Dynasty QB trades for your fantasy team

By: Will Baptist

Quarterback is the most important position in football, that is true in real life and in fantasy. Having a dominant QB is a crucial aspect of every successful fantasy football team, and as some aging QBs will be fading away, there is a new crop of superstar QBs.

For Dynasty leagues, there are numerous QBs that team owners should be looking to trade away before the season begins. Which also means there are plenty of QBs that every team owner should be vying for before the season begins and those QBs become untouchable.

Here are three QBs that every fantasy owner should be looking to trade for, along with three QBs that every owner should be looking to cut ties with before the year begins.

Three to trade for:

1. Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert is coming off one of the best rookie seasons that a QB has ever had. He finished the year as QB10 and averaged 22.2 fantasy points per game. He threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns, and rushed for 234 yards and five touchdowns. He did all of that with a terrible offensive line and injuries to key players on their roster throughout the season. The Chargers put an emphasis on protecting Herbert this year with the additions of Corey Linsley, Rashawn Slater and Oday Aboushi. Three new starters on the offensive line should be extremely beneficial in protecting Herbert and giving him more time to operate. He also has another offseason to build chemistry with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler. It is no secret that Herbert should be able to improve dramatically on his outstanding rookie season, so even if the asking price is high for Herbert, owners should go all in to acquire him.

2. Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow is poised for a breakout season, similar to Herbert. Burrow was able to show flashes of brilliance before his season was cut short due to his devastating knee injury. He averaged 17.4 fantasy points per game before his injury, and that consists of going up against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Washington and Cleveland twice. Those are all dominant defenses and good overall teams that Burrow had to deal with, with a mediocre supporting cast. This season is much different, and the Bengals have done a much better job of surrounding Burrow with the pieces that he needs to be successful. They have improved their offensive line with the additions of Riley Reiff and Jackson Carman. Joe Mixon and C.J. Uzomah are healthy going into 2021 after battling season ending injuries last year. The Bengals also drafted Burrow’s college teammate, Ja’Marr Chase. All of these moves point to Burrow having a huge season. Owners might be able leverage his knee injury to offer less than usual in a trade for him, but either way owners should be trying to trade for him immediately.

3. Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield put together an efficient 2020 campaign where he finished the year as QB17. Some fantasy owners may be skeptical of Mayfield due to the run-heavy offense that Kevin Stefanski installed when he took over as head coach. Mayfield is still growing and after another offseason of learning Stefanski’s playbook, they will be inclined to give Mayfield more control of the offense. With Odell Beckham Jr. coming into the season healthy after missing almost 10 games in 2020, Mayfield has his number one option back. They struggled together in 2019, but they have a brand new coaching staff and are a much better overall team than in 2019. The Browns are not a surprise anymore, and they are a trendy pick to win the AFC North. This means opposing teams will have better game plans to deal with their rushing attack, and they might be forced to throw the ball more often. It should not take too much to trade for Mayfield, so every owner that desperately needs a QB should be looking into acquiring him soon.

Three to trade away:

1. Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is still easily one of the best QBs in the NFL and in regular fantasy football I would not hesitate to draft him. Even with the uncertainty surrounding him and if he will report to training camp, that will scare off some owners and he could slip in the draft. In dynasty leagues, I would look to move him as soon as possible. He is coming off of an MVP season where he was QB3, and averaged 23.9 fantasy points per game. At 37 years old, his stock might not ever be higher than it is right now. If he does play this year, it will likely be his last season with the Packers. Even though we have seen aging QBs be extremely successful with their second franchise (Tom Brady), it is not wise to put all your eggs in that basket. His departure could get even more ugly and who knows what team he will be traded to and what his supporting cast will be. I expect Rodgers to have another dominant season this year, but his future is unpredictable. Trading him away before the season or right when the season begins could net the most in return, and I believe it is a smart move to move on from him while you still can.

2. Tom Brady

Tom Brady does not have much left in the tank at 43 years old. Yes, he is coming off of a Super Bowl victory and has Bruce Arians as a head coach, along with finishing 2020 as QB7. That type of production has to come to an end at some point, and trading him away while you can net the most return is the smartest move an owner can make. It is challenging to say how much some owners would be willing to give up, but there are always owners who feel they are one or two players away from having the best roster in their league, and Brady just grabs people’s attention. Brady will likely still have a stellar 2021 season, so you might have to wait until the year begins, when Brady reminds everyone that age is just a number. Having a backup QB is essential, and if you have a young QB in place, then moving Brady right now would be the best course of action for a dynasty league.

3. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons could be parting ways after this season. After the Falcons moved on from Julio Jones, it seemed like Ryan could be the next domino to fall. Ryan has been a fantasy darling since 2010, and has thrown for over 4,000 yards every single season since 2011. He was QB12 last year and finished with a 17.5 per game average. He showed that he can still be a top-15 QB, and with the addition of Kyle Pitts that might not change this year. Which is why I would consider moving Ryan before it’s too late. He should have another great season and have games where he looks like one of the best QBs in the league, but I don’t anticipate that becoming the norm. He is 36 years old, and his tenure in Atlanta could be coming to an end soon. If they have a rough season, he could be on the trading block fairly quickly. I don’t trust Ryan to be a top-20 QB outside of Atlanta, so moving while his stock is at its highest is paramount.