Sometimes, it is truly tough to admit when you’ve held onto something for too long. When it comes to dynasty leagues in fantasy football, we all tend to have players on our rosters that we hang onto in hopes they evolve into viable contributors for our made-up teams. In certain situations, allowing a player to develop can result in fruitful benefits in dynasty leagues while other times it could be costly to instill confidence in a player to reach their full potential.
While the Super Bowl is happening this weekend, it’s never too early to talk about roster changes you need to make to your dynasty teams. Even though things could be subject to change in the offseason, here are a handful of players that I’d be giving up on in dynasty leagues moving forward.
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In recent seasons, I’ve steered clear of the backfield on the Buffalo Bills due to the pass-heavy approach with Josh Allen at quarterback and the uncertainty at the running back position. While everyone argued between Zack Moss or Devin Singletary being the running back to have from the Bills, it was clear as day that Singletary was the far superior running back in Buffalo. During the 2021 season, Moss tallied only 3.6 yards per attempt and would be a healthy scratch in a decent amount of of the Bills’ games. Meanwhile, Singletary concluded the year with a solid 4.6 yards per attempt and finished the season strong with an average of 20.9 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues from Weeks 15-18 (third-most among RBs in that span).
Singletary also notched 2.3 yards after contact per attempt, which was tied for the eighth-best mark in the NFL. With the emergence of Singletary, I don’t envision Moss having any role in Buffalo’s offense moving forward and if you can get anything out of him in a trade then I’d do it in a heartbeat. Some guys just aren’t meant to be starting running backs in the NFL and I believe it’s safe to say that the chances of Moss providing value in dynasty leagues are extremely slim right now.
Here is someone that I’ve personally been hurt by in recent years. The situation was perfect for Mecole Hardman to succeed. Hardman went to an aerial-centric offense in the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie in 2019 that had players like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce garnering the attention of defenses. Hardman, a speedy wideout that the Chiefs believed could evolve into a similar player as Hill, has been given plenty of opportunities to emerge as the No. 2 wideout in Kansas City. When Sammy Watkins left in free agency last offseason, it gave me and others another reason to hold out hope that he’d have a breakout campaign in 2021.
Despite seeing a career-best 83 targets this season, Hardman still finished as only WR48 in PPR formats. Just last season, Hardman was WR61 while catching two more touchdowns than he did in 2021. With Hardman struggling with drops and failing to evolve his game in the past two seasons, we saw Byron Pringle get more playing time over Hardman to end the season. We saw the Chiefs attempt to bolster their wide receiver position last offseason to no avail and I’d be surprised if they don’t try again this offseason. If Kansas City does add someone in free agency or through the draft (as I’d expect), then Hardman’s value in dynasty takes a massive hit. I’m willing to personally admit that I’ve gotten off of the Hardman bandwagon.
Before the 2021 season, it was time to cut ties with N’Keal Harry as he continued to see his role with the New England Patriots deteriorate. The former first-round pick had dealt with injuries in 2020 and some people were crossing their fingers that he’d have a strong training camp in hopes he’d rise back up the depth chart. However, the additions of Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne buried Harry on the depth chart while he’d be rumored in trade talks.
Given his lack of success in the NFL, no teams have expressed definitive interest in acquiring Harry and unless he gets a change of scenery, I don’t envision a scenario where he’d have value in dynasty leagues as long as he’s on the Patriots. Even if he heads elsewhere, it’s beginning to look like Harry is going to become another first-round wide receiver that bounces around to different teams throughout his career. If you didn’t move on from Harry last offseason, this is the offseason to free up a roster spot for someone else or one of the incoming rookies.
Coming into the NFL, Denzel Mims was an intriguing prospect to watch ahead of the 2020 season. Mims would land with the New York Jets in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Baylor, with many believing he could develop into a full-time starter if given the opportunities. Before beginning his career with the Jets, Mims was in the 97th percentile for his speed score and the 86th percentile for his catch radius. His ability to create big plays down the field was something that caught the eye of fans and scouts alike.
That being said, Mims has failed to evolve the rest of his game and he saw his role diminish in 2021. Even with Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and Keelan Cole missing time this season, Mims still hauled in only eight passes for 133 yards. We’ve seen players succeed when they leave the Jets, but I don’t believe a change of scenery would mean much for Mims. As exciting as Mims is from an athletic standpoint, it’s hard to see him becoming a worthwhile player to buy into in dynasty leagues, especially with Moore and Davis leading New York’s wide receiver room.
This name shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone. Evan Engram has always been one of the most popular names to discuss every offseason and this upcoming one won’t be any different. While Engram has an opportunity to depart the New York Giants in free agency, how many times are people going to be tricked into thinking he can be a top tight end in fantasy football? The athleticism is there for Engram, but he continues to see a steady decline in his production since his rookie season. Seeing that Engram somehow made a Pro Bowl in 2020, don’t let anyone ever tell you that something isn’t possible.
There is going to be a team that takes a chance on Engram in hopes that he can make a breakthrough in his development next season. In the event that he remains in New York, some people could trick themselves into thinking that Engram could potentially be worth taking a risk on with Brian Daboll joining the Giants. With Dawson Knox having success in 2021, some would believe that Engram could have a breakout year under Daboll. Regardless of what uniform he puts on in 2022, I know for a fact that I’ll have zero Engram on any of my teams.
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Skyler Carlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Skyler, check out his archive and follow him @skyler_carlin.
