5 RBs to Sell In Dynasty Before Free Agency

Photo: Ron Chenoy, USA Today Sports

The 2023 NFL off-season is nearly in full swing. On March 13, the NFL's legal tampering period begins, and that means teams can start negotiating with free agents and agreeing to terms.

Over the past few seasons, we've seen free-agent signings completely change the fantasy outlook of a backfield - I'm looking at you, Jamaal WIlliams. The year's running back free agent class is stacked with highly talented players like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard - just to name a few. A market with this much talent means that money could (and likely will) be thrown around at the running back position. With free agency looming, savvy Dynasty managers should be looking to make moves before the proverbial hammer falls on March 13th.

In anticipation of a strong free agent market, let's look at five running backs that Dynasty managers should be trading away before NFL Free Agency. (Spoiler alert: Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook are not on this list, even though they should be. I wanted to avoid obvious candidates - aging running backs that likely won't return high-end value in a trade.)

Running Backs to Sell Now in Dynasty

5. Rachaad White (RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just released Leonard Fournette, their leading rusher from 2022 - since then, White's value has skyrocketed. Like most rookies, White saw a big increase in opportunity and production in the later portion of the season. During his best 7-game stretch, from weeks 10-17, White was the RB29 in half-PPR points per game and the RB19 in PPR points per game. White saw most of his value in the receiving game, catching passes from Tom Brady - who has since retired... for real this time.

It's no secret that Brady loved passing to his running backs all throughout his career. In 2022, the Buccaneers RBs accounted for 178 total targets (34%), the second-most in the league. It's important to note that 57% of White's fantasy points in PPR format came from his receiving work. Without Brady, it's plausible that the RB targets (and the offense as a whole) will decline. I fully expect the Buccaneers to add a couple of RBs to their backfield via Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

Ideal Asking Price: Late 1st-Round Rookie Pick

Is Rachaad White a Top-20 Dynasty RB?

— Alfredo Brown (@ThePretendGM) March 2, 2023

4. Joe Mixon (RB - Cincinnati Bengals)

Mixon seems like a sell candidate every spring, and then he magically works his way back into our starting lineups by week 1. Mixon has seen his usage and fantasy production dip over the last few years as the Bengals have relied heavily on Joe Burrow and the passing game. The 26-year-old running back did finish top-nine in fantasy points per game in both PPR and half-PPR formats. But don't let the end result fool you. Mixon had a massive Week 9 performance that accounted for 23% of his PPR and 25% of his half-PPR fantasy points.

What's most concerning is that the Bengals can save $7 million in cap space by cutting Mixon - which is likely to happen, considering the team needs to sign players like Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase to contract extensions. If Mixon joins the free agent market, all bets are off on him being a top-15 fantasy RB going forward.

Ideal Asking Price: Mid to Late 1st Round Rookie Pick