The dynasty season is already half over, and in most leagues, the trade deadline is looming in a mere 3-4 weeks. A new feature on MyFantasyLeague.com this year is data on the Most Traded players across their hosted leagues. You can find it within any MFL league under Reports-Player-Top Adds/Drops/Starters. Then navigate the dropdown menu to "Traded" players. This is only for the current fantasy week, so if you want to track historical information, one would need to collect it manually each week. Here are the most traded players for Week 8 and others of note:
Chase Edmonds
Why: Edmonds is one of the big risers this week with Kenyan Drake out for a chunk of the rest of 2020. Edmonds has been one of the higher-end primary backup running backs during his career, but has just one game - a magical fantasy performance against a hapless Giants defense in 2019 - of more than eight carries in his NFL career. Edmonds was a workhorse in college, albeit off the major conference radar, and now has an opportunity to be a weekly starter for a few games.
Action Plan
Edmonds' valuation this week has been all over the map in trading. Contending or non-contending is a major factor in the buy-sell recommendation. If non-contending, Edmonds is more of a sell. Ideally, start by looking for a 1st from a contender. Or a 2nd and a slow-starting rookie to stash for the future like A.J. Dillon as one example. If contending, be firm if asking for a future first. Edmonds has top-10 impact potential a la Mike Davis over this stretch of the season and punting that as a contender for a mid-late second and a throw-in is a big risk. This first start for Edmonds (Week 9 versus Miami) is a critical one to either cement his Round 1 return in the market or sag (with an injury or down game) down to a second alone.
Odell Beckham Jr
Why: Beckham sustained a season-ending injury in Week 7. Beckham, once the WR1 overall in dynasty by many resources has slid mid-career. He missed nearly the entire game in Week 7 with said injuy and was WR27 in PPR PPG over the first six weeks of the season.
Action Plan
Beckham has five WR1 PPR PPG seasons in his career, inside the top-15 for the position over the past 25 years and the fourth-most of active receivers with Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald, and (gulp) Antonio Brown with more. The only wide receivers over that span with at least four WR1 seasons in their first five years are Julio Jones, Randy Moss, Michael Thomas, and Odell Beckham Jr. This puts Beckham in historically rare company considering his trade market after a WR32 aPPG season in 2019 and something in the WR20s or 30s most likely at season's end in 2020. Moss is the closest example of a mid-career swoon by such an early-career juggernaut receiver. Anquan Boldin could be another peer in terms of leveling off later-career into a WR2-3 type.
Beckham is a quality target for dynasty GMs overall, but especially for non-contenders or long-term value seekers. Examples of recent deals of this ilk include:
- Beckham for Antonio Brown, 21 3rd
- Beckham for Melvin Gordon III, Mecole Hardman
- Beckham for Daniel Jones, 21 2nd
Myles Gaskin
Why: Gaskin has been in the top-10 of the most traded players MFL list every week of the season. Gaskin has been productive as the surprise Dolphins starter this season. However, his utility has been limited. Gaskin is only RB27 in aWORP (Adjusted Wins Over Replacement Player) largely because three of his four highest-scoring games had low start rates - MFL GMs actually putting Gaskin into lineups. Week 6 was the first time this season Gaskin had a start rate of more than 45% and posted at least 10 PPR points.
Action Plan
There is not much depth chart pressure on Gaskin for the rest of the season, but Gaskin is a shaky dynasty asset beyond this season. Round 7 NFL Draft picks see a higher round running back drafted a robust 77% of the time the following offseason. This does not even account for Miami potentially adding a running back of note in free agency, which they nearly did with Le'Veon Bell this month. Gaskin could be a trap for contending teams as he is likely on the RB2-Flex spectrum for their lineup decisions and the weekly ceiling is a question mark to make a tangible difference to weekly results and the yearly result. The rub is Gaskin maxes out with a result of likely a 2nd and possibly an injury-away back throw-in via the market. This is a tough exit to stomach considering a team can start him weekly if needed. Big picture beyond 2020, this is a prudent exit considering Gaskin is likely to face heavier competition for the 1A role for Week 1 next season at a minimum.
Ezekiel Elliott
Why: Elliott has just 18 PPR points over the past two games, including a complete dud (by Elliott and Dallas) in Week 7 against Washington. Dallas has been a substantial offensive drop with their line issues and Andy Dalton in for Dak Prescott in recent weeks.
Action Plan
Despite the two-week tumble, Elliott is RB7 in PPG on the season and RB6 in aWORP/G when factoring Start Rate to his production over baseline. Elliott has four straight top-8 PPG seasons to open his career and is on pace for a fifth in 2020. Over the last 25 years, the other backs to qualify are Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, and Le'Veon Bell. They averaged 7.8 RB1 seasons each with Elliott sitting at four. Elliott is one of the best combinations in all of dynasty in terms of track record, pedigree, and age. Le'Veon Bell is still ticking along, but the other backs on the list all played at least 11 NFL seasons, which would point to Elliott being less than halfway through his NFL career.
Recent trade examples to acquire Elliott include:
- Elliott, Josh Jacobs, Cam Akers for Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon, Matt Breida
- Elliott for Phillip Lindsay, 21 1st, 2nd
- Elliott, Tony Pollard for Kyler Murray, Robert Woods
Michael Thomas
Why: Thomas continues to miss time and frustrate dynasty GMs in 2020.
Action Plan
See the Odell Beckham Jr section above for the rarity of Thomas' early-career production. Thomas has the cloud of Drew Brees being on a year-to-year outlook at this point and could potentially retire in the offseason. However, Thomas has been an all-time producer to-date where we have seen plenty of notable receivers either bounce around in their career or see quarterback-situation changes (see Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Brandon Marshall among them). Thomas is a massive buy opportunity regardless of dynasty team direction. Thomas may help lineups in the coming weeks, but the historical framing of adding Thomas in the macro view for 2021 and beyond is even more appealing considering his profile.
Here are some recent trades to acquire Thomas:
- Thomas for Chase Claypool, Darius Slayton, 21 3rd
- Thomas for Tee Higgins, 21 3rd
- Thomas for Will Fuller V
- Thomas for Chase Claypool, 21 1st
- Thomas for Robby Anderson, Jared Cook, 21 1st