Dynasty Rankings Movement, Week 7

Photo: USA Today Sports

Week 6 was all about the upset, as the Eagles and 49ers ended their undefeated seasons at the hands of the Jets and Browns. How did that affect the dynasty landscape? Weekly, the Footballguys staff will share their thoughts on the dynasty ranking movement to monitor while answering a question you may face in your league.

Bye weeks and injuries are mounting; who is one veteran you would feel comfortable trading for on a contending roster to patch holes?

Craig Lakins

Mike Evans - Count me among those who believed the Buccaneers would struggle to make anything happen offensively with Baker Mayfield under center this season. To my surprise, they sit atop the NFC South with a 3-2 record. They're playing meaningful football. Evans left his Week 4 game early with an injury, but he's averaging 18.4 fantasy points in the other four contests. The Bucs have already passed their bye week, so acquiring Evans gets you a reliable starter for the rest of the season. You'll likely get him at a discounted rate since he's passed age 30, and you should be able to count on him for a couple more years of production.

Jason Wood

K.J. Osborn - Osborn is only 26 years old and steps into Justin Jefferson's role in the Vikings offense. While he's unlikely to approximate Jefferson's value, he should still be a potent, every-week contributor, particularly with Kirk Cousins indicating he has no plans to waive his no-trade clause. As a dynasty asset, Osborn could reap big benefits this year while Jefferson is out, and then he should parlay that strong performance into a starting job elsewhere in 2024 as he's set to be a free agent in the offseason.

Zareh Kantzabedian

Jared Goff - As recently as the Summer of 2022, Goff was drafted in the 13th round of startups as a QB2 in super-flex startup leagues. He finished as the QB10 in 2022 and is currently the QB5 in 2023. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has resuscitated Goff's career, and the team has surrounded him with tier-one weapons at every offensive position. Goff is only 29 years old and is well worth the price for a contending team. Marquise Brown - The current WR15, Brown is ninth in targets among wide receivers, directly behind Tyreek Hill. He's on an average offense and is far and away the primary target. Joshua Dobbs looks for him early and often. Kyler Murray's possible return would also be beneficial for Brown.

Jonnu Smith - Smith was written entirely off this offseason. Fantasy managers figured he would be irrelevant behind Kyle Pitts, but Smith has been the more productive of the two. Smith has been solid and is the current TE9 on the season. Tight ends 3-12 are all carbon copies of each other. If you're not spending for a top-three tight end, you should seek consistency at the position. Smith has been precisely that this offseason.

Ryan Weisse

Like Craig, I am actively trading for Mike Evans on any contending team. Evans has been an unpopular dynasty asset over the last few years, but it's mainly due to the boom-or-bust nature of his game. This season, it has been more boom than bust before his hamstring injury, and it appears that he and Baker Mayfield will keep his 1000-yard season streak alive. It's even better that Evans has shown no signs of an immediate slowdown, so he should be a decent piece again next year, in Tampa Bay or elsewhere.

Dan Hindery

Dalton Schultz - In an ideal world, I am looking to patch roster holes by targeting players who are relatively cheap to acquire, not in the long-term plans of non-contending league mates, and who also have the potential to be more than one-year rentals. Schultz fits the mold of the type of guy I like to target. At 27, he is not the sort of exciting young talent whom a rebuilding team would be reluctant to trade away. Schultz should be relatively cheap to acquire. The rapport between Schultz and Stroud has grown, and Schultz has 11-126-2 on 17 targets over the past two weeks. Schultz can give you solid low-end TE1 production this year and potentially into the future if he gets an extension from the Texans.

Will Grant

Alvin Kamara - Kamara missed the first three games of the season, yet somehow, he's still fantasy RB23 overall with 275 yards from scrimmage, 23 receptions, and a rushing touchdown. Rooke Kendre Miller isn't even close to that production level, and veteran Jamaal Williams has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since week two. Kamara was the darling of redraft leagues a few seasons ago, but his performance over the last two seasons had people shying away from him. He's still a consistent, productive member of the Saints and seems back to his old, productive self. He's in his seventh NFL season but still has plenty of gas left in the tank. He would make an excellent addition to a team needing an RB2 or a flex starter.

