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Dynasty Trade Advice – Players to Buy, Sell, and Hold: Week 5 (2021 Fantasy Football)

We are now through four weeks of the NFL season, and we can finally start getting a clearer picture of what exactly our rosters need. With an extra week this fantasy season, managers will need to tweak their usual strategies. If your team is 1-3, you may not be out of it quite yet. Make sure that you assess each team in your league and find the overachievers. Compare your rosters and determine if you have a chance to catch them, then plan accordingly. With the bye weeks looming, depth will become more essential, and with the string of injuries we have seen this year, you’ll need to make moves down the stretch. 

For this weekly column, I hope to provide you with actionable takeaways on players. Making the right moves early in the season can give you a chance to win your league and help you have a better long-term outlook in dynasty leagues. The worst thing you can be as a fantasy manager is a middle-of-the-pack team that just sits stagnant. Making moves is essential for your rosters. So let’s dive into some players who I think you should be trying to add to your dynasty teams. 

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Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE)

Kareem Hunt was ranked as the RB7 in PPR formats prior to Monday Night Football. He is proving himself to be a must-start flex each week. So far this season, Hunt has rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He has also added 121 receiving yards on twelve catches. Most would have thought that Hunt’s fantasy relevance would have hinged on his receiving, but that hasn’t been the case. Hunt has earned work in both facets of the game. Hunt out-snapped Nick Chubb 52-37 on Sunday, and that’s something we are going to see more this season. 

I also like Hunt because his price hasn’t caught up with his production yet. Fantasy managers are still wary about Chubb’s presence, and that helps when trying to acquire him. I recently saw him get moved for Myles Gaskin and Terrace Marshall in a dynasty league. Those are the types of prices that I love to see. Hunt is a solid RB2 option right now. He is the type of player who you can try to acquire to win now if you field a competitive roster. 

Verdict: Buy

JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – PIT)

Smith-Schuster has not had a good season. He currently has 15 receptions for only 129 yards and is yet to score a touchdown. Pittsburgh’s offense has been inefficient, and Smith-Schuster ranks fourth in targets behind Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Najee Harris. Also, Ben Roethlisberger looks like he should have retired last season. On Smith-Schuster’s tape, he seems to be lacking speed and acceleration. Gone are the days of him creating separation and dominating from the slot. Everything he does now looks slow, and he doesn’t have that same burst you want to see from a receiver. 

Not going to the Chiefs in the offseason will go down as a massive mistake on Smith-Schuster’s part. Could you imagine what that offense could’ve done for his dynasty value? As a dynasty asset right now, it’s my opinion that you have to hold him until next season. If you have him on a roster, he has played himself into a shaky flex each week, which is disappointing, but you have to wait until he moves on in free agency next year. He could even be a potential buy-low candidate for semi-rebuilding teams. He is just 24 and could produce for several more years. Depending on cost, it’s worth putting out some feelers to your league-mates. He recently went for Kareem Hunt and Nelson Algholor in one of my dynasty leagues. That’s about right for his value. 

Verdict: Hold/Buy-Low

Calvin Ridley (WR – ATL)

Ridley was one of the hottest names in fantasy coming into the year. After Julio Jones got traded to the Tennessee Titans, most expected a WR1 season from him. Instead, Ridley has been a bit inconsistent. He is currently a low-end WR2 and isn’t living up to his ADP. He isn’t the only Atlanta player to underperform this season. Kyle Pitts also hasn’t produced the type of numbers many thought he would. Part of the issue for both is the emergence of RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson has been a revelation this season, and his success has cut into both players’ production. 

If you look at his box scores, you might get concerned, but when you dive deeper, you should realize that he’s on the verge of a breakout week. He is currently fourth in the NFL in targets with 42. He also plays for the Falcons and should see plenty of pass-heavy game scripts. Three out of Atlanta’s four games have been pass-heavy, which is why Ridley has seen so many targets. He has just been inconsistent with his production. Look for Patterson to come back to reality a bit moving forward, and Ridley should be the benefactor in that scenario. He could still finish as a low-end WR1 this season. To give you a clearer picture of his trade value in a recent deal, I saw him go for Chase Edmonds and Deebo Samuel. Ridley is a hold or a buy, depending on your team makeup and roster. 

Verdict: Hold/Buy 

Chris Carson (RB – SEA)

Chris Carson is the type of player that has been a buy-low his entire career. In the first three weeks of the season, he averaged 14.66 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. He has been a very solid RB2 for fantasy teams. The real concern comes from his usage. It seems like the Seahawks have pulled him from the second half in each game that he has played, and this last week, we saw backup Alex Collins get 10 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. While I don’t think Collins poses a massive threat, it has been concerning seeing how the Seahawks are handling Carson.

One reason we saw Collins so much last week had to be because the Seahawks are on a short week. They play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, and realistically, Seattle could have just been cautious with Carson. They will need him in that big NFC West matchup, and they didn’t need him to finish the game Sunday. Carson’s value is always at a buy low, and if you need running back depth, you should target him. He is currently getting moved for 2022 second-round picks. I would be comfortable moving that for Carson in my leagues if I was a contender this season. 

Verdict: Buy Low

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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

Kevin Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his archive and follow him @Daboys_22.

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