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Andy's eight dynasty fantasy football buys for contenders. Contending managers should look to acquire these cheap veteran trade targets at a discount ahead of the 2026 season.
Hello, RotoBallers! After a long spring and summer, football will soon be the center of our lives. However, for us dynasty managers, we have constantly been following the news and making moves to improve our roster ahead of the season.
Heading into the preseason, dynasty managers have a very good idea of where they stand in their current league. However, now is the time to strike and acquire that missing flex piece to take your team from "fringe contender" to "favorite." In this piece, we will spotlight eight cheap trade targets designed primarily for contenders to further improve their chances of taking home the hardware in 2026.
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Quarterback Trade Targets for Dynasty Fantasy Football Contenders
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
It's not often the reigning MVP can be acquired at a second-round price tag in Superflex leagues, but Matthew Stafford is the exception. The veteran quarterback turned back the clock in 2025, throwing for a league-high 4,707 yards and 46 passing scores en route to taking home the MVP award.
In the offseason, the Rams rewarded the 38-year-old with a one-year, $55 million extension, keeping him under team control for the next two seasons. Despite his path to remaining in the NFL for two seasons, Superflex managers remain cautious about his outlook, even after a dominant season.
While his age is a concern, and when playing dynasty, investing in a 38-year-old QB is not often the smart play. If you are in a contending group, this is your best bet to acquire the potential best "QB2" for your Superflex roster who can provide top-12 numbers.
Stafford thrived under center, as both of his wideouts, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, punched double-digit touchdowns and drew 280 combined targets. While Stafford has the benefit of playing in a high-octane offense, Vegas does not project this unit to miss a step in 2026, as it is projected to score the most points per game (26.6) this fall.
His rushing upside is nonexistent, and his history of back injuries does open the door for risk, but if he stays on the field for the entire season, he will greatly outperform his current trade value on KeepTradeCut.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Pick Value in Superflex)
- 2027 Early Second
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
If you are in a pinch and need a QB3, Jacoby Brissett should be your preferred target. While New York's Geno Smith could be a sneaky option as well, given their improved pass charts, Brissett's upside is projected to be much higher.
Brissett replaced Kyler Murray in the desert last season and was a viable high-end QB2 for much of his time under center. From Weeks 6 through 15, Brissett averaged 25.3 PPR points per game and was the overall QB3 in terms of fantasy points. While his production dipped slightly over three games (18.5 PPR points per game), he ended the season as the overall QB16, despite not playing in each of the first five games.
Like Stafford, Brissett will have the advantage of playing with a strong supporting cast, with an elite TE in Trey McBride, a two-headed monster at WR (Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.), and an improving running back room in Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier. While the team's running back room encouraged it to push the ball downfield more in 2025, a more balanced offense should improve his efficiency.
There is long-term risk as he is set to be an unrestricted free agent, but those needing a QB3 for 2026 to secure their path to champions should target Brissett with confidence.
Brissett keeps the play alive and finds McBride for a TD
AZvsCIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2uW1WOPy8O
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2027 Late Second
Running Back Trade Targets for Dynasty Fantasy Football Contenders
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara was a popular trade target for contenders heading into the 2025 season but did not play up to expectations. After totaling 950 yards on the ground with another 543 through the air in 2024, Kamara took a massive step back in 2025. While his offensive situation was not great for most of the season, his age began to catch up to him.
Across 11 games, he posted a low 3.6 YPC (lowest of his career) with a modest 5.6 YPR (also the lowest mark of his career). He drew just 39 targets in the passing game while taking only 131 rushing attempts on the ground.
In the offseason, New Orleans addressed this by adding Travis Etienne Jr. to the backfield, further cementing Kamara as the clear No. 2 option. However, in training camp, reports suggest that the longtime Saint may still play a prominent role in this offense.
Through the early going, both Etienne and Kamara have split first-team reps. Additionally, while Etienne has seen more "early-down work," Kamara has been the clear option on passing downs, further raising his floor in PPR leagues.
His outcome may not be pretty, but this New Orleans offense could take off in 2026 with second-year QB Tyler Shough and first-round talent Jordyn Tyson. Kamara could hold solid flex upside in deeper PPR leagues with a low draft pick.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2026 Late Third
Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
I considered including Rachaad White in this section, but recent reports suggest that Jacory Croskey-Merritt could take steps as a pass-catcher; White's path to weekly fantasy relevance may be far more difficult than first perceived. Instead, we will look at another running back who may be past his glory days but could still provide value in 2026.
Aaron Jones Sr. is set to be in the Minnesota backfield with Jordan Mason. In 2025, Jones took 132 carries over 12 games for 548 yards and two touchdowns. Through the air, he brought in 28 of his 41 targets for 199 yards and another touchdown. In comparison, Mason (who appeared in 16 games) took 159 carries (9.9 per game) for 4.8 yards per carry, which is right in line with Jones' 4.2 YPC.
While Mason should maintain the short-yardage work, Jones should flourish as the pass-catcher. While he battled injuries in 2025, Jones caught the eighth-most passes at his position and tallied the seventh-most yards in 2024.
Like Kamara, Jones could quickly carve out a role as a high-floor flex play in PPR leagues. Additionally, if Kyler Murray were to win the starting job and bring this offense back up to standard, Jones could find ample red-zone opportunities, which would further raise his upside.
