Fantasy football leagues are speeding toward trading deadlines. Aggressive managers need to balance the fallout from injuries to key players who put them in a position to win now. We polled Dynasty staffers Jason Wood, Dan Hindery, Ryan Weisse, Andy Hicks, Maurile Tremblay, and Matthew Montgomery for their win-now Dynasty trade targets.
How do you approach a contending Dynasty team that lost a key contributor like Drake London or Josh Jacobs in leagues with impending trade deadlines?
Wood: One of the best things about dynasty leagues is the extra dimension future years add to game theory. In redraft leagues, trading at the deadline is often hamstrung because the players you want are rostered by teams that still see themselves as contenders, or by teams so far out of the race that they have little interest or incentive to make a deal when they don't believe the return will change anything for them.
In dynasty leagues, though, plenty of teams are already shifting their focus to 2026 and beyond, even if they're still mathematically alive for a 2025 playoff push.
That's a long way of saying that your chances of acquiring real help for a playoff run are significantly higher in dynasty than in redraft.
Tremblay: A contender losing a core piece right before the trade deadline has to start by reassessing whether the roster still projects as a real title threat. If the team remains one of the top squads in the league, the goal is to preserve championship equity by replacing short-term production as efficiently as possible. If the injury drops the team into the middle of the pack, it may be wiser to avoid forcing an all-in push and instead make moves that preserve or even improve long-term value.
The injury timetable dictates almost everything. A one- or two-week absence is essentially an extended bye-week problem, and it rarely justifies meaningful spending. A multi-week injury with a projected return for the fantasy playoffs calls for "bridge" solutions -- players who can keep the lineup competitive until the stud returns. A season-ending or highly uncertain injury can justify spending more, but only if the roster still has a clear path to the finals.
Hicks: As Jason outlined, dynasty leagues are great for different strategies. A dynasty team in contention this year with a new hole to fill is likely to sacrifice the future in an attempt at a trophy now. Every year, we see players perform at a starting level to fill roster slots.
Rico Dowdle last year was just seen as a fill-in for the Cowboys and fantasy rosters, but was a fantasy starter over the final third of the season. His performances this year indicate he was far more than expected. His low value has increased exponentially.
Even veterans like Ameer Abdullah, Adam Thielen last year, and Ezekiel Elliott the year before with the Patriots are fantasy starters from this stage until the end of the fantasy season.
Weisse: With these two players specifically, the injuries appear to be short-term. If you're contending, that should mean you are going to make the playoffs even if you drop a game or two in the next two weeks. So, I am not going to panic about these specific injuries. It's also why you should do your best to have a team's direct backup on your roster, especially at running back. A few weeks ago, Emanuel Wilson was a trade throw-in. Now we might cost a rookie third-rounder.
Overall, if I lost London or Jacobs, I am not going to go out and overpay to make sure I win Weeks 12 and 13. If I need those wins, I may not have been the contender I thought I was, and I may be looking to sell and build for next year. If another team lost those stars, I am sending offers that net me draft picks to see how worried they are.
Hindery: It makes sense to absorb some future pain if you truly believe you can contend for a title this season and are just a piece or two away. While I love stockpiling future second and third-round rookie picks, this is the time of year when it's entirely reasonable to use those assets to add key contributors for a championship push. We can take a cue from well-run NFL franchises, like the Eagles, who dipped into their surplus of future third-rounders to acquire Jaelen Phillips and boost their chances of winning back-to-back titles.
Montgomery: If you're contending, that means you must have a chips in the middle mentality. In dynasty formats, these windows can shut just as quickly as they can open. I am a high-risk player when it comes to contending in a league. Losing a top player while in the middle of a playoff race means I am leveraging my future for now. 1sts are nice, unless you win the league. If you win, they're glorified 2nds, and ultimately you play to win the league, not stare at your young, exciting rookies. Picks are only coveted by those who need them. If you're a contender, you don't need them.
Who is a veteran you are looking to acquire for cheap to fill a short-term roster hole that may linger into the fantasy playoffs?
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