Welcome to the Grade the Trade series, where the staff at Footballguys collaborates and discusses trades happening all over the dynasty fantasy football universe. We use this opportunity not only to chat about football but also to provide readers insight into maximizing value in dynasty leagues. This piece will feature two trades from our very own staff members, along with multiple pieces of analysis critiquing each of the trades.
Trade 1 (from Hutchinson Brown)
Format: 10-Team, Half-PPR, Superflex
- Sent: 2.09, 3.09, 2025 4th
- Received: RB Austin Ekeler, Washington
Hutchinson explained that his roster is in a situation where it is in a prime position to win a championship this coming season, so he sent a couple of late rookie picks to get Austin Ekeler, who he thinks has a great deal of potential for this year due to his pass-catching abilities.
Comments
Leo Paciga
Ten-team dynasty leagues prioritize production and star players even more than 12-team leagues since every roster is generally loaded. Draft pick value can also be offset to some degree by a deep free-agent pool, depending on the roster size in your league.
Ekeler is not a stable asset to own in dynasty. He will be 29 years of age in May, and this year, he will be sharing a backfield with a competent back in Brian Robinson Jr, so there's some risk in acquiring Ekeler, but when you factor in the price paid for the potential upside, even in a 0.5 PPR scoring format, I like it. Rolling the dice on Ekeler for that low price is absolutely a win.
Gary Davenport
Trading picks for a veteran starter is a very Gary Davenport move. I won a dynasty league once with a 6-7 regular season, so unless my team is a mess, it's "win now" time all the time. This is the kind of deal that I love.
If you fashion yourself as a contender in the league, then getting Ekeler for three rookie picks that all fall outside the top 20, including two that are in lottery ticket territory, is excellent value. Fantasy football folks are bailing on Ekeler and his abilities too soon, in my opinion. I see this trade as a win for you in most situations. You didn't overpay if all he has is the pass-catching running back role that many appear to expect for him now. If that role is bigger than many expect, the title chase becomes significantly easier having his production on your team.
Joseph Haggan
Landing Ekeler in his new role for three low-value picks, nothing higher than 2.09, is terrific value. Last year, between Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr, running backs were targeted 102 times and had six receiving touchdowns. They now have Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator. During his tenure in Arizona, his running backs were targeted no less than 98 times per season. With 98 targets to team running backs, they would have ranked in the top half of the league last year.
The valuable usage should be there for Ekeler. Not only is he a good pass catcher, but he is very superior at it compared to Robinson. With Kingsbury liking to spread the offense, Ekeler should see an immense amount of red-zone work as well, which we know he can dominate. He has topped 18 touchdowns in two of his past three seasons. So, when you look at it, Ekeler's potential for the three low-value picks is tremendous value.
Trade 2 (from Dave Kluge)
12-team, PPR, Superflex
- Sent: QB Justin Fields, Pittsburgh
- Received: QB Bryce Young, Carolina
Fields' weekly floor and ceiling are undeniably higher when he's starting due to his running capabilities. However, Young is guaranteed a starting job, at least for the near future. The additions of Dave Canales and Diontae Johnson and multiple impactful offensive linemen show an investment in Young's development. I fear Fields may be headed down the path as a career backup.
Comments
Hutchinson Brown
I absolutely support this trade. While I feel the Bryce Young bounceback is an uphill battle, Fields is someone with plenty of uncertainty as well. Like you said, he might not even have a starting job this season and may not start any games.
As you mentioned, Dave, Young now has improved weapons, a significantly better offensive line, and a coach who just helped Baker Mayfield rise from the dead after almost ending his starting career with such horrible play with a multitude of teams. Everything is set up for Young to succeed, and the Panthers will do everything they can to help him while Fields will have to fight for himself. You're taking a smarter risk by betting on Bryce Young rather than Fields. Good move, Dave!
Leo Paciga
This deal is enticing to me and raises a few questions. Does Arthur Smith help Fields, or does he turn Fields into a Cordarrelle Patterson or Taysom Hill hybrid? Does Wilson struggle early in Pittsburgh, leading Fields to take over under center? Does Young take a positive step forward with Canales, Idzik, and the new talent around him?
This is pretty much a toss-up for me, as you're selling low and buying low on two players with their fair share of risk. In this instance, I'd lean into Young's age and smaller sample size.
I've witnessed enough from Fields to be worried and just enough of Young to be hopeful. I'll take the Bryce Young side of this deal.
Gary Davenport
I maintain some confidence that Justin Fields has the capabilities to be a solid NFL starter. I think he will start games for the Steelers in 2024. He may wind up the long-term starter for a Pittsburgh team that hasn't had a losing season since 2003.
While I have hope for the new Pittsburgh Steeler, there isn't a bit of certainty to any of that. What is certain is that Bryce Young will be Carolina's starter in 2024. With a year's experience under his belt and an improved roster around him, expecting improvement over Young's disappointing rookie year isn't unreasonable.
Fields holds more potential due to his electricity as a runner. Still, in Superflex formats, you need quarterbacks who will actually play, which you cannot guarantee for the athletic Fields. Give me the Young side of this deal here.
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