Chad Workman | Tue, Mar 26th 2024, 6:23am EDT

7 Dynasty Draft & Trade Targets for Contending Teams (2024 Fantasy Football)

We all love drafting the next great wave of rookies in dynasty teams and building with youth for long-term success. Not only is it difficult to locate and acquire talented rookies but it’s nearly impossible to fill out an entire roster from the fountain of youth and keep that team together for years. Injuries happen, circumstances change and some players will bust.

The most underrated aspect of dynasty, and one of my favorites, is scraping value out of veterans to help get you over the hump. While the players listed below are unlikely to be your contender’s MVP, it’s often an RB2, WR3 or Flex play that makes all the difference down the stretch. Here are some veterans who can make a difference for you.

Dynasty Vets to Target for Contenders

Derrick Henry (RB – BAL) & Marquise Brown (WR – KC)

I’m grouping these two and getting them out of the way first because they both fell into ideal landing spots and have become obvious buys for contenders. Derrick Henry joins an offense known for gashing defenses on the ground, while Hollywood Brown will pair up with the best quarterback in the game, desperate for a playmaking wide receiver. There’s not much analysis needed here, don’t overthink it.

Amari Cooper (WR – CLE)

Like a fine wine, Amari Cooper is getting better with age. Turning 30 this offseason, Cooper’s age-29 season was his best yet in terms of receiving yards with 1,250. The Pro Bowl receiver caught passes from four quarterbacks throughout the 2023 season. If that doesn’t highlight the inadequacy of the passers, Joe Flacco being the best of the bunch should do it. Cooper’s season was particularly special as he posted strong numbers with all four quarterbacks.

It’s become clear Deshaun Watson isn’t the same quarterback we saw in Houston and it’s fair to wonder how much Watson has left in his bag. One thing is clear, however, Watson prefers throwing the ball to Cooper over anybody else in the offense. The duo shared the field for five games in 2023, which included 39 targets going Cooper’s way, nearly eight per game. In the first three weeks of the season, they connected for 480 yards and two scores. Watson returned for Weeks 9 and 10 in which they linked up for 237 yards and a touchdown. Cooper posted an average of 14.8 half-PPR points in those five weeks, which would be good enough for WR6 on the season.

Over the course of the season, Cooper commanded 42.4% of the team’s air yards, fourth-most in the NFL, and ranked sixth in deep targets with 29. His 17.4 yards per reception were third-best in the league and show how efficient he still is. The addition of Jerry Jeudy could impact the perceived value of Cooper but the former is unlikely to impact the latter’s target share. If anything, it could help free Cooper up.

Currently going as the WR37 in dynasty startups, per Dynasty League Football, Cooper’s trade value is hovering around a late first or early second. I would send out a second-round pick without thinking twice and even add in a depth piece, if necessary, but Cooper is worth a late first.

James Conner (RB – ARI)

During his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was constantly lower than consensus on James Conner but that role has reversed throughout his time in the desert. Conner has become annually undervalued as a gritty, no-nonsense runner who lacks the flashy style we gravitate toward. Admittedly, Conner is on the wrong side of the age curve and is approaching the number of touches where we should begin to expect a decline. However, Conner does not rely on athleticism and the running back dip often comes from backs who were heavily utilized early in their careers and already declining in performance.

Make no mistake, this is a short-term buy, but a worthy one for contenders. Through three seasons with the Cardinals, Conner has averaged 14.5 rush attempts and nearly three receptions per game, catching 85% of the passes going his way. He’s also averaging just under 12 total touchdowns per season. Last season was Conner’s first time eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards as he finished at RB10 in half-PPR points per game (PPG). Of the running backs who played 13+ games, he was the RB7 and finished in the top 10 in many efficiency categories, such as true yards per carry, juke rate, evaded tackles and breakaway run rate.

The Cardinals could have moved on from Conner this offseason and saved about $5 million against the cap but they instead added very little to their running back room. They signed DeeJay Dallas to go with Emari Demercado and Michael Carter in depth roles. While they could still draft a running back, the team has other needs to address. With just one year left on his contract, it’s fair to assume the Cardinals will rely heavily on Conner once again.

Aaron Jones (RB – MIN)

“Honestly, I don’t even know who’s on their roster,” Aaron Jones said in his opening presser with the Minnesota Vikings. Honestly, Mr. Jones, I doubt that. Still, you don’t need to analyze the situation to sense some bitterness from Jones, and I can’t say I blame him. The Packers requested a pay cut from Jones, who had accepted a salary reduction last offseason, before releasing him and committing a whole lot of money to Josh Jacobs. Jones had plenty of suitors and I’m sure there are many reasons why he chose the Vikings but one is certainly the opportunity to face his former team twice a year.

