Assessing market value and exploiting it within your dynasty league is paramount to your long-term success in every league, but it’s much easier said than done. It’s a risky proposition any time you move off of a proven commodity in exchange for younger players and draft picks. Still, it’s also something that can infuse your roster with multiple fantasy-relevant players if you can time it correctly.
Think back to last year and consider what it would have taken to acquire Cooper Kupp in your dynasty league. He was consistently valued as a top-five option at the wide receiver position in dynasty circles, and now following an injury-marred 2022 and a disappointing season overall for the Rams, he can be acquired for far less both on the trade market and in startup drafts.
You run the risk of mistiming the market, and the player you’re trading away ends up remaining productive for years to come, but more often than not, the reward can outweigh the potential risk assuming you get the right pieces in return. Here are three veterans to consider trading away in dynasty leagues this offseason.
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Dynasty Fantasy Football Veterans to Trade Away
Here are a handful of veterans to consider trading away this offseason.
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
Since being traded to the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2020 season, Stefon Diggs has been an absolute stud both in real-world terms and for fantasy football. Diggs has averaged 1,396 receiving yards in those three seasons, just over nine receiving touchdowns and 112 catches per season. He’s undoubtedly still a great player and figures to be a massive part of the Bills’ passing attack after signing a four-year extension just one season ago. Still, it’s also rational to be cautious of a potential decline in statistics looming.
Since the 2010 season, there have only been six players who have recorded more than 1,200 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns, and 100 receptions in a single season: Roddy White in 2011, Wes Welker in 2011, Larry Fitzgerald in 2015, Brandon Marshall in 2015, Antonio Brown in 2018, and Davante Adams last season in 2022.
Despite his age, Diggs is fairly consistently valued as a low-end WR1 in dynasty leagues or a high-end WR2. If there’s potential to get younger at the position while accumulating future draft capital, it’s a move worth considering.
Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
2022 saw Joe Mixon finish as an RB1 once again despite only piling up 814 yards on the ground. He signed a contract extension with the Bengals back in 2020 but has reached the point of the contract where the Bengals could potentially look to move on.
If the Bengals opt to move on from Mixon, he will carry a $5.5 million dead cap hit in 2023. The team has a ton of looming contract decisions they will face in the not-so-distant future, including Joe Burrow’s extension and the wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. They could realistically save themselves some money by moving on from Mixon and reallocating those funds to some of the extensions they’re likely to hand out sooner rather than later.
Mixon could still enjoy success in 2023 if he remains on the Bengals, thanks to their high-powered offense and the receiving work he’s been able to handle for them over the years, but it’s hard to pencil in that same level of production for another team. With the 2023 rookie class boasting solid running back depth, fantasy managers may be able to flip Mixon for valuable draft capital and potentially add a depth piece in the process. Trading away an aging, second-contract running back for draft picks in a class that could feature a large number of running backs selected on the first two days of the NFL Draft is an intelligent decision for rosters teetering closer to rebuilding status than contender status.
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
This is a qualifying statement: you should not be in any rush to trade away Tyreek Hill for the sake of moving him. He just enjoyed one of the two best fantasy seasons in his entire career, quickly answering the questions of if he would still be the same explosive player he was in the Chiefs’ offense. Still, it’s fair to consider – will he realistically post a better season with the Dolphins than the one he just had, and is the last chance to sell high on him?
Whether we like it or not, questions will surround whether Tua Tagovailoa can remain healthy enough to be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. Hill shares targets with one of the league’s premier young wide receivers, Jaylen Waddle. That’s not to suggest Waddle will overtake Hill in 2023 regarding target share, but enough variables exist to question whether or not Hill can repeat the huge numbers he posted in 2022.
Contending teams should not be looking to move off of Hill for anything less than a gross overpay. Realistically, rebuilding teams should not be looking to move him for anything less than multiple first-round draft picks or a combination of early draft capital and high-level young talent.
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