With the 2020 fantasy football season either coming to an end or doing so this week, we transition to a dynasty mindset by looking at some trade targets for the 2021 season. Here are some players that you should try to get on your roster who could have bounce-back seasons next year.

Top dynasty trade targets for 2021

Carson Wentz

Targeting quarterbacks right now should be more geared towards Superflex leagues, and this is especially true with Wentz since we don’t know for sure if he will be back in Philadelphia or if he will be an opening day starter. If Wentz is with the Philadelphia Eagles next year, you have to think that Jalen Hurts is the leader in the clubhouse to being Philadelphia’s starting quarterback.

But while it might not be extremely salary cap friendly, there is still an excellent chance that Wentz moves this offseason. There isn’t a team in a tighter situation financially next year than the Eagles, and we know that the NFL’s salary cap has a strong chance of going down next year or, at best, staying the same.

Even if they have to eat a chunk of Wentz’s money, moving him (while presumably adding a draft pick) could make financial sense to the Eagles.

And Wentz has said that he isn’t interested in being a backup. Wentz was a bad player this year as Philadelphia’s starter. There is just no way around that. He has fallen into far too many bad habits. But there is also no way around the fact that his supporting cast, especially the Eagles offensive line, was also extremely poor.

Can Carson Wentz bounce back in 2021?

If you remember, during the second half of last year, Wentz played well without much help from his teammates. So it isn’t like he needs his situation to be perfect and pristine. And, of course, we know that this is a player that has played at an extremely high level for extended stretches during his career. This is what gives me hope — that he can be one of the top dynasty trade targets in 2021.

Surely plenty of teams (maybe the Colts or Patriots?) would love to buy low on a reclamation project with Wentz’s upside at the most valuable position on the field.

Since winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles have a losing record. Wentz has a responsibility in that without question, but the point is that Philadelphia has not been a model organization since hosting the Lombardi Trophy. Maybe a change of scenery and getting back to basics is exactly what Wentz needs. There isn’t a better buy-low player in the league right now for the real world or for fantasy reasons. And you can get Wentz cheap — just like his next NFL team.

Which running backs should you be targeting this offseason?

2021 Dynasty Trade Targets | Cam Akers, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift, and Jonathan Taylor

The same things apply to all four of these extremely talented rookie running backs. It took these guys awhile to get going at the NFL level. Maybe the lack of a normal training camp and zero preseason games are to blame. Maybe it took time before their respective coaching staffs trusted these rookie backs in pass protection.

Whatever the reason, Akers, Dobbins, Swift, and Taylor all started slow and below expectations. But lately, we have seen what these four are capable of — and it is tremendous. All four have pretty much taken over their backfields now, and don’t be surprised if all four of these running backs are easy first-round redraft selections in 2022.

In fact, the offseason hype is sure to grow with this group and you might need to use a first-round redraft pick in 2021 to make sure you land them. Remember, this upcoming rookie class isn’t flush with running backs so you might not have as many young options at this position as in recent years. So jump all over these four before their price tag makes them far too difficult to acquire.

Antonio Gibson is another that barely missed this grouping, but he doesn’t have as much upside as Akers, Dobbins, Swift, or Taylor. He is probably a little cheaper right now than those four, but he is absolutely someone to target in the same vein as well.

Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon

One of the more intriguing dynasty trade targets for 2021 is Joe Mixon. Mixon is on a lot of dynasty owner’s naughty list right now.

After appearing in just six games this year and rushing for 428 yards with 138 receiving yards and four total touchdowns, many of Mixon’s owners are down on him, and he can be had at a good price in the trade market. In terms of just pure talent, few running backs in the league are on Mixon’s level. He really has it all, including excellent abilities as a receiver.

Mixon is only 24 years old and the Bengals gave him big money this past offseason. Cincinnati is invested in him and you should be too. Better yet, the Bengals are unlikely to address the running back position this offseason, especially with Samaje Perine and Trayveon Williams showing promise late in the year.

Unlike most rookie quarterbacks, Joe Burrow showed the ability this year to make those around him better. That is rare. And even with Burrow’s injury situation, we should only expect last year’s first overall pick to get better going forward. Plus, Cincinnati’s top priority on offense absolutely must be improving their offensive line, which actually has improved a bit throughout the year even without Jonah Williams of late.

Williams will return next year, and maybe Cincinnati can sign a veteran interior lineman and draft a great tackle prospect like Penei Sewell. Any way you cut it, Mixon’s blocking should noticeably improve next year, and he is paired with a promising quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Top WR dynasty trade targets for 2021

D.J. Chark

Another one of our dynasty trade targets for 2021 is D.J. Chark. Chark might have been the most frustrating player in fantasy football this year. But don’t forget what he showed us in 2019, and Jacksonville did target him heavily this year — no matter who was at quarterback.

Chark was targeted 94 times in 13 games after seeing 118 passes thrown his way in 15 games last year. He is much more than just a linear deep threat and showed last year that he can pretty much run the entire route tree. Chark is capable of both volume as well as explosive game-changing plays.

But the key here obviously — especially for dynasty reasons — is Trevor Lawrence. Assuming Lawrence declares for the 2021 NFL Draft, the elite quarterback prospect is going to be with the Jacksonville Jaguars. And you want every piece of that action going forward. Plus, even though Jacksonville has a wealth of offseason resources, you have to think much of that will go to the defensive side of the ball rather than as competition for Chark.

He might cost a little more than Laviska Shenault, but maybe not as much as you might imagine after the season Chark just had and the promise Shenault has shown. But all the same, things apply to Shenault playing with Lawrence. So, Shenault is a guy to target as well. Get in on the ground floor of Jacksonville’s passing game before everyone catches on to what this might become.

Honorable Mentions

QB: Joe Burrow
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Myles Gaskin
WR: Bryan Edwards, Tee Higgins, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Courtland Sutton
TE: Noah Fant, Irv Smith

Top dynasty trade targets for 2021 fantasy offseason