Stashing players is a tradition as old as time in dynasty fantasy football. Picking the right guys is always the hardest part. It’s often difficult to cut players you have faith in, or trade players away that you stashed last year, but sometimes you just need to change the mojo. I love churning the last spot on my roster every few weeks based on new information. Here are some guys I’m stashing or buying depending on the league I’m in, and some ideas of what I’m willing to lose in exchange.
It’s entirely possible that Willis went in the late first or early second round of your superflex rookie drafts this offseason. It’s also entirely possible that whoever drafted him is ready to abort mission now that actual points matter more than the potential upside. I doubt a future second-round pick would get it done, but I’d be fine sending two seconds, or a player and a second, to get on the Willis ride myself.
Ryan Tannehill isn’t going to be the Titans QB forever, and Willis hasn’t looked terrible in his short time under center so far this year. Ultimately I like Willis’ talent to eventually get a chance to shine and add value to your roster when it does. That being said, in 1QB leagues, I’m probably holding off a little longer on adding him unless you roster more than 30 players per team.
White is definitely a deeper stash but he’s likely rostered in most leagues already too. Josh Jacobs hasn’t looked terrible but he hasn’t wowed either. Heck, the entire Raiders’ offense has looked pretty boring in general. However, I think White is the real deal and will see the field this season, either because Jacobs is injured or because the team has nothing left to play for and wants to see what they have in him. Best to acquire him before that happens.
I don’t know whether or not White will be the starter next year just yet, but I bet you could get him for a 2023 third-round rookie pick in some leagues. He’s worth at least that to me. I might even be willing to send another player from my bench in a one-for-one trade if my trade partner has eyes for someone I’m not fond of. Don’t risk much to see what the reward is, but see what the price is if he’s not on your waivers.
A deeper stash option is the RB3 for the Bengals: Chris Evans. Joe Mixon isn’t going anywhere, and Samaje Perine is the clear backup this year, but next year I think they let Perine walk and move Evans up the depth chart. If you’re contending and don’t have anyone to drop then I would recommend you hold, but if you’re rebuilding or want to take a risk on a deeper flier then you could do worse than Evans. He might even get some carries this year if Mixon gets hurt, which has happened a few times in Mixon’s history. Better to have Evans on your roster and not need to use him than to need him and not have him, right?
Patrick is 29 and out with an ACL tear, neither of which is ideal for dynasty or winning fantasy titles. However, he’s also really talented and could be a breath of fresh air for this Broncos’ offense next year. He’s likely filling an IR slot on someone’s team right now, but depending on their roster they might need that spot and be willing to move Patrick for a 2023 3rd or something similar. He’s far from a certain thing, but I’m fine adding risk like Patrick to most of my rosters with at least 30 players on them. If you don’t have IR slots then that could change things, but I truly do think he’s worth a stash as of now.
Philips is a fun one. He started out hot this season, catching 6 of 9 targets for 66 yards in Week 1. This officially put his name on the radar for fantasy, at least in dynasty circles. Then he caught his lone target for 5 yards in Week 2. He also lost a fumble in Week 1 and 2 before missing Week 3 with a shoulder injury. I’ve seen enough though, myself. I think he’s a perfect player to ride my bench regardless of my team’s status. Fumbles are fluky and one occurred on special teams. It sure looks as though the team likes him enough for me to send a late-round rookie pick in a trade and see how it goes. If he’s on waivers and you have an empty spot he’s easily worth a stash as well.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette (WR – CHI)
The Bears are another ugly team through three weeks, but those are the kinds of teams that can provide some discounts. QB Justin Fields has only attempted 45 passes on the year, a 15 attempt per game average. This is not ideal, but it’s also not going to stay the same. The Bears signed N’Keal Harry who went to IR almost immediately and they just moved Byron Pringle to IR as well. This leaves Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown as the top two options. Someone’s gotta be third. Why not Smith-Marsette? I’d drop a bench running back for him in a heartbeat on rebuilding teams where I don’t want points this year. I mean, you never know, right?
I’ll admit, I have way too much Adam Trautman on my own dynasty rosters. I thought he’d get a chance to shine this year, and honestly, I still do. The Saints’ offense has been a little hard to pin down so far, and now that Jameis Winston is hurt, maybe a changing of the guard could lead to Trautman finally getting some targets. He’s basically free in most leagues, but in tight end premium leagues, he’s likely rostered due to his upside and young age. I’d prefer Trautman to Harrison Bryant, Cj Uzomah and Brevin Jordan in dynasty – all of whom are being ranked around Trautman according to current ECR. If he does eventually break out his price will go up, and even if it’s temporary, I’d rather use my last roster spot for guys like Trautman that have a solid upside.
This is easily the deepest stash in the entire article. I think I have Calcaterra on one taxi squad in a league where we have 45 roster spots, but that’s it. He’s available pretty much everywhere, and with the way that the Eagles’ offense is humming it’s entirely possible that he sees the field more down the stretch. Injuries could always happen, players could get tired and need a break, or the offense could be so far ahead in games that they play their backups. All of this bodes well for Calcaterra to me.
I doubt Calcaterra gets a real chance this year, and Dallas Goedert is signed through 2025, but maybe they trade or cut him and let him find a home elsewhere. You never know! If you’re in a deep league with a tight end premium scoring, I’d much rather have Calcaterra than RBs like Boston Scott or Ameer Abdullah, both of whom are rostered in way more leagues than they should be right now. If I’m stashing someone, I want upside, and that’s all Calcaterra to me.
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Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, follow him @AndrewHallFF.
