
Matt Donnelly uses his dynasty fantasy football trade chart to identify the top players to buy or sell before the 2025 season. Read his undervalued or overvalued players to avoid in dynasty league formats.
In the ever-changing climate that is fantasy football, the more things change, the more they stay the same. One of the keys for fantasy managers every season is to pay close attention to the market. In any market, there are ideal periods to buy or sell any given asset, and fantasy football is no different.
The first thing fantasy managers must determine is when those windows present themselves for the greatest return on your previous investments. At certain times, it makes more sense to add veteran players to your rosters, and at other times, those veterans can net you a pleasant return, especially if you are looking to add draft capital.
How do you assess your roster, or what is the best time to strike? Don’t worry; that’s where RotoBaller is here to help. But first, make sure you're following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your dynasty football needs. For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, rankings, and trade tactics, check out our complete Dynasty Fantasy Football Guide.
Be sure to check all of our dynasty fantasy football resources for 2025:- Dynasty fantasy football articles
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How the Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Chart Works
Fantasy managers are emotional beings. When looking to work the market, the first thing fantasy managers need to do is remove the emotion from it. Emotions can lead us to do foolish things; it’s a tale as old as time itself.
It’s not uncommon for trades to fall through because managers value a pick or player more than the market dictates; the bottom line is that an asset is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
In this article, you’ll find a trade chart to help determine players' values. Again, this is just a tool to aid in negotiations and is far from the be-all and end-all of trade talks. The chart was constructed from scratch, using rookie draft capital as the baseline for determining player value.
Once the baseline is set, we then assign value based on league formats and consensus rankings; again, it’s what the market is willing to pay. Then, use that as a guide for every player. Would you trade Player X for a mid-first? Late-first?".
It’s also essential when examining the trade chart to note that what appears to be the value of a particular player today may not be the case in a week or two. The chart itself is a living document, adjusting throughout the several different phases of the NFL calendar.
Here in June, we are in what we call the “neutral phase.” During this period, the market is relatively stable. The NFL Draft has come and gone, and for the most part, we have a good idea of what teams will look like entering training camp.
Once the draft capital value is set and the player peaking order is tiered off, it’s time to review the chart itself by asking yourself, how many firsts would it take to trade Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, or Lamar Jackson?
Does the return incorporate roster size and scoring? What about PPR versus Standard scoring? Superflex versus standard? Tight End Premium? Well, there is a formula that helps calculate all that, so you don’t have to.
When considering multiple players in a deal, we add a 10% buffer per asset, also known as the “Lipstick on a Pig” fee, as many managers will add pieces to an agreement to add perceived value. Managers should be wary of two-for-one or even three-for-one deals.
Another critical piece to the formula comes courtesy of @EKBaller. The cycle of picks and player value changes from the preseason to the regular season. From the combine until you are on the clock in those rookie drafts.
Like draft picks, players on your roster hold more value significantly closer to your league's trade deadline and the fantasy playoffs. It's about maximizing your return on investment and gauging the market accordingly.
Click image to enlarge
We can’t always get what we want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need.
How to Value Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets
Before we start throwing trades out there, the baseline of player value is determined by draft capital. Although draft capital fluctuates throughout the season, we know that, come Draft Day every year, with the promise of hope comes peak value.
Player X will have a value of 90 for five or six seasons, but eventually, that value will dip. Father Time is undefeated and comes for us all. However, 1.01, that value will never change, even if the draft class is considered weak.
Good managers see all this, while savvy managers are looking two to three years down the road. With that in mind, dynasty enthusiasts should be attacking the 2027 draft capital, which could be beneficial, as the class has the potential to be special. Now, in the new NIL world, things can quickly change.
Still, the opportunity to add Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams, Micah Hudson, Cam Coleman, Mike Matthews, Mylan Graham, Bryant Wesco, Perry Thompson, Quinton Martin, Kameron Davis, Julian Sayin, Caleb Odom, Dylan Raiola, DJ Langway, Luke Kromenhoek, and the list goes on.
Dynasty Trade Chart
Make sure you use the navigation bars to scroll right, left, up, and down to see all positions and draft picks.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Players You Should Target
Khalil Shakir, WR - Buffalo Bills
One of the top targets for fantasy managers this offseason should be Bills’ wide receiver Khalil Shakir. With a current ADP of 114 in PPR formats per Dynasty Data Lab, Shakir is currently coming off the board as the WR43, which is six spots lower than his WR37 fantasy finish last season.
Just a reminder Khalil Shakir finished 2nd in the NFL last season in YAC
Only behind Ja’Marr Chase#BillsMafia | #GoBills
pic.twitter.com/ILyfmNcbhv— Peter DiBiasi (@DibiasiPeter) April 29, 2025
Shakir is entering his fourth NFL season, coming off a 76 catch, 100 target season last year, but what should excite fantasy managers is the 18 receptions and 174 receiving yards in three postseason contests. Shakir averaged 6.7 targets per contest during the Bills' playoff run, earning a 24.4% target share.
