The Dynasty Trading Post: Jonathan Taylor

Welcome to the dynasty trading post, where optimizing strategy, roster construction, format, and player value oscillations are examined weekly in example and completed dynasty trades.

This week, we will analyze Jonathan Taylor and replacements in the dynasty market.

*All trades are Superflex unless stated otherwise*

WR Puka Nacua, LA Rams

Theme of the Week: Buy the Dip

That chill in the air is Puka Nacua's frosty dynasty market after a sluggish recent month. Nacua was electric earlier in the season, but he has one game of more than 43 yards over the past month to sour the fickle in-season marketplace. Buy the dip on Nacua in the WR20s of valuation, however, as his underlying data points are still unbelievable for a rookie wide receiver, regardless of his pedigree. Nacua is on pace for 150+ targets, with his 2.39 yards per route run and 27% targets per route run. The only wide receivers this season with 2.00+ YPRR and >27% TPRR are Amon-Ra St. Brown, Keenan Allen, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Puka Nacua. For a dynasty to value age and production, it is quizzical that Nacua has sagged to the WR20s despite this vaulted status as a rookie.

Here are a few key Nacua trades this week as a buy exploration:

• Nacua, Tua Tagovailoa for Justin Fields, DJ Moore
• Nacua for Derek Carr, Zack Moss
• Nacua, 2nd for Michael Pittman Jr
• Nacua, 2nd, 3rd for Khalil Herbert, Terry McLaurin

In the first deal, Tagovailoa is an upgrade over Fields for job security alone, even if the wide receiver gap is narrow for some, and others might even have Moore over Nacua. The Carr-Moss deal is a profile bloodbath considering Carr's low ceiling and Moss' short-term opportunity and unknown 2024 role. Even without the picks, the final deal is trading two middling profiles for impact for Nacua, who has the historical backing to be a strong upside projection in 2024 and beyond by rookie indicators.