Who is a player you are actively looking to trade away in a short-term value window?

Jason Wood

Adam Thielen - Thielen is 34 and putting up top-10 numbers in Carolina. While it's clear he's not fading away to irrelevance, the Panthers are 0-6 and already in upheaval as head coach Frank Reich is having tense weekly meetings with ownership and is already handing over playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. It's hard to imagine Thielen staying as hyper-productive, and if you can add draft picks or a promising young development player to someone who needs Thielen's immediate value to make a push, you should jump at the chance.

Craig Lakins

Raheem Mostert - I don't like this any more than you do. Mostert is the lead running back on the league's best offense, playing well. But if we look at this through a dynasty lens, this is the best time to trade him away. He's a 31.5-year-old running back with an extensive injury history. The Dolphins have three more games before rookie De'Von Achane returns from his recent knee injury, and Mostert's role should decrease from there. You won't get a king's ransom for him, but this is likely your last chance to lock in good value for a relatively risky player.

Dan Hindery

Raheem Mostert - If my team is not in contention this year and my focus is shifting to improving draft position and hoarding assets for future years, the first part of my roster I am looking to offload is any aging running backs with short-term value but questionable long-term worth. Mostert is on fire right now and would help any contending team. For a rebuilding team, the odds are not good; he helps you much in 2024 when he will be 32 and trying to fend off De'Von Achane. He should be on the roster of a team all-in on winning now.

Ryan Weisse

Unlike Craig, there is no way I'm trading away Raheem Mostert or any Miami Dolphins if I am a contending team. The short-term value won't match a championship run. Instead, I'll move Alvin Kamara. His name remains highly regarded in fantasy despite a clear step back in production last season. He also started this season averaging 20 points per game despite a drop in efficiency. With Jamaal Williams set to come off the IR soon, moving Kamara now might still net an excellent return before we see a timeshare.

Will Grant

I agree with the folks who voted FOR selling Raheem Mostert. His value has never been higher, and rookie De'Von Achane has proven he deserves his share of touches each week when he's healthy, limiting Mostert's ceiling.

My other choice would be Derek Henry - who continues to perform at a high level despite all the struggles the Titans are having this season. Henry averages over 4.3 YPC through six games, over 500 yards from scrimmage, and three trips to the end zone. He isn't involved in the passing game as much, but his 11 receptions for 117 yards are still solid. My concern with Henry after this season is that he's already reached 10,000 yards from scrimmage in his first eight seasons and over 2,000 regular-season touches; he already has a lot of mileage on him. He's a couple of seasons removed from his 5+ YPC seasons, and while he still runs angry with reasonable burst, his best seasons are clearly behind him. The Titans are off to a slow start this year, and it seems unlikely they will make the playoffs. If the Titans go into rebuilding mode, Henry could move to another squad with a lesser role and fewer touches per game. He should have a solid enough season to help a dynasty contender, but his longer-term value is shrinking.

Zareh Kantzabedian

Kenneth Walker - Walker has had one game where he received less than 15 carries but has yet to top 100 rushing yards this season and has also barely been a factor in the passing game. He is currently an RB1 because he's had six rushing touchdowns, all of which came from no further than seven yards from the opponent's goal line. After Week 7, Walker has a brutal schedule against strong defenses nearly every week for the rest of the season.

Javonte Williams - Williams is the same age as most rookie running backs entering the league. He's finding his rhythm after suffering a severe knee injury in 2022. Williams has the upside of an RB1, but he'll likely settle in as an RB2 this year. The current veteran running back market is brutal, but if you're trading for a veteran, it might as well be a young one with a high ceiling.

Nico Collins - Collins has been a surprise after a tumultuous first two years in the league. He's a WR1 in total and weekly scoring. Among wide receivers averaging at least seven targets a week, Collins is second in yards per reception (behind only Tyreek Hill) and third in yards per route run (behind Tyreek Hill and Cooper Kupp). Collins is tied to the very talented C.J. Stroud for the foreseeable future. Collins has a stable floor with plenty of upside on any given week.