10 Players to Sell in Fantasy Football Dynasty Leagues

As the dust of free agency begins to settle, we find ourselves in a dead period from now until the NFL draft. Rookie fever is in the air, and dynasty leagues are gearing up for their rookie drafts. 

The rookie draft is a great way to add youth and upside while rejuvenating your roster for a rebuilding team. The best way to approach a rookie draft is to draft for talent and trade for need. Hitting on the right rookies plays a critical role in a rebuild. However, there are other ways to get the process started. The first step is to reassess your roster and identify veteran players aging past their prime. These players may have value in the immediate future but are better suited for teams ready to compete now. In this article, we’ll look at five players to sell for rebuilding teams. 

The first five players are sell candidates for rebuilding teams. The final five players are sell candidates before the start of the 2022 season.

10 players to sell in fantasy football dynasty leagues

Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No player has seen his value fluctuate more this offseason than Tom Brady. After falling short to the eventual 2022 Super Bowl champion Rams in the playoffs, Brady announced his retirement… or so we thought. Forty days later, Brady announced that he had unfinished business and would be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season.

Brady showed no signs of slowing down last season, leading the league with 5,316 passing yards, the third-highest single-season total in NFL history. He also threw for 43 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions while completing 67.5 percent of his passes. Brady ranked third in fantasy points by a quarterback, behind only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. There’s no reason to expect Brady to fall off a cliff anytime soon. However, his future beyond 2022 remains unclear. Brady will be 45 at the start of next season and will hit free agency in 2023. It isn’t often that a player in his mid-40s has much fantasy appeal, but Brady is an exception. He offers top-5 upside at his position and can immediately contribute to competitive teams. Brady’s short-term outlook is much more valuable for teams positioned to win now. However, he should offer a handsome return for teams looking to build for the future.

Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

After spending eight years in the NFL as a kick-return specialist, Cordarrelle Patterson finally broke out in his age 30 season with the Atlanta Falcons. He excelled as both a receiver and a running back, posting career highs in touches (205), yards from scrimmage (1.166), and touchdowns (11). He also maintained his role on special teams with 434 yards as a kick returner. The Falcons re-signed Patterson on a two-year, $10.5 million in free agency. Returning to the team that unlocked his potential was always the best-case scenario for Patterson. After losing Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage this offseason, Patterson looks to be a focal point of a Falcons offense desperate for playmakers. Despite finishing as the PPR RB9 in 2021, Patterson trailed off down the stretch. He failed to eclipse double-digit fantasy points and was held under 30 rushing yards in his final four games. Patterson’s dynasty value is the highest it’s been since he was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. But an aging running back on the wrong side of 30 has no place on a rebuilding roster.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Even in a down year, Ezekiel Elliott finished just outside the top 5 among running backs in 2021. He saw a career-low in carries (237) but managed to rush for 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns. Elliott also caught 47 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. His PPR RB7 finish was bolstered by his 12 total touchdowns and his ability to stay on the field for all 17 games. Yet he was RB17 on a per-game basis. Elliott’s 2021 was a tale of two seasons. He came out hot, averaging 19.6 points per game through the first six weeks. He saw a significant drop-off in his final 11 games, averaging just 12.4 points per game. Over those last 11 games, Elliott did not have a single finish inside the top 10 among running backs. After the Cowboys season ended, Elliott revealed that he had been playing through a partially torn PCL since Week 4. 

He wasn’t the same player after Week 4, which allowed backup running back Tony Pollard to carve out a larger role in the offense. In his third NFL season, Pollard set career highs in carries (130), rushing yards (719), catches (39) and receiving yards (337). He was the much more explosive back, averaging the second-most yards per carry among all running backs (5.5). Pollard and Elliott are trending in opposite directions, and it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Pollard doesn’t continue to eat into Elliott’s workload. Elliott will be 27 years old at the start of next season and could hit free agency in 2023. Although he is under contract through 2026, the Cowboys can save almost $5 million if they decide to cut or trade him next offseason. Elliott may never reach RB1 status for the rest of his career but has RB2/flex value for teams playing for the following season.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Tyler Lockett was arguably the biggest loser following the Russell Wilson trade to Denver. He has spent seven seasons in the NFL and has only played three games without Wilson, which all came last season. Since taking over the starting job in 2018, Lockett has been nothing short of spectacular, finishing as the PPR WR16 or higher in the previous four seasons. He is one of just three wide receivers to go over 1,000 receiving yards every season in the last three years. Lockett has thrived in a run-centric offense by playing alongside one of the league’s best downfield passers. Last season was no different, as Lockett had 819 yards on passes thrown 15+ yards downfield, trailing only Cooper Kupp. Despite missing one game due to COVID-19 and playing three games with Geno Smith at QB, Lockett caught 73 passes for 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing as WR16. Lockett was a sell candidate before the Wilson trade, and the uncertainty behind center has only made matters worse. He will turn 30 in September with Drew Lock and Smith currently sitting at the top of the depth chart.

