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Andrew's fantasy football dynasty sells, trade-away candidates, busts for 2026 pending free agents. His favorite dynasty players to sell this offseason.
The NFL offseason is coming, and sometimes, your dynasty roster could use a little addition by subtraction.
Pending free agents have the opportunity to secure a new contract and switch teams. But the fantasy production isn't always greener on the other side,
We've been publishing dynasty fantasy football articles non-stop, including trade candidates, rookie mock drafts, constantly-updated dynasty rankings, and more. Below, we highlight five free agents whom you should trade away this offseason.
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Kenneth Gainwell, RB
There's a lot to love about Kenneth Gainwell's surprising 2025 output, and be extremely wary of his future production.
The Steelers' offensive MVP was largely an offseason afterthought after spending the first four years of his career across the state in Philadelphia. Jaylen Warren was pegged to be the leader of the running back room, and the team spent a third-round pick on rookie Kaleb Johnson. There didn't appear to be many touches available for Gainwell, who would simply serve as a depth piece.
While he finished with 114 carries for 537 yards, he had just three games with double-digit attempts, one of which Warren sat out. His value came in the receiving game, catching 73 passes for 486 yards, topping 1,000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career. He had 14 more receptions than the next Steeler (DK Metcalf) and tied with Pat Freiermuth for second in yards.
KENNETH GAINWELL HOW
TD STEELERS 😱
PITvsDET on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/sZg9uFqkMF
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
That "thrilling" offensive system has moved on. Out goes Arthur Smith, in comes Mike McCarthy, who confirmed he will call plays, not the new offensive coordinator, Brian Angelichio. I wouldn't go so far as to say McCarthy's offense is original and innovative in the year 2026, but it'll be much more than swing passes and multi-tight-end sets, especially if Aaron Rodgers isn't Pittsburgh's starting quarterback.
Rodgers was just as responsible for Gainwell's receiving numbers as Smith was, with an inability to scramble and a desire to get the football out of his hands as fast as possible. The McCarthy hire cracks the door open for a Green Bay reunion, but it will be for one year, at best.
That's if the Steelers want to overpay for a running back coming off a career season. Le'Veon Bell, Najee Harris, James Conner? The Steelers let them all walk without a second contract.
Anywhere else Gainwell goes, he's likely back to being the second option. Rush attempt numbers may be the same, but the catches will tank. Regardless of whether he stays or goes, he's already reached the pinnacle of his career.
Rico Dowdle, RB
One sizzling stretch, when Chuba Hubbard was sidelined, kept Rico Dowdle relevant for the entire 2025 season. Toward the end of the season, he hurt more than he helped fantasy managers, with a 3.2-yard-per-carry average in the last five games of the regular season and the Wild Card loss to the Rams.
Hubbard has three more years on his lucrative extension, so he's not going anywhere. However, the best thing for Dowdle may be to stay put in Carolina, even though he doesn't seem to think so.
Rico Dowdle says his decreased carries at the end of the season will impact his thinking in free agency. Says he wants to go somewhere where he can get bulk of the carries. pic.twitter.com/48v2892fZS
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 11, 2026
Dowdle will be 28 when next season kicks off, so I understand the urgency in getting one last bag. But it's hard to envision any franchise handing him the backfield reins, especially with a deep free-agent class. Let's call a spade a spade. He's a journeyman running back, and NFL front offices will treat him as such.
We know Dave Canales is determined to establish the run, and Dowdle would likely be due for double-digit touches should he don Carolina Blue again in the fall. That's far from a guarantee as a backup in another backfield.
Don't forget about Jonathon Brooks. If there's any juice left in his right knee after two ACL tears, the 22-year-old could factor into the division of labor in 2026.
Jauan Jennings, WR
When looking over the list of free agent wide receivers, most of the bigger-name players fall into two categories: The elder statesmen (Mike Evans, Keenan Allen, and Deebo Samuel Sr.), looking for at least one more contract to wrap up, for some, a Hall of Fame career. Then there's the young crop, fresh off their rookie contracts, looking to score their big-money deal (George Pickens, Alec Pierce, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Romeo Doubs).
Jauan Jennings falls somewhere in between these two groups. While he's only played one more season than the younger group, he'll be 29 when the 2026 season kicks off. While Spotrac projects the former Tennessee Volunteer to command the second-most yearly money on the market, it's unlikely to be a long-term deal.
San Francisco has the cap space and more than enough injury question marks to want to keep Jennings, although the two sides have struggled with contract negotiations in the past. With George Kittle (Achilles) out for a chunk, if not all, of next season, Brandon Aiyuk having played his last snap in the Bay Area, and Ricky Pearsall constantly managing various ailments, Jennings has been the steady hand for Brock Purdy and the 49ers.
Yet, his stats never jump off the page. 77-975-6 (2024) is his best season, which led to a WR24 finish. He only caught 55 passes for 643 yards (albeit nine touchdowns) in 2025. Even with the turmoil around him, he's at best a low-end WR2.
But that contract money, if he lands that anticipated deal, will lead to a lot of believers. Staying in San Francisco, as part of one of the league's best offenses, is ideal, and you know what you're going to get, but he still won't be a part of the team's long-term plans. What if the money coaxes him to Tennessee, Las Vegas, or another wide receiver-needy team? His contract will say one thing, but it's hard to imagine that stats back it up.
Travis Etienne, Jr., RB
There's no clear indication of whether Travis Etienne is staying in Jacksonville or moving on to another franchise, and that's a little terrifying.
Fresh off his second career 1,100 rush-yard campaign and a career-best 13 total touchdowns, the initial belief was that Etienne would re-up with the Jaguars and continue playing alongside his college quarterback. Now, it's not so clear.
Remember, Etienne missed the entirety of his rookie season with an injury, so he's more up there in age than you'd think, and it makes sense that the Jaguars' front office wouldn't want to commit a big contract to a 27-year-old running back, especially if they believe in soon-to-be sophomore Bhayshul Tuten. The new regime drafted Tuten (and LeQuint Allen Jr.) and has no allegiance to the veteran.
The landing spot could be even better for Etienne. Imagine what he could do in the Kansas City offense. Assuming Joe Mixon's career is all but done, a move within the AFC South to Houston will provide plenty of opportunities, albeit behind a subpar offensive line. Washington would be another great team to join! However, if he's part of a committee or struggles to find a landing spot in free agency, his dynasty value will plummet.
If you're an Etienne dynasty manager, are you willing to gamble that he is playing for the Chiefs, Texans, Commanders, or Jaguars in 2026? Or, should you sell high now, and not fret about the potential big stock swing?
Dallas Goedert, TE
Three of the top seven fantasy football tight ends in 2025 are available on the 2026 free agent market. Travis Kelce will either retire or return to Kansas City. A case could be made to buy or sell Kyle Pitts Sr., and I couldn't fault you for either strategy. That leaves Dallas Goedert, who is more likely to stay in Philadelphia than go elsewhere.
While there's comfort with the Eagles, there's seven years of data that point to his TE7 finish as an anomaly.
Goedert caught 11 touchdown passes this past season, more than double his previous career high. It came in a year of offensive turmoil in Philadelphia, where Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown struggled to get on the same page, the tush push success rate slipped, and the offensive coordinator was shown the door.
To succeed in Philadelphia, it would behoove new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to study the other offensive coordinators under Nick Sirianni -- not the outgoing Kevin Patullo. That means better usage of the star wide receivers, not the steady, but ultimately insipid tight end.
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