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, attempting to provide you with bite-sized pieces of the league. With all that in mind, let us jump into the AFC East.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were the best team in the entire NFL during the 2023 regular season. The Ravens earned the number-one seed in the AFC and finished the season with the best regular season record in either division. As you can imagine, the Ravens have several desirable dynasty assets for managers in all formats.
BUY
My top buy for the Baltimore Ravens is the newcomer Derrick Henry. The All-Pro running back from Alabama has compiled an excellent career in Tennessee to this point. Henry signed a two-year pack with Baltimore to help them get over the top and get him a ring. Judging by his stats last season, I’m willing to gamble that he has a swan song in his game.
“Derrick Henry is washed”
— Outl✭w (@OutlawCowboyNFL) March 9, 2024
A 2023 Season 🧵🪡 pic.twitter.com/QBZq2C6SJJ
The marriage of Henry with the Ravens seems like a match made in heaven. The team has long sought a feature back. Henry will attempt to become the first Ravens RB to lead the Team in rushing since 2018. Yes, you read that correctly. Gus Edwards was the last Ravens RB to lead the team in rushing back in 2018. Lamar Jackson has led them in every season since.
Henry can be among the league leaders in rushing yards this year. Behind Lamar Jackon, the Ravens are one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL. Henry will have the opportunity and the room to operate he could only dream of in Tennessee. The best part is he comes at a discount. Due to his age and the likelihood that he only has one or two years left, you can buy Henry at a discount. I have seen him going for as little as a second. If you are a contender, do yourself a favor and don’t let this opportunity to grab an RB1 at a discounted price go to waste.
SELL
My sell for the Baltimore Ravens is none other than the league MVP, Jackson. Don’t get me wrong; Jackson is an absolute beast in your Superflex leagues. His rushing upside has set him apart from nearly every other QB in the entire NFL. However, this is a situation where I would rather get out early than be stuck with a depreciating asset.
Jackson makes his bones with his legs. He has been one of the best-rushing QBs in the NFL’s history. However, he has struggled to develop as a passer since arriving out of Louisville. Jackson is also not the biggest QB you have ever seen. Sooner or later, I am worried he will sustain an injury to his legs, thus robbing him of what makes him special.
LAMAR JACKSON RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE TUNNEL AFTER THAT TOUCHDOWN
— Kyle (@ImKyleMangum) January 21, 2024
THE MVP OF THE LEAGUE IS TOYING WITH THE TEXANS
THE BALTIMORE RAVENS ARE GOING TO THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP 🔥🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/FGT8HItSP5
To be clear, I still expect Jackson to be a fine dynasty QB. However, he still carries incredible value. In searching through the new and improved Dynasty Nerds trade browser I have found a number of Jackson trades I would be exceedingly happy to make. None so much as the one below. If I can sell Jackson for Trevor Lawrence and a first-round pick, I am doing that all day, every day. I suggest you explore options like this in your home leagues as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers maintained their incredible streak by cobbling together another non-losing season under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Despite making the playoffs, the team decided to make an abrupt turn, sending away their top two QBs and bringing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
BUY
My buy for the Pittsburgh Steelers is George Pickens. The third-year playmaker enjoyed a quiet breakout campaign in 2023. Despite his coming-out party, his value has remained relatively suppressed relative to his production on the field. I see two possibilities for a discount for Pickens. First is his maddening inconsistency, which saw him fluctuate between monster games and contests where he did more pouting on the sidelines than playing on the field.
Saunders: George Pickens Is Walking, Talking and Pouting His Way Out of Steelers Future Plans #Steelers #NFL https://t.co/h47hTiYZs8
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) December 20, 2023
The second major reason for Pickens’ current discount is the arrival of new OC Arthur Smith. During his time in Atlanta, Smith struggled with his passing game year after year. My argument against his is that during Smith’s time with the Titans beforehand, the passing game was no problem as it helped guide Ryan Tannehill to a career resurgence.
When looking through the trade browser I have found several really good deals surrounding Pickens. The one I like the best is the one posted below, where Pickens and Brian Robinson were acquired for Adonai Mitchell. That is a deal I would take every time and twice on Sunday.
