The NFL Draft always causes a frenzy of interest and activity around the incoming rookie class and their fantasy implications. This natural ebb and flow of the dynasty market makes this time of the offseason the perfect opportunity to shore up your roster with low-cost veterans. 

Here are four dynasty fantasy football trade targets to consider heading into this next season.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR - Titans

I always love it when teams intentionally build around their young QBs. Not only does it give them the best chance to succeed, but it also allows the team to determine if this player is truly a franchise QB or not.

The Titans have certainly surrounded sophomore Will Levis with talent this offseason, and I believe there's value to be had, especially with veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

In his first season in Tennessee, Hopkins appeared in all 17 games and finished as the WR25 in PPR formats. He only hauled in 75 of his 137 targets but racked up 1,057 yards and seven TDs. Despite turning 32 years old next month, he's shown little sign of slowing down and should still dominate the target share from Levis.

Last season, Levis played a full allotment of snaps as the starter from Weeks 8-15. During that time, Hopkins accounted for six of Levis's eight passing TDs and finished as a top-17 wideout four times.

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It's also worth noting that during that eight-game stretch, Hopkins hit the following marks:

  • 85% route participation
  • 28% TPRR
  • 29% target share
  • 17.3 aDOT
  • 46% air yards share

The last two, his aDOT and air yards share, are what get me most excited about investing in Hopkins this season, especially at his current price point in dynasty formats.

The Titans added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to their WR room and also signed RB Tony Pollard. Levis should have ample weapons to work with as he begins his first offseason as the unquestioned starter.
The offensive additions, coupled with his age, have pushed Hopkins down the ranks. With a dynasty ADP of WR66, he's someone I would strongly consider acquiring if my dynasty team was in contention. Levis has a big arm and Hopkins can win downfield with the best of them. Don't let his age scare you away from a one-to-two year rental with league-winning upside.

Rashid Shaheed, WR - Saints

As we often say, sometimes all a player needs is an opportunity. It's looking like that could happen for third-year wideout Rashid Shaheed for the New Orleans Saints. He might be one of the cheapest WR2s in the league and he's in a prime position to shatter his current ADP.

As a sophomore, Shaheed finished second among WRs in targets behind only Chris Olave. While Shaheed struggled with his own injuries, he did have some bright spots across his starts last season. Most notably, his target share, aDOT, and air yards share jump off the screen as a player who could work himself into a larger, more consistent role.

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Looking to this next season, with Michael Thomas now gone, the Saints currently have significant passing numbers missing from last season:

  • 1,311 air yards (8th most)
  • 27.8% air yards (10th most)
  • 108 targets
  • 17.8% target share

In his first season in New Orleans, Derek Carr played in all 17 games and tallied over 3,800 yards to go along with 25 passing TDs. He actually finished strong in 2023; after his Week 11 bye, he tallied either 300 passing yards or multiple passing TDs in six of his final seven games.

With no significant offensive additions from a year ago, this environment is ripe for Shaheed to succeed this season, and he isn't going to cost you much at all. He's currently priced as the dynasty WR68.

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Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) runs with the ball during the first half against the New York Giants at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Metz also highlighted Shaheed's price disparity from a best ball perspective. The arguments he made reinforce the opportunity that dynasty managers have:

After topping 1,000 yards last season as the primary deep threat for New Orleans (14.56-yard aDOT), Shaheed steps into the starting WR2 role after the Saints cut Michael Thomas (18% target share when active last season) and didn’t prioritize a WR in the 2024 draft.

As Ian Hartitz pointed out this offseason, no other wide receiver has averaged more than 11 yards per target over the last two years (min. 100 targets), giving him a unique ceiling at this stage in drafts that most receivers in his general vicinity don’t possess.

As previously mentioned, Shaheed feels like one of the cheapest WR2s on the market right now. He's also not just a fading veteran with maybe one good season left; he's only 25 years old and should still have his best football in front of him.

Tyler Lockett, WR - Seahawks

If it's not broken, don't fix it. That's how it goes, right? If there was ever a player who perennially just shows up and beats his preseason ADP, it's gotta be Tyler Lockett.

Now 31 years old and playing alongside two younger, more athletic WR teammates, how much does he have left?

On one hand, Lockett did have his lowest receiving yards, receiving TDs, and PPR finish since 2017. However, he did post his highest target count (122) since 2020. Compared to DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Lockett still fit in nicely as the clear WR2 and actually led the team in targets.

Seattle wide receiver comparison

Per PFF, Lockett graded out as the No. 27 WR and still displayed a nice blend of snaps from the slot (35%) and outside (64%). As long as he's still seeing usage all over the field, I'm confident he'll be able to produce for fantasy managers at an above-average rate.

That's all well and good, but the real difference maker for Lockett, like always, remains his price. His current dynasty ADP sits at WR76. Look, I get it, he'll be 32 years old by the end of September and isn't getting any younger. Still, for a guy who has six straight top-32 finishes under his belt, any competing roster should be looking to acquire his services for a year or two.

Brandin Cooks, WR - Cowboys

The last veteran option you should be looking to land this offseason is in the same vein as Lockett; this guy just shows up year after year and produces for fantasy managers.

Brandin Cooks might be best known for topping 1,000 receiving yards for four different teams between 2016-2020. It's crazy to think he's never lasted longer than three years with any organization.

In his first season with the Cowboys, Cooks got off to a slow-ish start, but following his Week 7 bye, he scored seven TDs in his final 11 games.

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The same reason I'm all-in on Jake Ferguson this year is why I'm also cautiously optimistic about Cooks in 2024. The Cowboys are missing 148 targets and over 24% target share from last season. While CeeDee Lamb will certainly get his, Dak Prescott is going to have to throw to someone else…right? Right?!

Ian laid out the potential danger for Cooks despite him being the clear WR2 on this roster in his Team Preview piece this week:

The bigger question is whether or not Cooks can take a step forward as the now unquestioned No. 2 WR with Michael Gallup out of the picture. Thirty-one in September, Cooks averaged a nine-year low in yards per reception (12.2) last season despite scoring the second-most TDs of his career (8).

Cooks had five or fewer targets in 11 of 17 games last year. Maybe that number does indeed boom without Gallup in the equation, but then again we're approaching ROUGH territory when it comes to Cooks' age cliff.

I won't argue with you; the underlying metrics aren't great. Still, when we're talking about a player who is currently the WR92 in dynasty ADP, I'm more than willing to take some swings. Remember how I said Shaheed might be the cheapest WR2? Cooks might be coming for that mantle this season.