Fixing Your Dynasty Team, Wide Receiver Edition

Photo: Joe Nicholson, USA Today Sports

There are a variety of ways to fix the wide receiver. You can find ideas to fix the quarterback and running back positions in the prior two weeks.

Wide receiver is a bit different. You need to find a starter you feel putting in your contract each week. Finding a comfortable starter is important for a couple of reasons.

First, you need to be comfortable that the player will produce in your lineup. Second, your comfort will allow you to play lean at the wide receiver position and emphasize depth at positions like running back.

To that end, wide receiver trades that consolidate roster positions and go up a tier of comfort at the position are great opportunities in dynasty.

Trades When You Lose a Key Player

You may need to address the wide receiver position because of an injury to a key player. Your team may have someone like Cooper Kupp, who you relied on to get you into contention. Fixing the hole in your lineup his injury created can be difficult.

One option is to use the player, like Kupp, in a package to go up to another player.

Recent trade examples include:

• Cooper Kupp and Irv Smith for Tyreek Hill (2PPR for TE)

The package of Kupp and Irv Smith, a pure depth option at this point in his career, to stay among the elite wide receivers for the remainder of the season is a great winning trade.

• James Cook, Cooper Kupp, Dallas Goedert for Mike Evans and Mark Andrews (1.75)

This trade goes down at the wide receiver position from Kupp to Evans but is a major increase at the tight end position moving from Goedert to Andrews. The deal moves from three players unavailable to help you in your lineup at present to two lineup solutions.

• Cooper Kupp and Dallas Goedert for Mark Andrews (1.75)

Like above, this trade goes across positions but remains in the elite of the position. With Andrews a 1.75 premium for tight ends, Andrews can nearly replicate Kupp’s production in the lineup.

Trades From Depth

Deals from depth at other positions are good opportunities to fill needs. When drafting or team building, establishing depth at running backs through rookie drafts and waivers is a great source of trade value when you need to address the wide receiver position inseason. Likewise, the depth of young players at wide receiver can also bridge the gap.

Recent trades from depth include:

• James Cook for Mike Evans
• Romeo Doubs, 2023 2nd, 4th and 2023 3rd for Davante Adams
• Skyy Moore and Keenan Allen for 2023 4th

In all three trades, the team is dealing from unproven rookie depth to lineup solutions for their contending team.

Trade Using Picks

Trading future picks for players can fill out a dynasty-contending team heading into the playoffs. This is especially true when you can find a proven performer to fit in your lineup. A key to this is to avoid giving core level assets like first-round rookie picks for short-term, non-core-level assets.

Recent trades involving picks include:

• 2023 2nd, 2023 4th, and Tyler Boyd for Adam Thielen and Ezekiel Elliott
• Two 2023 3rd for Adam Thielen
• Trestan Ebner and 2023 2nd for Tyler Lockett

Takeaways

There are a variety of ways to patch the wide receiver position if you are in need. With teams looking to rebuild, there should be plenty of opportunity to address the position for a variety of different trade constructs.