Week 9 Dynasty Football Trade Suggestions

Heading into Week 9 of the NFL season means we are officially heading into the home stretch for most dynasty trades and the fantasy football playoffs. And contenders are running out of time to make moves. Last week, I mentioned Derrick Henry and Chase Brown as trade targets. They both finished as RB1s, scoring two touchdowns apiece. This week, we will shift our focus to other positions, as running back was covered in detail for Week 8. And this first move will be at the wide receiver position and will apply to both rebuilders and contenders.

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Week 9 Dynasty Football Trade Targets

Trade for Quentin Johnston

When players don’t get a target in a game, especially in primetime, the panic button gets hit almost instantly. Johnston started the season on fire, having two WR1 finishes, along with two WR2 finishes. Then, Johnston hurt his hamstring before the Chargers’ Week 6 game against the Dolphins. And things have not quite been the same since. He finished as WR30 in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts, thanks to a touchdown.

However, things have not been the same since the injury. Johnston has received only six total targets in the past two weeks. While teammate Ladd McConkey has gotten the second most in the NFL with 25 in the past two weeks. Keenan Allen also has 19 in that span. Add in Oronde Gadsden’s 14 targets, and you’ve got quite a crowded offense.

Johnston is a good football player, and he has shown that after a down rookie year. The Vikings were actually a terrible matchup for Johnston, who has played the most two-high safety in the league at a 66% rate. Johnston’s average depth of target is 12.5 yards. So it makes sense that the Vikings held him in check. Couple that with Johnston still recovering from injury. Along with him running the 11th most routes in the league. There are better days ahead for Johnston.

I would be comfortable sending a package of Keon Coleman and an early-to-mid-2nd-round pick. Or someone like Courtland Sutton with a minor addition for Johnston to a contender. Either way, something in that ballpark should get a dynasty trade done for Johnston after his recent slump.

Contenders

Trade for Vikings Receivers

Confidence for the Vikings’ offense with J.J. McCarthy at the helm is at an all-time low. However, the sample size is only two games. And we all know about the one good quarter, with that fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears. The best way for J.J. McCarthy is to see the field. He needs to develop chemistry with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to help save the Vikings’ season.

Due to the team’s offensive struggles, Justin Jefferson’s value has dropped throughout the season. In seasons past, he was an absolute game-changer for fantasy. He finished in the top five for fantasy in every season except for 2020. In that season, he suffered an injury and missed seven games. And despite that, he was still top five in fantasy points per game. Jefferson is still that player, and if any fantasy manager is any bit disgruntled, it is worth checking in. Anything less than three first-round picks in value is an auto-accept for Jefferson.

As for Addison, he has stepped into a significant role over the past few weeks. Outside of the disaster game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Addison has been earning targets with Carson Wentz. 26 targets in a three-game span, including a WR12 finish against the Philadelphia Eagles. Addison had nine catches for 128 yards while playing from behind against the Eagles.

The reason I want both of these receivers is that they have the easiest schedule remaining for wide receivers. That includes an end-of-season stretch against the other three NFC East teams. Getting the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys in the fantasy playoffs is a tremendous schedule. Add the Detroit Lions in a high-scoring Week 17, and that is a dream way to end the fantasy season. I predict McCarthy will show progression up to that point. And that both will be top 24 options to end the season with a perfect schedule.

Check out all of our Week 9 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings

Rebuilders

Look into Struggling Young Quarterbacks

Several young quarterbacks have been struggling lately, particularly from a fantasy standpoint. And could be potential dynasty trade targets. Cam Ward’s value has fallen a decent amount since dynasty drafts back in April. All of Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, and Jayden Daniels have missed some time and struggled as well. And yes, Jayden Daniels has struggled relative to his expectations. Caleb Williams’ fantasy season is being held up by his overall QB1 finish in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys. He has had two other low-end QB1 finishes, and people are viewing this season for Caleb as a negative after being paired with Ben Johnson. He is still a QB1 but is not meeting expectations. These are all players I would keep an eye on. C.J. Stroud would have been on this list after just three weeks, showing just how quickly things can change.

Now, in terms of acquiring these guys. Bryce Young is probably the easiest to obtain of the group. He is also the riskiest. Young is in his third year; he has not finished either of his first two seasons in the top 15. Being the first overall pick, if things do not work out in Carolina, he will, in all likelihood, get another chance elsewhere. I would be okay with parting with a second-round pick for him in a trade.

Michael Penix Jr. is another unique case, where he finished last season strong against a weak Carolina defense. This year, he has largely struggled in his first full year as a starter. The arm talent is all there, but the accuracy needs improvement. He is currently below league average for on-target throws. And he leads the league in bad throw percentage. Penix likely requires more in a trade compared to Young due to the offense he’s in. I prefer Young over Penix at the current moment. However, if I can move someone like Jayden Higgins with a mid-tier pick, I would be all in favor of a move like that.

Cam Ward has already seen a head coach fired in his rookie season. And it has been a rocky start in fantasy. Ward just logged his first finish inside the top 20 in Week 7. The offense needs an infusion of talent, even though Chimere Dike and Tyjae Spears have been a breath of fresh air recently. However, Ward is right behind Penix Jr. in bad throw percentage. Overall, it feels like Ward’s value will continue to decrease until the season’s end. Currently, I am out on Cam Ward, but I will look into potentially acquiring him in the offseason.

I discussed J.J. McCarthy in the previous segment. I am in on McCarthy, as the sample size was too small to make a judgment call on the young quarterback. It may take a late first-round pick to acquire McCarthy. And I’m okay with giving that up if you believe in his long-term upside. The current quarterback class is shaky at the moment. And this would essentially be drafting a quarterback in a situation where you know the landing spot.

Grouping Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels together. As they will cost more than one first-round pick to acquire. Keeping this short: if I can acquire Jayden for anything less than three first-round picks and Caleb for less than two, I would trade for them.

Final Thoughts

Young players require time to develop, and many dynasty managers lack the patience to wait. I’m included in that, especially with trading away those young players too early. Those are the lessons we learn in dynasty. However, we can make adjustments in the future to fix those mistakes. It is an ever-evolving game, and the managers are making changes and progressing as well when making dynasty trades. Learning from mistakes and adjusting your process in trades and roster decisions is ultimately how you become a better dynasty player through the years.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!