This is the time. The dust is starting to settle on the season and those previously hesitant to overreact are now starting to dip their toes. Yes, your team may be 2-1 but you have to ask yourself, is this the year? Do I really have the depth to make it to Week 16 with this motley crew?
If it’s not an obvious yes, it may be time to punt. It may be time to check your priorities and remember you’re not here to just win in 2023. You’re here to build a dynasty. That’s why you play dynasty football. To build a juggernaut that you can win with every year.
And in order to do so, to get ahead of the curve, that means you have to, in the words of Ernest Hemingway, kill your darlings. Yes, throw sentimentality out the window and sell those puppies high!
Three Players to Sell High On for Dynasty Football
Brock Purdy, QB, SF
This is going to be the toughest one, but we have to rip the band-aid off. Yes, Kyle Shanahan turns proverbial water into Bobby Boucher “High Quality H20.” In San Francisco, they’ve assembled possibly the easiest system for any QB to plug and play into.
And at 3-0, Brock Purdy has the eyes of the nation on him as he continues to shed the label of Mr. Irrelevant. There are a lot of reasons I could be wrong about Purdy, currently second in ESPN’s QBR behind the hottest QB in the league in Tua Tagovailoa (who I will note, is not a sell-high).
Ready for the but? Over his 12 games in the league, he’s logged 37 yards rushing. Even famed statue Tagovailoa had 70 yards in 13 games last year, and they wrapped him in bubble wrap for most of it.
Shanahan has no plans to design runs for this QB, which will become a problem over time. Purdy is young, but the league is changing. He has a glass ceiling to his effectiveness, and it’s going to be tough to break through in an offense that schemes open receivers constantly.
With that, it’s obvious Shanahan has bigger plans for this offense. He hasn’t become the most respected play-caller in the league by simply accepting what he has, as he sold the farm yet again for Christian McCaffery last season.
Garoppolo was never enough for Shanahan, and it won’t be a surprise if Purdy, with two years left on his contract after 2023. is the next victim of what might be too high expectations. Don’t buy the long-term narrative quite yet. Give up the Brock and sell high, but make sure to get at least one 2024 first-round pick.
D’Andre Swift, RB, PHL
We in the dynasty community should be no strangers to hype for D’Andre Swift. Prior to the 2020 NFL Draft Combine, he was widely regarded as the most talented back in a highly vaunted running back class that included the likes of Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins among others.
But as Swift posted year after year of subpar rushing lines, never eclipsing 650 yards on the ground, the luster wore off. Even with pocket passers Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff under center in Detroit offering ample targets, Swift never got going in Detroit. He was quickly traded to the Eagles this offseason and the rest has become history.
And herein lies the problem. Swift has been used to 5.5 targets a game these past two years. But with Jalen Hurts’ rushing ability stifling opportunities, he has seen a meager 7 targets over these past three games. Given Hurts’ history of targeting RBs and the presence of Kenneth Gainwell, expect these trends to continue.
There is going to be someone in your league who still sees the Swift of 2020, even if that was over three years ago. Trust the body of work that says he can’t work between the tackles, as well as his inability to win the job in preseason.
There’s always a team that thinks they’re one RB away from a championship. Sell high and remember that, for the running back position, quantity trumps quality. The Eagles certainly think so, and you should too.
Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA
At one point this past Sunday, Tyreek Hill hit 22.07 MPH on just a 15-yard catch. That was the fastest-recorded speed in the NFL this season.
Tyreek Hill is going to be a stud this year. He will likely be a stud next year as well, as wide receivers can often deliver their best seasons in their twilight. After that… well all bets are off.
Obviously, you don’t reach the pinnacle of receiving by simply tearing off go routes and burning cornerbacks. He’s a fantastic route runner and he could be locked into one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL.
Or, after the potential out in his contract after 2024, the Dolphins do what many teams do and move on from what will be a 31-year-old receiver. That will be around the time Jaylen Waddle will need to be paid, so you can expect the Dolphins to draft more receivers to give them options.
If he’s not going to help your team this year, sell the top because Hill is looking to jockey with Justin Jefferson for WR1 all season long. Shoot for a big return and remember. Sometimes, just getting points off your roster is the difference between picking first and fourth in next year’s draft.
And in the right draft, that could be worth a first-round pick in and of itself. Sell high my friends, and brighten up those futures! Your juggernaut awaits.
Also check out our Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty