Fantasy Football – Players to trade, players to trade in dynasty leagues

Player trades are essential to the long-term success of any fantasy football dynasty league. Taking a risk on promising young talent can truly transform your team, but parting ways with existing players to acquire a player who could become a future star can often be difficult.

Here are some commonalities regarding running backs: High physical demands result in shorter careers compared to other positions High contact rates and repetitive assignments can lead to injuries and wear and tear on the body Since 2010, 94 running backs have scored at least 250 fantasy points in a season. Nearly 70% of those seasons came between the ages of 23 and 26. While these guidelines aren't necessarily exhaustive, identifying running backs who can help a potential trade partner over the next season or two is a great way to rejuvenate and get the most return on your trade.

Deciding which players to acquire or trade for is a tightrope walk, so let’s take a look at a few players on each side.

Players eligible for trade

Tyjay Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans: Despite Tony Pollard signing a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency, Spears is the man to target in the Titans backfield. Spears had the ninth-most targets among running backs and over 800 scrimmage yards as a rookie. That's pretty impressive considering Spears was mostly playing on passing downs in committee with Derrick Henry. The Titans have a new head coach and play-caller in Brian Callahan and an offensive line that could have a breakout season under legendary offensive line coach (and Brian's father) Bill Callahan. Fantasy managers needn't worry about Spears having a timeshare with Pollard. Pollard had a career-high 252 rushing attempts last season for Dallas, but his average of 4.0 yards was a career-low.

Jalen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Can you blame the Steelers for not exercising Najee Harris' fifth-year option? Given how well Warren performed last season, now is the perfect time to trade for him. He showed his playmaking ability in his second year in the NFL, posting career highs in both rushing and receiving yards and becoming fantasy RB22. Now, with Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator, who has been able to get the most out of his running back talent, and an improved offensive line in Pittsburgh, Warren's potential is even higher. Given this situation and his high potential, Warren is a great player to target.

Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints: Miller's rookie season was plagued by injuries, but don't write him off. He showed promise in Week 18 against the Falcons with 14 touches and 15 fantasy points. Now would be a good time to trade him, but with Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams still around, you'll need to be patient. However, with Kamara entering his age-29 season and only one rush of 30+ yards in the past three seasons, it wouldn't be surprising to see Miller surpass Williams in training camp and earn the backup position.

Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Let's be realistic. Fields wasn't set up to succeed with the Bears, with a weak offensive line and limited playmakers, but he still averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game thanks to his dual-threat ability. Now he's in Pittsburgh, competing with 35-year-old Russell Wilson on a one-year deal. If Wilson struggles, Fields could become the starter early, or Fields could win the position during camp. In the worst-case scenario, Fields finishes his rookie contract and becomes a free agent next offseason. Only three quarterbacks have ever rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. The 25-year-old Fields is one of them, making him a valuable dynasty trade target.

Dionta Johnson, WR, Carolina Panthers: Johnson has averaged 8.3 targets per game in his career, but only 11.1 over the past two seasons, which doesn't necessarily translate to fantasy points. But he'll have less competition for targets in Carolina, where he'll pair with second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Many expect the Panthers' offense to improve under Dave Canales, who has resurrected the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. Many dynasty managers look back instead of forward. Use the situation to your advantage by acquiring Johnson in a trade as he enters his age-28 season.

Will Revis, QB, Tennessee Titans: Revis made his Titans debut in Week 8 of last season and was impressive with 238 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He only had four touchdowns in the next eight games, but he did have a notable comeback win against the Dolphins late in the season. He's averaging just 11.3 fantasy points per game, so he clearly needs to improve. The additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to the wide receiver corps, along with the additions of DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks, have helped Revis, and the offensive line has improved as well. Now is the perfect time to acquire Revis before he takes a leap in his second year under new head coach Brian Callahan.

Players being traded

Gus Edwards, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Edwards is averaging 10.7 fantasy points in 35 games with 10 or more rushing attempts. Now that he's reunited with offensive coordinator Greg Roman, his workload looks promising. Roman's offense ran over 50% of its attempts in Baltimore. But Edwards hasn't contributed much in the passing game, he's competing with J.K. Dobbins and rookie Kimani Vidal for touches, and he's 29 years old. If there's a team in the league that wants to win right now and needs some backfield reinforcement, this is your last chance to get something in exchange for Edwards.

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Barkley's outlook is optimistic. He signed a three-year contract with the Eagles. The Eagles' offense was seventh in rushing attempts and first in run-block win percentage last season. Barkley has career averages of 20.1 touches and 17.5 fantasy points, and is a threat as both a runner and a receiver. Apart from a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season, he has been relatively healthy, appearing in at least 13 games every other season. At 27 years old, his dynasty value is unlikely to increase any more, and now is the perfect time to take advantage of it.

Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos: Statistically, Williams had a suboptimal season, finishing with a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and RB29 despite missing just one game. But averaging a career-high 16.5 touches was a plus. Williams, just 24, entered the offseason healthy. But the Broncos have a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, and Williams will face competition in a crowded and shaky backfield that includes holdovers Samaje Perine and Jahlil McLaughlin and rookies Audric Estime and Blake Watson. Some dynasty managers view Williams as a potential bounce-back candidate, and it's those players who should be trade targets.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: Things aren't looking good for Herbert. He has a new coach in Jim Harbaugh and the aforementioned offensive coordinator Greg Roman, both of whom rely heavily on the running game. It's easy to see that coming, especially now that WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are gone. Herbert has averaged 274.1 passing yards and 19.1 fantasy points per game in his career, but with all these organizational changes, it's hard to see him as anything more than a high-end QB2. But many dynasty managers still view the 26-year-old Herbert as a QB1 based on name recognition. Use that to your advantage.

DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears: Moore set career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns last season while averaging 16.8 fantasy points per game. But this season he'll be competing with Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, who are expected to be targeted 100-plus times. The trio will also be catching passes from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Plus, offseason addition D'Andre Swift will be dominating the targets. He knows he has to do it, even if it's painful.

Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns: This will be Cooper's third season with the Browns. The elite route runner has averaged 8.1 targets and 14.8 fantasy points per game since arriving in Cleveland, but 2024 is the final year of the soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver's contract. It remains to be seen if the Browns and Cooper will negotiate an extension or pursue a trade in the future. Cooper is expected to lead the Browns in targets, with offseason additions Jerry Jeudy and veteran tight end David Njoku not far behind. Given his age and contract situation, now may be the time to move on from Cooper.