It’s redraft season, which means it’s overreaction season. Every week of games brings new surprises and another subset of data to evaluate. With that information comes some large changes in value, not just for redraft, but for dynasty as well. Week 4 was full of big games, breakouts, and unfortunately plenty of injuries. Sometimes the hardest part can be figuring just how much you should pay to get these volatile players, or how much you should demand of those trying to buy them from you. Fantasy football can be a game of quick reactions and decisions that can have effects years down the road. I want to help you get all the information to make your own informed decisions on some of these players each week. I’ll be breaking down some of the more polarizing players each week and talking about their dynasty value. Check it out in my first one here with Dynasty Fantasy Trade Values: Week 5.
Dynasty League Football (DLF) has a lot of great tools for their members that I highly suggest you check out and subscribe to. One of my favorites, that I will use for this article, is the DLF trade finder. They use real trades happening in real-time across hundreds of leagues and compile the information into one searchable database. Today I have chosen four players and collected what I thought to be a representative sample of their trades occurring between their Week 4 game and today. I will break down which trades I prefer to acquire the player in question and which I would prefer to sell him. In the end, I will give a verdict of market value for the player so you can make your own decisions and trades in your own leagues. Use these values to try and go out and make some trades for yourself. Let’s get into it, breaking down some dynasty fantasy trades.
Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler Trades” width=”697″ height=”170″ />
Austin Ekeler has been one of the top running backs in fantasy this year thanks to his pass-catching combined with a new goal-line role. His high-end production doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon but he is getting older and we are getting to the point in the year where teams are figuring out if they are contenders or pretenders. We see a lot of examples of teams that see the value of Ekeler to a championship run and are willing to send out packages of picks and young assets such as Travis Etienne, Jerry Jeudy, Chris Godwin, and Justin Fields. We do see a couple of swaps for other running backs including sending Miles Sanders and Henry Ruggs which feels like one of the lighter returns for Ekeler.
Verdict: The best time to buy Ekeler was during the offseason. His price wasn’t cheap then either, but it has gone up even more and the price will be expensive now. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a good buy for a contender that can help bring you a championship. It appears that you will likely have to give up a legitimate young asset with upside and a first-round pick. This is also what I would be looking for in return if trying to rebuild.
Kenneth Gainwell/Miles Sanders
It feels like there is a change in the wind beginning in Philadelphia as rookie Kenneth Gainwell is playing well and Miles Sanders has been pretty inefficient and not getting great volume. Gainwell has been the clear passing down back so in games like last weekend when the Eagles are playing from behind it can be rough for Sanders. Sanders snap and carry count totals still show a clear lead back in the committee however and he is still only 24 years old. Sanders is still getting a much better return in most leagues including very usable running backs like Darrell Henderson and David Montgomery (injured). There are some owners that are selling for what they can get even if that means a second-round value. Gainwell meanwhile has been obtained by packaging depth pieces and added into bigger packages. But there are some managers starting to pay up including one package that included a 2022 first-round pick in a package deal.
Verdict: Miles Sanders may be a solid buy-low candidate as a young athletic running back with some panicking owners giving him away for less than a first. But Gainwell doesn’t look like he is going away and is a great trade target for young rebuilding teams who has a clear path to continue to gain value.
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Dawson Knox
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Dawson Knox is enjoying his role in this high-flying Bills offense, which has resulted in five touchdowns in four games. His yardage has not been as profitable, but outside of the top few tight ends, touchdowns are what you are hoping for. Knox certainly seems to have that role in this offense. There are a lot of managers that need help at the tight end position and they have shown a willingness to pay more for Knox than they were a month ago. He went multiple times for the equivalent of a second-round pick. He also went for high-performing players at other positions this year such as Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Boyd, and Zack Moss. This could be the third-year breakout that we’ve been waiting for out of Knox.
Verdict: The touchdown reliance for Knox scares me a little, but the snaps have been there and he has a real chance at a touchdown every week which is all you can ask for at the position. If you want to trade for him you will need to pay a second-round pick at this point or maybe a high-end bench piece. I would be selling him for those prices if you don’t need him in your lineups, but if you need the help at the position I understand the price.
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