Dynasty WRs to trade for

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The dynasty offseason is in full swing, and excitement for the fantasy season is building as we head into June. There does tend to be a lull in league trading around this time, but if you’re in a league with committed managers, they’ll usually be willing to hear trade offers at any time of the year.

There are always differences in how certain dynasty owners value certain players, but as always, there are also players who are generally being valued too low by the consensus. It is important to really keep in mind, however, that someone can still have the same thought process on a player as you, and in that case, it’s important not to overpay. In this article, I’ll be analyzing three WRs you should trade for now (if possible) in dynasty.

1. Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos)

Usually, young alpha WRs will cost a truckload in dynasty, however, Sutton is one who has been completely overlooked ever since his injury. Sutton inexplicably fell many spots in startup ADP after the ACL tear last year without a significant change in situation. Yes, the injury presents a mild concern, but all accounts say that Sutton is rehabbing well, so it really doesn’t justify any rankings drop at all in my eyes.

The main argument used against Sutton is the fact that Drew Lock is Denver’s QB. Lock was wildly inconsistent last year, but despite how it may seem, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing for Sutton’s value. Sutton’s efficiency is unlikely to be elite due to the bad QB play, but his target share can be.

Bad QBs tend to rely on their alphas, which could turn Sutton into an Allen-Robinson type player (at least in terms of target share). 150 targets is not outside the realm of possibility for Sutton, and his athletic ability will allow him to make plays that many WRs can’t. Sutton’s WR23 FantasyPros consensus ranking isn’t totally atrocious, but it makes it clear that he isn’t being valued like a true alpha, and at 25 years old, he’s well worth the current price that he’s going for.

2. Kenny Golladay (New York Giants)

Many people in the fantasy industry are not happy about Golladay’s signing with New York, which is understandable considering that the Giants haven’t exactly had an electric passing game in recent years. However, that shouldn’t deter you from trading for Golladay in dynasty, as his WR21 FantasyPros ranking likely won’t ever get lower.

Daniel Jones hasn’t been a very accurate QB in the first two years of his career, but he definitely has the arm talent to throw deep passes. Golladay is excellent at getting open and making big plays, so if Jones can take a step up next year, the pair will be a match made in heaven. Jones will have every opportunity to improve in 2021, and Golladay could end up being a Stefon-Diggs-type player for New York, one who puts their QB’s career on a new trajectory.

The addition of Saquon Barkley will also force many defenses into stacking the box to stop him, leaving Golladay and other receivers open one-on-one. Jones’ receiving corps has been painfully average over the last two years, and the Giants were aware of that fact and made sure to address the need. Jones will likely need to lean on Kenny G as he continues to get used to the NFL, and Golladay, like Sutton, has the potential to garner an elite target share. If he can pair a massive amount of targets with at least some form of deep-ball efficiency, the sky would be the limit for his fantasy value, which is why you should trade for him now at his back-end WR2 price.

3. Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals)

Lots of Higgins managers were upset by Cincinnati’s selection of WR Ja’Marr Chase with the #5 overall pick in the draft. However, that frustration could allow dynasty managers to get a stud at a cheaper-than-usual price. Higgins’ WR19 FantasyPros ranking is still pretty high, but there are many rankers who have placed him as a back-end WR2, or even a WR3. Yes, the Chase pick hurts him in the long-run, but that still doesn’t justify that kind of a drop.

Chase is expected to immediately compete for targets in Cincinnati’s offense, which is certainly a hinderance that keeps Higgins from unlocking a true top-five fantasy ceiling. However, given how much Cincinnati threw the ball last year, he still definitely has the potential to be a WR1 in fantasy. A.J. Green has departed from the Bengals after a 104-target season, so he will open up more opportunities for the WR corps overall.

QB Joe Burrow’s targets are likely to be nearly exclusive to Chase, Higgins, slot WR Tyler Boyd, and RB Joe Mixon. There is plenty of volume available for all of these guys, especially considering that Burrow was on pace for 699 passing attempts in the nine games he played before his injury in 2020. Using his 65.3% completion percentage from last year extrapolates that to 456 completions, leaving plenty of room for Chase and Higgins to both have big seasons. Burrow’s completion percentage should also go up with another great WR on the team, even if you cautiously assume only a 1% bump for this year, the completion total goes up to 463.

Those numbers may seem high, but it’s basically what Burrow was going to do last year, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t keep them up. If he does, there should be lots of targets available for all of the four main pass catchers, so trading for Tyler Boyd in dynasty wouldn’t be a bad idea either if you accept that his ceiling is no longer in top-12 territory. Higgins, however, does have that ceiling, so if you can capitalize on a concerned dynasty manager, the benefits should be well worth it in the long run.