The 31-year-old is a perfect target for those needing another reliable plug-and-play option in their running back room.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2026 Early Third
Wide Receiver Trade Targets for Dynasty Fantasy Football Contenders
Chris Godwin Jr., WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin Jr. was a WR1 through the first seven weeks of the 2024 season, averaging 19.7 PPR points per game. However, an unfortunate injury shut him down for the season and delayed his 2025 campaign.
While it took him some time to find his footing in 2025, Godwin eventually began to showcase his usual fantasy skill set. From Weeks 13 through 17, the veteran slot wideout totaled 13.0 PPR points per game and drew 6.4 targets per game.
Godwin will now operate as the most prominent option in the Tampa Bay wide receiver room with Mike Evans now in San Francisco. While second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka is a popular breakout pick and No. 3 option Jalen McMillan an intriguing sleeper, the veteran could very well lead the team in targets and be a high-floor flex in PPR formats.
When healthy in 2024, Godwin was drawing 8.9 targets per game while sharing the field with Evans. While the offense may appear crowded, Egbuka struggled with consistency down the stretch, and McMillan is still working his way back from an ankle injury that kept him on the shelf for nearly all of 2025.
Godwin has legit top-20 upside at his position and could even push for WR1 finishes on many weeks.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2026 Late Second
Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers wide receiver room has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Expected lead wideout Ricky Pearsall suffered a setback on a previous PCL injury, leaving Evans and De'Zhaun Stribling as the only options. However, John Lynch and company turned to a familiar friend in Deebo Samuel Sr. to bolster the room.
Samuel spent the 2025 season in Washington and was actually quite productive. Over the first five weeks, Samuel totaled 20.0+ PPR points in three out of the five and double-digit PPR points in all but one.
While his overall 11.8 PPR points per game was skewed by his rough finish due to the absence of Jayden Daniels, when the Washington offense was in a groove, Samuel was finishing with great success.
In 2024, Samuel (who was with the 49ers) posted an elite 13.1 YPR and even added over 100 yards with his legs.
While managers should not expect a repeat of his 2021 season, where he totaled 1,405 receiving yards, he is joining an offense in which he is very comfortable, and that puts him in the best position to succeed. Expect another 700+ yard campaign with the upside to find the end zone double-digit times playing in an offense that is projected to score the seventh-most points, per Vegas.
While Godwin will likely cost you a late 2026 second-rounder, Samuel has been sold for a late 2027 third-rounder, making him the perfect "budget" option for those needing another flex play.
It is also worth noting that both Evans and Stribling are battling injuries (stay tuned for the latest on their injury status here), which could open up even more opportunities for Samuel.
Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans getting after it! 🏈🙌 pic.twitter.com/UjwDepsO6O
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 1, 2026
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2027 Late Third
Tight End Trade Targets for Dynasty Fantasy Football Contenders
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson was quietly the TE8 last season but is going for a late pick in most trades. In 2025, Johnson turned in a career season in terms of usage, drawing 103 targets and bringing in 77 of them for 889 yards. He found the back of the end zone three times and even caught 11 passes for greater than 20 yards (also a career-best).
However, the fantasy community does not seem to trust his "late-career" breakout, as he is priced around a late 2027 third-round pick in current KTC rankings.
It is also worth noting that Johnson's production increased further once Tyler Shough took over QB1 duties. In Weeks 1 through 7, Johnson averaged a respectable 9.8 PPR points per game but saw this increase to 11.5 PPR points per game with Shough under center. Over this noted surge, he saw 5.8 targets per game and produced two of his three touchdowns.
While the addition of Etienne and Tyson will lower his ceiling, this offense could be very effective, as we noted under Kamara's recommendation. Johnson is a strong high-floor TE2 to acquire who could very well become your "starting" option for a majority of the season, especially if one of Olave or Tyson were to miss time.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2027 Late Third
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Let's round this out with a name for those in deeper formats who may have TE-premium scoring or a deep roster. While Gesicki may be on the waiver wire in some dynasty formats, those needing a TE2/TE3 in deeper leagues should look no further than the starting tight end in Cincinnati.
In his first season in Cincinnati, Gesicki was quickly the TE13 in PPR scoring, catching 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns. While he appeared in only 13 games in 2025 (and did not have Joe Burrow on the field for nearly half), his production dipped.
However, when Burrow returned, Gesicki began to flash similar upside to what he did the year prior. From Weeks 13 through 18, Gesicki averaged 8.2 PPR points per game and totaled over 12.0 PPR points in two of these contests.
Managers should not expect a top-12 finish, but acquiring a player who is on one of the game's highest-projected offenses (fourth highest per the sportsbooks) and has a path to ample targets if injury-prone players like Higgins miss time is a savvy play for those needing depth at the position. There is an out where Gesicki is startable at points of the season, when injuries and bye weeks are in full swing.
KeepTradeCut Value (Rookie Picks in Superflex)
- 2026 Late Fourth
Who Should I Draft Fantasy Football Tool
Read more about the free Who Should I Draft tool here.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to draft...
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players -- Matthew Stafford, Jacoby Brissett, Aaron Jones Sr., Alvin Kamara, Deebo Samuel Sr., Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Draft? You may have noticed our Who Should I Draft? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your 2026 fantasy football drafts. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats and projections, ADPs, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their preseason fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research and update it constantly throughout the preseason. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Matthew Stafford, Jacoby Brissett, Aaron Jones Sr., Alvin Kamara, Deebo Samuel Sr., Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson:
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