Dipping Dynasty Value
December 3, 2008 at 10:28 am | Article by Paul Hickey |
Print This Page
| 
This time of year, fantasy owners are usually doing one of a few things – either preparing for a playoff run, moping around and fussing because their team “barely” missed the playoffs, or – in the case of dynasty owners – scouting which players will potentially breakout down the road, and evaluating those that may be on the downturn of their statistical careers. You see, for dynasty owners, the season never stops. As many teams are eliminated from their seasonal leagues, dynasty fantasy football owners can only think of how to tweak their squads and comeback strong in 2009. But before targeting players to trade for during the off-season, they also have to target those to trade.
The following guys still have some long-term value left, but won’t for very long. Dynasty owners should begin to make plans to deal them – preferably now – while football is fresh on the brain from the tops of leagues, to the bottoms. Owners at the top, looking to win down the stretch, may be willing to overpay.
Trade – Plaxico Burress, Giants WR – Well, the rationale here is pretty obvious. The talented WR is over the age of 30 and headed down a Mike Vick/Chad Johnson type path. His recent weapons charge landed him on the non-football injury list, ending his season without pay, and he faces a four game suspension from the Giants in 2009, along with possible jail time. Look, you may think I’m crazy, but trust me – if you’re in a hard core dynasty format, someone in your league will gamble and pay you something for you – even if it’s a second round pick in 2009. Get what you can for Plax now. And by the way, the man taking his place – Domenik Hixon – could turn out to be a fantasy stud.
Trade – Donald Driver, Packers WR – If you’re a Driver dynasty owner, you’ve probably always thought, “why not keep him?” He’s always a solid WR3, good for 4-6 catches, and an occasional touchdown. The question you have to ask yourself is – “Is he really doing anything to help my team win?” If you constantly find yourself in no man’s land in your standings, then the answer is obvious. Take advantage of the fact that the 33-year-old plays for a great passing attack and has some favorable match-ups down the stretch that may be attractive to an owner making a run at a title. If you can get a prospect or a draft pick for him, you’ve done well.
Trade – Willis McGahee, Ravens RB – In spite of what Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says about the 27 year old not losing his starting gig, the proof is in the pudding. McGahee has 16 carries in his last three games, while not seeing any action at all in Week 13. Name can only get you so much value, but in McGahee’s case, it can at least get you something. As with Plax, someone in your league is willing to bite and take a risk on McGahee. Try and grab a pair of 2009 draft picks for him – like a second and a fourth – and you’ve done well. Who will pay that, you ask? Perhaps the owner of 23 year old Le’Ron McClain – let someone else worry about the growing timeshare in Baltimore.
Trade – LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers RB – This one may come as a shock, but the 29 year old simply isn’t the same player he’s been in the past few seasons. He’s broken records, had multiple three and four TD games, and rushed for an amazing amount of yardage – but that’s all in the past. This season, he’s an average fantasy RB, and next season, at the age of 30, he runs the risk of rapidly becoming a below-average one. Look, he’s no longer a difference maker – he’s an RB2/RB3. If owners don’t take advantage of his name recognition now, they absolutely run the risk of having another Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James or Larry Johnson on their hands. Right now, you should easily be able to pick up a 2009 first round pick for LT, with possibly even a prospect of some sort. Unless you need him to help you win dollars during the remainder of the 2008 season, start shopping him.
Trade – Jamal Lewis, Browns RB – Lewis is in a very similar position to Tomlinson. He’s on the verge of fantasy irrelevance. He’s slowly becoming a dinosaur. He’ll get 1,000 yards this season, and maybe end up with 5-6 TDs, giving him some off-season eyeballs. However, now may be the time to deal him. Convince an owner in your league that with Ken Dorsey at QB, Cleveland will turn to Lewis and pound the rock. Hey, it was the case in Week 13 against the Colts when Derek Anderson went down. Lewis gained 77 yards on 24 carries. The problem is that opponents will now stack the box against Dorsey, forcing the inexperienced, pencil-thin signal caller to beat them with his average arm. But the real issue, like it is with so many other RBs around the league right now, is Lewis’ age. He’ll be 30 at the start of the 2009 season, which usually means lame-duck status for RBs – even former 2,000 yard rushers aren’t immune to being benched or released. Trust me – trade Lewis while he still has some value.
FYI, guys I strongly considered placing in this article included Dallas WR Roy Williams, Cleveland TE Kellen Winslow, Steelers RB Willie Parker and San Diego WR Chris Chambers. Why didn’t I? Well, we have an entire eight months from January through August to figure out what to do with them, and plenty more underachieving stars.
This article is also featured on Athlon/Grogan’s Fantasy Football, your spot for Cheat Sheets updated daily, and Fantasy tools to manage your team all year long.
Related posts
Loading ...
