When it comes to dynasty football leagues, knowing when to trade a player is vital for long-term success. Managers sometimes hold onto a player for too long and miss an opportunity to sell. This can quickly put a team behind the eight ball if they are stuck holding the bag on the wrong players.
Ideally, the right time to sell players is at their peak market value. This gives you the best chance to maximize your return on a trade and make a profit. However, there are times when you must cut your losses, accept the truth, and sell low before the bottom completely falls out. It’s always better to get something in return than watching a once-prized asset fizzle out and die.
Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are five players that owners should consider selling low in their dynasty football leagues.
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Anthony Richardson - QB, Indianapolis Colts
Richardson was a popular breakout candidate heading into 2024. Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out. The sophomore quarterback battled injuries throughout the season and was outright benched when questions about his professionalism emerged.
He also didn’t provide as much rushing upside as originally thought and struggled mightily as a passer. Richardson threw only eight touchdowns against 12 interceptions and completed just 47.7% of his passes. He ranked 72nd in Fantasy Points Data Suite’s Adjusted Completion Percentage and was just PFF’s 57th highest-graded passer. Richardson's 2024 puts him in dangerous territory.
QBs with 250+ pass attempts and a sub-50% completion rate in a season since 2000:
Anthony Richardson
Tim Tebow
Akili Smith— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) January 24, 2025
All of these are not good signs for his future. General manager Chris Ballard stopped short of saying Richardson is Indianapolis’ quarterback of the future during his season-ending press conference. Ballard cited Richardson’s inaccuracy and injuries as reasons for concern. The team also suggested they may bring in another signal-caller for competition this offseason.
None of this sounds good for Richardson’s long-term outlook. If his struggles continue, his time as the Colts’ starting quarterback is likely finished. Dynasty gamers would be wise to get what they can for the third-year signal-caller. His future doesn’t look super encouraging right now, and there is a good chance his value will completely tank during the 2025 season.
Aaron Rodgers - QB, New York Jets
Rodgers’ NFL future is currently in doubt. He has expressed interest in returning to the Jets, but new head coach Aaron Glenn has made it clear the team hasn’t decided on retaining the future hall-of-fame quarterback.
Aaron Glenn brings up the future of Aaron Rodgers on the Jets:
"We've already [had] communication with [him]. As we continue to look at the roster, we'll make decisions accordingly" pic.twitter.com/KRQ7JKF7Hj
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 27, 2025
If the Jets decide to move on, it’s unclear what teams would want Rodgers. Someone will likely take a chance on the 20-year veteran, but there are a lot of question marks surrounding Rodgers at this stage of his career. He didn’t look like the same player in 2024 that we saw in previous years. Rodgers could also decide to walk away from the game and call it a career.
There’s a lot still up in the air, but if you’re in a superflex dynasty league, it’s not the worst idea to approach a quarterback-needy owner to see if they’d be interested in a trade. Don’t expect much in return given Rodgers’ age and uncertain future. Depending on how desperate the other manager is, you might be able to land a couple of late-round rookie picks for the Jets signal-caller.
Given the strength of this incoming running back class, it’s not the worst idea to flip a declining Rodgers in exchange for a couple of lottery tickets to potentially nab the next Bucky Irving.
Amari Cooper - WR, Buffalo Bills
Cooper is coming off the worst season of his professional career. He split time between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, but his play was subpar for both teams. Cooper set career lows in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
His advanced metrics didn’t look great either. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Cooper finished 2024 with just 1.55 yards per route run (YPRR) and was PFF’s 74th highest-graded receiver. This has all the makings of a player in decline.
Cooper is a free agent this offseason. The incoming wide receiver class is weaker than in previous years, so he may find a good landing spot in free agency. That would be the ideal time for gamers to move him. KeepTradeCut estimates his current trade value is an early 2025 third-round pick. That’s not a bad return for a receiver whose best days appear to be behind him.
Nick Chubb - RB, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland’s long-time RB1 struggled in 2024 following a devastating knee injury in 2023. He missed the first six games of the year recovering from the aforementioned knee injury and later suffered a broken foot and missed Cleveland’s final three games. Chubb averaged a career-worst 3.3 yards per carry and did not look the same following his knee injury.
He enters his age-29 season in 2025 and is set to hit free agency this offseason. It’s unknown what kind of interest he will draw on the open market. Barring a miraculous turnaround, Chubb appears to be heading in the wrong direction.
Now is not the ideal time to sell as potential buyers may prefer to see where he lands in free agency. However, there is a chance he remains unsigned well into the 2025 season, so gamers should consider moving him the first chance they get. Returns will be low, but this is a case where it’s better to get something in return than watching Chubb rot away on your bench.
Javonte Williams - RB, Denver Broncos
The former second-round pick struggled again in 2024. Williams ran for just 513 yards and averaged a paltry 3.7 yards per carry. His advanced metrics weren’t much better. He finished 45th in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expected (RYOE) and was PFF’s 100th-highest-graded rusher.
Williams just hasn’t looked the same since suffering a devastating knee injury in 2022. He’s set to become a free agent this offseason, and it looks unlikely he will re-sign with the Broncos. It will be interesting to see what his market looks like once free agency opens in a few months. He is a good player but just doesn’t look like the same back we saw as a rookie in 2021.
The incoming rookie class is loaded with running back talent. Many of those prospects offer more upside than Williams does at this stage of his career. It’s certainly worth exploring a potential Williams trade for a couple of third-round picks if there’s a manager in your league who still believes.
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