In this edition of Dynasty Trade Targets, Curtis Patrick highlights a player drafted outside the top-72 who looks primed for a future WR1 season.
There are four especially critical (and ripe) times of year to be an active trader in dynasty leagues.
- NFL free agency
- NFL Draft + during your rookie draft
- Right before the NFL season kicks off
- The couple weeks leading up to your league trade deadline
During these periods there is exponentially more news, which creates more general interest and a rising tide of buzz on more players overall. Specific to the current time period, from a NFL perspective there is greater clarity in depth charts and player roles than there was a month ago. This lifts confidence for dynasty managers to make deals with less uncertainty about the early season return on investment they can expect in terms of fantasy performance.
Before I share today’s dynasty trade target, let’s review a few ways you can be a better trader (and drive more overall trade activity in your league), regardless of the player(s) you’re salivating over.
Practical Application and Underlying Strategic Thought
- Update your trade bait
- If possible, include the price you’d accept (without a counter) for each player you dangle as bait. My friend (and dynasty monster) Scott Conner did this in one of my leagues recently and he closed a deal (with me) about five minutes after updating his trade bait. Being clear about your expected return makes the trade process easy for your league mates.
- Analyze league rosters for starting lineup holes and send beneficial offers
- If you can boost your trade partner’s weekly projected score (whether in perception or reality) you’re more likely to generate conversation, a counter offer, or close a deal. Even a manager who’s considering a punt year is going to do a double-take when reviewing your offer if it changes their perception about their chance to compete this season. In the end, everyone wants to win.
Now, let’s look at a player I think you should be frantically trying to acquire (and how to actually pull it off).
- Among late-round rookies over the past decade, only Tyreek Hill managed to outscore the trade target
- Players who popped off like the trade target averaged 34.5 more targets in their second season
- Three of the four other players who scored most closely to the trade target in their rookie season went on to post at least one WR1 fantasy season
Unbelievably, this player is currently valued outside the top-72 in superflex dynasty startup drafts.
The time to buy is now.
