Recent Dynasty Football Trades – Winners and Losers

We all know, the dynasty fantasy football season never stops. Any good manager knows how fluid the dynasty market can be and never stops looking for opportunities to take advantage. Today, we’ll be reviewing some recent dynasty fantasy football trades. Keep in mind, that these are real trades from some of our expert’s paid, dynasty football leagues.

Furthermore, we all know that dynasty draft season is all the rage right now. You can check out our 2024 rookie profiles right here. In addition, we have up-to-date dynasty rookie ADP and much more dynasty content. With that, no matter how severe your case of rookie fever is though, it’s always wise to keep a pulse on the market. There are always moves to make and value to be had.

Let’s examine a few dynasty trades to help you get a sense of the deals going down in the streets and see which managers came out on top.

Recent Dynasty Football Trades

Trade 1: 12 Team Superflex, PPR, Tight End Premium

Team A: Kyler Murray, Terry McLaurin, Jonathan Taylor, 2025 First

Team B: Patrick Mahomes, Diontae Johnson, 2026 2nd

We’re kicking things off with a big boy trade. Looks like we’ve got one manager tiering down off Patrick Mahomes, while the other seeks an upgrade from Kyler Murray.

As you can see, Mahomes is the centerpiece of this trade. Regardless of what could’ve been a down season, at least for Mahomes, is widely seen as either the dynasty QB1 or QB2. Meanwhile, Diontae Johnson is one of the more underrated receivers in the league. Johnson has been a roller coaster ride for fantasy football purposes. Better quarterback play can help bring out a season similar to what we saw in 2021 when he finished as the PPR WR8. The problem is that his quarterback situation is in flux.

Many are worried about Arthur Smith taking over control of Pittsburgh’s offense. However, I think Smith could bode well for Johnson’s fantasy prospects depending on what happens at quarterback. People are quick to forget he helped Tennessee finish 5th in Offensive DVOA in 2020. The Falcons also finished 8th in Offensive DVOA in 2022 under Smith. There’s still hope for Johnson.

The 2026 2nd is irrelevant to me. That pick can be easily replaced down the road.  Murray still carries Konami upside at the quarterback position. He’s a solid down tier. As much as I love him, Terry McLaurin has been a better NFL receiver than a fantasy football asset. Poor quarterback play has plagued his entire career. Jonathan Taylor is only 25 years old. He’s got two to three good years left in him. That’s a huge get in this trade. Not to mention, the 2025 first is a great asset as it will only appreciate in value. It can also be used for a win now trade in season.

Mahomes is seen as one of the premier Superflex options. But man, is the gap between him and Murray this big?

We saw Mahomes’ downside this past year. While he was still productive, he did not perform at the standard we are accustomed to seeing. I detailed what went wrong in my 2023 Fantasy Busts column. Believe it or not, Murray averaged more fantasy points per game than Mahomes did last year.

I do not believe the gap between them is as large as people think. One manager picked up a quarterback with overall QB1 upside and a WR3 with a high-end WR2 upside. The other gained a quarterback with top-three upside, an RB1, a solid Flex, and a future first-round pick. It’s hard for me not to like this side.

This just feels like a lot to give even for Mahomes. I get wanting an elite quarterback. I just think Team B already had one in Murray.

Verdict

Team A gets the win.

Trade 2: 12 Team Superflex, PPR, Tight End Premium

Team A: Russell Wilson, 1.11, 2.11, Alec Pierce

Team B: Justin Fields, 3,12

Ew. Hold on. Let me stick my face in the nearest toilet.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s attempt to break down this disaster.

Not sure where to begin. Justin Fields has to be considered the best piece in the deal. But his future is totally up in the air with the Bears primed to select Caleb Williams first overall in April’s draft. I would assume his new team will pick up his fifth-year option. From there, I’m not exactly sure what happens. He’s only 10-28 as a starter. At some point, he has to start winning. My biggest issue is that I’m just not certain Fields is a starting quarterback come the 2026 season. The 3.12 is just a dart throw. It holds little value.

As frightened as I am about Fields, I am completely terrified of Russell Wilson’s future. Broncos’ coach Sean Payton kicked Wilson to the bench in favor of Jarrett Stidham. Payton was hired with hopes of fixing Wilson. The two sides now appear headed for a divorce. Wilson had a nice bounce-back year for fantasy football, but he still struggled to play on script. He bailed pockets early and took unnecessary sacks. His failure to evolve his game seems to have cost him the starting job in Denver. I don’t think it’s crazy to suggest he is one more blown starting gig from being out of the league.

It’s nice to get the 1.11 in this deal. I do think there is a tier drop in rookie drafts after the 1.07. Still, this is a nice get. It’s the lone bright spot in this dumpster fire of a trade. 2.11 can be used to take a shot on a running back. Alec Pierce seems like just a throw-in. He brings nothing to the table besides some bestball value.

This is a disgusting trade for both sides. I’m not a fan of either quarterback so this is tough for me. Fields will help a win-now manager looking for quarterback upside. Ultimately, he should return at least low-end QB1 value.

If Wilson lands a starting job and returns QB2 value, then I prefer this side of the trade. The 1.11 and 2.11 could be used to move up and acquire a better asset in the rookie draft. Fields and Wilson might be a wash in a few years, but Fields could be a difference-maker in the short term. This is a tough call.

Verdict

Team A wins the battle of futility.

Trade 3: 12 Team Superflex, PPR, Tight End Premium

Team A: Evan Engram, Dallas Goedert, Terry McLaurin

Team B: Jaylen Waddle, 2025 3rd, 2025 4th

Let’s close up shop with an interesting one. Full-point PPR with tight end premium is a different ballgame. Tight ends get a whopping two points per reception. This makes a huge difference if you can land one of the top guys. It even makes middling/backend tight ends good flex options.

Team A went ahead and loaded up on a pair of older tight ends. Dallas Goedert and Evan Engram are entering their age 29 and 30 seasons respectively. Both will be beneficial options.

Another trade with McLaurin as what seems to be a throw-in. He’s a great WR3 with WR2 upside and is a solid Flex. With Washington primed to take a quarterback with the second overall pick, it’s not a stretch to say that he could be playing with the best quarterback of his career.

Team B gets Jaylen Waddle. He is currently ranked as the WR11 over on KeepTradeCut. The picks don’t amount to much. Just bargaining chips as throw-ins or if you’re trying to get a veteran super cheap.

I don’t see what Team B gains here. Sure, you get a young wide receiver. But he’s stuck playing second fiddle to Tyreek Hill. I don’t think we can expect Waddle to enter that tier of receiver anytime soon.

If the sole objective was to acquire youth, team B did so. But boy, I have to believe they could have gotten more value for Goedert/Engram in this type of league. Team A gets three winnow pieces while team B gets one backend dynasty WR1. Bottom line, I don’t think this trade helps team B (who I assume is in a rebuild) in the long term as much as it will help Team A in the short term.

Verdict

This one isn’t close. Team A wins.