Draft Strategies | Depth Charts | Mock Drafts | SOS | Tools | ADP
Diehards Staff Experts Poll | Draft Simulator | University Videos
GET OUT: 5 Players to trade away before the NFL Draft Dynasty 2023
I love this game of Dynasty Fantasy Football!! Every bit of it. From the start-up draft to crafting perfect trades, to rookie drafts, to going all in to win, even tearing it all down for a complete rebuild. The year-round action is what I live for.
We are in peak off-season. Start-up drafts are running. Everywhere you look, a rookie mock draft is being released, and pundits like me are trying to guess where the incoming rookies will land and what their path to workload will look like.
While we wait for that, let's look at five players that could be affected by the draft.
Mike Williams, WR - Los Angeles Chargers
I am admittedly 'Team Big Wide Receiver.' And Big Mike fits that profile. Back issues in his rookie season got him off to a slow start, but he followed that up as the WR32 in year two. That sophomore campaign was spurred by ten touchdowns. His third season saw him hit the 1000-yard mark for the first time. However, he scored just two touchdowns and finished as WR41.
Williams finally put it all together in 2021, finishing as the WR12. 2022 saw the return of the injury bug, and he missed four games and dropped back to WR32.
As we head into 2023, Williams is in the second year of a three-year extension. He has a $13,540,000 cap hit with a $26,000,000 dead cap for 2023. That cap hit goes to $32,460,000 in the final year with $12,460,000 in dead cap—a much more manageable number.
What should you be targeting in a trade? Williams is currently worth a late first in a 12-team league. I'd be targeting contending teams that need to improve their wide receiver depth.
Dameon Pierce, RB - Houston Texans
Running back is not the position you build around in dynasty. If you roster Pierce, you probably drafted him in the second round or later of your rookie draft. He is the perfect piece to sell to a contender that needs running back help.
Pierce is on a friendly rookie deal on a rebuilding team that has incentive to let him play the contract out. The competition for touches is led by former Buffalo Bill Devin Singletary.
2022 saw Pierce finish as RB20 on a points-per-game basis. He also missed the last four games of the season. Pierce has 939 yards rushing and 30 receptions with 5 total touchdowns in 13 games. The Texans will likely be starting a rookie quarterback in 2023. There will be growing pains.
There are two kinds of teams you are targeting to trade away Pierce. The first is a contender. Get that 1.11 and a fourth-round pick or some young player like Samori Toure. The manager you are targeting is a year into a rebuild and thinks they need a couple of pieces. In this instance, aim for two second-round picks. Just make sure one of them is early in the second round.
Geno Smith, QB - Seattle Seahawks
Things look to be on the upswing for Geno. Or do they? This is a Superflex trade to make.
After flaming out in New York, Geno spent six seasons riding the pine and bouncing around the league. Then, on March 8, 2022, the Seahawks agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos. It seemed that Smith would be locked in a battle with Drew Lock, but Covid took Lock out of the race, and Geno took off.
This off-season, Smith signed a three-year $75 million extension. Great. Right? Geno finished as QB5 in 2022, setting career highs in attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and QBR.
So, why are we trading Smith away? Smith will be 34 in October. Also, long-time Seahawks quarterbacks coach has departed for Tampa. I have concerns that 2022 is just a mirage for Geno. Find the team that just missed or barely made the playoffs and see if Geno looks like an upgrade at the QB2 for them. At 1.06 or 1.07, they aren't getting one of the premier quarterbacks in this rookie draft.
Tony Pollard, RB - Dallas Cowboys
Look, I know the Cowboys released Zeke Elliott, and Pollard ostensibly has the backfield to himself. Newly signed backup Stone Hands Jones isn't likely to cut into Pollard's volume.
Pollard impressed in 2022, checking in at RB8, even with the recently released Elliott punching in 12 touchdowns and rushing for 876 yards. The Cowboys liked what they got from Pollard and slapped the franchise tag on him. It is not out of the question that the two parties agree on a contract extension. To do so, the Cowboys brass will have to forget the bitter taste left by the Elliott extension. I am betting Pollard plays elsewhere in 2024.
There is also another nagging issue I can't seem to shake. Jerry Jones is crazy. You never know what he will do. Wide receiver was a position of strength a couple of years ago when he drafted Ceedee Lamb. Don't get me wrong, I love Ceedee, but Dallas had way more pressing needs. I am concerned that Dallas will grab Bijan Robinson at pick 26 if he is still on the board.
I'd look for a running back needy team picking in the 1.05 range and see if they are interested in Pollard. At 1.05, they are likely missing out on the top three running backs in this class. Pollard could be the piece that puts them over the edge.
Cole Kmet, TE - Chicago Bears
Cole Kmet is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. The size and athleticism are there. That is why he has been many analysts' breakout tight end the last couple of seasons. After a slow start in 2022, Kmet finished as TE7, propelled by 7 touchdowns.
In two seasons as the starter, Kmet has averaged 3.2 receptions. And while it's easy to chalk that up to the Bears low passing volume, let's not forget that WR1 Darnell Mooney missed five games with injury, and the other wide receivers were Pettis, Pringle, Jones, Claypool, and St. Brown. Not the good St. Brown either.
2023 looks to be a year on the rise for the Bears. Quarterback Justin Fields did throw for 17 touchdowns on just 192 completions. The Bears traded for a real WR1 in DJ Moore. Darnell Mooney will be back and in the WR2 role, for which he is better suited.
On the downside, Chicago signed veteran tight end Robert Tonyan. Tonyan is every bit the athlete that Kmet is and should push him for snaps. In a tight end premium or 2TE league, I'd be looking to sell Kmetfor an early second-round draft pick. You could also package Kmet with a mid-second-round pick and move up to the 1.09-1.10 range if you have a target in your rookie draft.
Now get out there and make some trade.
Dennis Bennett, Managing Editor for DynastyNerds.com, Co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable podcast, Contributor to FootballDiehards.com, and Thursday Night Co-host of the Dynasty Nerds Show on The Bettor Sports Network. Twitter: @Culture_Coach