Every offseason, the market cools on certain players. There could be a number of reasons for their fall from grace, such as injuries, a bad season, lack of playing time and off the field issues. Obviously not everyone who meets that criteria fall onto buy lists, but savvy dynasty owners know exactly what they’e looking for, and cheap. Below is a list of dynasty wide receivers I believe can be traded for at a substantial discount compared to seasons past.
Wide Receiver
1. Golden Tate, WR DET
Blessed with hands that make him look like he’s out there using a baseball glove, Tate clearly landed into the most favorable situation out any of the free agent wide receivers thus far. I wonder how many of those 650 pass attempts are going to come his way in Detroit?
Recommended Price Tag: Early to mid second round rookie pick.
2. Justin Blackmon, WR JAX
If not for his constant off field antics, you wouldn’t be able to touch Blackmon with a ten foot pole. He represents top eight wide receiver value the moment he steps on the field. The question is – how often is he going to be on the field? As of late we’ve seen Blackmon traded for as much as pick 1.09 in rookie drafts. There are whispers around the Twitter community that owners would let him go for far less. If you can land him for a pick in the 2.01-2.05 range, he is a must buy.
Recommended Price Tag: Late first to early second round rookie pick.
3. Aaron Dobson, WR NE
Bar none one of our favorite values in startup drafts, Dobson has the look and feel of a guy ready to take the next step in a Tom Brady led offense. Through weeks 2-9 Dobson was the overall WR21 until injuries derailed his rookie season for the most part. If you are dealing with the right owner, you may be able to grab Dobson on the cheap. We’ve seen him traded for as little as rookie pick 2.04 in the past couple of weeks.
Recommended Price Tag: Early second round rookie pick.
4. Justin Hunter, WR TEN
The official “snowflake” of the UTH podcast, Hunter possesses qualities few wide receivers in the NFL have. Another year under his belt and eating a steady diet of “sammiches” (to gain his man weight), could see Hunter be one of the biggest risers of the 2014 season. He has the ability to make an ADP jump a la Alshon Jeffrey. Our own Chad Parsons recently acquired Hunter for a third round rookie pick. In Hunters case, value is dependent on the owner.
Recommended Price Tag: Mid to late second round pick.
5. Jeremy Maclin, WR PHI
A forgotten man in many dynasty circles, I’ve seen the market for Maclin come to a crashing halt. I’d almost be willing to bet you could offer rookie pick 3.01 for him and it would get the job done. If you are a contending team looking for a decent WR3/flex option, Maclin could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Recommended Price Tag: Early to late third round rookie pick.
6. Donte Moncrief, WR FA
Yeah I know, I know. How can we already throw out a rookie into the “buy” hat? Because nobody is talking about Moncrief! This guy has every tool necessary to become a superstar at the next level and it’s going relatively unnoticed. Look for Moncrief to consistently fall into the 1.10-2.05 range in rookie drafts this spring.
Recommended Price Tag: Late first to mid second round rookie pick.
7. Brandin Cooks, WR FA
The more tape we watch on Cooks, the more we believe this guy has superstar written all over his forehead in black permanent marker. His ADP is rising after a ridiculous combine performance, but is not a lock to be taken in the top five of rookie drafts, making him a tremendous value. Call it gut instinct, but I think Cooks may end up having a better career than Sammy Watkins.
Recommended Price Tag: Early to late first round pick.
8. Davante Adams, WR FA
After Adams measured in at the combine one inch shorter and five pounds lighter than he was listed at Fresno State, the Twitter community was ablaze. Lets be realistic here, it’s not that big of a deal. Draftniks all over the web were touting Adams as a top five rookie pick before the combine. After the combine, he is being selected in the 1.10-2.05 range in rookie drafts. Acquiring a guy that cheap with the kind of skill set he possesses is unbelievable.
Recommended Price Tag: Late first to mid second round rookie pick.
9. Doug Baldwin, WR SEA
The greatest thing about Baldwin is – he may actually be sitting on your waiver wire right now, so you may not even have to buy him. If heis rostered I would imagine most owners letting him go for any third round rookie pick thrown their way. Baldwin is severely underrated andcould be a HUGE part of Seattle’s offense in 2014.
Recommended Price Tag: Free to mid fourth round rookie pick.