Dynasty managers constantly evaluate their rosters throughout the season, determining what players to buy and who to trade or cut loose. With this, it’s time for the reaction to Week 15 of buy-and-sell within Dynasty. I’ll be analyzing veteran and rookie profiles to project future values, which is the key to building a successful Dynasty Fantasy Football team.
My buy candidates throughout the year will range from immediate help to long-term upside that could deliver consistent production for the future. Also, knowing when to trade away players at or near their peak is valuable to infusing your roster with up-and-coming talent. Let’s dive right in, and let me help you by suggesting the players that you’d be wise to buy and sell in Dynasty this week.
* Within this article, the statistics were pulled from Sports Reference, KeepTradeCut (KTC), and Sleeper.
Buy
Spencer Rattler
In this past year’s Dynasty rookie draft, Spencer Rattler was not one of the top rookie quarterbacks and was going in the late third or fourth round of most drafts. He was consistently taken behind Caleb Willimas, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix. However, the fifth-round pick (150th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft from the University of South Carolina was called to action after Derek Carr missed Week 6 through Week 8 with an injury, and he gave fans a taste of his abilities. Now comes word that Carr is most likely done for the year with another injury, a fracture to his hand. This presents an opportunity for Rattler to showcase his abilities for the rest of the year. In Week 15, the Saints started Jake Haener but pulled him at halftime in favor of Rattler. Rattler, a former five-star recruit and top quarterback in the 2019 college recruiting class, most likely will get the opportunity to start the rest of the season with Carr out. His best full fantasy game this season came in Week 6 when he finished as QB20 with 14.42 fantasy points (Full-PPR). Rattler completed 22 of 40 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also added four carries for 27 yards. However, this past game in Week 15, in only one half of football, he finished as the QB24 with 9.40 fantasy points (Full-PPR). Rattler completed 10 of 21 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. The highlight of the game came as he led a potentially game-tying touchdown drive, throwing a touchdown pass to Foster Moreau as time expired, but the Saints chose to go for two and failed on the attempt.
If Rattler is allowed to start the rest of the year with Carr potentially out the last few games of the season, then Rattler can seize the starting quarterback job of the future as soon as next season. For the 2025 season, the Saints project to be over $63M above the salary cap. A large part of this is due to all the large contracts they have, including Carr, who they signed a few years ago, to a four-year $150M deal. But if Rattler plays well, there’s a potential opportunity for the Saints to shed some salary and move on from Carr. For the 2025 season, Carr’s contract has a fully guaranteed $10M bonus and a clause for $30M if he’s still on the Saints roster on the third day of the new league year. There’s an opportunity for the Saints to move on before the new league year and only take the $10M hit. This would allow them to go with a younger and cheaper quarterback with the hopes of fixing their salary cap issues. Ratter, who’s in the first year of his four-year rookie contract, is currently QB43 (Full-PPR) on the season, and on KeepTradeCut (KTC), he’s valued as QB33. Now is the time to try to acquire a talented player who has a chance in the future to see his role increased by a rumored release of Carr. Rattler has shown flashes, and with his collegiate history, he’s always been viewed as a very talented player who has been unable to live up to his potential. The Saints are hoping they have a diamond in the rough and their starting quarterback of the future. Often compared to Baker Mayfield, Rattler could be the next scouting jewel you add to your Dynasty Fantasy Football roster. Bet on his talent and future opportunity to acquire Rattler now, as in Dynasty Fantasy Football, he’ll never be cheaper than he is currently. Rattler can be a great buy-low piece to help solve your quarterback position and be a building block for your contending Dynasty Fantasy Football team next season.
Brenton Strange
At the end of the season, players often get opportunities because of injury or because their team falls out of the playoff race. In Brenton Strange’s case, it’s both. The former second-round pick (61st overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft from the University of Penn State didn’t play much during his rookie season, but he’s been getting more involved with the Jaguars this season, especially when the Jaguars’ top tight end Evan Engram has been hurt. When Engram missed Weeks 3 through 5, Strange averaged 8.83 fantasy points (Full-PPR). He’s consistently shown that he can be a solid streaming option when Engram has been out. But now Engram is out for the remainder of the year with a torn labrum in his shoulder, giving Strange another opportunity to prove himself. Strange did exactly that in Week 15 when he finished as the TE2 with 18.30 fantasy points (Full-PPR). He finished the day with an impressive eleven catches on twelve targets for 73 yards. Strange did this all with Mac Jones, as Trevor Lawrence himself is out for the season. One would figure Strange would have a higher ceiling with Lawrence as the starter.
