Dynasty Fantasy Football Sells: 3 Aging Players To Trade Away (2026)

April 6, 2026

Andrew's dynasty fantasy football aging players to target away in 2026. His top dynasty sells for 2026 fantasy football leagues including DK Metcalf and more.

Sometime in your life, probably multiple times, you'll hear someone mutter the phrase "Age is just a number."

For the man deadlifting his personal best in his 40s, sure, that mindset can apply. For players in the National Football League, it doesn't.

Father Time will catch up to our favorite players, and decisions will have to be made on when to trade them away. Timing is key because you don't want to ship off your best players before their time is up. Here are three aging players you should trade away this offseason in dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Christian McCaffrey - RB, San Francisco 49ers

"This is the first year that I can remember coaching that not one of our running backs got hurt.”

"I know that I don't want Christian to have to take all of that."

"We've got to get someone to help him."

Those are all quotes from San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan at the NFL Annual Meeting last month. Granted, he had said something similar last season, and then Christian McCaffrey touched the ball a league-high 413 times. He's the only player to top the 400 mark since he did it back in 2019.

It's easier said than done for Shanahan. San Francisco leaned on McCaffrey so much in 2025 because of injuries to the wide receivers, George Kittle, Brock Purdy, and the list goes on. McCaffrey was the only offensive starter to remain healthy.

Both times McCaffrey has surpassed 330 touches, his following campaign was littered with injuries. He played a total of seven games in 2019 and 2024. And that's before his aging body turned 30 years old.

It's scary to trade away the reigning 'Best Player in Fantasy Football', but we're looking at years of data regarding volume and age, and none of it bodes well for McCaffrey. Think back to last summer. There were concerns that McCaffrey would never be the same dominant player again. He was selected in the middle of the first round, with a grimace, in redraft leagues. Not much has changed.

Back to Shanahan's comments. It's a good idea in theory, and they bolstered their wide receiver corps with Mike Evans. But they also lost running back Brian Robinson Jr., so is the backup to relieve McCaffrey on the roster? Second-year runner Jordan James didn't have a regular-season touch. Isaac Guerendo had some moments in his rookie season, but seemingly lost the coaching staff's trust and did not log an offensive touch either.

Rebuilding teams should quickly sell McCaffrey. This may be the last time his value is this high.

Courtland Sutton - WR, Denver Broncos

Let's be honest: The excitement level for Courtland Sutton's 2026 season, in a fantasy football lens, was about as thrilling as winning a dollar on a scratch-off ticket. Then, the Broncos traded a haul for Jaylen Waddle, and now we're winning 50 cents.

Sutton was the WR13 a year ago, largely due to availability. His rank dips to WR22 on a per-game basis, grouped around D.K. Metcalf and Stefon Diggs, two receivers who didn't live up to their 2025 fantasy draft capital.

His status as a WR2, which has been the case for each of the last two seasons, paints a consistent, albeit bland, producer. He's on a pass-happy offense (Bo Nix led the league in pass attempts last year). Those are the selling points for any dynasty manager attempting to trade him away.

There's mounting evidence in the case against him. Sutton will turn 31 in October, past the wide receiver age cliff (typically around 30), and the advanced metrics are beginning to show his decline.

Sutton enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons because of the decrease in target competition. Jerry Jeudy, as much of a disappointment as he was for the Broncos, took valuable opportunities away from Sutton. The latter averaged 5.7, 7.2, and 5.6 targets per game in three seasons with Jeudy. Those numbers were 7.9 and 7.3 without Jeudy the last two years.

I don't think anyone will argue that Waddle is a better wide receiver than Jeudy. Toss in the blossoming Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr., and this is suddenly a deep wide receiver room.

DK Metcalf - WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

The younger (by a mere 70 days) of the new wide receiver duo in Pittsburgh is the one to trade away. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. both turn 29 this year, and, while there's a fair amount of concern about Pittman moving forward, Metcalf's outlook is bleak.

It's a playstyle argument, embedded in quarterback question marks.

It's April, and career backup Mason Rudolph sits atop the Steelers' quarterback depth chart. If you believe that's an upgrade over a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers (who ranked 37th in air yards per pass attempt) because he has arm strength still, well, Metcalf averaged 4.4 yards per reception in Rudolph's lone start last season.

Sure, sixth-round sophomore Will Howard is in play, but who is clamoring to draft a wide receiver attached to an unproven commodity?

All roads lead back to Rodgers, who is mulling retirement again, much like his predecessor, Brett Favre. Kirk Cousins' deal with the Las Vegas Raiders was the last real free agent domino to fall. It's either Rodgers, one of last year's backup options, or a rookie in a very mediocre quarterback draft class.

Hello from annual meetings, where Mike McCarthy says Steelers conversations with QB Aaron Rodgers on his future are “very positive.”

“We talk regularly... I’m confident, but at the end of the day, it’s a personal decision.” pic.twitter.com/8StEP9Q3Ff

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) March 31, 2026

All of the numerous options don't favor Metcalf, who has made a career out of winning downfield. Despite a handful of WR1 or WR2 finishes, he's totaled more than 80 catches in two of his seven seasons and never dipped below double digits in yards per reception. A PPR merchant, he is not.

Young quarterbacks (and late-career Rodgers) are notorious for playing it safe, hitting the underneath and checkdown routes. Not only is that not Metcalf's strong suit, but it is Pittman's. His best average depth of target rank, among wide receivers, is 54th, the only season he was over 10.

2025 was Metcalf's worst season for yards (850) and one catch better in the receptions department than his career low (59). So, if the immediate quarterback situation doesn't mesh well with his playstyle, why are you holding onto him? By the time a long-term plan is in place at the position, Metcalf is 30+ and has aged out of his style of play.

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