Sat Apr 4th 2020

Trades and Waiver Claims I've Made This Offseason

Players I Have Acquired Recently

I play in eight different dynasty leagues on various platforms. They all have different levels of activity and different rules for off-season activity. As a Dynasty Freek, I'm active all offseason, making trade offers and churning the back end of my line-ups by picking guys up off waivers. Here I write about some of the trades and waiver claims I have made over the last two months, which gives me a chance to share how I value several players and draft picks.

Players and Picks Acquired Via Trade

Jonnu Smith and Darius Slayton <====> 2020 pick 2.4 (pick #14)

• I was offered this trade from an owner who is compiling draft picks. I hit the accept button pretty quick on this one. While I love the 2020 draft class, I had Darius Slayton ranked as the 12th ranked rookie from the 2019 rookie class, as I wrote about at the end of the 2019 NFL season. By my evaluation, I was getting the 12th ranked 2019 rookie for the 14th ranked rookie in 2020. Jonnu Smith, then, was just a bonus in my eyes and made this trade easier to accept. I already have George Kittle as my tight end in that league, so Smith will likely not start for me but could become tradeable if he and Ryan Tannehill build upon the strong connection they had at the end of the season. Slayton is a great addition to an incredible rookie class that I drafted last year in this league when I drafted A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside to add to alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen. I now have five 2019 rookie wide receivers, most of whom already broke out in their rookie season.    

2020 pick 1.2 <====> for 2020 picks 1.5 and 2.1 (pick 11)

• This trade that I offered requires a little context. I was willing to give up the 1.5 and 2.1 picks for the 1.2 pick because I also own pick 1.1. In other words, I wanted to assure myself the first two picks of the 2020 rookie draft. Running back is my only weak spot on this team. Miles Sanders is the only strong running back that I have. I wanted to assure myself that I would get the two best running backs in this year's class to strengthen my team. I want to handpick my favorite two instead of hoping my second favorite running back would fall to me at 1.5 or having to settle for possibly the 4th or 5th best running back in this class. Plus, I would be willing to trade either or both of these two picks if the price is right, and the value of these two picks will only rise after the NFL draft when we know on which teams these rookie running backs land.

Austin Ekeler <====> for 2020 pick 1.7

• Here is a trade my co-owner, Dave Brown, and I made in our Reality Sports Online league after another owner put Ekeler on the trading block just before the free agency period. This is a salary cap league, and Ekeler was signed for two more years at a relatively low price, the 14th highest-paid running back after being the 4th highest scoring running back in this PPR league last year. We were willing to part with pick 1.7 because we have pick 1.6 as well, and the rookie running back contracts for picks in the middle of the first round was only three million dollars a year less than Ekeler's contract. We wanted to go with the proven player even if it was a little more expensive. Dave and I were pretty confident that the Chargers would let Melvin Gordon go in free agency and re-sign Ekeler. Three days after the trade offer was accepted, Ekeler signed his new contract with the Chargers, and we looked pretty smart.

2020 3.2 (pick 26) <====> James White

• I made this trade in my FFPC league, which has very thin rosters (20 players, including a kicker and defense). By March 31st, in FFPC leagues, you have to cut to 16 players, including a kicker and defense. Nearing the cut date, I received a message from another owner who acknowledged that my roster was strong, and it was going to be hard for me to cut down to 16 players, and he was interested in James White and Robby Anderson. I traded away my 2020 1st and 2nd round picks in this league last year during the start-up draft, so I was eager to get some more middle-round picks. I first asked for his second round 2020 pick, but he declined and countered. We had a little back in forth before finally settling on the 3.2 (pick 26). I felt like it was good value for a player I was going to cut. I love James White in PPR leagues, which is why I drafted him in last year's start-up draft, but I think Tom Brady is a huge factor in what made White so productive the last few years. That's why I was so willing to part with him. 

2021 4th-round pick <====> John Brown

• This trade was also in my FFPC league and was made the morning of the roster cut deadline. I had been trying to acquire Brown from this owner for about a week, but we could not find an offer. I can only guess that he realized that he was going to have to cut Brown and that I was the only owner who showed interest in him, so he made me this offer, which I gladly accepted immediately. I don't value picks as much in the FFPC leagues because the rosters are so thin. It's hard to hold onto unproven rookies when you have to trim your team down to 14 positional players by March 31st. I'm new to the FFPC, but that's how I am valuing veterans over draft picks so far.

Players Acquired Via Waivers

Tyrod Taylor

• I sneakily picked up Tyrod Taylor before it was announced that the Chargers were not going to bring back Phillip Rivers. Once Phillip Rivers moved his home, and the team went radio-silent on him, I figured it was worth a stab grabbing Taylor. I picked him up in leagues, where quarterbacks were not a strength of my team to see what happens. LA could certainly draft a rookie quarterback and make this a worthless claim on my part. They could also sign Jameis Winston or Cam Newton, which would make Taylor droppable. That said, Taylor has produced in the few seasons where he has been the starter on a team. Plus, the Chargers are loaded with weapons for him to target. He's worth the wait to see what happens.

Nick Foles

• I made this claim right after Foles was traded to the Bears. I've never been a big fan of Foles, but I do think he will be the starter in 2020, beating out Mitch Trubisky. The coaching in Chicago has worked with Foles before, so they must know what he can and cannot do. I only made this claim in one league - the one where I am weakest at quarterback because Jameis Winston is not on an NFL roster. If Winston signs to a team where he'll be named the starter, I'd drop Foles in this league.

Teddy Bridgewater

• I made this claim in one league right after Bridgewater signed with Carolina. I would have picked him up in all of my leagues that allow for waivers during the offseason, but he was only available in one. Bridgwater has a ton of weapons to throw to in Carolina and has still yet to prove if he is an average or above-average quarterback. I want to see what he can show this year with his new coaches and teammates.

Tajae Sharpe

• I've always loved Tajae Sharpe. He looked so good in his first preseason in Tennessee that I traded Tom Brady and a 1st-round pick for him. That's among the worst dynasty trades I've ever made! However, he had the best year of his career last year in Tennessee, which is picked him up in every one of my leagues that allows offseason waiver claims. Call me a sucker, but I want to see what he can do in Minnesota. There is a big hole to fill in the Vikings receiver corp after Stefon Diggs was traded to the Bills. Who's to say Sharpe is not the best player they have to fill that hole. Minnesota is likely to draft a wide receiver, but they also have to make improvements to their defense in this year's draft. If they sign a first or second-round wide receiver, I will be less hopeful for Sharpe, but if they wait to draft a wide receiver in the third round or later, I will for sure hold Sharpe to see if he can win the job. 

Blake Jarwin

• I picked up Jarwin in the one league where he was available right after Dallas signed him to a new deal. If over-the-hill Jason Witten could be a top-twelve tight end in Dallas last year, then surely Jarwin can do close to the same. I was thrilled to add Jarwin to my team and have tried to acquire him via trade this offseason too. I'm going to keep coming after him the rest of the offseason also.

 

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