Running backs are the most fragile asset in dynasty leagues, and the offseason is your chance to take advantage of that or get caught by it. On The Trade Block, Ryan Wormeli and Pat Fitzmaurice looked at updated dynasty trade values and pointed out a key fact: RB value depends on their role, and those roles can change quickly.
Dynasty Trade Advice
Let’s dive into our dynasty trade advice for running backs in January. And check out our full episode on updated dynasty trade values below:
The “handcuff-plus” rise: Blake Corum
Wormeli pointed to Blake Corum as a notable riser. The logic is straightforward: dynasty managers can now see a path where Corum is valuable in two ways:
- Standalone usage in a split
- League-winning upside if the starter misses time
That combo creates a premium tier, because it’s not just a handcuff, it’s a playable asset with an embedded upside lever.
Dynasty move:
- Buy if he’s still priced as a standard backup.
- Hold if you roster him. His value insulation is better than most RB2s.
Breece Hall: A “value can jump overnight” profile
Wormeli and Fitz discussed Breece Hall as a name whose value could spike depending on what happens next. The key dynasty takeaway isn’t “predict the landing spot”; it’s that free agency creates a window where:
- Some managers get impatient and sell early
- Others pay for certainty after news breaks
Dynasty move:
- Buy before certainty if your league discounts him due to team context.
- Sell into hype if he lands somewhere that generates immediate “RB1 overall” chatter.
Rico Dowdle archetype: Market overreacts to efficiency dips
They also referenced a profile like Rico Dowdle, an RB whose value dipped late, but could rebound quickly with a favorable situation. This is the classic dynasty RB truth: we trade roles, not resumes.
If a player has:
- Competent skill set
- Clear path to touches
- Non-disaster offense
…their value often rebounds regardless of last month’s efficiency.
Dynasty move:
- Stash/Buy low if your league treats them as “done.”
- Flip if the offseason gives them a clearer starting path.
How to trade RBs correctly in January
Most dynasty mistakes at RB happen because managers do one of two extremes:
- Hoard RBs in a rebuild (value decay is brutal)
- Refuse to pay for RB points in a contender window
A better model is:
- Rebuilders: hold picks + elite WRs/QBs, acquire RBs later
- Contenders: buy RB points when the market is uncertain (January-March)
Actionable RB trade targets (based on the episode’s themes)
Buys (good process buys)
- Corum (handcuff-plus insulation)
- Hall (if price lags landing-spot expectation)
- “Discount starters” when the market hates the situation more than the player
Sells (if priced near ceiling)
- Any RB whose value assumes a perfect workload with no additions
- Any RB who jumps tiers solely on narrative without role certainty