Skip to main content

8 Dynasty WRs to Buy Low/Sell High (Fantasy Football)


 
The NFL has two major offseason events that change the fantasy landscape. Free agency is the first one, but the upcoming NFL Draft is now less than a month away. The wide receiver position was arguably the most impacted by this year’s crazy free agency period. Plus, the strong incoming WR draft class threatens to significantly alter the position much further.

It might be wise to take advantage of the uncertainty that brings and try to acquire or send away those who have a high chance of being positively or negatively affected by the draft, respectively. It also makes sense to target productive players who were hampered by injuries and saw their value reduced as a result or look for talented athletes that are primed to breakout. On the flip side, trading away older players who are at or near their peak value in recent seasons is not a bad move either, especially for teams that are rebuilding. With that said, our featured experts are here to shed light on their top dynasty trade candidates at the WR position.

Q1. Which WR are you buying now in dynasty leagues and why? Also, what are you willing to give up to get him?

D.J. Moore (CAR)
“I want D.J. Moore. Granted, I’ve always wanted Moore, but the fact that more people don’t seem to recognize the 24-year-old’s upside is astounding. Only five players in NFL history have more receiving yards than Moore (4,313) has before turning 25: Randy Moss (5,396), Mike Evans (4,579), Larry Fitzgerald (4,544), DeAndre Hopkins (4,487) and Odell Beckham Jr. (4,424). Of all NFL wide receivers, he’s the only one with 1,200-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the past three seasons — and yet he’s coming off objectively his worst season in years (68.1 yards receiving per game, 7.1 yards per target, four touchdowns in 17 games). Moore is likely to enjoy positive regression in 2022: He has 75.0 yards receiving per game and 8.5 yards per target over the past three years, and four touchdowns are his absolute floor given his yardage production. His quarterback situation isn’t likely to get any worse than what he had last year with Sam Darnold and Cam Newton, and it could improve dramatically if the Panthers trade for a veteran or take a passer in Round 1 of the draft. I’d be happy to trade an aging RB1 for him.”
Matthew Freedman (FantasyPros)

DeVonta Smith (PHI)
“DeVonta Smith remains a prime trade-for candidate in dynasty. While Jaylen Waddle, Elijah Moore and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been discussed at length this offseason as possible buys in dynasty, Smith is usually left out in the cold. His yards per route run (1.73, per PFF) last season is on par with this group (Waddle – 1.75, Moore – 1.75, St. Brown – 1.74), but because his quarterback is Jalen Hurts, he’s usually valued a step behind them. Last year he finished 17th in weighted opportunity, immediately behind Ja’Marr Chase. He was also ninth in deep targets and 10th in air yard share among wide receivers. The arrow remains firmly pointing up for Smith entering his sophomore campaign. I’d happily fork over a mid-to-late 2022 first for him.”
Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Kadarius Toney (NYG)
“We didn’t get a full dose of Kadarius Toney in his rookie season because he dealt with shoulder, oblique, quad, thumb and ankle injuries, along with COVID-19. He appeared in 10 games and played fewer than 20 snaps in three of them. But what we saw from Toney during a two-game stretch in Weeks 4-5 was intoxicating. Flashing his 4.4 speed and springy athleticism, Toney had 16 catches for 267 yards in those two games, drawing a 35% target share and racking up 141 yards after catch. If Toney can stay healthy for the Giants, he could be a core contributor to new head coach Brian Daboll’s offense. I’d trade Damien Harris or Clyde Edwards-Helaire for Toney, and I think he’s worth a late-first-round pick in superflex rookie drafts.”
Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

DeAndre Hopkins (ARI)
“My offseason goal is to buy every DeAndre Hopkins share possible before the upcoming season. For the first time in his dominant nine-year career, the 29-year-old missed significant time due to lingering hamstring issues followed by a torn MCL in December, which required surgery. Before last season’s unfortunate series of injuries, Nuk was the model of consistency, averaging 1,380.5 receiving yards on 107.5 receptions over the past four seasons. In his first year with Kyler Murray in 2020, the two hooked up for 1,407 yards on 115 receptions and six touchdowns. As of last month, Hopkins told reporters he was ahead of schedule in his rehab, so health should not be an issue heading into training camp. In my opinion, the Clemson product is still a top-20 dynasty WR viewed as just a top-40 WR asset. Don’t be afraid to trade middling WR assets like Brandon Aiyuk, Rashod Bateman, or Gabriel Davis on top of a late-first/early-second-round 2022 pick to secure Nuk’s services.”
Jacob W. Dunne (Triple Play Fantasy)

Q2. Which WR are you selling now in dynasty leagues and why? Also, what kind of return are you looking for?