Jones’ age is not reflected in his play but rather his hamstring and knee injuries, which limited him to 11 games last season. Are those isolated incidents or a sign of things to come? Jones played in all 17 games the year prior and hadn’t missed many games over the past few seasons. Jones was his usual self last season, notching 4.8 yards per attempt and 3.35 yards created after contact, the eighth- and sixth-best marks, respectively. He returned from injury in Week 15 to a shortened workload. From week 16 through the two playoff games, Jones cleared 100 rushing yards in all five games. His 4.5 true yards per carry were 15th-best in the league last year and his impact as a receiver has been instrumental to the Packers over the last few seasons. He posted 1.85 yards per route run last season, the second-highest among running backs, while notching 7.8 yards per reception, good for the 13th-best mark.

Jones has recorded over 200 carries in three of his seven seasons and has topped out at 236. Is it fair to expect a similar workload in Minnesota to Dalvin Cook‘s last season in purple? In 2022, Cook notched 264 carries to go with 56 targets. The Packers have always favored a rotation at running back but Jones has proven capable of playing the workhorse role and might get the opportunity to do it in Minnesota. Currently being drafted as the RB29 in dynasty startups, Jones is valued in the range of an early-to-mid-second round pick in rookie drafts. I would happily pay that price as a contender.

Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)

Hoping for improved quarterback play to support Terry McLaurin has become a rinse-and-repeat proposition every offseason. So much so that you may be ready to move on, as many dynasty managers are. That, combined with the Commanders’ high draft selection, is a perfect intersection to make McLaurin an intriguing buy right now.

Although we need quality quarterback play for McLaurin to be an elite fantasy option, many signs point to him becoming scary again with simply an adequate quarterback. There was optimism Sam Howell could provide enough of a ceiling for McLaurin to hit his but that wasn’t the case. Howell ranked 32nd in deep ball completion percentage (28.4%), an area in which McLaurin excels. The second-year quarterback was 27th in true passer rating (77.5) and 41st in catchable pass rate (71.6). McLaurin finished eighth in deep targets with 28. He was ninth among wide receivers in unrealized air yards with 848. His target accuracy was a lowly 6.6, good for 68th, while his target quality rating of 4.47 was 71st and his catchable target rate was 76th at 65.4%. Despite those challenges, McLaurin cleared 1,000 yards for the fourth season in a row, with his 14-game rookie year standing as the lone season in which he fell short, finishing with 919 yards.

McLaurin played 9:05 fourth-quarter minutes without Sam Howell this past season, posting three grabs, 93 yards and one touchdown on four targets. It’s not as if Jacoby Brissett was an upgrade over Howell but it highlights the latter’s struggles of holding on to the ball too long and his inaccuracies downfield. I’d prefer McLaurin teams up with Drake Maye, any of the top rookie quarterbacks should provide a boost.

Christian Kirk (WR – JAX)

I struggle to find a larger delta between a player’s projection and where they are being drafted than what we are seeing with Christian Kirk. Perhaps that changes now that Calvin Ridley is a Titan but Kirk is currently being drafted as the WR43 in dynasty startups and WR37 in redraft. Before his hamstring injury that ended his season, Kirk was the WR23 in half-PPR through 12 weeks. There are many factors that go into a dynasty startup draft beyond a player’s recent performance or their upcoming projections. Kirk’s standing in redraft, though, proves he’s a value for this upcoming season and an affordable buy for dynasty contenders.

Many fans and media scoffed at the bag Kirk received from the Jaguars in 2022 but it’s proven to be a win for both sides. In his last season with the Cardinals, Kirk was pushing on a breakout season when he recorded 982 yards and five scores. In his first year with the Jags, he recorded 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing as the WR11. Through his 11 full games played, Kirk was sitting at 761 yards, pacing towards 1,176 yards. Also providing consistency, Kirk tallied between 11 and 17 half-PPR points in 73% of his contests while posting strong efficiency metrics across the board. His true catch rate of 95% was good for the 14th-best mark and his 2.12 yards per route run was 19th-best.

Quietly, fantasy circles debated Kirk or Ridley as the Jaguars’ WR1 last season. It may have felt like a leap at the time but it certainly doesn’t now as the two posted very similar numbers on a per-game basis. Although we’ve been waiting on a Trevor Lawrence breakout for three seasons now, it’s not out of the question we get one this year, which would give Kirk an additional bump. The Jags added Gabe Davis and could still add to the position through the draft or via trade. As it stands now, there is no debate. Christian Kirk is the WR1.

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.

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