The dynasty fantasy football trade market always needs a price check around the end of a regular season. Young, productive WRs are among the most valuable dynasty assets a manager can possess, but the decision of whether or not to buy, sell, or hold these players can dramatically impact the destiny of your dynasty roster for years to come.
What should dynasty managers do with players like Justin Jefferson, DK Metcalf, and Jahan Dotson heading into the 2024 offseason? Let’s take a closer look.
Should You Trade Justin Jefferson in Dynasty?
Depending on who you ask, Jefferson is considered an untouchable dynasty asset for many fantasy managers. Quite frankly, it is very reasonable to understand why when you look at Jefferson’s production up to this point of his young NFL career.
No player in NFL history has more receiving yards than Jefferson before the age of 25, with 5,707 through his first 59 games. He is an exceptional talent who is on a Hall of Fame trajectory through the first four seasons.
One could certainly make a compelling argument for Jefferson being the most valuable asset in all of dynasty fantasy football, which is why you should always consider your options and realistically ask yourself where the state of your franchise currently resides before you contemplate any trade offers.
Are you a contender, middle of a road team, or amid a rebuild?
If you are a contender or middle-of-the-road team, then it would likely take a king’s ransom to pry Jefferson away from you.
However, if you are in a rebuild, then selling Jefferson is the key component to accelerating your rebuild. I would immediately begin trying to start a bidding war in your league by making it known Jefferson is available and sells to the highest bidder for picks, players, or a combination of both.
As great as Jefferson is, no player stays atop the dynasty rankings board forever. Cashing in when he is at the peak of his value ensures you get a boatload of assets in return that can help a struggling team rebuild immediately.
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Remember when Odell Beckham Jr. looked like a surefire Hall of Fame player through his first three NFL seasons with the New York Giants? Things can change very quickly, even for the most talented and productive players we’ve ever seen take the field.
Jefferson is still a hold for me in most circumstances, but don’t do yourself a disservice by refusing to listen to offers.
Final Verdict: Hold
Should You Trade DK Metcalf in Dynasty?
Metcalf will be concluding the fifth year of his NFL career very soon and could find himself finishing the season with a fourth straight top-20 fantasy finish at the WR position with a quality outing this weekend.
Metcalf has blossomed into a consistent vertical playmaker with five straight seasons with 900+ receiving yards and 6+ TDs in an offense that has constantly had Tyler Lockett stealing away a significant amount of targets regularly.
The range of outcomes here is a little tricky because much of his future outlook could be tied to whether or not the organization decides to keep Lockett around moving forward.
The team’s selection of talented rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has capped the ceiling of all three players, but Lockett is the oldest of the trio at 31 years old and is estimated to have a cap hit of $26.7 million next season.
The drop in numbers and competition for targets likely have many dynasty managers undervaluing Metcalf at the moment, which makes me want to capitalize on one of the higher fantasy floors we’ve seen in the last four seasons.
Metcalf isn’t a great buy for every dynasty manager, but if you are a contending team that wants a productive WR at a reasonable price, Metcalf is a great player to target.
Final Verdict: Buy
Should You Trade Jahan Dotson in Dynasty?
Talented players whose production doesn’t come anywhere near their perceived value through the first two seasons of their career are players you need to be very real with yourself about and weigh your options.
Dotson is far from a terrible player and could be very successful in the right situation. However, his 47 receptions for 501 yards with four scores this season in one of the league’s most pass-happy offenses should have dynasty managers pretty concerned.
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The Washington Commanders are likely about to clean house this offseason, which means a new coaching staff and/or new general manager could be far less emotionally invested in Dotson’s development if they want to take the team in a different direction.
In addition, the quarterback position could once again become problematic for the team, with Sam Howell destroying his chances at being the starting quarterback for next year with a catastrophic finish over the last month of the season.
Sure, an optimist will be quick to point out that all these changes could help Dotson, but I’d rather go off of what we’ve seen from him over the previous two campaigns rather than stick to his perceived value.
I believe some Elijah Moore vibes are going on here with Dotson. He is a talented player who has flashed plenty of playmaking ability through the early years of his career, but he is a clear-cut second option behind Terry McLaurin in his offense and has a very unclear/unstable situation at the moment.
If you can sell Dotson for a future first or multiple seconds right now, then I would strongly consider cashing out. Sure, don’t hit the panic button on him and trade him for nothing, but the red flags for Dotson are certainly there, which means I would prefer to sell him off of my squad.
Final Verdict: Sell
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
