Los Angeles Rams RB Kyren Williams, Green Bay Packers RB AJ Dillon, and Baltimore Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell are coming off seasons with very different levels of production. How should fantasy football managers handle these players going forward?
Should You Trade Kyren Williams in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
If the only thing we cared about was Williams’ production, he would easily be a top-five dynasty running back. He just amassed 1,350 total yards in 12 games, while scoring 15 touchdowns. He averaged 21.3 fantasy points per game, finishing as the overall RB2.
Williams did this in his second NFL season. Yet, the only reason the fantasy community isn’t fully sold on him is because he came out of nowhere.
Williams was a true workhorse. He led the league in snap share at 84% and was fourth in opportunity share at 78.4%. Williams also had a solid passing-game role with a respectable 11.5% target share. He’s everything you want in a fantasy RB1.
While it’s easy to point to a system that has made the likes of C.J. Anderson and Sony Michel look like elite RB1s for stretches, Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman didn’t exactly light the world on fire when Williams was out. The fact that Williams immediately got his job back speaks volumes to what the team thinks about him.
Pointing to past successful Rams running backs helps Williams’ case. It also provides a cautionary tale.
Remember how good Anderson and Michel were for stretches? Where are they now? Did the Rams show them any allegiance? Therein lies the concern for dynasty managers.
History suggests Williams is a sell. He was a waiver wire pickup in redraft leagues in 2023. In 2024, he’s going to go in the first or second round. Those types of running backs rarely have sustained value.
If Williams maintains his status as an elite RB, he’ll be a massive outlier. He ran a 4.65 40-time, giving him a ninth-percentile speed score. He also has bottom-of-the-barrel burst and average agility. Nothing about his profile screams starting NFL running back.
Most of the comparables for Williams are going to be guys whose light shone bright but flamed out quickly. The ceiling outcome is, of course, Arian Foster.
There’s really no scenario where dynasty managers can make the correct decision next year. You need to decide now if you buy Williams or if you think he’s a flash in the pan.
History says you should look to trade Williams, but will other managers treat him like the elite RB1 he was in 2023? If you can’t get proper value, you might as well hold and hope he continues to produce at a high level.
Either way, Williams’ value will change after the 2024 season. If he does it again, at 24 years old, he’ll be valued as a top rb. If he falters, there’s a very real chance he has no dynasty value.
Final Verdict: Hold
Should You Trade AJ Dillon in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
For three years, I’ve been waiting for Dillon to overtake Aaron Jones as the Packers’ RB1. Sadly, after three years of being stationed at the Dillon Supporters Club, I am now abandoning my post.
The Packers selected Dillon in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. At that time, Jones was entering the final year of his rookie contract. After averaging 5.3 yards per carry as a rookie, the arrow was firmly pointing upwards on Dillon’s career. Jones was expected to leave, paving the way for Dillon to assume the RB1 role.
Instead, Jones signed a four-year extension, relegating Dillon to being the 1b in a timeshare. But that wasn’t all bad. Dillon could still carve out a fantasy-relevant role.
It is equal parts unfortunate and surprising that Dillon’s rookie year wound up being his most efficient. While he did average a passable 10.9 fantasy points per game as a sophomore, his yards per carry dropped to 4.3.
Dillon underwhelmed again in 2022 but had a bit of a hot streak later in the season, leading to some hope in 2023. Last year is when things really took a turn.
Even with Jones missing a chunk of the season due to a lingering hamstring strain, Dillon couldn’t even produce RB2 numbers. His ypc dropped for the third consecutive year — this time to 3.4. He saw a paltry 5.7% target share.
Dillon’s evaded tackles per touch rate was outside the top 50, and he had just three carries all season go for 15+ yards. Most concerning, he couldn’t even do the one thing he excelled at — score touchdowns. Dillon had just two all season.
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Before the 2022 season, I would’ve wanted to trade for Dillon. Last year, my confidence was rattled, but I was still cautiously optimistic. Now, the best endorsement I can offer is managers can hope that Dillon leaves Green Bay and is able to thrive somewhere else.
If you can get Dillon for cheap, then there’s no harm in taking the shot. He’s still just 26 years old. But the best course of action is probably to hope he signs somewhere favorable and use that as a way to trade him.
Final Verdict: Sell
Should You Trade Keaton Mitchell in Dynasty Fantasy Football?
Mitchell is way too athletic to have gone undrafted. I’ll never understand why a team didn’t consider him worth at least a late Day 3 dart throw.
Nevertheless, Mitchell latched on with the Ravens, a perfect spot as they lacked a clear RB1 with J.K. Dobbins having so many injury concerns, and Gus Edwards being a two-down grinder.
Mitchell came in with 4.37 speed, elite burst, and a solid receiving profile. Despite being injured for the early part of the season, he was able to return and still make an impact.
In his first game with meaningful touches, Mitchell ran for 138 yards. That doesn’t happen unless a player has talent.
Just as it was looking like Mitchell was on his way to taking over the Ravens’ backfield, he tore his ACL in Week 15. The “good news” (if you can call it that), is his injury was just an ACL tear. If you watch the replay (and I don’t suggest you do), it sure looked like it was far worse.
Mitchell may not be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 season, but he’ll be back at some point. At just 22 years old, there’s every reason to believe he can fully recover and regain his explosiveness.
At this point, it’s unclear what Baltimore plans to do with Dobbins and if he can ever regain his pre-injury form. He’s now suffered two very serious lower-body injuries. Edwards, meanwhile, will be 29 years old this season, and Justice Hill is just a role player.
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This very well could be Mitchell’s backfield as early as 2025. I wouldn’t necessarily trade for Mitchell coming off the knee injury unless the price is very cheap, but if you’ve got him, don’t trade him away, either.
Final Verdict: Hold