Tera Roberts | Mon, Feb 26th 2024, 6:21am EST

3 Dynasty Players to Trade Before NFL Free Agency (2024 Fantasy Football)

It’s time to look at your dynasty roster and make tough decisions on trading away key players whose value could plummet in free agency. Consider not only the free agents themselves but also players in undefined roles who could be supplanted by an incoming free agent. Prepare the trade packages if you roster any of these three players.

Dynasty Players to Trade Away

Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)

Tony Pollard’s role as the lead back for the Cowboys just flat out didn’t work. The Cowboys provided ample opportunities for success but Pollard was ineffective and inefficient. In 2023, Pollard had the second-most attempts inside the 20 at running back behind only Christian McCaffrey. Of the five running backs that had more than 50 carries inside the 20, Pollard had the fewest touchdowns (4). The next fewest was Joe Mixon at eight.

Inside the five-yard line, Pollard recorded 16 attempts — those attempts resulted in just two touchdowns. In contrast, Kyren Williams and David Montgomery had 17 carries inside the five that resulted in nine and eight touchdowns, respectively. Pollard’s 2023 struggles could’ve been post-injury related. However, three-down back workload might simply be unsustainable for Pollard.

Pollard began the season strong, averaging just over 20 carries per game and a total of 264 rushing yards. Pollard failed to exceed 80 rushing yards in a single game for the remainder of the season and had a career-worst average yards per carry. It’s possible Pollard remains in Dallas but the Cowboys would likely bring in an additional back to push a committee. The most likely scenario is that Pollard hits free agency and finds a committee/third-down back role. With such a deep free agency, there’s a wide range of outcomes and Pollard should see a value decrease.

Baker Mayfield (QB – TB)

After playing for three teams in 2021-2022, Baker Mayfield found a home in Tampa Bay, where he had a career year with highs in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Mayfield became the latest beneficiary of the “Dave Canales Center for Quarterbacks Who Can’t Quarterback Good”. With Canales moving on to the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield could see the same rebound in performance Geno Smith saw in 2023. Smith went from a career year finishing as the overall QB5 to a giant dip to production and a QB19 finish — and that was with Seattle’s weapons remaining intact.

Mayfield could, if he returns to Tampa, be without his WR1 in Mike Evans. The Bucs and Evans are reportedly far apart on a potential deal as Evans heads towards free agency. You could risk it and hope both Mayfield and Evans remain in Tampa. Even with the exit of Canales, Mayfield would be a solid QB2 with such a strong supporting cast and is relatively young.

Additionally, the Bucs’ new offensive coordinator — Liam Coen — spent time under Sean McVay, so the new-look Bucs offense could continue trending in a positive direction. There’s a great deal of risk, though, and Mayfield’s value is at its peak. If you can find a suitable trade partner, sell high on Mayfield.

Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)

All eyes are on Kirk Cousins and whether he remains with the Vikings or hits free agency. However, keen fantasy managers should keep an eye on the running back situation. After sitting behind Alexander Mattison for the majority of the 2023 season, Ty Chandler forced a committee and outplayed Mattison to earn the starting role. From Weeks 14 through 18, Chandler played more than 50% of snaps and was the RB22 overall, averaging 12 fantasy points per game in PPR. His production wasn’t overwhelming but he showed upside and three-down back capabilities, including a 24-fantasy point performance against Cincinnati — 23 carries for 132 yards, one rushing touchdown and three receptions for 25 yards.

However, the 2024 free agency class has a wide range of available options at running. If the Vikings retain Cousins, they could make a cheap but effective addition at running back and use a committee if they’re unsure of Chandler’s durability. If they move on from Cousins and trade up for a rookie quarterback, they could spend up at running back and bring in a more proven asset.

Chandler could be an RB1 in 2024 and a bargain for fantasy managers who hold him. He could also fade into obscurity in a true lead back role — much like Mattison — and lose any value he gained. Any movement in free agency for the Vikings, even something as minimal as the addition of a bigger running back like AJ Dillon, would affect Chandler’s value. Sell now.

Dynasty Trade Value Chart & Advice

Whether it’s a dynasty startup draft or your rookie draft, we have you covered. Our team of fantasy football analysts includes Derek Brown, Pat Fitzmaurice, and Andrew Erickson. And Fitz and Scott Bogman will have you covered every week through the offseason with our Dynasty Football Podcast. They’ve all collaborated to provide our dynasty trade value chart. This is a dynamic chart created using a consensus of the analysts’ dynasty rankings.

For more from Tera, check out her archive and follow him @ItsTeraTime.

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