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One of the best ways to gain an edge in your fantasy football league is to identify potential breakout candidates. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be tougher to acquire such players in a dynasty league. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get your hands on a player you like.
Ideally, we want to acquire players just before their breakout season and before the dynasty community warms up to them. Therefore, players like Drake London or Garrett Wilson are not the most ideal trade candidates, as they are still seen as top dynasty assets. So, who are the players we should be targeting in dynasty trades then?
Make sure you follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are five players you should acquire in your dynasty fantasy football league before they fully break out.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Spears was snookered behind starting back Derrick Henry for most of his rookie season. Despite that, Spears finished ninth among all running backs in Pro Football Focus’s signature Elusive Rating and 22nd in Breakaway %.
Where does Tyjae Spears go in fantasy drafts next season? pic.twitter.com/Idy5gARkEe
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) January 7, 2024
With the Titans allowing Henry to walk in free agency, Spears was poised to take over as the Titans' new RB1. That changed once the team signed former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to a three-year, $21.75 million deal in free agency. Pollard is coming off a down season where he averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry and saw many of his advanced metrics decline from his 2022 season. The two backs figure to split touches to start the year.
Spears is younger and appears to be the more explosive back. He also finished higher than Pollard in Elusive Rating, Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation (RYOE), and Fantasy Points Data Suite’s Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt (MTF/ATT). If Pollard’s 2023 struggles bleed over to 2024, Tennessee may hand the reins over to Spears completely. His value took a hit after the Titans signed Pollard, so you can acquire Spears cheaper now as opposed to a few months ago. Try and exploit this to get Spears on your team. He should easily surpass his rookie numbers.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos
McLaughlin displayed impressive burst and quickness whenever he touched the football as a rookie.
Who picked up Jaleel McLaughlin 💪
pic.twitter.com/9EmqarvKMi— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) October 8, 2023
He graded out very well across several metrics. PFF graded McLaughlin as its 16th-highest rusher in 2023, and he also finished seventh in Elusive Rating. Among backs with 65 attempts, McLaughlin also finished fifth in MTF/ATT. There is serious upside here if he is given more opportunities. Running backs have always been heavily involved in Sean Payton’s offense. After a disappointing season from Javonte Williams, McLaughlin may command more touches in 2024.
Listed at 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds, it’s unlikely McLaughlin ever becomes a featured back. However, he can still be a useful asset in PPR leagues if he can carve out a Reggie Bush/Darren Sproles-type role. McLaughlin is ranked as RotoBaller’s dynasty RB62. KeepTradeCut estimates his current trade value is a third-round rookie pick. At his current cost, he is the exact type of player who can help win your league if he hits.
Once again, McLaughlin is turning heads this offseason.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton on Jaleel McLaughlin:
“He’s here at 5:15, even in the offseason. First one here, running in the weight room, and by the time he’s at breakfast and most people are arriving, he’s put in a good hour and a half’s worth of work. It’s just the way he’s wired,… pic.twitter.com/qMk17cfd6h
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 5, 2024
If you want McLaughlin, make your move ASAP. It won’t be long until the training-camp hype train gets rolling and his price starts rising. Get ahead of things now and get McLaughlin on your roster.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
After an incredible sophomore collegiate season, dynasty managers were excited to see what Smith-Njigba could do in the NFL. Sadly, gamers were left disappointed with his rookie year. Smith-Njigba only posted a 63-628-4 stat line on just 93 targets. His advanced metrics were not particularly impressive, either. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Smith-Njigba only posted a .21 targets per route run (TPRR) and a 1.39 yards per route run (YPRR).
In reality, though, all of this should have been expected. Smith-Njigba was snookered behind veterans D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett all of last season. It was always unlikely he would immediately produce as a rookie. While his stats underwhelmed, he is a talented player and should not be overlooked.
Geno Smith 🤝 Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the Seahawks touchdown. BANG ‼️ pic.twitter.com/DsLt0QVSe4
— Seattle ON Tap (@SeattleONTap) December 31, 2023
Smith-Njigba may not have the elite fantasy ceiling many initially thought, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful asset. We may ultimately end up being a year early on him after the team gave Lockett an extension this offseason. But talented players have a way of eventually overcoming questionable circumstances. As the great Macho Man Randy Savage once said: “The cream will rise to the top.”
Some dynasty gamers have lost interest in the second-year receiver following a disappointing rookie season. Touch base with the Smith-Njigba owner in your league and see if you can make a deal.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee has shown its commitment to building around its young quarterback this offseason. With the seventh pick in the NFL Draft, the Titans selected tackle JC Latham to protect Levis' blindside. The team also signed Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd in free agency to beef up the skill players surrounding Levis. He had an up-and-down rookie season, but the 2023 second-round pick flashed upside throughout the year.
Will Levis’ first NFL touchdown! #TitanUp ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/8L0Mtd9fsC
— KSR (@KSRonX) October 29, 2023
Levis only ranked 40th in PFF’s Adjusted Completion Percentage. He will need to make improvements in Year 2. New head coach Brian Callahan does have experience working with young quarterbacks as he was instrumental in Joe Burrow’s development in Cincinnati. With a plethora of weapons at Levis’ disposal, Tennessee has done everything it can to set him up for success. There is sneaky breakout potential here.
KeepTradeCut estimates his current value in Superflex leagues is an early-second-round rookie pick. That’s about as cheap as it gets for a young starting quarterback. The days of acquiring Levis at a discount might be coming to an end soon.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
There may not have been a bigger winner this offseason than Zamir White.
Nice vote of confidence from #Raiders in Zamir White this offseason:
1. Let Josh Jacobs walk in free agency
2. Only added Alexander Mattison, PFF's No. 56 RB among 63 qualifiers last season
3. Used just 1-of-8 draft picks at RB, a Round 6 pick on pass-catcher Dylan Laube
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) April 28, 2024
White played quite well in limited action last year. He finished 14th in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation Per Attempt (RYOE/ATT). White received plenty of work while filling in for Josh Jacobs. In his four starts, White averaged over 23 touches per game. That kind of volume would put White on the RB1 radar.
The Raiders only added Alexander Mattison and rookie Dylan Laube to the backfield this offseason. Mattison has never proven to be effective. Laube is underrated as a rusher, but he profiles more as a receiving back. White doesn’t profile as a strong receiving back, and this could ding his value in PPR leagues depending on what kind of role Laube earns to start the year.
Overall, though, these additions bode very well for White’s 2024 outlook. He appears to be a talented back and will have volume on his side. Fantasy owners can count on him for solid RB2 production. If White maintains the same volume he saw in a limited sample last year, he can push for a back-end RB1 finish. Ranked as RotoBaller's dynasty RB26, White is a good, cheap investment for owners looking to win this year. He sits relatively unchallenged atop the depth chart and is set up for a career year.
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