The fantasy football process looks (roughly) the same, regardless of the format you play—fantasy football waiver wire research on Tuesdays, trade considerations throughout the middle of the week, and setting lineups toward the end of the week.
That said, there are subtle nuances that dynasty fantasy football managers have to pay attention to in order to alter their strategy. To assist, I'll be consolidating everything a Dynasty Fantasy Football manager needs to know to prepare for the week at hand.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Target For Week 16
Roman Wilson, WR - Steelers
Here's a name you probably didn't think you'd see heading into the fantasy playoffs.
Roman Wilson was selected by the Steelers in Round 3 last spring, but saw his only snaps in Week 6 (a mere 6% route rate). This certainly makes him more of a long-term, speculative stash, but I think he's worth the risk right now.
The Steelers' re-tooled offense under Russell Wilson and George Pickens (oh, and that elite defense) has been spectacular. The veteran QB has certainly earned a contract extension and the team should be looking to bolster their offense this offseason.
The lack of a true No. 2 wideout isn't something they can ignore forever, and their best potential WR2 of the future could already be on their team.
Wilson (the WR, not the QB) projects to play out of the slot whenever he's able to make his debut. That makes him the ideal complement to Pickens and how this offense operates.
This is the perfect time of year for non-contending dynasty teams to start making subtle moves to load up for the future, like acquiring Wilson. If you're out of the playoff hunt this year, or even if you are, it's never a bad time to at least consider your fantasy team for 2025.
Trade Targets for Dynasty Fantasy Football
Jermaine Burton, WR - Bengals
We've reached the pivotal crossroad portion of the fantasy football season—you're either looking to punch your ticket to the championship matchup or you're looking to next season.
If you're in a dynasty league and your season is now over (or maybe it's been over for a few weeks), I've got a few names for you to keep in mind for this upcoming offseason.
Understanding contracts and team environments is crucial for making strategic moves as a dynasty manager and one name I'm closely following is rookie wideout Jermaine Burton.
We know Cincinnati runs through Joe Burrow & Ja'Marr Chase. That's left Tee Higgins on the outside looking in and he's all but done as a Bengal after this season.
The team drafted Burton in Round 3 and he hasn't done much on the field this season. However, he's a talented player who was productive in college.
Sometimes, dynasty football doesn't have to be hard. All I need to know is the Bengals drafted a talented, above-average athlete from a high-end program and he'll get to play alongside Burrow and Chase for the foreseeable future.
It might take a few years for Burton to find his role, but in the post-Higgins era, the WR2 job is his to lose moving forward.
Troy Franklin, WR - Broncos
From a real-life perspective, it's gotta be pretty incredible having the chance to play in the NFL with your former college teammate. It's what every kid dreams about when they're playing at recess or with their friends.
For Bo Nix and Troy Franklin, we finally got a chance to see what their NFL connection looks like and the early returns are promising.
Last season at Oregon, Franklin hauled in 14 of Nix's 45 TD passes. After Denver landed Nix in the first round, they snagged Franklin in Round 4. Despite his Day 3 selection, Franklin offers some unique upside. First, he's still super young and actually led the WR class in QB rating when targeted.
At best, Franklin has posted spotty production this season, but that's what makes him a unique trade target in dynasty formats. The Broncos don't have a viable, consistent WR2 after Courtland Sutton so getting in on a young, talented player who has strong chemistry with Nix is the type of move every dynasty manager should be looking to make.
Player to Trade Away in Dynasty Leagues
James Conner, RB - Cardinals
In dynasty leagues, you often have to "call your shot" if you want to move a player while his value is still strong.
That's what I'm doing with James Conner.
The veteran RB for the Cardinals recently signed a two-year / $19 million contract that keeps him in Arizona through the 2026 season. Talk about a bummer for anyone who spent significant draft capital on Trey Benson.
From an NFL perspective, Conner continues to play well and has certainly earned the extension. He's over 200 rushing attempts for the third time in four years, remains efficient in the ground game, and is still involved in the passing game.
Perhaps even more important, heading into Week 15, he's played in every single game. He's missed time in each of his previous seven seasons so this would be a career-first if he makes it a full year.
That's part of why I'm looking to bet against the most recent data point and instead rely on seven years of information that suggests this would be an outlier for Conner. His value from a dynasty perspective is as high as it will ever be for the remainder of his career.
While Benson hasn't been as impactful this season as many would have liked, he's still a young, talented player whose level of involvement will only increase in the seasons ahead. Unless you have a pressing need to keep Conner on your roster, the time to sell in dynasty leagues is now.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Breakout Watch
Ben Sinnott, TE - Commanders
Some TEs break the game right away … others require a bit more patience, even if they check a lot of boxes. This is the story of Ben Sinnott.
For a young TE who has the enticing athletic profile we want, he also charted out well in our Rookie TE Model.
Yes, it was really Brock Bowers and then everyone else but Sinnot still came in as the No. 2 option in his class. Even back in July, the Fantasy Life team (shoutout to Thor) was hyping up Sinnott from a dynasty perspective.
"Sinnott may not move the fantasy needle in 2024 behind Zach Ertz. But he’s a high-upside long-term play at the position in dynasty. Sinnott catches everything he’s thrown, breaks tackles, blocks his butt off, and lines up everywhere."
You like that? Here's more pro-Sinnott propaganda:
"He’s extremely reliable, with a stellar 4.0% drop rate on 73 targets in 2023. Where Sinnott really evoked Sam LaPorta for me was after the catch – Sinnott ranked No. 3 with 14 broken tackles last year … Sinnott’s 10.1 aDOT was No. 1 among TEs with 30 or more catches in the past draft class, and he ranked No. 4 with 15 explosive plays."
He hasn't made waves this season, but Sinnott is in a prime environment to erupt in Year 2 with Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense. Dynasty managers should be looking to make moves sooner rather than later.