Deebo Samuel (SF)
“I like Deebo Samuel, but I’d also be happy to sell high on him entering the 2022 season. His talent is unquestioned, but he had career-high marks last year with 7.6 targets, 3.7 carries, 110.6 yards, 0.88 touchdowns per game and 11.6 yards per target. This year, he could experience negative regression in both opportunity and efficiency, especially with a new starting quarterback in Trey Lance. It’s not that Samuel is destined never again to have success comparable to that of 2021, but the odds of him performing worse in 2022 and beyond are much higher than his odds of performing better. If I could turn Samuel into a young RB1, I’d be pleased.”
Matthew Freedman (FantasyPros)

Allen Robinson (LAR)
“Allen Robinson is a player I would be shipping off in dynasty immediately. His landing spot with the Rams this offseason has given his dynasty stock a breath of life, which now makes it possible to trade him. We can debate last season’s results until we’re blue in the face, but the reality is his yards per route run, which were comfortably 1.82 and 2.05 (per PFF) in the two previous seasons, plummeted to 1.13. Entering his age-29 season, it’s conceivable he’s hit the age cliff. I’m content with trading him away without finding out if a bounce back is in the cards because if he truly is dust, you’ll be wishing you did. I’d take an early 2022 second-round rookie pick or a 2023 second-round rookie pick for him. ”
Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) 
“It’s no fun to fade St. Brown, who helped steer a lot of fantasy managers into the money last season with a stretch run worthy of Secretariat. St. Brown racked up 51-560-5 on 67 targets over his last six regular-season games. He saw double-digit targets in all six of those games and had a massive 31.9% target share over that span. But RB D’Andre Swift and TE T.J. Hockenson were out with injuries during St. Brown’s heroic late-season finish. They’ll be back to claim their share of targets, the Lions added WR D.J. Chark in free agency, and it’s possible we’ll see Detroit add another receiver in the draft. St. Brown is good, but the inevitability of a smaller target share is going to bring his numbers back down to earth. I’d happily swap St. Brown for, say, Travis Etienne or Mark Andrews, and I’d take a rookie draft pick in the 1.07-1.10 range for him.
Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Davante Adams (LV)
“Davante Adams’ fantasy stock took a massive hit this offseason after being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. The 29-year-old goes from one of the greatest QBs in NFL history to a mediocre one. Adams thrived over the past four years with Aaron Rodgers, averaging 1,327.5 receiving yards on 108 catches during that span, but he won’t come anywhere near those gaudy numbers with new quarterback Derek Carr at the helm. Despite Adams and Carr being old college teammates, I don’t see them replicating their past success and chemistry nine years later. Adams is still viewed as a top-10 dynasty WR asset, so if you manage him, look to move him for younger assets like Elijah Moore or DeVonta Smith and a 2022 or 2023 first-round pick.”
Jacob W. Dunne (Triple Play Fantasy)


For more dynasty trade advice, check out our Dynasty Trade Value Chart partner-arrow

Thanks to the experts for sharing their advice! For more of their insight, be sure to follow each pundit on Twitter (click their names above) and visit their respective sites.


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

More Articles

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by TJ Horgan | 3 min read
Best Ball Strategy & Advice: Draft Targets by Round (2024 Fantasy Football)

Best Ball Strategy & Advice: Draft Targets by Round (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by Tera Roberts | 3 min read
NFL Draft Burning Questions: J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams (2024 Fantasy Football)

NFL Draft Burning Questions: J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by Joe Pepe | 3 min read
Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

fp-headshot by Thor Nystrom | 1 min read

About Author

Hide

Current Article

4 min read

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

Next Up - RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

Next Article