Perhaps more impressive was that 104 of his 174 receiving yards occurred after the catch and accounted for 27.4% of the Bills' total receiving market share.
In the playoffs, Shakir proved to be a trustworthy target of the NFL’s MVP, being the first-read on 32.1% of Josh Allen's targets and sporting a 0.117 first-down-per-route run rate. Shakir is Allen’s primary option in the passing game, and fantasy managers need to value him as such.
Buffalo has some pass catchers as they signed Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore to join Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel, but none are projected to be a threat to Shakir or his targets. When considering adding Shakir, the cost to acquire him is likely a second-round selection or a player like Najee Harris, as Shakir’s current value places him in the same tier as Xavier Worthy, Michael Pittman Jr., and Jauan Jennings.
Chuba Hubbard, RB - Carolina Panthers
Need an affordable running back? How about the soon-to-be 26-year-old Chuba Hubbard coming off a 10-touchdown, 1,366 total yards campaign?
As of right now, Hubbard is coming off the board in the middle of the seventh round of dynasty start-ups, just ahead of fellow veterans David Montgomery, Alvin Kamara, and Isiah Pacheco. Jonathan Brooks suffered another setback, retearing his ACL, so Carolina added some competition in the backfield in the form of Rico Dowdle, which may concern some managers.
Hubbard’s 1.195 rushing yards last season were the eighth most in the NFL, while the 241.6 fantasy points he produced were the 14th-most, putting the Panthers back in the RB1 conversation. Hubbard averaged 4.78 yards per carry last season, with 676 of his yards coming after contact, the sixth-most.
Highest Rushing Success Rates Outside the Tackles last season 🛞💨
1. David Montgomery - 48.0%
2. Bijan Robinson - 47.8%
3. Chuba Hubbard - 44.6%
4. Derrick Henry - 44.4%
5. Bucky Irving - 44.2%
6. Saquon Barkley - 44.0%
7. Jahmyr Gibbs - 42.7%
8. De'Von Achane - 41.9%
9. Aaron… pic.twitter.com/8KEMv5BhnL— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 19, 2025
Like Shakir, the likely price tag on Hubbard is probably a second-round pick at most or a third, and a player like Romeo Doubs can seal the deal. Hubbard is a back you should be willing to pay a little extra for, knowing he’s likely going to be productive over the next two to three seasons, allowing you to maximize your return.
Tucker Kraft, TE - Green Bay Packers
According to the Dynasty Data Lab, Tucker Kraft is viewed as the TE10 in fantasy, being selected in the back half of the ninth round in startups. One of the reasons we see a slight drop in Kraft's ADP is the addition of new talent in the tight end market, in the form of Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren.
As easy as it would be to dismiss Kraft's 163.3 fantasy points, he was, after all, one of just 10 tight ends to top 160 fantasy points a season ago.
Last season, Kraft’s 0.30 missed tackles per reception and 7.48 yards after the catch were among the league leaders, as were his seven touchdowns (fourth) and his 707 receiving yards (seventh), despite ranking 18th in both targets and receptions. If the Packers can commit to getting Kraft the ball, the opportunity for production is there.
#Packers HC Matt LaFleur on whether Tucker Kraft can fulfill a George Kittle/Travis Kelce role:
“100%. And I think that’s on us to make sure that we find him and feature him. When he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. So, if there is an area that we gotta do a better job… pic.twitter.com/FjrBnD16mj
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) January 14, 2025
With Kraft’s perceived value being pushed down thanks to the 2025 tight end class, the Packers' tight end has found himself becoming a fundamental value that you could probably exchange a Brian Robinson Jr. type player for to acquire his services.
Baker Mayfield, QB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Whatever the cost to acquire Baker Mayfield in fantasy football, it’s too low. Last season, Mayfield finished fourth among quarterbacks with 265.8 fantasy points and averaged 21.5 fantasy points per contest.
The 4,500-yards he passed for were the third-most, averaging 7.89 yards per attempt. The 41 passing touchdowns tied him with Lamar Jackson for the second-most. Even the 378 yards Mayfield ran for last season were in the top 10 among signal-callers in 2024. Mayfield likely would have been more productive had it not been for the 5.3% drop rate and league-high 282 dropped air yards.
Every Baker Mayfield throw of 20+ air yards from a clean pocket in 2024: pic.twitter.com/FEgXwvZtHj
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 16, 2025
Mayfield just turned 30 years old back in April, which means not only are we looking at another 6-8 years of stellar production, but we have likely not yet seen the best of Mayfield. Tampa Bay still has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, and Jalen McMillan.
They added Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson in April’s Draft. Mayfield has one of the finest collections of offensive weapons at his disposal for the foreseeable future. We are discussing a top-five fantasy quarterback who is currently being viewed as the QB14 in dynasty startup leagues.
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