Its February. If you haven’t been studying constantly for the 2021 season, that’s ok, you are forgiven. Matter of fact, I would like to invite you to join my dynasty leagues. Because if you haven’t been focusing on dynasty targets to look for now, you are way behind. Let’s dive into some guys I absolutely am trying to acquire, along with guys I am willing to move while their value is high.

Acquisitions

Get these guys now, because the price is right, and as far as dynasty targets go, that is always what you are looking for. Price point vs expected production is how every dynasty trade should be approached. And unlike redraft, value must be considered not just for 2021, but for the years after as well. So let’s create a dynasty your momma can be proud of.

QB Dynasty Targets

Carson Wentz

Yes, 2020 was godawful, but the Eagles had a godawful line and a godawful coach, and they seem to still have godawful management. Wentz likely plays elsewhere, or worst-case scenario, 45 offensive linemen don’t go down for Philly this year. Despite the terrible 2020, Wentz is still 11th all-time in TD-INT ratio(Thanks @BellyUpTom!). This guy has proven he can ball, he turns 29, and he is not overly reliant on his athleticism to succeed. The cost will be low unless a Wentz truther owns him, so I am targeting him moving forward until his play on the field jacks his price back up.

Daniel Jones

I am bullish on Jones. He lost Saquon this year, yet still upped his completion percentage, and dropped his fumbles from 18 last year to 11 this year. With a solid ground game, we should see the growth I expected last year before the offense became extremely one-dimensional. This is one of those dynasty targets that is not without risk, but his price point is as low as we will likely see it unless Saquon goes down early once again. But Danny Dimes had more drops, threw fewer bad throws, and increased his OnTgt% in year 2. Also of note, he nearly halved his fumbles from the previous year, a big concern from his rookie campaign. Year three with a full arsenal should produce much improved numbers, and this guy turns 24 next year. Sign me up.

Sam Darnold

Adam friggin Gase is gone, and it could not have happened sooner. I was ready to give up on Sammy. This is by far the riskiest of the QB dynasty targets, but because Gase is literally a fantasy demon sucking the life out of all his players, I am betting losing Gase will do the same thing for Sammy as it did for everybody else who managed to survive life with him as their coach. His numbers regressed last year, but the fact that he hasn’t quit football with 3 years of Gase makes me think he just might be good enough to make it in this league. Buyer beware, I like getting him on the cheap but overpaying is too risky. Try and make him a high upside throw-in, and pray the Jets ban Gase from the facilities. Gase is a nightmare for any of your dynasty targets.

These QBs have some of the nicest combinations of youth and upside. If you wanna throw Lamar Jackson in, feel free, some think he had a down year. I think he had a single up year and 2020 is what we can expect moving forward. I even projected as much before last year.

RB Dynasty Targets

James Robinson

Oh my goodness, James Robinson. Despite playing for the dumpster-fire Jags, J Rob exploded onto the scene as an undrafted rookie, scoring 10 total TDs to go along with 1,414 scrimmage yards. He also had 49 catches, which in PPR formats pays off big. This is a legit RB1 who finished the season as the 5th ranked RB in points per game(minimum 5 games). There is no way Jacksonville is worse in 2021, and there are some receiving threats to keep defenses honest as T Law leans on the ground game during his development. Robinson is for real, and some people have yet to realize it. Granted, some teams will not move this guy because they know what he is, but if you happen to find a J Rob owner entertaining offers, snag him. The eye test doesn’t lie, and he aced it last year. Expect more in 2021, as Robinson thrives with a better team around him. He is among my favorite dynasty targets for 2021.

