Most fantasy footballers are in the winter slumber, but for those of us who play in Dynasty formats, now is the time to be wheeling and dealing to upgrade our rosters. Today I am giving you five players who I would be actively looking to get on my team this offseason. Two of them are veteran running backs coming off an injury, which can be a tough cocktail to swallow but considering they are probably at their lowest value, it’s worth kicking the tires.
I also have three players who I believe are on the verge of a breakout. Two of which are young receivers who could be stepping into much larger roles in pass-happy offenses. One of them will likely cost just a 4th Round rookie pick or less to acquire.
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Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR)
McCaffrey is probably at his floor in terms of dynasty value. Injuries the past two years have led to him playing just 10 games, but that might be a good thing. McCaffrey had an insane workload in his first three seasons, amassing 836 total touches for the Panthers. As we have come to realize, the running back position is the most brutal in football, so the shelf life of a true workhorse is short. However, McCaffrey’s injuries are not necessarily a product of his usage, so he should be viewed as a prime bounce-back candidate moving forward. You will probably need to move a 1st round rookie pick-plus to get him, but that’s a bargain given his price just a year ago. He’s still just 25, so there is a chance to get a top-3 running back at a discount.
Barkley came back from a torn ACL in 2021, but had his worst season, finishing with just 756 total yards. Dynasty managers will be looking to get out from under him this offseason, which presents a great opportunity to target him in a trade. Barkley is only 24 and the Giants facing a change in coaching staff should only be viewed as a positive thing. Some people question Barkley’s burst, especially later in the season, but there are reasons for optimism. Barkley never did look right this year, which makes sense being just a year removed from a major injury. As he gets further along in his progression from the injury, he should get back to his old form. While there is always the risk, that won’t be the case, as I believe we can safely project him to be much better than the RB29 next season. The Giants were a hot mess offensively — especially after Daniel Jones (QB – NYG) went down — which contributed to Barkley having a bad season as well. Improving on his 3.7 yards per carry shouldn’t be hard and, with the right staff, he should have more red zone opportunities as well. Going after him now gives you the chance to get a top-10 running back for less than a 1st round rookie pick.
It’s no secret I am a big fan of Carter and he should be at the top of your dynasty running back target list. He finished with almost 1,000 total yards this season despite missing four games. He wasn’t even overly involved in the offense until Week 7, but from there he had a four-game stretch where he was an RB1 in PPR leagues. That’s a limited sample size, but with Tevin Coleman being dusty (and expendable) and only Ty Johnson to compete with for touches, Carter is my favorite running back breakout candidate of 2022.
Palmer might be a surprising name here but there is a lot to like. For starters, Mike Williams (WR – FA) is a free agent and could depart this offseason. That will open up around 130 targets in the Chargers offense. Palmer has good size (6’1, 210) and could step into Williams’ role on the outside of the formation for the Chargers. Los Angeles was the third most pass-heavy offense in the NFL this season, and with Justin Herbert (QB – LAC) set to enter his third year, the Chargers will look for that to continue. Opportunity is king in the NFL and Palmer flashed with 28 targets in his last eight games this season as well. He’s got some draft capital (2021 3rd Round pick) too, which means the Chargers will likely give him an opportunity to start next year. Invest now before the price goes way up.
The obvious caveat of recommending any Tampa Bay offensive piece is the question of who will be under center in 2022. Tampa Bay had the most pass-happy offense in football this season, and for Johnson, the opportunity to ascend in the Buccaneers depth chart looks like it might be coming. With Antonio Brown (WR – FA) off in space and Chris Godwin (WR – FA) a free agent, there are 190 targets about to come open. Enter Johnson, who had 16 targets in three games after Brown departed the game in New York. His 55 targets this year ranked 84th among receivers, so it isn’t hard to envision a scenario where he improves greatly upon that number next year. He can be acquired for next to nothing right now in dynasty leagues and is the type of player you want on the back end of your roster.
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Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.
