Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Top 4 RBs and WRs to Buy or Sell (2026)

April 21, 2026

John looks at the top four buy or sell trade targets and avoids in 2026 fantasy football dynasty leagues. Player outlooks for Omarion Hampton, CeeDee Lamb, and more.

While the values of many elite NFL players, and many of those who aren't quite as talented, remain relatively stable over multiple seasons, certain players show clear "buy" or "sell" signals in one season that should be enough to convince dynasty fantasy football managers to target them in trades or ship them off to other teams in their leagues.

Moving players like Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for their respective values ahead of the 2025 NFL season were not popular moves. But they would have been great ideas in hindsight. Even though they were viewed as rookies who would smash in 2025, things just went differently.

Of course, it's not always possible to predict when players are over- or underrated. But we should look at the contexts of their situations and try to look at what's already known to be different heading into the 2026 season, or what might change in the near future. So, let's dive into four players, two wide receivers and two running backs, to buy or sell ahead of the 2026 season in dynasty leagues!

Sell: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will probably do their best to keep WR George Pickens around long-term. Pickens is surer-handed than Lamb, an elite contested-catch artist, and one of the NFL's best wideouts. He deserves a ton of targets and would be the WR1 on many other NFL teams.

Lamb himself is a great wideout, but his ceiling will always be capped with Pickens around. The massive Lamb seasons we saw came when he was the clear WR1 on his team, and the offense lacked a legitimate WR2 or at least WR1B. The spam of targets was crucial in pushing Lamb's production to the top of the fantasy football charts.

I’m convinced Ceedee Lamb butters his fingers before every game.

Cmon man 😂 pic.twitter.com/BwyVoqgzD6

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 24, 2025

Lamb was peppered with targets in 2023, the season in which he finished as the WR1 overall in fantasy leagues. He had just under 8.4 targets per game in 2025, though, after his 10.6 two seasons prior. If those 2.2 extra targets per contest only led to 1.5 extra catches per game, 15 extra yards, and two more TDs, that's a lot, though.

Over an entire season, that would lead to 63 more PPR fantasy points, which was the difference between Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase and Baltimore Ravens wideout Zay Flowers in 2025, roughly. But thanks to Lamb's previous fantasy dominance, his value in dynasty leagues remains very high.

You can get a lot in return for Lamb in dynasty leagues, and it might be time to pull the trigger. If Pickens stays in Dallas even a few more seasons, Lamb's prime will be spent not earning enough targets to finish as a top-4 wideout again, reasonably.

Buy: Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Running backs who have shown clear flashes of high-end talent but have seasons without elite productivity in the recent past are typically great players to target in dynasty fantasy football. "Buying low" doesn't really happen without some level of risk, and some level of consensus doubt about a player's ability to be elite.

Such is likely the case with Hampton. He looked like he would start to dominate and become one of fantasy football's most coveted tailbacks before he fractured his ankle in Week 5. Subsequently, his backup, Kimani Vidal, had a few big fantasy games. When Hampton returned, they operated as a committee.

Happy 23rd Birthday to Omarion Hampton 🎉🎊🎁🎈⚡️ pic.twitter.com/hFz04oAPr6

— BoltzGalaxy⚡️🪐 (@boltzgalaxy) March 16, 2026

Hampton will have the following working in his favor in 2026 -- an elite offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, a healthier offensive line, one of the NFL's most talented quarterbacks, a season of NFL experience under his belt, and a fully healed ankle to go along with his elite athleticism and high-end contact balance.

Hampton is a powerful back who can take on NFL linebackers and stay upright, churning his legs for extra yards before going down. He's also likely to be the team's primary goal-line back. While he's not an elite pass protector, he should get plenty of work in the passing game, as McDaniel's running backs often do.

The Chargers did sign RB Keaton Mitchell, but it's unlikely that he caps Hampton's upside massively. In fact, in 2023, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert had a monster season despite his backup, De'Von Achane, getting plenty of work both as a rusher and a passer with McDaniel's Miami Dolphins team.

Omarion Hampton scores to make it a one-possession game 👀

HOUvsLAC on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QOINJpfObm

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

It's difficult for me to see Hampton not finishing as a top-5 running back in 2026, and having his dynasty value skyrocket as a result. Whatever trades you can make for Hampton, get them in now -- the RB position is becoming more important as passing offenses continue to see their productivity dwindle in recent seasons.

The most important player to have in fantasy football in any league is an elite running back. Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was the most impactful (in a good way) fantasy football player in 2025, and I see a good chance Hampton scores a bazillion points and carries his managers to the playoffs and a championship.

Sell: Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

Collins is an excellent NFL wideout. He's a big-bodied, physical receiver who can make contested catches, outrun defenders, get open at all levels of the field, and consistently beat the best coverages a defense has to throw at him. It's a shame he's trapped on such an incompetent offense.

Collins' breakout 2023 campaign and his early 2024 dominance are now overshadowed by numerous injuries since then, and the massive regression of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud's play. Stroud has been unable to replicate his rookie season magic, and Houston's offense has been middling at best and just awful at worst in the meantime.

MARCUS JONES PICK-6!

HOUvsNE on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/kHL1V0kHCn

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026

Stroud has clearly not been able to overcome his team's struggles along the offensive line and the poor job their offensive coordinator has done. The Texans OL is in shambles -- they traded away their best pass protector, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, to the Washington Commanders before last season.

It might take multiple seasons to fix through the NFL Draft, but Houston doesn't have the luxury of high picks because its defense keeps carrying it to the playoffs. And it didn't make any big free-agent signings along the OL. This offense is likely to continue to struggle greatly.

The Texans also didn't fire their offensive coordinator, Nick Caley, even though he ran what appeared to be an uninspired and uncreative offense last season.

The passing attack isn't likely to make a big leap forward. And Collins will have competition in two second-year WRs in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Not to mention the return of WR Tank Dell (knee), all three of whom should eat into his target volume for multiple upcoming seasons.

Buy: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

He might not reach the lofty expectations certain fantasy analysts (myself included) had for him in his NFL career, but he'll be heading into his second year in a great rushing offense with an elite offensive head coach in Liam Coen. He's still a great athlete, and he struggled last season with injuries.

The Jags' former RB1, Travis Etienne Jr., departed in free agency for the New Orleans Saints after the 2025 season. While the Jaguars have a pass-blocking RB in LeQuint Allen Jr. and signed running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., Tuten is easily the most athletic back on the team, and he's received high praise from his coaching staff.

Despite his backup status Bhayshul Tuten has scored 3 TD in his last 5 games 👀 pic.twitter.com/rbdQhT8KPO

— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) December 2, 2025

Tuten did a good job in short-yardage situations and as the goal-line back. Interestingly, despite his ridiculous performance at the 2025 NFL Combine and his blazing speed and acceleration evident in his college film, he struggled to create explosive plays and rushing yards over expectation.

Perhaps he will improve in those areas in 2026. He was close to breaking off a few huge runs, and it might just take a few plays going his way per game to make him far more productive.