SELL
My top sell for the Pittsburgh Steelers is their talented RB2, Warren. Last season, he enjoyed a breakout role, playing Robin to Najee Harris’ Batman. Warren played much better early in the season under OC Matt Canada before his firing late in the year. After his departure, Warren lost several of his touches, leading to a somewhat slow finish. But when he did get the ball, he certainly looked good.
Jaylen Warren
— Joe Orrico (@NoExpertFF) June 20, 2024
Elite pure rusher.
Amongst RBs with 100+ attempts
– 3rd in Yards B4 Contact
– 1st in Broken Tackle %
– 1st in Evasion %
Warren also had 74 targets in 2023.
That’s more than
– Etienne
– Ekeler
– Gibbs
– White
Stud!
pic.twitter.com/mRS01T0aHZ
Arther Smith has traditionally preferred a large bell-cow-type runner. Harris appears set to play somewhat of a Derrick Henry role in the Steelers offense. It is possible that Warren could again play well. However, I cannot see a circumstance where Warren becomes a legitimate starting RB in the league. Last year was his opportunity, and he couldn’t quite snatch the reins from Harris.
Despite still being on his rookie contract, Warren will turn 26 later this season. Given his age and role as the team’s RB2, I am pretty happy to take some of the offers I have found in the Dynasty Nerds trade browser. Of particular interest, I liked the deal below, where a manager acquired Curtis Samuel and Diontae Johnson for Warren. I believe Johnson to be the most valuable piece of the deal and would gladly take his much safer value.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a team on the verge of a makeover. The signs all point to a shift in personnel. This move was telegraphed a couple of short years ago when the team gave a massive contract extension to QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals are one of the most cash-poor teams in the entire NFL. As a result, some painful decisions will come down the line.
BUY
With the above-mentioned cap situation in mind, my buy for the Bengals is Tee Higgins. The former second-round pick has been one of the best players on the Bengals roster since arriving out of Clemson. Higgins has been a really good player, but the clock began ticking on his time in the Queen City the minute the Bengals drafted teammate Ja’Marr Chase in the first round.
The arrival of Chase in Cincinnati has stunted Higgins’s growth. He has been capped as a high-end WR2 for his NFL team. You can see above that he has never received 110 targets. Naturally, Higgins wants to be the top dog on his team. The Bengals do not have the money to pay him or the targets to satisfy his desire to be a top player in the league. However, that does not mean the Bengals do not want to keep their talented playmaker on board. They are trying to win now and want to keep the duo of Chase and Higgins together as long as possible.
Hold Tee Higgins this season, next year his dynasty value will 📈 pic.twitter.com/rJb6jd8xGJ
— Dynasty Nerds (@DynastyNerds) July 8, 2024
By buying Higgins right now, you are getting a built-in discount. The guys hit the major points above. By getting him now, you are getting a player who will be the top free agent WR of the next offseason. Higgins will finally get the opportunity to be a target hog on an offense, funneling the ball through him as the top target. In this situation, you will get the payoff next season but still have an extremely playable WR. And at prices like below, who wouldn’t want to buy a player of this caliber? I will gladly add a player like Warren, who I can keep or sell at his current value, on top of Higgins in exchange for Nico Collins.
SELL
My sell for the Cincinnati Bengals is their new presumptive starting RB Zack Moss. The former Utah star has bounced around the league a bit, with this being his third stop in his short career. Before we dive into my reasoning, let me qualify by stating that I would only be a seller if I were not a true contender.
Heading into last season, Moss was a forgotten man. He had washed out in Buffalo and looked destined for a role as a backup RB for as long as his career would last. Then a contract dispute led to an injury for Colts starting RB Jonathan Taylor and Moss grabbed the bull by the horns eventually putting up the finest season of his career.
Zack Moss was balling out for the Colts late last season. In his four games as the primary ball carrier, he rushed the ball 69 times for 331 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) January 29, 2023
He also had 9 rushes over 10 yards during that stretch: pic.twitter.com/nLAuI5LXvj
On the heels of his breakout in 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals gave Moss a team-friendly deal to come in as the lead back. However, his two-year $8 million deal does not inspire many safe feelings. I see many parallels between Moss in Cincinnati and Mike Davis in Atlanta a few years back. Sure, he is set up for some excellent volume in 2024, with only Chase Brown to share the ball with. Yes, the Bengals didn’t bring in an RB despite having ten picks in the most recent draft. However, RB is the most fluid position in the league, and this situation could change quickly.
Now, I do believe that Moss will be serviceable in 2024 for contenders. He should have a safe role. But, while searching the Dynasty Nerds trade browser, I saw some deals I would love to make involving Moss. One in particular even netted to the manager who traded Moss for a starting QB. I would much rather gamble on the long-term upside of Daniel Jones than ride out the Moss Express.
Cleveland Browns
Last but certainly not least, on our tour of the AFC North are the Cleveland Browns. The Browns had an extremely odd year in 2023. Despite a devastating injury to their team leader and losing their supposed franchise QB, the team managed to finish strong down the stretch and make the playoffs. Team management has doubled down on this group and brought in more help than they have let walk out the door for 2024.
BUY
My buy for the Cleveland Browns is their starting QB, Deshaun Watson. The former National Championship-winning quarterback has had a rocky start to his tenure in Cleveland. Last season, we finally started seeing glimpses of the old Watson. He had one of the best halves of football he has ever played against the Ravens. Then, it was revealed after the game that he fractured his shoulder and ended up missing the entire back half of the season.
Deshaun Watson in the 2nd half:
— BROWNS OR DIE 💀 (@BrownsorDie) November 12, 2023
• 14/14
• 134 yards
• 1 TD
• Game winning drive 🔥
Best game of his @Browns career!
The exact game and player we all know Watson can be and this team can be!
Let’s keep it up! 💪#CLEvsBAL x #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/huMpc7IxHs
Heading into 2024, reports from Cleveland show that Watson is currently healthy after the shoulder operation. He will have one of the best weapons he has ever had. The team has an excellent trio of WRs to go along with a highly athletic TE. They also boast one of the better offensive lines in the league. Add in the new emphasis on the passing game with last season’s injury to Nick Chubb, and you will have the recipe for a career renaissance for Watson. It wasn’t that long ago that Watson was thought of on the same level as Patrick Mahomes.
The best part about buying Watson is the cost. When searching through the Dynasty Nerds trade browser, you will find that he is extremely affordable relative to his potential payoff. Many owners have written him off as finished with no hope of reemerging. That is crazy for a player who is only 28 years old with a massive contract and a nice set of weapons. I’m not saying I would want Watson to date my daughter, but he can play on my dynasty team for the price. Two trades stood out to me. I would gladly ship Josh Jacobs and Sam Howell for Watson and a late pick. Jacobs is on borrowed time as an RB on his second contract. I would also be thrilled to swap Derek Carr and a 2025 first for Watson.
SELL
My sell for the Cleveland Browns is one of Watson’s favorite toys, WR Amari Cooper. The former Alabama star has been one of the most consistent players in the league since being drafted in the first round by the Raiders. He has blazed a Brandon Marshall-esque career, putting up 1,000-yard seasons for multiple franchises.
Last season, Cooper had one of the best years of his career. He was the first Browns receiver ever to put up back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. In all fairness, I am holding Cooper if I am a competitor. He should have a couple of excellent years left in the tank. You can see from his highlights below from last year that Cooper still has plenty to offer.
Amari Cooper 2023-2024 Highlights
— The Cleveland Pulse (@PulseCleveland) January 23, 2024
– 15 games played
– 72 receptions
– 1,250 yards (career high)
– 5 TDs
Relive his spectacular season ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/iqBDkl2E9I
The big reason I have Cooper as a sell is that he still carries excellent trade value. When looking through the Dynasty Nerds trade browser, I saw that he fetches some really nice returns on both players and picks. You can get a 2024 first-round pick or even a young TE1, as shown below. I am happy to get either of these returns if I am not in win-now mode.
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 North. Some are penny stocks, and others are blue-chip assets. Perhaps you like this list or have a radically different list of your own.
The beauty of dynasty is that we mold our squads in the image we see best. Having a few spots on your roster set aside for churning through available players on the wire would be best. It would help if you always were looking 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 go stale. With that, we close our AFC North buy and sell discussion. Be on the lookout for our next installment in this series in the near future.
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2 Responses
The guy that traded pickens and robinson for adonai Mitchell has either been kicked out of the league or that trade was reversed for collusion. No chance that is a real trade in any league.
Agreed. Some of these deals are laughable.