Playing dynasty fantasy football is like playing the stock market. The most successful managers know when to sell players at their peak value and when to buy players when they represent good values. Just like the stock market, this is a fluid situation every season. For this series of articles, I will give you one buy and one sell from every NFL roster. We will break down these articles by division to provide you with bite-sized pieces of information. With all that in mind, let us jump into the AFC East.
New England Patriots:
The New England Patriots are in a unique position heading into 2024. For the first time this century, Bill Belichick is not leading the Patriots. Newly minted Head Coach Jerod Mayo is seeking to rebuild the organization he helped to build as a player. I expect the Patriots to find themselves at the bottom of the division in 2024, but that doesn’t mean they are bereft of dynasty talent.
I am looking at the Patriots 2024 second-round pick, wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, for my dynasty buy. Sure, there is some temptation to go with the new franchise quarterback. But it will cost you far more to invest in Drake Maye than it will his presumptive top target. Polk is one of my favorite value picks in the 2024 rookie class.
There are several reasons that I have chosen to go with Polk. He was selected at the top of the second round, has an excellent college pedigree, and has been an extreme bargain. According to ADP, you can routinely scoop up Polk in the third round of your rookie drafts. He is fantastic at high-pointing the ball. The early reviews out of Patriots rookie camp and mini-camp have also been highly encouraging. Just take a look at some of the plays below and grab yourself some shares of Polk while the price is still low. He will be the #1 target on a very bad team leading to tons of garbage time opportunities.
Rookie WR Ja’Lynn Polk coming in hot … pic.twitter.com/iTz5jMzsPM
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 4, 2024
Sometimes, it can be hard to find a good sell for dynasty purposes. These can often be unpopular since, by nature, a good sell must inherently carry some value. That said, my sell for the Patriots is running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
The former Oklahoma star just signed a massive new extension, making him one of the top 10 paid running backs in the league. It is precisely this contract that makes Stevenson an excellent sell for me. During his lone RB1 season of 2022, Stevenson scored a ton of his points in the passing game. Despite his new big deal, the Patriots also brought in some competition this year by giving former Commanders RB Antonio Gibson a multi-year contract with really good money.
This will be much more of a 1-2 punch than many in the dynasty community want to believe. If your league mates value Rhamondre as an RB1, look to make a deal ASAP. Gibson will be a constant thorn in Stevenson’s side, particularly in the passing game. This will relegate Rhamondre to RB2 status.
Antonio Gibson with 72 yards on 7 receptions and 8 targets.
— Coach Matt (@MVScouting) September 12, 2022
He didn’t get benched for Brian Robinson, he’s gonna have a different role. They still love the player in space, and are gonna give him the ball in mismatch opportunities. pic.twitter.com/1dmvB3rAdx
Miami Dolphins:
The Miami Dolphins are a team seeking to take the next step toward winning a Super Bowl. The squad from South Beach is loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball. There are both great buys and sells on this team.
My buy for the Miami Dolphins is a freebie. I am buying Dolphins sixth-round WR Malik Washington. The kid from Virginia was one of the most dynamic playmakers in all of college football in 2023. He literally set records during his lone season in the ACC.
Malik Washington deserves more attention:
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) April 21, 2024
– 110 catches (led FBS)
– 35 forced missed tackles (led FBS)
– 1,426 yards (4th in FBS)
– Had 47% of Virginia's receiving yards
– 3rd in 20+ yard catches (behind Nabers and Odunze)
Extremely fun player who is going to be one of the… pic.twitter.com/EGV5lXGTSk
Washington has some poor man, Tyreek Hill, in his game. His 110/1,426/9 senior year at UVA showed that he has the talent to make plays at the next level. Tyreek Hill’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. The All-Pro WR is also over 30 years old, and the team has some other very serious contract issues to consider. It is fair to wonder if one of the reasons Mike McDaniels was so excited when he got Washington late in the draft was as a kind of insurance policy on Hill’s position moving forward.
Yep, Mike McDaniel has his fingerprints all over the Dolphins’ Malik Washington pick.pic.twitter.com/SWUb2hbIFN
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) April 27, 2024
Washington is nearly free at this point in his career. Many in the dynasty community see the Dolphins as far too crowded with Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., and Waddle. But the NFL stands for not for long and there is a very real possibility that two of the three top guys in Miami could be out of town following the year. Washington is just the type of player I like to stash.
Funny enough, my sell for the Dolphins is also a WR, Jaylen Waddle. The former Alabama star has been one of the better WRs in the league since entering. Despite his admirable play on the field, he has never lived up to his perceived dynasty value.
More often than not, Waddle has found himself to be a WR2 rather than a true WR1. Despite this, many in the dynasty community routinely draft Waddle as one of the top 12 wide receivers off the board. That is where I believe him to be an excellent sell. I would be more than willing to swap out Waddle for a lower-ranked player like Michael Pittman and get something of value on top of it.
Now, please hear me out on this: If you do trade Waddle, be sure to get your value out of him. I really like this player. But he feels much more like a high-end WR2 than a WR1. As long as Tyreek Hill is in town, he will be relegated to second fiddle. Even if Hill does retire following this year, Waddle will likely be more of a Chris Olave type.
Buffalo Bills:
Over the last several years, the Buffalo Bills have pushed their roster to the limit. They have attempted to go all-in to win with their franchise signal caller, Josh Allen. Over the last three seasons, the team has brought in some high-end assets on both sides of the ball to help build a winning team. However, now the team is cap-strapped and looking for a reset.
My buy on this roster is one of the most disrespected players in the entire league: James Cook. In 2023, James Cook had one of the least talked-about RB1 seasons I can think of. The former second-round pick finally came into his own following the departure of Devin Singletary.
As a weapon in both the rushing and receiving game, I expect Cook to be a big part of the offense as they look to rework the offense following the departure of Stefon Diggs. Sure, the team brought in Ray Davis, but he will be more of a complimentary piece than a challenge for the top spot. Cook provides excellent RB1 upside at prices far lower than other third-year high-end RBs.
If I owned an RB who was valued considerably higher, such as Travis Etienne, I would gladly move him for Cook and something on top of it. Cook is every bit as good a player. He has a good draft pedigree and has been extremely efficient with his touches. He has never averaged less than last season’s 4.7 ypc. Scoop him up where you can and enjoy your high-end RB2 at a discount.
Who remembers when James Cook went off against the cowboys
— j$ (@khamszn) June 28, 2024
⭐️ 25 car
⭐️ 179 yds
⭐️ 1 TD
⭐️ 2 rec
⭐️ 42 yds
⭐️ 1 TD
pic.twitter.com/3e5kA5bpZS
For my sell on the Buffalo Bills, I am looking at this year’s draft class. Despite his lofty draft status at the top of the second round, I am looking to sell former Florida State star Keon Coleman. The towering pass catcher is simply far too expensive for my taste. He is almost universally seen as a second-round rookie pick owing to his landing spot with the Buffalo Bills.
Keon Coleman was one of the hottest names in college football to begin the 2023 season. The Florida State star had a couple of big games early before eventually falling off the map down the stretch. Sure, he scored 11 touchdowns but only managed a single 100-yard game after Week 1.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Keon Coleman. He could be a decent player. My main problem is the range in which he is being drafted. I would much rather take a player like Ja’Lynn Polk and a mid-round pick. For me, Coleman gives off some Kelvin Benjamin vibes of a player who was able to dominate in the college ranks but could struggle with separation at the next level.
New York Jets:
The New York Jets are all-in on trying to win a Super Bowl in the next two seasons with their veteran quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Despite missing nearly all last season with a torn Achilles, the team is putting all their eggs in the 4-time MVP’s basket. With that in mind, they offer some really interesting pieces on the offensive side of the ball.
My buy for the Jets is their new #2 pass catcher Mike Williams. We all know that Garrett Wilson will feast with Rodgers at the controls. However, with a QB as prolific as Rodgers, there is always room for a second pass catcher. Enter the 6’4″ 218 lb. newcomer. I view Williams as an upgraded version of Allen Lazard. As a quick reminder, Lazard scored 14 touchdowns in his last two seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay.
Joe Douglas wanted Mike Williams badly, & has wanted him on the #Jets for years now
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) June 27, 2024
When you watch this, it's easy to see why pic.twitter.com/E2R2rbPgWN
Mike Williams has the potential to be a double-digit touchdown player this season. He could also flirt with another 1,000-yard campaign, given the amount of coverage likely to be focused on Garrett Wilson. Do yourself a favor and scoop up Williams while the price is still cheap. According to our upgraded Dynasty Nerds Trade Browser, Williams can be had for less than a second-round pick. At that price, every contending team should be a buyer.
My sell player on the Jets is none other than Breece Hall. Now I can already hear the groans about trading away one of the best young RBs in the NFL. However, please hear me out. I love Hall as much as the next manager, but I can get a king’s ransom for him.
A glance at the upgraded Nerds Trade Browser reveals some really juicy deals involving Hall. You can get multiple first-round picks or even a comparable young back and draft pick compensation. I particularly like the deals below, which give me either Jamyr Gibbs or Jaylen Waddle and draft pick compensation for Hall.
Hall is surely a great player, and I am happy to have shares of him everywhere I can. However, that does not change the fact that RB is the most fragile spot on your roster. The fortunes of running backs rise and fall faster than any other position. As such, you must do yourself a favor and shop them around whenever they carry the type of value that Hall does. Gibbs or Waddle are both blue chip pieces and if I can get them and a bonus on top, I am all in for that every single time.
Final Thoughts:
As I mentioned in the opening, Dynasty Fantasy Football is very similar to the stock market. These are just a few of the players I am looking to buy and sell in the AFC East. Some are penny stocks, and others are blue-chip assets. Perhaps you like this list; you may also have a radically different list of your own.
The beauty of dynasty is that we get to mold our squads in the image we see best. You should always have a couple of spots on your roster set aside for churning through available players on the wire. You should always be on the lookout for deals to be made as either a buyer or a seller. Our best advice is to be active and not allow your roster to get stale. With that, we close our AFC East buy and sell discussion. Be on the lookout for our next installment in this series in the near future.
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