7 Players to Trade in Dynasty Leagues (2024 Fantasy Football)

Fantasy football has bourgeoned into a beautiful willow of various limbs. While many fantasy managers still hold redraft and other season-long formats close to their hearts, I am certainly not alone in my adoration for building legendary dynasties. Dynasty fantasy football formats take more ebbs and flows into account and the perpetual ripple effect from league news means transactions can take place any time of the year.

Dynasty fantasy football leagues are often compared to a collection of stock portfolios, where investments of both the long- and short-term ilk are measured against one another on a weekly basis. Trade. Buy low and sell high. Push the chips all-in or cash out and start anew with eyes on the future.

The focus of this column is to identify some of the trade candidates who might be of more value leaving a dynasty roster than inhabiting a roster spot. In no way does this mean I don’t like the player or think they won’t have success in 2024 and beyond. It’s all relative. However, the following are some of the trade candidates who have hit what I would consider their “peak value.” Flipping them to another team for assets on the rise can be profitable for your dynasty portfolio this season and beyond. Here is some dynasty trade advice, including seven players to sell in dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Dynasty Trade Advice: Players to Sell

CJ Stroud (QB – HOU)

Yes, CJ Stroud is pretty awesome. When it comes to real professional quarterbacks, Stroud is among the best and brightest who come to mind. In fantasy football, however, I believe we saw a result that is more or less at his full potential. Stroud was incredibly efficient as a passer and held some lofty touchdown equity, to boot. However, he was still only QB10 in fantasy points per game. In fact, he only cracked 22 fantasy points in two games the entire season. He gained the services of veteran weapons Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon this offseason, but I still think his ultimate ceiling is a tier-two fantasy performer between QB8 and QB12. He is currently being drafted (and traded) as a tier-one value. This is the kind of edge that experienced dynasty managers dream of and exploit at any chance they get.

Jordan Love (QB – GB)

Where Stroud was a metronome of consistency, Jordan Love was a picture of extreme volatility. Love is uranium. He began 2023 with some of the most appalling QB play you’re ever likely to watch. As the season progressed, his young receiving corps rounded into form and Love rose with them like a schooner on the tide. He surpassed the 22-point “breakout” barometer in six games, but also fell short of 18-point “safe floor” territory the same amount. I like where this receiver group is headed, especially with Matt LeFleur calling the shots. I also acknowledge how important Aaron Jones was to Love’s success when things broke down last season. Jones is gone, replaced by promising rookie MarShawn Lloyd from USC. I’d wager we are unlikely to see another QB6 fantasy performance from Love, mostly due to some of his decision-making flaws resurfacing as defenses study up on his tendencies.

Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)

Don’t tell Sean McVay that bell cow RBs are dead. Once he was left with table scraps in his backfield, he leaned hard into Notre Dame alum Kyren Williams. All Williams did was bear his cross, to the tune of 18.6 fantasy points per game in PPR formats, which was second only to Christian McCaffrey. He definitely earned those points and made a lot of dynasty managers who kept the faith in the wake of horrendous athletic testing very happy with their late rookie pick in 2022. The million dollar question we are begging to have answered is for how long he can maintain that level of volume.

I submit that the lead dog role Williams held is already a thing of the past. Blake Corum is an incredibly talented back with a well-rounded skill set. He, like just about every other NFL ball carrier, is a more explosive athlete and playmaker than Williams. Attrition at the RB position does not always come via injury. Most NFL coaches are very cautious with workloads and keeping fresh legs on the field, regardless of the name on the back of the jersey. Williams will share more in 2024, making him a really easy piece to move on from in dynasty leagues.

Rachaad White (RB – TB)

I really like Rachaad White as a football player. He is wildly entertaining as a playmaker when he has space to move. Dave Canales knew that and deployed him as a primary weapon for the Buccaneers last season. Canales now coaches the Carolina Panthers, which is a devastating blow to White’s usage in the passing game outside of checkdown passes. White needs the specialty routes to pay off in fantasy. He is abysmal in the traditional running game, evidenced by his 3.7 yards per carry and dearth of breakaway runs.

Tampa Bay also drafted Oregon star RB Bucky Irving. Irving is undersized, but has better instincts in the running game and plays bigger than his frame. White will still crack the top-12 RBs, but that bar is so much easier to cross than ever before. There are also White fanatics in just about every league who will pay top dollar to roster him.

Deebo Samuel (WR – SF)

The NFC champs are the Titanic. They are mighty and impressive, cutting through the icy waters with a majestic presence. The 49ers are also headed directly at a salary cap iceberg. Deebo Samuel is nearing the WR age cliff and might be descending as early as this season with his unique style of play. Deebo is special in every way, however it’s still time to stand up, pocket those chips, and head for the cashier. If there’s any inclination that Deebo might leave San Francisco or suffers an injury, he will be nearly impossible to deal for more than pennies on the dollar. We are at a fulcrum point for Samuel and I’m choosing to teeter before he totters.

George Pickens (WR – PIT)

Perhaps no player will feel the unimaginable Arthur Smith suck more than George Pickens. Smith is the most overrated coach in the history of football and his offensive “genius” is nauseatingly overstated. I predict the passing game in Pittsburgh will be among the bottom five in the NFL, with boundary receivers like Pickens running wind sprints most of the time. Some of the bullish trends pushing Pickens have to do with Diontae Johnson‘s departure, but Johnson is much more versatile as a route runner and was able to beat man and zone coverage from all three receiver positions. Pickens is an X. Big and physical, he wins at the catch point. He is the best Steelers receiver, but he’s no Drake London and even London struggled to stand out in fantasy under Smith for long stretches. I’m treating the entire Steelers passing game as toxic waste for the foreseeable future.

Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF)

The Buffalo Bills have a great offense. Josh Allen is the type of transcendent player who can elevate those around him. However, the uncertainty surrounding Diggs’ departure and selection of Keon Coleman from Florida State has inflated Dalton Kincaid’s dynasty value substantially. Kincaid is a good receiver, but I would hardly call him elite. He is currently valued by some dynasty managers as a top-tier dynasty TE and Kincaid is just not that type of explosive player. The Bills offense does not revolve around him like it does for Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews. He isn’t a target hog like Trey McBride or a game-breaking athlete like Sam LaPorta or Kyle Pitts.

Kincaid is more of a hybrid between Evan Engram and Dalton Schultz. He is a reliable outlet and serviceable red zone target. Unfortunately, those aren’t incredibly important on a team where Allen is the alpha and omega. Checkdown passes and designed runs to the TE aren’t commonplace when the QB can tuck it and bowl through the defense on his own. Kincaid was TE13 in fantasy points per game in 2023. While I envision him as TE6 to TE10 going forward, it isn’t difficult to find someone who will overpay for the name.

Dynasty NFL CJ Stroud Stefon Diggs Joe Mixon Jordan Love Aaron Jones MarShawn Lloyd Kyren Williams Christian McCaffrey Blake Corum Rachaad White Bucky Irving Deebo Samuel George Pickens Diontae Johnson Drake London Dalton Kincaid Josh Allen Keon Coleman Travis Kelce Mark Andrews Trey McBride Sam LaPorta Kyle Pitts Evan Engram Dalton Schultz