X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Deshaun Watson - Sell Now, Buy Later

In dynasty formats, securing a top quarterback can help you build your dynasty team and truly dominate your league for several years. If you are stuck with a lower-tier quarterback, it can be difficult to balance out the weekly advantage that your opponents will have at the position.

However, that is not to say that once you find a good quarterback you must hold on to them. In fact, capitalizing on the performances of top signal-callers and leveraging them in trades with the rest of your league is a good strategy if you want to build a well-rounded lineup or stash several draft picks at a time.

Deshaun Watson had an incredible seven-game stretch as the Texans quarterback last year and has seen his dynasty value skyrocket, despite his small sample size. Although I do believe that we have yet to see the best of Watson, now might be a good time to sell him in dynasty leagues and look to re-buy after 2018.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Watson's Instant Domination

Coming out of Clemson, quarterback Deshaun Watson was considered a borderline first/second round prospect in NFL Draft circles. Even after being drafted by the Texans at 12th overall, Watson was considered a mid-round dynasty selection and a player with a relatively unimpressive floor and ceiling for fantasy prospects. However, that changed following some impressive performances in 2017.

2017 Season

After starting the season as a backup to Tom Savage, Watson came in and was largely unimpressive in his first few games in charge. However, after being handed the starting job in Week 3, Watson became a completely different player. In his next games as a starter, Watson would go 3-3 but through for a ridiculous 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions (his season totals through his seven games played where 19 touchdowns and eight picks). Additionally, on the season, Watson rushed for 269 yards and two touchdowns, displaying his dual-threat ability as a thrower and a runner. However, Watson's season was dramatically cut short after suffering a torn ACL in practice before the team's Week 9 game, derailing his (and the Texans') season.

Despite ending the season injured, Watson made a huge impact in the games that he played, and was the top scoring fantasy quarterback during that stretch. However, it should be noted that a surprising amount of his touchdowns were scored in garbage time (specifically in the 34-42 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where Watson scored five touchdowns). Nevertheless, the numbers don't lie, and Watson's 103.0 quarterback rating and 7.5 yards per carry is a testament to that. Now returning fully healthy with an above-average skill position core (wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller and running backs Lamar Miller and D'Onta Foreman), Watson is expected to continue with his performances from 2017 and play up to the standards he set for himself in his rookie campaign.

2018 Season

Watson has the potential to match his performances from last year and become a top quarterback in the NFL and fantasy circles. We know that he is capable of playing at a high level, but it will be difficult to translate his 2017 performances to 2018, now that coaches know what to look for and can key in on Watson to stop the Texans offense. Despite the fact that Watson may have reached his statistical ceiling in 2017, fantasyfootballcalculator.com dynasty rankings have him as the number one quarterback being taken in startup drafts this offseason. Going 33rd overall, Watson is being selected in the top three rounds in 12-man leagues.

Although there is the distinct possibility that Watson plays as good or better than he did in 2017, now might be his peak trading value for dynasty owners. You have the potential to package him for a top draft pick in rookie drafts or elite skill position players at the running back and wide receiver positions. If Watson does not perform as expected, you could end up losing valuable trade capital. Additionally, because the quarterback position is so deep this year, it makes sense to trade for a mid-range commodity at the position when you have the opportunity to grab elite skill position players for a relatively unproven quarterback who is going much higher than he should be based on his 2017 garbage time performances.

Then again, there is a world where Watson becomes a leading NFL quarterback and continues to set the fantasy world alight on a weekly basis. However, even if Watson is able to do this, you still recouped an elite player or high draft pick for him in a trade, so you won't lose too much upside. In the more likely chance that Watson plays well but fails to live up to his fantasy hype, you will have negotiated a successful trade for yourself and capitalized on his offseason value.

Outlook

One thing to remember, however, is that Watson is very young and therefore has immense potential in the long-term. Therefore, it makes sense to trade him now to someone who buys into his current draft cost and then look to potentially trade for him after this season if he fails to live up to his billing. If you do not own Watson in dynasty leagues, you should still consider trading for him after this season as his long-term potential is more than enough to justify acquiring his services for your roster. However, right now, his value is far too high to justify such a trade; wait for it to depreciate and then go get Watson, your team's fantasy savior in 2019 and beyond.

 

More 2018 Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Chicago Bears

Bears Head Coach Admits Offense Could Face Learning Curve
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
A.J. Brown

Says He'll Be Active For Season Opener
Luis Garcia

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Max Scherzer

Exits Due to Back Tightness
Taylor Ward

Exits Early After Collison
Braelon Allen

Says He Has a Lot Left to Prove
Sal Stewart

Reds Promoting Sal Stewart to Majors
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Aroldis Chapman

Agrees to Contract Extension
Juan Soto

Homers Twice in Loss
Nick Kurtz

Avoids Serious Injury
MacKenzie Gore

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Reaches 25-Homer, 25-Steal Milestone
Chris Sale

Activated on Saturday
Dansby Swanson

Homers Twice, Drives in Six in Win
Nick Kurtz

Leaves Game With Oblique Soreness
Joe Burrow

Bengals Feel Joe Burrow Just had "the Best Training Camp of his Career"
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Leads Serbia to a Win
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Shines Versus Portugal
De'Von Achane

Should be Ready for Week 1
Jose Alvarado

"Good" After Recent Fall
Green Bay Packers

Packers Acquire Micah Parsons, Sign him to Four-Year Extension
Jauan Jennings

Remains Sidelined at Practice
Chris Godwin

to Miss First Month of Season, Possibly More
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering Return to College
A.J. Brown

Returns to Practice, Expected to Play in Week 1
Jaylen Wright

Undergoes Surgery, Could be Back "Septemberish"
Tyreek Hill

on Track to Play in Week 1
Lauri Markkanen

Torches Sweden
Neemias Queta

Dominates in EuroBasket Opener
Kawhi Leonard

Clippers Not Allowing Kawhi Leonard to Play Back-to-Backs
Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks Looking to Trade Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Tyrese Haliburton

Expects to Return in 15 Months
Terance Mann

Confident About Having a Big Year in Brooklyn
Zaccharie Risacher

Aims to Improve Ball-Handling Skills
NBA

Pistons And Timberwolves Join Race for Malik Beasley
John Tonje

Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Max Strus

to Miss 3-4 Months After Surgery

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP