Dynasty fantasy football is arguably the best because it allows players to treat their team like an NFL general manager. There is no reset every year, and fantasy players have two pathways to improve their team – the rookie draft and trades. Therefore, let’s dive into some of the top trade-away candidates in dynasty fantasy football leagues. These candidates aren’t necessarily a must-sell today, or you’re doomed players. Instead, they are players you should explore trading away sooner than later.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Simulator
- DBro’s Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers
Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Candidates: Running Backs
The Patriots signed Stevenson to a massive extension last offseason. However, they spent an early second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on TreVeyon Henderson. More importantly, the veteran has been an inefficient runner the past two years, averaging 3.9 yards per rushing attempt and a 2.8% explosive run rate (per Fantasy Points Data). While he might be with the team in 2026, Stevenson might struggle to earn consistent touches behind Henderson.
Cook had the best year of his career in 2024, ending the season as the RB8, averaging 16.7 PPR fantasy points per game. He had four rushing touchdowns and five offensive scores over his first two years in the NFL. By comparison, Cook had 16 rushing touchdowns and 18 offensive scores last season, leading the league in rushing touchdowns. He is heading into the final year of his contract and is due for significant touchdown regression.
While the Texans signed Nick Chubb, Mixon should remain the team’s featured running back in 2025. However, it is likely his final year as a must-start running back, as Houston can cut him after the upcoming season. Last year, he was the RB9 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 17.2 PPR fantasy points per contest. Unfortunately, Mixon wore down to end the season, averaging 3.2 yards per attempt and 7.1 fantasy points per game over the final four weeks.
Etienne was the RB3 in 2023, averaging 16.6 PPR fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, he significantly regressed last year, finishing as the RB35, averaging 8.7 fantasy points per contest. More importantly, the veteran had 11 rushing touchdowns in 2023 but only two last season, failing to find the end zone after Week 2. Etienne is heading into the final year of his contract and likely won’t return in 2026 after the team drafted Bhayshul Tuten.
Fantasy players had high hopes for Harris after the veteran running back signed with the Chargers in free agency earlier this offseason. Unfortunately, those dreams were crushed after the team selected Omarion Hampton with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Harris has never been an efficient runner, averaging 3.9 yards per rushing attempt for his career. What made him a solid starting option for fantasy was volume, seeing at least 255 rushing attempts every year.
Hopefully, dynasty players knew that Tracy was a “draft and dump” candidate when picking him in rookie drafts last year because of his Day 3 capital. He had a solid rookie season, finishing as the RB26, averaging 10.7 PPR fantasy points per game. However, Tracy wasn’t going to be the featured guy past his rookie year. The Giants still have Devin Singletary and drafted Cam Skattebo, who should take over as the team’s starting running back.
Barkley had an outstanding first year in Philadelphia. The superstar was the RB1 over the first 17 weeks, averaging 22.2 PPR fantasy points per game. However, he had 482 touches during the regular season and playoffs. That workload has many worried about Barkley’s health in 2025, especially since the superstar has missed 22.4% of the games in his career because of injury. Unless fantasy players have a legit contending roster, they should sell high on the former Penn State star.
Many expected the Bears to use a prime pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a running back. Instead, the team waited until the seventh round to select Kyle Monangai, meaning Swift should be the lead running back this season. However, it will likely be his final year in Chicago and potentially as a starting running back. More importantly, Swift’s 3.6% explosive run rate ranked 26th among 31 running backs with at least 150 rushing attempts last season (per Fantasy Points Data).
Despite missing the final three games with an injury, Montgomery finished last year as the RB18, averaging 15.8 PPR fantasy points per game. He has been a fantasy star since joining the Lions, averaging 15.3 fantasy points and 0.9 touchdowns per game despite sharing the backfield workload. However, Ben Johnson is gone, and Jahmyr Gibbs was a superstar with Montgomery out of the lineup. Now is the time to explore trade options for the veteran running back.
Jacobs finished last year as the RB6, averaging 17.2 PPR fantasy points per game. Yet, he got off to a slow start, averaging 10.8 fantasy points per game over the first month, totaling zero touchdowns. While his late-season run led to his top-six finish, fantasy players should explore trade options for the veteran running back. Jordan Love and his receiving corps weren’t healthy last year, leading to a run-heavy offense. However, that will change after the team added multiple wide receivers this offseason.
While Jones signed a two-year extension this offseason, the veteran will likely be a salary cap casualty in 2026. Last year, he was the RB14, averaging 14.2 PPR fantasy points per game. More importantly, Jones could lose work to Jordan Mason this season after the Vikings traded for and signed him to an extension. According to Fantasy Points Data, Mason had a better explosive run rate (7.8% vs. 3.5%) and missed forced tackle per attempt rate (22% vs. 11%) than Jones.
Hubbard had a breakout year in 2025, ending the season as the RB15, averaging 16.1 PPR fantasy points per game. He saw 73.1% of the backfield rushing attempts and 70.9% of the touches. While Jonathon Brooks won’t play in 2025, he is still part of the team’s long-term plans in the backfield. Furthermore, Carolina added Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne this offseason. Therefore, Hubbard likely won’t see over 70% of the workload in 2025, making him a potential regression candidate.
Fantasy players love Kamara in PPR leagues because of his role in the passing game, totaling at least 68 receptions in six of eight years in the NFL. Last season, the veteran finished as the RB9, averaging 18.9 PPR fantasy points per game, totaling a career-high 950 rushing yards. However, Kamara is on the wrong side of 30, hasn’t averaged more than 4.2 yards per rushing attempt in five years, and is likely heading into his final season with the Saints.
Surprisingly, Conner only missed a meaningless Week 18 game last year. It was the first time he played more than 15 games in a season in his career. Unfortunately, he is more likely to miss significant time in 2025 with an injury, especially with being on the wrong side of 30. Furthermore, his contract is over after this year. Conner is unlikely to return in 2026, especially with Trey Benson waiting in the wings.
The Rams could sign Williams to an extension, likely locking him in as an RB1 for the next several seasons. However, the team has used mid-round picks on Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter over the past two years and could let Williams walk when his contract expires in 2026, making fantasy players wonder how well he will perform away from Sean McVay’s offense. Last season, he had a 1.9% explosive run rate, ranking 22nd out of 23 running backs with at least 200 rushing attempts (per Fantasy Points Data).
Hopefully, McCaffrey can stay healthy in 2025 and have another high-end RB1 finish. Yet, only high-end contending teams should hold onto the veteran once the season starts. He will be on the wrong side of 30 in 2026. More importantly, the superstar has missed 44.1% of the games over the past five years, including at least 10 contests three times. While he has been arguably the best running back in the NFL the past few seasons, fantasy players need to sell high on McCaffrey.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
