Dynasty Rankings: 3 Veteran RBs to Fade
As the rookie season heats up and Dynasty Football enthusiasts prepare for the next season, now is an excellent time to trade off aging veterans. Selling players for draft capital is a time-honored tradition in dynasty formats. These Dynasty Rankings:
This feature is courtesy of Frank Taddeo.
Christian McCaffrey (RB) San Francisco 49ers
Last summer, Christian McCaffrey was the near-unanimous No. 1 pick in fantasy football drafts following a stellar 2023 season, where he racked up 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. However, after appearing in just four games last year, the San Francisco 49ers running back left fantasy managers disappointed.
Looking ahead to 2025, fantasy players should hesitate before using a first-round pick on the three-time Pro Bowler, who has now missed substantial playing time in three of his past five seasons.
The seasoned running back struggled to stay healthy last season, sidelined by Achilles and knee issues. Fantasy managers who selected McCaffrey early were let down, especially as the 49ers appeared to downplay the severity of his injuries during the preseason.
After finishing as the RB69 in PPR leagues last season, fantasy managers should approach McCaffrey with caution rather than slotting him as an RB1 for the upcoming year. His recent injury history and the physical toll of eight NFL seasons make him a questionable value, despite an ADP that still places him among the top five running backs.
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Rookie Isaac Guerendo stepped up for the 49ers, delivering four double-digit PPR performances after Week 7. The ex-Louisville star is currently the direct backup to McCaffrey on San Francisco’s depth chart.
Grant Cohn, OnSI’s 49ers reporter, recently noted that head coach Kyle Shanahan hinted at the NFL League meetings about adding another running back in this month’s draft: “We’ll see if we add one in the draft, but you’d like to add one every year.”
Though McCaffrey is only one year removed from a historic 2023 season—where he scored a touchdown in 16 straight games—the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year carries significant risk as a first-round pick.
With injury concerns and potential competition for the lead role, McCaffrey stands out as an overvalued selection who may not deliver the elite RB1 numbers fantasy managers expect.
Check out Frankie’s 3 Underrated Veteran RBs to Target…
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Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers
Before the 2022 NFL Draft jumpstarts interest in dynasty fantasy football rookie-only drafts and start-ups, existing dynasty league managers should be looking to shore up their rosters by trading for hidden values or selling high on other players. Now is a great time to take advantage of the relative lull in activity and do just that. After already reviewing quarterbacks, tight ends, and running backs to buy low/sell high, here are the all-important wide receivers that you should be targeting this offseason. Buy Low Elijah Moore (New York Jets) – After a quiet open to his rookie campaign, Moore looked like a future No. receiver in the second half of the season. In his final seven games before winding up on IR, Moore averaged 8.1 targets per game, a 17-game pace of 138 looks. He also produced six touchdowns during the stretch and topped double-digit fantasy points in six of those seven contests. All this despite suboptimal quarterback play bodes very well for Moore’s potential and his 19.3 air yards per target (more than Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson) are indicative of a player with superior downfield playmaking ability Kadarius Toney (New York Giants) – After posting very modest first-year numbers due to various injuries and abysmal quarterback play, there is an opportunity that Toney can be acquired for a second-round pick or even less. While Toney’s overall numbers were muted, he flashed some serious playmaking skills. Toney averaged an impressive 