RB is tough because the good ones are always either accurately valued, or overvalued because of the scarcity. And unlike most positions, these guys generally crater in value quite quickly. The average RB career in the NFL is under 3 years…

WR Dynasty Targets

A.J. Brown

You have heard it before from me. And I can’t stop, won’t stop. AJB is my number 1 WR in dynasty, and because his price doesn’t reflect that, he remains a target for me. Who am I kidding, I already have him everywhere. If you are in any of my leagues, don’t even ask. This man improved in every statistical category year 2 outside yards per catch, and expecting him to continue over 20 was unrealistic even for him. But he scored 11 times, exceeded 1,000 yards once again, and saw his targets eclipse 100. Year three is generally a breakout year for WRs, and you can bet 11 TDs and 1K yards is the floor for AJB moving forward barring injury. King Henry makes defenses stop the run. AJB will continue punishing them for it.

Gabriel Davis

Who has a beastly young QB, and room to grow in an explosive offense? If you guessed Davis, congrats. If you didn’t, I am assuming you wear velcro strap shoes. But 7 TDs and 599 yards as the Bills WR3/4, as a rookie, sounds like a line I like. At 6’2, 216 lbs., Davis is a big body who will benefit from Diggs getting defensive attention. Beasley isn’t getting any younger, and Smokey Brown turns 31 this year if he even stays in Buffalo. The door is open for Davis to snag that WR 2 slot opposite Diggs, and if he does, you are gonna be getting incredible value from him. Realize, I can’t be the only one who sees this potential, but Davis is a guy I am targetting moving forward.

Courtland Sutton

Price has a lot to do with this dynasty target. Sutton broke out in 2019, proving to be a monster threat deep. He will enter 2021 with the best talent around him so far, and this offense will need this deep threat to realize it’s full potential. Sutton will be cheaper in 2021 than he was in 20, and for that reason, I want to continue buying. Last year hurt, and you better hope Sutton owners felt it enough to sell him at a discount. This guy is entering his age 26 season and has yet to reach his full potential. Don’t overpay, but dynasty targets like these are no brainers at the discounted price he is carrying in many leagues.

Mike Williams

Williams turns 27 this year, so he is by no means done improving. He has a career 16.7 yards per catch average, and despite missing time and looking out of sorts, he still scored 5 TDs and had 756 yards receiving. Consistency is the next step for this 6’4 220 lb. monster. There are not many receivers at his age, with his physical gifts, plus his QB situation and the weapons around him to force defenses to single him often. He is a threat to house it every single play. I realize this dynasty target has real question marks about realizing his potential, but my goodness, his potential! I am gonna roll the dice again and try and get more shares of this guy because I just can’t quit his physical attributes. He is gonna put it together, and when he does, you just landed a dynasty cornerstone for dirt cheap.

Sterling Shepard

Color me shocked. I was all over the Darius Slayton hype train in 2020, and I still love the guy, but he is overly reliant on big plays and scoring. Shepard is an underneath guy with reliable hands who can tear up the underbelly of a defense. Despite playing with a backup QB for some of the year, and without Saquon for almost all of it, Shepard had 66 catches and 656 yards to go along with his 3 receiving and 1 rushing TD. That was in 12 games, and in a 16 game season, those numbers look like 875 receiving yards on 88 catches with over 5 TDs. Saquon is back in 2021. Shepard doesn’t have the ceiling I usually like in my receivers, but his floor is his 2020 season, making him a quality depth piece to acquire that won’t cost you your thirdborn.

Denzel Mims

I guess I will buy any Jet now that he who shall not be named (Its Adam friggin Gase) has been defeated. Mims got off to a slow start with injuries, but this big body is everything you like to see in a project. And that is how Mims is being priced. Reminder, he played for Gase, and now he doesn’t. Buy him now, enjoy him for years, and if you must thank me, send whiskey. Mims has all the tools to be a feature WR in this league, he high-points balls like nobody’s business. This is one of those dynasty targets that won’t cost much but will provide value for years.

WR is the deepest position in the league. Because of the plethora of options at the position, along with the fact that most teams will be deep at WR. Value is much easier to come by here.

TE Dynasty Targets

Cole Kmet

The artist formerly known as Jimmy Graham is old. Kmet turns 22 this year. This one is all about potential. The Bears TE position is Kmet’s to lose, and he won’t lose it. I am not expecting TE1 numbers in 2020, but this move pays off big down the road, as this guy has nowhere to go but up. I won’t pay a premium for him, but you shouldn’t have to outside weighted TE formats. Snag him and be patient, it will pay off later.

Dawson Knox

Entering his age 25 season, Fort Knox(why hasn’t this happened yet?) is primed for a monster year. The Bills are an offensive juggernaut, and the TE1 stands to receive ample opportunity. Knox was injured some in 2020, but the physical tools have me drooling. He is a matchup nightmare, With speed and power to boot, this is another guy just looking for consistency to break out as a legit TE1 in fantasy. He costs virtually nothing, but his upside is about as high as can be. This is obviously a gamble, considering the weapons around him, but I like that defenses will have to match up inferior cover guys on him.

Chris Herndon

Look, another Adam Gase survivor! Herndon has shown flashes but has yet to put it all together. With Gase out of the way, 2021 will be his year. The talent is obvious, and the situation improved drastically. As with most former Gase players, I am going to ignore the numbers when he was there, and blindly believe the talent winds up producing. I am less high on him than others, but again, you won’t find him cheaper moving forward.

Mike Gesicki

I just can’t help myself. My love for Gesicki is well documented, both in video and text format. But my goodness, does this guy have every single tool you could ask for. His 40 at the combine was superior to AB and Kupp, at 4.55 seconds. He is also 6’6 and weighs 250 lbs. Combine that with his 41.5 inch vertical, 129-inch broad jump, and 82.5-inch wingspan, and you have a target with a monstrous catch radius and speed to burn defenders down the field. Even if Tua stays, Gesicki has too much athletic upside to ignore, and if Tua moves on, even better!

TE is the position I feel I am most easily able to manipulate. This is due to most owners not having a good grasp on guys outside the consensus elite options like a Kelce or Kittle, etc. But nailing a TE you can plug and play every week is a beautiful gift, just ask the Kelce owners.

Departures

Sometimes, despite how much you love that 2010 truck you currently own, it is time to move on. The longer you own that truck, the more likely it is that you will need to have major repairs done on it. Rather than dumping money into it, you move on to a newer version. That is what this is like. This is not meant to imply that these guys are bad, many are still good. But in dynasty, knowing when to move a guy is key to building a team that competes on a year-to-year basis.

QB

Matt Ryan

He is old, and Benjamin Button is just a movie. This one feels kinda iffy, as the market for Ryan isn’t great, but I would move him to any contender looking for a backup QB, and I would take a second or third-round pick to make it happen. Disclaimer, if you have no other QBs, please don’t trade Ryan until you have something to replace him with. These days, you gotta be very clear. But replace him when you can. He still provides value, as he hasn’t thrown for less than 4,000 yards since 2010. But the Falcons situation moving forward is murky, and the clock is ticking for Ryan. Don’t wait too long or he will retire on your team, which is just a gross thing to have happen to you.

Tua Tagovailoa

I am not a believer. He was just ok at best throughout the year, and Fitzmagic looked better all year. There are still Tua lovers out there, just like some people believe the earth is flat. Find them, take advantage of them, and rid yourself of this curse of mediocrity. 200 pass yards a game, along with just over 1 TD a game passing, is not pretty. With the weapons at his disposal, I find those numbers unacceptable. So should you. Move this guy, sell his upside, and avoid the heartache.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Why is he on your roster, seriously? You might need more than a February dynasty targets article to salvage your team if you think Jimmy G is the answer, unless the question is who dates the most porn stars in the NFL? I petition to rename him Jimmy G-string. Please sign, let’s make our voices heard! But I wouldn’t admit he was on your team, keep that to yourself. And find anyone at all to take him off your hands. The 49ers are oozing talent, and yet, ole Jimmy(is that why they call condoms Jimmys? Light bulb moment here) has yet to be anything other than replacement level.

