Dynasty Trade Advice: Alexander Mattison, Christian McCaffrey (2023)

Dynasty leagues are always reacting to the volatility of player performance year after year, and knowing when to buy and sell players can open up huge returns for your rosters. This article will look at a few players facing new situations that could drastically affect their fantasy values. For some, these will be positive changes that could see them increase their dynasty values. For others, perhaps not quite so much.

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Dynasty: Players In New Situations (Fantasy Football 2023)

Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN) – RB35

The Vikings brought back Mattison, who was a free agent and gave him a two-year $7 million contract, which in a depressed running back market is noteworthy. Mattison has had to bide his time behind Cook throughout his career, but in the six games he’s had over 50% of the snaps in the last three years, he’s averaged 22.15 PPR points per game. With Dalvin Cook no longer in Minnesota, those who had rostered Mattison have lucked into a potential three-down workhorse running back for this year at the very least.

Mattison is 25 years old and hasn’t endured a tough career so far, so there are reasons to believe he could be a valuable asset for several years to come, but after seeing such a jump in value, many managers will be looking to sell him to a contender now, and they can expect an early second-round pick at minimum in compensation. If you’re a contender and have Mattison rostered but are looking for a way out, veterans such as Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon will be available without the need to add anything on.

Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF) – RB4

Fantasy managers know it all too well, but it’s worth reiterating that when healthy, Christian McCaffrey has been a true difference-maker, finishing as a top twelve back in 50 of the 75 games he’s played during his six-year career. After a mid-season trade to the Niners, McCaffrey flourished under Kyle Shanahan’s scheme finishing as a top-four option in five of the nine games.

The biggest worry for dynasty managers going forward is that McCaffrey is 27 years old and approaching that age 28 season which causes alarms and flashing lights to go off when talking about running backs, along with the fact McCaffrey will see competition from Elijah Mitchell, who is as good if not better than any running back McCaffrey has had to compete for touches with.

Ultimately, unless you’re a contender, there is no reason to roster a 27-year-old running back whose value is as high as McCaffrey’s. Instead, you could trade him straight up for Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Tee Higgins, or even C.J. Stroud.