I've been on record saying I enjoy the offseason more than the actual NFL season in my dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Yes, of course, I love tuning in on Sunday afternoons, but the offseason is when the foundation is laid. It's when trade discussions heat up, free agency hits, and the NFL Draft kicks off.

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Strategy

One of the most common questions I get from our Fantasy Life Community Discord this time of year relates to how to properly value draft picks. The Family Guy "mystery box" gif is commonplace in our channels as we all anxiously await landing spots for the incoming crop of rookies.

While first-round picks are highly coveted commodities and second-round picks are some of the most versatile, anything from the third round on is where the fun really begins.

The range of outcomes gets progressively wider in each subsequent round. When Round 3 (and beyond) hits, we're officially in the land of endless optimism and perpetual dart throws.

One of my favorite classifications for dynasty trades is when a player is labeled as "someone I would sell for a second-round pick but buy for a third-round pick". So, which is it?

All that being said, if you're looking to move off your 2025 later-round pick(s), who are some players you might consider targeting? Let's break down five potential trade targets.

Make sure to check out my other pieces in this series:

Who's Worth My Later-Round Rookie Draft Pick In Dynasty Leagues?

Keaton Mitchell, RB - Ravens

Let's go deep into the barrel to kick things off. Remember the incredible stretch of games Keaton Mitchell had as a rookie back in 2023? He finished that season with 47 rushing attempts for 396 yards and a pair of scores. That was good for 8.4 yards per attempt.

A devastating knee injury cut his promising season short in Week 15 of the '23 season, and he didn't receive another carry until Week 17 of this past season.

With Derrick Henry under contract for another season, it's unlikely that anyone else will garner much of a workload. Even so, with Mitchell still only 23 years old and tied to an elite offense, he's worth adding for the cost of a late rookie round pick.

Currently, Mitchell's dynasty value sits at RB62. As they say, that's basically free. Any rookie player you draft that late is essentially a coin flip anyway. Take the shot on Mitchell getting fully healthy and having a chance to produce within the next few seasons.

Troy Franklin, WR - Broncos

The Denver Broncos selected Troy Franklin in Round 4 of last year's NFL Draft, pairing him with his college QB in Bo Nix, who they selected in Round 1. Falling to Day 3 didn't help Franklin in our Rookie WR Model, who came in at No. 15. However, he was the fourth-youngest wideout in his class which certainly doesn't hurt.

Despite any potential hype surrounding the Nix/Franklin stack, it was a largely underwhelming season for the rookie wideout. With Courtland Sutton serving as the primary receiving option (135 targets), it was a three-way race for the WR2 role.

 

Each of them had between 52-55 targets, but I'm most interested in Franklin's aDOT (14.54) and air yards share (18%). If he can get those route participation and target share numbers up in Year 2, there's a strong chance that Franklin becomes a viable option for your fantasy teams

Currently, his dynasty ADP sits at WR73. Franklin is too young (22 years old) and his offensive environment is too strong (Nix & Sean Payton) for me not to want in on him at that price point. Flipping a future third-round pick for someone going outside of the top-70 at his position makes too much sense.

Darius Slayton, WR - Giants

One of the more surprising signings happened when the New York Giants signed Darius Slayton to a three-year/$36M extension. I wasn't all that interested in Slayton before, but you have to follow the money, especially when it's more than you expected a player to get.

In his six-year career, Slayton has topped 700 receiving yards just four times, and his career-best TD season came back in 2019 when he scored eight. He hasn't scored more than four TDs in any season since.

So what does this mean?

Slayton has topped 14.7 yards per reception in five of six seasons and will likely remain the team's primary deep-threat moving forward. At best, he's the No. 3 option in the passing game as both Malik Nabers (170) and Wan'Dale Robinson (140) had significantly more targets than Slayton (71) in 2024.

 

It sounds like either Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston will be QB1 for the Giants this fall. Wilson still has a competent deep ball, and we all know how much Winston likes to push it down the field. Regardless of who gets more starts, both have tendencies that should mesh well with Slayton's skill set.

With a dynasty value of WR95, there's literally zero reason why you shouldn't toss out a fourth-round rookie pick to land Slayton on your dynasty squad for this season (and beyond).

Mike Gesicki, TE - Bengals

In his first season with the Bengals, Mike Gesicki had his best fantasy finish (TE13) since he finished as the TE9 back in 2021. The tall, athletic seven-year veteran is used more as a wideout than as a true TE, and the Bengals loved him enough to ink him to a three-year/ $25.5M extension.

Joe Burrow now has his top three pass-catchers locked up for the foreseeable future.

 

Last season, Burrow passed for nearly 5,000 yards and 43 TDs while leading the Bengals to the No. 6 scoring offense (27.8 points per game). On the other side of the ball, their defense came in at No. 25, and, with all the money spent on the offensive side of the ball, it looks like their defense is going to struggle again.

Gesicki is currently valued as the TE26 in dynasty formats. That seems off to me. Yes, he'll never truly challenge Ja'Marr Chase and/or Tee Higgins for targets, but he's locked into a starting role on a pass-heavy offense with tons of upside.

The Bengals are planning on simply out-scoring everyone this season, no matter what it takes. Expect plenty of shootouts and offensive fireworks from Burrow & Co. Gesicki will have more than a few red zone looks go his way in 2025 and beyond.

Michael Mayer, TE - Raiders

It's easy to forget just how strong of a prospect Michael Mayer was coming out of college. He was the No. 1 option in our Rookie TE Model back in 2023 but after a quiet rookie season, never got the chance to show what he could truly do.

One year after selecting Mayer, the Raiders doubled down and drafted Brock Bowers.

Even after just two seasons, it's clear that Mayer has no real future with the Raiders. He tallied just 21 receptions across 11 games in 2024 and never had a full-time role in the offense. In fact, the Raiders are reportedly exploring trade options.

This is great news for both Mayer and fantasy managers. There's no real bead on where he'll end up but anywhere is better than where he's currently at. I am willing to take a low-level risk and trade away a mid/late rookie pick for Mayer before he potentially winds up with a starting job with another franchise.