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce has dominated the tight-end landscape for the better part of the last half-decade and has shown no signs of slowing down. Before last season, Kelce had five consecutive finishes as the PPR TE1. In 2021 Kelce caught 92 passes for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns, finishing as TE2. It was his sixth-straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He trailed only Mark Andrews in fantasy points by a tight end while appearing in one fewer game. Kelce is again set up for success after the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. This leaves Kelce as the clear-cut alpha in the Chiefs offense led by Patrick Mahomes. The only knock against Kelce is his age. He will be 33 in October, making him one of the oldest tight ends in the league. To put it into perspective, Kelce will be the same age as Rob Gronkowski during the 2022 season. The positional edge Kelce provides cannot be overstated. He is one of the few difference-makers at tight end and should not be sold for anything less than a premium.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa has been widely regarded as a bust after being selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was drafted in the same class as Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, who have ascended as two of the best young quarterbacks in the league. Tagovailoa has struggled to stay on the field dating back to his time at Alabama. He appeared in 12 games last season, completing 263 passes for 2,653 yards and 10 touchdowns. Despite a lousy QB26 finish, Tagovailoa showed signs of potential, ranking first in deep-ball completion rate, first in red-zone completion rate and third in accuracy among all quarterbacks. The main knock against Tagovailoa’s game was his limitations as a downfield passer. In 2021, Tagovailoa ranked 31st in deep-ball attempts and air yards. Heading into the offseason, the Dolphins made it clear that Tagovailoa would be their starter in 2022. They parted ways with Brian Flores and replaced him with former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins have been one of the most active teams in free agency; signing star left tackle Terron Armstead along with a pair of dynamic running backs in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. Their most significant offseason move came when they traded for All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Dolphins offense, opening the perfect sell window for Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa will enter his third season in a make-or-break year and could see his fantasy value diminish as soon as 2023.

Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

After four seasons of playing alongside future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara took on a different role in 2021. He set a career-high in carries (240), despite playing only 13 games. His 898 rushing yards were the second-most of his career. His increased role as a rusher coincided with a lack of usage in the passing game. He caught a career-low 47 passes for 439 yards. It was the first time Kamara was held under 80 receptions since entering the league in 2017. Nevertheless, Kamara managed to finish as the PPR RB8 in his first full season without Brees. He will be 27 at the start of next season and faces more competition for targets with the return of Michael Thomas. In dynasty, it’s always better to be a year early than a year late, so I would be looking to sell Kamara now. Kamara may also face a suspension after being arrested on a battery charge in Las Vegas. With uncertainty regarding his availability, it’s never a bad idea to sell a running back past the age apex.

Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots

In his third season in the NFL, Damien Harris broke out, setting career highs across the board. He had 202 carries for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also made the most of his opportunities as a pass-catcher, hauling in 18 receptions for 132 yards. Harris’ PPR RB14 finish was primarily a result of his ability to find the end zone on a regular basis. Only one other running back had double-digit touchdowns on fewer touches than Harris. It’s hard to invest long-term in a touchdown-dependent running back, let alone any running back from the New England Patriots. After drafting Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth-round last season, the Patriots also brought back third-down specialist James White. Harris will enter the 2022 season as the lead back in a committee. He is set to hit free agency in 2023 and should be sold while his value is at its peak.

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers sent ripples across the league after trading superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. They also lost WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. As a result, Allen Lazard is currently slated as the No. 1 option in a Packers offense led by back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers. Lazard has spent four seasons with the Packers, eclipsing 500 yards for the first time last season. With two first-round draft picks in this year’s draft, the Packers will likely address the receiver position early. They recently brought in veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins on a one-year, $4 million deal. Lazard is being widely overvalued by the market, which is why the best time to sell him is now. He could see his value dip as soon as the Packers select a first-round wide receiver.

Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills

Dawson Knox finished as a TE1 for the first time in his career after being a non-factor in his first two seasons. He caught a career-high 49 passes for 587 yards and nine touchdowns, finishing as TE11. Knox benefited from being a near every-down player tied to one of the league’s most potent offenses. No player was more touchdown-reliant than Knox in 2021, with 32.9% of his production coming from touchdowns. The Bills acquired former Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard this offseason, threatening to siphon away opportunities from Knox. Even losing a few snaps per game could be detrimental to Knox’s fantasy value. He still could build off his third-year breakout, but his perceived value is greater than his actual value, which is why I would be selling.