooks recently turned 30 years old. He will be 31 next season. It’s difficult to imagine him getting any better at this stage of his career. What he did this season feels like the best we’re going to get.
There’s definitely a case to buy Cooks if you can get him for something like a 2024 third-rounder or minimal assets. But he’s definitely more on the sell side.
The Cowboys very well may draft a wide receiver. They also may bring in someone else, as Michael Gallup and Jalen Tolbert aren’t really getting the job done. Given that Cooks could see his value take a significant hit if you can get a second-rounder or better for him, I would look to move on.
Final Verdict: Sell
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