Teddy Bridgewater

Oh Teddy owners, if only someone had warned you that Teddy B is not a fantasy QB. Wanna know how I knew? Because he has never been one before. Someone wise once said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Someone else wise also said, “I just don’t believe Bridgwater is a good fantasy QB.”. The second one was me. I am fine owning Teddy as my backup, but if anyone is willing to give anything for a guy who has 53 pass TDs in 59 games(49 starts), take it and run.

Also, if you can find anyone to buy Cam Newton, Drew Brees, or Ben Roethlisberger, unless you are contending and have Ben, you pull that trigger immediately. These guys are either done, or running on fumes, and again, outside Ben just for 2021, I expect nothing from any of them.

RB

Alvin Kamara

This has less to do with AK41 and more to do with the fact that his numbers with and without Brees are mind-boggling. In 2020, without Brees, he averaged 59.3 yards rushing per game, less than 1 TD per game, and 12.8 receiving yards per game. He only managed 10 catches in those 4 games also. So, his 16 game season without Brees looks like 948 rush yards, 12 rush TDs, and 40 catches. Those would be terrible numbers for a guy who many view as the top RB(which is where he finished in 2020 PPR formats). With Brees, those numbers look like 18.9 rush TDs, 7.3 receiving TDs, 1,011 rush yards, 1,025 receiving yards , and 106 catches. That is not hard math. Kamara will miss Brees more than someone working outside in the summer on a still day. Get the huge haul he can bring, because without Brees, he is a low end RB1 at best.

Zack Moss

If the Bills run it back with these same backs, I will take this back. Let’s back up, though. Moss is basically a capable back up back. Ok, I will get back to the point. Sell Moss. What exactly did he show you in 2020 to make you think, wow, this guy is good. Yea I saw nothing either. There is nothing wrong with Moss as a backup RB(Sorry, had to bring it back), but people viewing him as a starting back will pay starting back prices, which is a helluva deal for a guy who likely gets usurped by someone this offseason.

Joe Mixon

This guy is priced like an RB1 despite performing like anything but. If Cincy seriously upgrades their OL, I get holding one more year. But if he tanks in 2021, good luck moving him for anything. This is more about getting ahead of the inevitable. Mixon turns 25 this year, so there is still a market for him. But he regressed in nearly every category in 2020, and Cincy is gonna be behind once again, leading to more passing with those talented WRs. Oh, and he only played in 6 games last year. If you can get an RB1 haul for the guy who finished as the RB11 in PPR formats per game, do so, because with that line, what the heck is he supposed to do? His situation is crippling, and he is hemorrhaging value by the year.

This list could go for days, but these three to me provide the best bang for buck. Getting deep at RB is the best and cleanest way to build a monster team, both because its a position without much depth, and because trade value for RBs are always at a premium.

WR

Michael Thomas

Forgive me if I start crying, I loaded up on MT in 2020 and paid for it hard. I have a hard time being burned like that and acting like it’s no big deal. Brees is either retired or will continue looking like a shell of himself. His past alone will net a massive haul, and holding here makes sense if you can’t get the WR1 return that some may give. But Brees was also key in Thomas being a perennial fantasy monster. So even if Thomas rebounds this year, the QB situation in New Orleans makes me nervous for the future. It is highly doubtful Thomas remains a WR1 candidate yearly without Brees, so hope someone believes in his talent despite the changing situation and bring back a king’s ransom for last year’s consensus WR1.

Julio Jones

I told you so. Julio is no longer a WR1. Chalk it up to what you like, but he isn’t getting younger, and his situation is cloudy with a chance of 0 TDs. What is his endzone aversion, anyways? Did he hook up with Matt Ryan’s sister or something, and never call? I hate what has happened to him, he is an outrageously talented receiver, but there are still those who can’t get over his talent. Take them to the cleaners, because expecting more from Julio at this point, with his injury history, seems unreasonable. Let someone else pay for his low TD total, and find a cheaper, better option.

