This dynasty trade was made in a 12-team PPR league, start 1-2-3-1-2Flex. 30 man rosters with a 2-year taxi squad for all drafted rookies.
The Approach
During the mid-May rookie draft, I targeted upside running backs one injury away or who had a path to Year 1 production. These targeted players included Wendell Smallwood in the 3rd, Josh Ferguson in the 4th and Dwayne Washington in the 5th. These players were never part of my long-term plan for this team. Once Smallwood received pre-season buzz, I flipped him for a 2017 2nd. I have been actively attempting to sell Ferguson and Washington since Ameer Abdullah went down and Washington began to see playing time.
The Trade
Gave Josh Ferguson, Dwayne Washington
Received 2017 2nd
Last week I sent out two trade offers to all 11 teams in the league: Ferguson for a 3rd, and both backs for a 2nd. A few days later, I received an accepted trade from one of the teams with a fairly stable running back group.
With the depth of talent projected to enter the 2017 draft at running back, I am quietly attempting to sell any running back situational value. With my depth at the position, Ferguson and Washington would never enter a starting lineup for my team and I expect a rookie running back will take their spot next year. Because of the sheer number of talented players entering the 2017 draft, the 2nd I gained should result in a highly talented back in a secondary role, or a solid player in a plus situation.
Post-Trade Roster Highlights
Jameis Winston, Kirk Cousins
LeVeon Bell, Giovanni Bernard, Matt Jones, Tevin Coleman, Kenneth Dixon, Jordan Howard, Orleans Darkwa
Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen, DeVante Parker, Devin Funchess, Sammie Coates, Phillip Dorsett, Anquan Boldin, Eli Rodgers
Coby Fleener, Clive Walford, Dennis Pitta
2017 1,2,2,2,2,4,5
2018 1,1,2,3,4,5
Takeaways
When you are actively shopping a player, do not be afraid to send offers to the entire league. If I had cherry picked who I expected to be interested in this deal, I never would have sent the offer to this owner. Sending out 19 trade offers at a time may seem like spamming, but it is how to get deals done.
Remember, late round rookie picks rarely turn into core assets. Even last year’s breakout Thomas Rawls is beginning to fade as a dynasty asset to own. While there are late round hits like Stephan Diggs, the percentage play is to sell these players once they have an opportunity to see playing time. This time next year, I expect this trade to look like highway robbery.
