With the recent spike in attention towards Wall Street and companies clinging to existence, I am going to give you three wideouts to trade for to save your dynasty roster from the same fate. Something to build on without giving up too much is always how I approach a rebuild, and WR is the perfect position to start at when analyzing your team. Wide receivers last a long time in a world where quarterbacks and running backs come and go frequently. In my very first dynasty league, I traded away Jarvis Landry. It doesn’t matter what I received in return because I can’t remember, and Jarvis is still producing and will continue to do so for years to come. Needless to say, I learned my lesson, and I am here to tell you about some guys to go get.
D.J. Chark
Urban Meyer is coming to town. Trevor Lawrence is more than likely going to be slinging the ball for the team, and most of the fantasy buzz is around James Robinson, rightfully so. I know most people will say to try to grab the cheaper option in Laviska Shenault, but I would tell you that, for a little bit more, you can still get Chark before he officially pairs with their new quarterback. Chark had a disappointing season after being selected to the Pro Bowl last year, but a resurgence is on its way with the influx of talent they’ll have by owning the number one pick. Finishing forty-ninth on the season, two spots behind Shenault, is not what dynasty players expected heading into the season.
Capitalize now on the Chark manager’s frustration and with the increase of value in rookie draft picks as the hype builds towards your draft. Realize that Chark had almost the same amount of targets in games he started this past year as the year before. He is only going to be 25 next season with an incoming quarterback who will give him more accurate opportunities than Mike Glennon, Jake Luton, and Gardner Minshew ever could. Meanwhile, the Chark manager is frustrated with his performance and is probably trying to recoup the value before next season starts.
Michael Gallup
The Cowboys will have to figure out a lot to bring Dak Prescott back, but a few things are a certainty for their offense. Ezekiel Elliot and CeeDee Lamb have solidified roles, and either Amari Cooper or Gallup will be the wide receiver two. I phrase it that way because the Cowboys smartly placed an out in their contract with Cooper after the 2021 season. Gallup is the cheaper option of course but isn’t on contract after next season. This leaves us with two scenarios: The Cowboys can cut Gallup for 222k in dead cap money or trade him this offseason, or he’s the WR3 behind Cooper for one more year until the Cowboys part ways with Amari, and Gallup becomes the WR2 for the team. I do think the Cowboys clear as much space as possible in order to keep Dak. Whether or not Gallup will be in that wake is yet to be determined, but I am saying buy the talent before his situation changes for the better.
Despite being overshadowed by the stud rookie and the highly paid Cooper, Gallup was able to produce decent numbers even with Dak missing the majority of the season. Over the last five games, Gallup was the WR14. He did see a dip in efficiency with less production coming from a similar amount of targets to the previous year.
Just like Chark, the WR listed before him, he had more than two different quarterbacks starting throughout the year. Even if the entire ensemble returns, which I don’t think is possible given the teams need to resign Prescott, Gallup’s situation will improve closer to where it was in 2019. If he is cut he can choose a team where he will finally not be overshadowed, and if a team trades for him, I would expect them to utilize him more than or the same amount as the Cowboys do.
The best part about Gallup is that he isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg if you do it before his price rises. You can always trade him for more value down the road. Sometimes the flashy trades are more fun, but the moves like this will set you up for future success.
Robby Anderson
The light burned bright to start the season for Anderson, and managers who had him on their roster thought they struck gold. Then the bulb started to flicker as Bridgewater took a step back and D.J. Moore started to steal some of the shine. Try to swoop in and catch someone off guard with an offer for a player who will have success for years to come in that offense. I have written about this before, but the connection between coach Rhule and Anderson is a close one. Rhule turned Anderson from DB to WR and made him relevant in college. Upon Rhule’s entry into the league with the Panthers, he went and made sure Anderson was on his team. As long as Matt Rhule is the HC of the Panthers, Anderson will have a role in the offense.
In the first half of the season, Robby was WR12 overall, and in the back half of the season, he was the WR43. The Anderson manager feels the back half of the season results and probably writes off the first half as a fluke, but I think with a better quarterback and another year with the team, Anderson will be much closer to his first-half form. If the Robby manager is at all weary or upset, try to capitalize with a simple offer. He is only twenty-seven and has plenty of years left to produce for your team.
Honorable Mentions
Since there are so many WRs that could bolster your team this year, not including the incoming rookies, there are also a few honorable mentions. These are guys I thought about adding as I was trying to put this together that were ultimately left out.
Adam Thielen – With all the focus on Justin Jefferson, Thielen might not be as expensive as years past, but more than likely he will have a decent season yet again next year.
Courtland Sutton – He hurt himself in game one and may have been forgotten as a budding star for the Broncos, so try and get a potential WR1 for a discount.
Chris Godwin – Godwin was never going to hit expectations that were put on him last offseason, especially once Antonio Brown joined the team midway through the season. He will be a free agent however this year, and his talents more than likely will be featured somewhere.
As always when trading, know your league and never overpay for any one player because, as we have all witnessed this year, it takes depth across the board to win the championship in each league regardless of format. A wide receiver is a good spot to start if you’re rebuilding and a nice addition if you’re pushing for the championship.
Leave any comments, questions, or concerns about any of your trades in the comments or on Twitter @dff_mattbull. Don’t forget to #alwaysbebuilding with @dynastyfootballfactory.