Adam Thielen

Between the emergence of Jefferson and age, it’s safe to say Thielen has seen his best days. He is still a highly productive WR, but for how long? He now has back to back seasons under 1,000 yards. His 14 TDs should entice trade partners. Once again, if you can sell him based on name recognition, do so. He may perform in 2021, but the cliff is in view, and he is gonna run right off of it. He is not the best WR on his team, though you can get a WR1 return for him from a contender. Make that move, because the end is near. If you are competing, hold because he can still help, but if you are accelerating a rebuild, this kind of piece can skip you ahead a few steps. Pull the trigger, and when the inevitable fall arrives, you won’t be holding the bag.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu can’t be the best WR on his team. Entering his age 25 season, JuJu is still entering his prime and most teams will want a mid 20s guy with his resume. That being said, JuJu struggled mightily without Ben, and there are two receivers on this roster with similar ceilings. We may have seen the best of JuJu when he had AB drawing defensive attention, but he has not shown me the ability to be a teams’ WR1, and I think that haunts him later in his career. He thrives as a WR2, but you can charge WR1 prices for this young gun. Do it, his ceiling is cramped between the guys around him and the QB situation moving forward.

Ok, folks, I move WRs like a doctor moving prescriptions. You want ’em, you got ’em. Outside my man crush AJB, I will trade nearly any WR for RBs. So guys like MT, I am shopping them harder than a “Shop ’til You Drop” marathon. WRs have the most dynasty value outside QBs who play until they are 73 years old. Taking advantage of that is key, as a new crop of studs seems to emerge on a yearly basis, and the talent pool goes deeper than, well, you know where I wanted to go with that.

TE

Travis Kelce

Breath, you ingrates. I am not trading Kelce unless I get a haul worthy of his excellence. But, now is the time to consider moving Kelce when his value could not possibly be higher. He turns 32 next season, so at best he is ending his prime. Coming off a record-breaking season, the iron is hot for striking. I would be looking for an RB1 or bodaciously beastly QB/WR. Find the team who had to stream TE all year, and float Kelce their way. If they won’t offer their house for him, don’t move him. But after 2020, teams will be drooling over a TE with those kinds of numbers and will pay for them. Let them, there is so much value at TE these days, and RBs are too precious to let a TE, as good as Kelce is, stop you from acquiring them. I am very high on Kelce in 2021 also, so waiting a year would not hurt, but Kelce surpassing his 2020 totals seems unlikely. Let me remind you, he turns 33 in 2022, and will not be as easy to move then. This one is exclusively about the timing, and the haul you receive in return. Be wise, Kelce is not an asset to just dump.

Darren Waller

Ok, I will admit, I love Darren Waller. He finished second to Kelce in PPR scoring, and those two were in a league of their own. “But Ryan, why are you telling us to trade the top two TEs in fantasy football?” It’s simple, dear reader. Value is everything, and these two have value spewing from their pores right now. As I have stated in this article already, there are young TEs on the verge of breaking out around the league. Once again, you better make the owner pay for him, but Waller could fetch a ridiculous price on the market right now, and QB uncertainty in Vegas certainly plays a part in my thought process. By the way, Waller turns 29 this year, and despite his low mileage for that age, TE is not a position that generally ages well outside a few outliers. Also, his yards per target and yards per catch dropped from 2019 to 2020, along with his catch percentages. I don’t view these numbers as major red flags, but Waller may have reached his ceiling, and his situation moving forward is murky.

There is so much youth and upside at TE, combined with old codgers who will have no value in return, so moving them now is gonna be tricky if you wanna gain net value. Find the owner who worships Kelce, and ravage him in a deal to move him there. Reminder, please do not trade those two beasts unless the haul forces you to do so. But float them out there looking for that godfather offer, because very few players can get the return those two will from the TE slot.

Thank you for playing dynasty football, and for wanting to know who to target in dynasty. I think you are cool. Find me on Twitter @realryanhicks, or @BellyUpFantasy. I would love to hear from you, unless you are stupid. If you aren’t sure if that’s you, it is you, let me save your little head the calorie burn. If you wanna get smarter, come hang with me and the three best friends that anyone could have every Wednesday at7:30 CST, for Belly Up Fantasy Live. We do Twitter too.