With Strange having a strong showing, he figures to continue to be more involved in the offense going forward, especially since the team invested a high draft pick in him. Additionally, Engram is 30 years old and entering the final year of his contract, as he’s slated to earn $14.8M in 2025. With this, Engram’s days with the Jaguars could be coming to a close. Engram has probably played his best football already, as he’s always been a solid tight end. But with the emergence of the younger Strange, it may now be time for the Jaguars to move on from Engram and trade him. Rumors have already started to swirl, so investing now in the 23-year-old Strange could pay off in a big way, as he’s very cheap in Dynasty Fantasy Football. Strange is also in the second year of his four-year rookie contract and is tied to Lawrence with the Jaguars in an offense that typically has higher scoring. Strange is currently TE30 (Full-PPR) on the season, and KeepTradeCut (KTC) has him valued as the TE29. Now is the time to try to acquire a player who’s shown solid abilities and who, in the future, could see his role increased if Engram is traded. I’d look to acquire Strange now, as in Dynasty Fantasy Football, he shouldn’t cost too much. Strange can be a great buy-low piece to help solve your tight end position for your contending Dynasty Fantasy Football team next season.
Sell
Davante Adams
On October 15th this season, the Raiders traded Davante Adams to the Jets and exhilarated the Dynasty Fantasy Football universe. Adams’ first few games back with Aaron Rodgers weren’t what we all remembered from their Packers days, but he’s started to get in a groove in recent weeks. Beginning in Week 14, Adams finished as the WR7 with 21.40 fantasy points (Full-PPR). He had nine catches on eleven targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Then, in Week 15, he exploded. Adams had finished as the WR1 with 42.30 fantasy points (Full-PPR). He had nine catches on twelve targets for 198 yards and two touchdowns. After these strong recent performances, now is a great time to sell the soon-to-be 32-year-old Adams. Adams has proven that he can be very productive, but he’s nearing the end of his career and faces an uncertain future. Adams has two more years left on the five-year contract that he signed with the Raiders, but with the way it’s structured, he will be able to control his future for the 2025 season. Adams is owed $35.6M each of the next two years, and both he and the Jets know that his contract will need to be redone at this cap hit. If Adams wants out of the Jets, if Rodgers does indeed retire, he can decline offers to redo his deal by playing hardball, and Adams can then wait for the Jets to release him before free agency begins.
With his uncertain future and the fact that Adams, at his age, will start his decline sooner than later, now is the time to sell high on him after the last few weeks that he’s crushed it. Adams is currently WR13 (Full-PPR) on the season, and on KeepTradeCut (KTC), he’s valued as the WR51. With Adams’s elite production that he’s had for so many years and name recognition, I’d look to sell him a year early as opposed to a year too late. Sell him to a contending manager now, as Adams’s elite reign as a Dynasty Fantasy Football wide receiver most likely will be coming to an end soon as he gets older. You can still trade him now for a nice return to a contending manager, which can help you restock your Dynasty Fantasy Football roster for the future.
Ladd McConkey
This has nothing to do with the player himself, but it’s more about his ceiling. I wouldn’t be actively shopping Ladd McConkey, but I would be using him to try and acquire another young, talented wide receiver who has more upside. I’d want to make this kind of a deal because McConkey’s skillset is close to being maxed out, and he might not be the type of player to elevate into the elite tier of wide receivers. Using McConkey to acquire Marvin Harrison Jr. is a perfect example of the kind of deal I’d be looking to make. McConkey, the second-round pick (34th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia, has had a very productive year, averaging 13.87 fantasy points (Full-PPR) on the season. His most productive game in his rookie season came in Week 8 when he finished as the WR2 with 30.10 fantasy points (Full-PPR). In this game, he had six catches on six targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He’s proving to have a very successful rookie season and has produced more than Harrison Jr., who’s averaging 11.12 fantasy points (Full-PPR). This is exactly why I’d be targeting someone like Harrison, who has more untapped potential as he heads into next season.
McConkey primarily lines up in the slot for the Chargers, and he’s fourth in the NFL with 523 yards from the slot only behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Khalil Shakir, and Jayden Reed. With the Chargers’ wide receivers near the bottom of the league in production, they figure to add more in the offseason. McConkey is more of a slot receiver, and they will most likely be searching for an “X” or true WR1. The Chargers could target wide receivers in this year’s 2025 NFL Draft, but this year’s class doesn’t feature as much wide receiver talent as last year’s class did. With this, the Chargers are more likely to explore free agency, where they could target stars such as Stefon Diggs, Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin, or Diontae Johnson. If the Chargers successfully add one or two new wide receivers for quarterback Justin Herbert, McConkey’s usage should decline as a result. This also has a lot to do with the fact that the Chargers are already a run-first team, so I’d look to trade McConkey now. McConkey is in the first year of his four-year rookie contract with the Chargers being tied to star quarterback Justin Herbert, which many find appealing. He’s currently WR19 (Full-PPR) on the season, and on KeepTradeCut (KTC), he’s valued as the WR14. I’d look to sell McConkey now because he might have reached his ceiling, and I’d expect the Chargers to add to their wide receiver room. Look to sell high on him and target players who have underperformed but have a high ceiling. This kind of deal can quickly turn your Dynasty Fantasy Football roster into a perennial contender.
Conclusion
As the football season quickly moves along, don’t let your league catch you sleeping, as it’ll cost you in the standings. Buy and sell these players now to build your long-lasting championship-caliber Dynasty Fantasy Football roster.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you gained some valuable information. If you have any questions or you’d like additional insight and analysis, please follow me on Twitter/X at @MonicasHubby. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
