Tom Strachan | Tue, Feb 17th 2026, 7:13am EST

4 Dynasty Players to Trade For Before NFL Free Agency (2026)

Dynasty player valuations are in the most volatile period of the year, where, with a good free agency landing spot, they could significantly increase or decrease, should they land in a bad spot. Buying players now, before both free agency and the NFL Draft, might seem like a dangerous idea. However, the simple truth is that sometimes in dynasty fantasy football, you have to take those risks to turn a rebuilding or mediocre team into a championship-caliber one. Let’s dive into some dynasty trade advice, players to acquire before NFL free agency.

Dynasty Trade Advice: Payers to Acquire

Isaiah Likely (TE – FA)

It feels increasingly unlikely that the Baltimore Ravens will be able to secure a deal to keep Isaiah Likely. Lamar Jackson‘s cap hit is currently scheduled to be $74.5 million this year, with no news yet on whether an extension to reduce that number is imminent. Tyler Linderbaum is a three-time Pro Bowler and weeks away from hitting free agency.

The priorities for Baltimore seem clearly to be re-sign Jackson and keep Linderbaum. Likely will almost certainly command an average annual value of at least $12 million on the open market, and it won’t be surprising if he gets closer to $13 million. The Ravens must have had a sense they were unlikely to reach a deal with Likely when they elected to extend Mark Andrews in-season.

It seems unlikely the Ravens can pay two tight ends at top-market value. Unfortunately, Likely will find his way to free agency on the back of a poor year where he averaged 21.9 yards per game. His production was largely due to a broken bone in his foot that he suffered in training camp, leaving him unable to replicate his stellar 2023 numbers. That season, he ended the campaign in incredible form while Andrews was on injured reserve (IR).

During a six-game stretch, he ranked ninth in receiving yards per game (53.7), averaging an impressive 1.96 yards per route run and 15.3 yards per reception, which was bested only by George Kittle in that spell. Likely has 15 touchdowns in the last four years, which is more than many established featured tight ends.

The expectation that Likely finds a good landing spot and breaks out is fully baked into his price already at the cost of a mid-second pick in Superflex TE-Premium leagues. It doesn’t capture enough of the upside Likely could bring if he’s featured in an offense.

Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)

It seems very likely that the New York Jets and Breece Hall will go their separate ways when free agency opens up, which begs the question: Who will be the Jets’ No. 1 RB in 2026? While they could look to the draft, given their haul of picks, which includes the most picks in the top 45, a rebuilding team taking a running back doesn’t make the most sense when they have a litany of needs elsewhere.

Head coach Aaron Glenn has said in the past that he loves Braelon Allen’s size and skillset, and the expectation was that he’d be a larger part of the Jets’ offense in his second year. Unfortunately, Allen suffered an MCL injury in Week 4 and missed the rest of the season.

Allen has 410 yards on 110 career carries, along with 21 career receptions. He might not be in line to be a three-down workhorse, but he’s currently available for a late second-round pick. That is appealing when you consider the lack of quality in this year’s rookie draft class.

Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – FA)

The Titans’ rebuild looks set to continue with them moving on from a number of players that haven’t worked out. Chigoziem Okonkwo probably shouldn’t fall under that umbrella entirely, but it is also fair to point out that he’s lacked consistency throughout his career.

Through four seasons, Okonkwo has averaged 68 targets and 504 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns. Okonkwo hasn’t exactly had consistent quarterback play around him, though, catching passes from Cam Ward, Will Levis, Mason Rudolph, Malik Willis, Ryan Tannehill and Josh Dobbs.

It can be hard for a rookie tight end to develop in those scenarios, and that’s before we mention the coaching staff changes that have routinely been a part of his time in Tennessee. Okonkwo isn’t a complete tight end, ranking dead last among the position for his run blocking skills in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

However, Okonkwo does bring speed to the position, and creative play-callers value that. Okonkwo’s value is low, currently around the 3.07-3.10 range, which makes him an excellent buy-low target with the potential to flip him for a higher pick before he even plays a down if he finds a good landing spot.

Rachaad White (RB – FA)

After four years with Tampa Bay, Rachaad White has confirmed he’ll be hitting the free agent market this offseason. It makes sense given Bucky Irving‘s talent and Sean Tucker‘s flashes that the Buccaneers wouldn’t prioritize re-signing White, but it doesn’t mean he won’t have a solid market either.

White was an inefficient runner for the first two years of his career, averaging 3.65 yards per carry and a 45% success rate, but in his last two seasons, he’s been much better, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and a 52.2% success rate. Where White really stands out, though, is as a pass-catcher with 205 receptions on 230 targets.

Since the start of the 2022 season, when White entered the league, only Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have more receptions at the position. That matters in PPR leagues. Teams like the Panthers, Cardinals, Chiefs or Texans could all utilize a skillset like that. For the cost of a low third-round pick, you might get more bang for your buck than if you took a dart throw on a rookie.

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