2.13 yards per route run and led all NFL wideouts with a broken or missed tackle forced on 46.2% of his routes. If the Giants can get a credible quarterback, Toney has the athleticism to be an elite after-the-catch difference-maker. Points Earned per route vs MAN coverage 2021 (>15 tgt) H. Ruggs .153 Cooper Kupp .143 Kadarius Toney .142👀 Tyler Lockett .130 DK Metcalf .121 Cordarrelle Patterson .115 A.J. Brown .114 Jauan Jennings .102 Davante Adams .098 ASB .097 Diontae Johnson .093 Justin Jefferson .089 — #TagsStrong💪 (@JodySmithNFL) February 26, 2022 Nico Collins (Houston Texans) – Another sophomore option that was a Day Two pick one year ago, Collins played 38.3% of Houston’s snaps in his rookie season but that role is almost certainly going to expand in his second campaign. Collins and Brandin Cooks, who is widely rumored to be a trade candidate again, are the only wideouts on the active roster who are under contract. If Cooks is dealt, Collins could conceivably be the No. 1 WR in Houston for the rebuilding Texans. With perhaps the worst roster in football, the Texans are expected to lose plenty of games in 2022, which sets up lots of favorable game scripts for Collins and the passing attack. Cedrick Wilson (Dallas Cowboys) – Although currently an unrestricted free agent, Wilson played very well for Dallas last season when promoted into the lineup. In all, Wilson snagged 45-of-61 targets for 602 yards and 6 touchdowns- easily all career-best figures. Wilson also accumulated a 130.6 QB rating when targeted last season, which ranked 5th among all NFL wide receivers. The best-case scenario would be for Wilson to re-sign in Dallas and move into the lineup in 3-wide sets if fellow free-agent Michael Gallup were to sign elsewhere, or the club was to cut ties with Amari Cooper. But even if he signs with another squad, Wilson played well enough to warrant late-round considerations and is worth a speculative trade inquiry. Sell High Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Evans was insanely efficient last season, posting top-10 fantasy numbers on a mere 113 targets (25th) and 74 receptions (26th.) Of course, with Tom Brady under center, that kind of production can occur, but with Brady retired and the Bucs also potentially losing Chris Godwin and TE Rob Gronkowski, Evans is going to face a lot of double-teams and blanket coverage from number one corners. Also, there is no chance Evans comes anywhere close to those 14 touchdowns without Brady. While Evans should be good for another 100-plus targets and 1000-plus receiving yards, he’s more likely to post solid WR2 numbers than another WR1 season, making this a good time to cash out. Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills) – If recency bias is any indicator, some fantasy football managers out there are willing to trade an upcoming 2022 first-round rookie pick for Davis. If that’s the case, Davis would represent the best sell high value of any wide receiver this offseason. That four-score playoff game was nice but Davis was used sparingly in 2021, producing just two games all season with more than 50 yards. While Emmanuel Sanders is expected to depart, which would free up more snaps for Davis, being able to acquire a top-10 pick in this draft is terrific value. Jalen Reagor (Philadelphia Eagles) – Just two seasons after being selected with the 21st overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Reagor looks like the latest in a long list of first-round wide receiver busts. Despite playing in all 17 games of his sophomore season, Reagor eclipsed 50 receiving yards just twice and produced single-digit fantasy points in 15-of-17 contests. Granted, the Eagles aren’t an explosive passing attack, but Reagor averaged an abysmal 0.7 yards per route run, which ranked 199th in the NFL. He also hauled in just 2 of 15 contested targets, resulting in the eighth-lowest contested catch rate (15.4%) in the league. If anyone in your league was a Reagor fan or will give up anything of value hoping the 23-year-old can still develop, take what you can get.
Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Running Backs
There is no offseason in dynasty football. In fact, the lull between the Super Bowl and the upcoming NFL Draft is the perfect time to improve your roster by trading for under-valued players and parting with declining assets. Before you can maximize your return on investment, it is important to know which players to sell high on and which players make savvy trade targets. In Part 3 of our dynasty fantasy football trade targets series, we will focus on running backs. Be sure to also check out our look at tight ends and quarterbacks. Buy Low Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers) – A ton of dynasty insiders are recommending now is the ideal time so “sell” McCaffrey after another injury-marred season. If you’re a fantasy manager with a contending roster, take advantage of the potential market. Despite the shortened season, McCaffrey still looked like one of the best backs in the league, ranking 2nd in yards per route run and 5th with 18.2 PPR points per game. Winning championships comes with an acceptable amount of risk-reward. If your roster is an elite RB away from seriously contending, see if you can sell a first in this underwhelming rookie class and acquire a player with true difference-making ability. Khalil Herbert (Chicago Bears) – Although stuck behind incumbent starter David Montgomery, Herbert performed well in a featured role last season. When Montgomery was sidelined from Weeks 5-8, Herbert averaged 97 scrimmage yards per game with a pair of contests producing north 0f 18 PPR points. The sixth-round rookie also outperformed Montgomery in several advanced metrics. EVADED TACKLE/ATT YDS CREATED/ATT BREAKAWAY RATE PPR PTS/ATT PLAYER YPC YDS/TGT JUKE RATE Khalil Herbert 4.2 6 28.20% 0.32 2.21 3.9% 0.66 David Montgomery 3.77 5.9 24% 0.28 2.08 3.1% 0.71 Montgomery is also in the final year of his rookie contract, meaning he’s set to enter free agency after the 2022 season. While Montgomery is still the back to target in 2022 redraft leagues, it’s not inconceivable that the new regime will let Montgomery walk if they feel Herbert, who is younger, cheaper, and looked quite promising in 2021, can be an effective option. That makes Herbert an intriguing dynasty buy who can probably be acquired as a trade throw-in. Ke’Shawn Vaughn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – With Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones set to enter unrestricted free agency, Vaughn is currently the only running back under contract in Tampa Bay. Upon Tom Brady’s retirement, we may see the Bucs choose to go full rebuild. That would mean little to no money spent on a position like running back, which would give Vaughn a legitimate shot at entering camp as the starter. Although a bust through his first two seasons, Vaughn did produce 13-plus PPR points and score a touchdown in three of Tampa’s final four games when finally given double-digit touches. He also posted an impressive 89.1 Elusive Rating at PFF- 14th among all running backs. Eno Benjamin (Arizona Cardinals) – Like the Buccaneers, Arizona’s top two running backs are currently unrestricted free agents. That leaves Benjamin as the only running back on the roster. The 2020 seventh-rounder only got 40 touches last season but looked decent in Week 18 when thrust into action. He also showed promise as a pass-catcher, where he was graded out at 83.3 by Pro Football Focus, the No. 5 receiving grade among all running backs. Benjamin is also probably widely available on the waiver wire, making him the ideal no-risk acquisition. Sell High Cordarrelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons) – After a mostly middling career as a wideout, Atlanta unlocked the secret to Patterson’s first-round pedigree by moving him almost full-time into the backfield. That resulted in a career-best season out of Patterson, who accumulated 1,166 scrimmage yards and 11 TDs. But now 31 and set to enter free agency, there is no guarantee that Patterson will continue to be utilized in such a prominent role, particularly if he signs with a new team. Further, Patterson ranked just 46th in juke rate and breakaway rate while ranking 5th in fantasy points per opportunity. Those aren’t sustainable figures and paint the picture of a “one-hit wonder” type of performance. Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers) – Jones just restructured his contract so he’ll be back in Green Bay for at least one more season, but he doesn’t even look like the best back on the team. That honor goes to A.J. Dillon, who began to take over a bigger share of the touches in the second half of last season. Dillon averaged 14.6 PPR points per game in Green Bay’s final nine contests and was given the third-highest rushing grade overall by PFF. Dillon also had more red-zone rushing yards (112) and touchdowns (5) than Jones (92,4). At 6-feet at 247 pounds, that’s a role Dillon should continue to be featured in. With the status of QB Aaron Rodgers also up in the air, now is a good time to see what Jones can bring in return. Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) – Mired with the worst salary cap situation in the league, breaking in a new coach, and missing a legitimate quarterback, the Saints could be in for a precipitous fall. While that alone is a poor situation for a starting running back, Kamara also could be facing severe consequences for a battery charge incurred at the Pro Bowl. This could include a rather length suspension even if the case is settled before the summer. There’s just an awful lot of risk involved with Kamara right now and if you can get anywhere near his value to a desperate league-mate, it might be a good time to move on from a potential headache.
Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Tight Ends
Complacency is not a desirable trait in fantasy football, particularly in dynasty formats. The weeks after the Super Bowl and before the NFL Draft are prime times to shore up rosters by sending out trade offers. Knowing which players make solid value buys and which are at or near their peak values is integral towards shoring up your roster in the offseason. After already breaking down quarterbacks to target, here are the tight ends that dynasty fantasy football enthusiasts should consider buying or selling in the early part of the 2022 season. Buy Low Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons) – “Buy Low” is a bit of a misconception, here. Pitts is generally considered the top tight end in dynasty formats but off the heels of a disappointing one-score showing, do your due diligence and see if the manager in your league that invest the 1.03 or 1.04 on Pitts last spring is willing to listen to offers. Even if you’re paying the fair-market value for Pitts, he’s a player you want to try to target if at all possible. Irv Smith Jr. (Minnesota Vikings) – A popular breakout candidate last summer, Smith missed the entire 2021 campaign with a knee injury. With Smith absent, Tyler Conklin managed to haul in 61-of-87 targets and produce a solid TE17 showing. Smith offers far more downfield ability and scoring upside than Conklin, and with the Vikings’ offense returning mostly intact, Smith will once again offer TE2 value and his price should be steeply discounted. Cameron Brate (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – With both Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard slated to hit free agency, Brate currently sits atop Tampa’s depth chart. Brate easily surpassed Howard in the pecking order last year and posted a respectable 30/245/4 line as the No. 2 tight end. Tampa’s roster is loaded with skill-position talent that could depart this offseason, so there’s a chance Brate could be in-line for a fairly significant role in 2022. Blake Jarwin (Dallas Cowboys) – Injuries have torpedoed each of Jarwin’s last two seasons but with Dalton Schultz currently set to break the bank as our top-ranked free-agent tight end, there’s a small chance Jarwin reclaims the starting job in Dallas. Schultz is also a candidate for the franchise tag, but he’s essentially free right now, and acquiring him wouldn’t involve much dynasty capital. Sell High Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) – Kelce’s run as the undisputed No. 1 PPR tight end came to an end in 2021, with Mark Andrews taking top honors. As good as Kelce has been, it would be unprecedented for a tight end that will be 33 in October to continue to put up elite numbers. There is a notable drop-off in production for most tight ends when they turn 32, and Kelce’s receiving yards, yards per catch, and fantasy points per game figures from 2021 were his lowest in five years. Having Kelce as your fantasy starter has been a cheat code for most of eight seasons, but father time catches up to everyone, even the goats. Dynasty managers would be wise to be proactive now while Kelce will still bring a considerable asset haul. Hunter Henry (New England Patriots) – Among top-10 PPR tight ends from 2021, Henry had the fewest targets (75), yards (603), and receptions (55.) A full 32.8% of Henry’s total points came from his nine touchdown grabs. That’s not a sustainable number in a low-volume New England passing attack that should look vastly different sans Josh McDaniels. Among tight ends last season, Henry ranked 6th with 17 red-zone targets and second with 12 looks in the end zone. Even a small correction, which should be expected, could cause Henry’s fantasy production to drop precipitously. C.J. Uzomah (Cincinnati Bengals) – Uzomah had a career-best showing in 2021 but still only posted overall TE19 numbers. While an appearance in the Super Bowl is fresh on the minds of many football fans, Uzomah will likely fetch more in return than he will this summer. A free-agent who just turned 29, the Bengals will have no trouble finding a better option via the draft or could simply choose to push forward with Drew Sample, who was the club’s second-round selection three seasons ago.
Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Quarterbacks
February can be a low time for many football fans. Not only is the weather less than ideal, but we are also now more than six months away from meaningful gridiron action. But for dynasty enthusiasts, this is a great time to start improving your roster via trade. Buying low and selling high is one of the key weapons in the arsenal of the successful dynasty manager. First, let’s take a look at some of the quarterbacks that make solid trade targets, and a few that makes more sense to consider moving away from this offseason. Buy Low Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals) – During the lull in activity in the week preceding the Super Bowl, word broke that Murray has unfollowed the team via social media and was unhappy with the amount of blame he received for the team’s late-season collapse and playoff failure. While this may or may not be a legit beef, there’s almost zero chance Murray is getting traded or going to be able to legitimately use baseball as a negotiating ploy. Odds are, he’ll be right back in Arizona this summer and this will all be forgotten. In terms of straight fantasy points, Murray is an elite option. He ranked fifth overall in fantasy points per game and is still just 24 years old. Kliff Kingsbury has built his entire offense around Murray’s skills and the Cardinals also don’t have a clear starting running back under contract for next season, which will put more emphasis on Murray. If the manager in your league is buying into the hype, it makes a great time to throw out trade feelers for a top-5 dynasty asset. Jameis Winston (New Orleans Saints) – Although his season was cut short after just seven games, Winston was playing pretty well for the Saints and will command starting offers in free agency this spring. Ideally, a reunion in New Orleans would be ideal but with the Saints mired in a desolate salary cap situation, that looks unlikely. Tom Brady‘s retirement could also pave the way for a return to Tampa, but Winston should have no shortage of potential destinations. Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh Steelers) – It was good news to hear that Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement early rather than keep the franchise guessing. To be fair, Roethlisberger was cooked last season and the club would likely have moved on anyway, but the Steeler will now be in the market for a new starter for the first time since 2004. Rudolph hasn’t done much to warrant fantasy excitement, but in a down year for rookie passers, Rudolph may be given the opportunity to start and at least be a bridge quarterback. While he certainly isn’t a player fantasy managers want to rely on as a potential starter, Rudolph should be on the radar as an inexpensive Superflex option and odds are he won’t cost much at all in assets. In fact, Rudoph might be available on many waiver wires, making him the ideal “buy low” QB2. Marcus Mariota (Las Vegas Raiders) – Another under-the-radar option that can be acquired dirt cheap, Mariota is still just 28 and possess the dual-threat capability to be a solid reclamation project in today’s run/pass option league. Since he hasn’t been a starter in three full seasons, there is almost no risk in adding Mariota via waivers or as an ultra-cheap QB4/5 trade target. A swap of late-round rookie picks might be adequate enough. Sell High Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) – Fresh off a top-10 fantasy performance in 2021 and still just 23, Hurts hardly seems like a player to trade away. However, it appears that this is the rare case where Hurts is a much better fantasy signal-caller than NFL passer, and the Eagles’ apparent lack of Hurts as the long-term answer mirror that train of thought. Philadelphia has been linked to Deshaun Watson, all of last season’s rookie passers, and now rumors of potential interest in Russel Wilson have plagued tabloids and don’t bode well for Hurts’ long-term viability. Going back to the latter point, Hurts also hasn’t impressed as a passer. While he did lead all quarterbacks with 10 rushing scores, Hurts had fewer than 200 passing yards in 9 of his 15 starts. Hurts also accumulated a lowly 69.2 pass grading at Pro Football Focus, which ranked 26th among qualified quarterbacks in 2021. While the Eagles did make an unlikely run to the postseason, there are serious questions if the Eagles can make a serious run with Hurts and that makes him a volatile dynasty option. Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) – Although he has one year remaining on his deal, Garoppolo is expected to be traded this offseason to make way for San Francisco to start Trey Lance. While the 49ers were successful with Garoppolo under center, he wasn’t a true difference-maker and the Niners were actually 3-0 when he didn’t throw a touchdown in a game and 5-2 in games where he threw for fewer than 200 yards. For Garoppolo to not thrive under the tutelage of an elite offensive mind like Kyle Shanahan is concerning. If he’s traded to a lesser team with an uncreative play-caller or subpar rushing attack, the bottom could fall out quickly. While he’s only really relevant in Superflex formats, it still might be a good time for fantasy managers to move on. Taysom Hill (New Orleans Saints) – Hill couldn’t event bet out journeyman Trevor Siemian to take over as the Saints’ starter and that was with Hill superfan Sean Payton at the helm. Now, Payton is gone and the Saints are in salary cap hell. Hill is almost certain to be back with the club because of his ridiculous $19 million dead cap cost if he were released but he may be relegated back to his part-time and special team role. Hill simply doesn’t look good enough to be a viable starting quarterback. He completed just 58.2% of his throws and was graded out as PFF’s No. 45 passer last season. Now Hill can produce top-notch