There are certain times of the year when it's easier to acquire veteran players. That time of year is right now.
With all eyes on the incoming rookie class, dynasty managers are anxious to get these future stars on their rosters. Because of this, veterans are often pushed down the board (both in rankings and ADP) which means now is a great time to send out offers for those seemingly forgotten players.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets
George Pickens, WR - Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted offensive linemen with their first two picks and three of their first five. While they did take WR Roman Wilson in Round 3, I still think there's value to be had with fellow wideout George Pickens.
After Diontae Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, the door immediately opened for Pickens to take on a much larger role. Johnson has averaged 8.2 targets per game in his career and has been a consistent producer in PPR formats.
As for Pickens, he profiles as more of a down-field threat but should have as much opportunity as he can handle in this offense.
Speaking of the Steelers' offense, Russell Wilson (and Justin Fields) make up the new QB room. Either/both represent a significant upgrade from their predecessors but the offense will still likely be balanced while leaning on a high-end defense.
Even with the balanced approach, we're looking for more efficiency and a veteran playmaker like Wilson should provide that. Despite his challenges in Denver, Wilson did have either 200 passing yards or two TDs in 11/15 games. There's no questioning the coaching capabilities in Pittsburgh so let's hope they can put it together this year.
As for Pickens, his metrics were already solid even with sub-par QB play last season:
- 95% route participation
- 20% TPRR
- 23% target share
- 39% air yards
With a more competent QB, Pickens shouldn't have too much difficulty outperforming his current dynasty ADP of WR28. Even with the shakeup at QB and the addition of a rookie wideout in Wilson, dynasty managers shouldn't be afraid to target a talented player with an almost-WR3 price tag.
Marquise Brown, WR - Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are always going to be a bit of an enigma when it comes to valuing players for fantasy purposes.
Yes, being tied to Patrick Mahomes clearly has its advantages. We've seen him post incredible passing numbers year after year even with a less-than-stellar supporting cast. However, we've previously bought in on players like Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney and it hasn't worked out.
Still, we have to scoop up the value when it tumbles down the board.
Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Chiefs this offseason and appears ready to serve alongside Rashee Rice and newly drafted rookie Xavier Worthy. Despite the exciting landing spot, the market hasn't responded, yet.
Brown's current dynasty ADP is way down at WR43 and I can't figure out why.
To be fair, Brown has never finished higher than WR22 in PPR formats and has just two top-36 seasons to his name (2020 & 2021). Still, he's only 26 years old and will be playing with the No. 1 QB in football.
Rice, off-the-field issues aside, performed well as a rookie and will continue to have a role in this offense. Worthy represents someone with blazing speed who can take the top off of defenses and, of course, Travis Kelce will certainly get his as well. Even with all those other options, I can't fathom Brown being priced as a low-end WR4.
This one almost feels too easy. Dynasty managers should be quick to take advantage of this discount, especially with so much attention focused on Worthy.
Jameson Williams, WR - Lions
It's easy to forget that Jameson Williams was selected by the Lions with the 12th overall pick in 2022. He finished his collegiate career at Alabama in 2021 with an absurd line of 79 / 1,572 / 15 (19.9 yards per reception).
Williams’ calling card has always been his big play ability. His near-20 yards per reception mark at Alabama, his lone TD in 2022 (41 yards), and his 16.4 aDOT in 2023 all highlight his downfield skillset. His 4.39 40-yard dash (94th percentile) doesn’t hurt either.
He could profile as the ideal post-hype sleeper heading into 2024. The Lions surprised everyone (except themselves) by claiming their first division title in 30 years. The success of Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs means very few are looking at Williams.
We can exploit this in the weeks and months ahead.
This fall, Williams will essentially be two years removed from his ACL injury and we’ve seen just how important it is for players to have that extra year before getting back to full health. Aside from ARSB, Williams is arguably the most talented wideout on the roster.
Williams is currently the dynasty WR50. If I can land someone with his pedigree, profile, talent, and draft capital that cheap, I’ll take that every single time. The Lions are building something special in Detroit and dynasty managers should be quick to stash Williams before he reminds everyone what he’s capable of.
Jake Ferguson, TE - Cowboys
In case you haven't heard, the Dallas Cowboys are all in this season. However, they did nothing during free agency or the draft that gives you any confidence that that's true.
I'm not even counting the return of Ezekiel Elliott. Sorry, not sorry.
However, one big winner from Dallas' lack of, well, anything was veteran TE Jake Ferguson.
In his first season as the starting option, Ferguson went 71/761/5 on 102 targets. He was second in targets behind only CeeDee Lamb (181) and earned 20+ more targets than the next closest player (Brandin Cooks).
To further put Ferguson’s season in perspective, he finished inside the top 10 among all TEs in the following categories:
- Targets
- Receptions
- Receiving yards
- Receiving TDs
- PPG & PPR
When you factor in that he’s the secondary option on what has been one of the best offenses in football over the last several seasons, there’s no reason he should be ranked as the dynasty TE12.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that both Tony Pollard & Michael Gallup are gone. That frees up 124 targets from last season. It might literally be just Lamb & Ferguson.
Ferguson is too cheap. Dynasty managers, figure it out.
