Dynasty Moves to Make | 9 Players to HOLD in Dynasty Fantasy Football

by Seth Diewold · Dynasty Leagues
Dynasty Fantasy Football

PlayerProfiler is home to award winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out. It’s always dynasty season. Keep reading to see nine players to hold in dynasty fantasy football. 

Kirk Cousins

Before a season-ending achilles injury, Kirk Cousins was playing some of the best football of his life. Through eight weeks in 2023, Cousins ranked No. 3 in True Passer Rating and No. 7 in Accuracy Rating while ranking No. 10 in yards per attempt. The Minnesota Vikings pass catchers are a fantasy gamer’s dream with Cousins behind center. The Vikings ranked No. 4 in team pass plays per game while Cousins played last year, and No. 5 in Pace of Play. 

While there are some rumors that Cousins could leave in free agency, think of the likeliest outcomes. The most likely outcome is the Vikings realize they can’t do much better given their draft position and the quarterbacks that are available in free agency. In the most likely scenario, the Vikings bring back Cousins. 

But let’s say the Vikings move on from Cousins. A team rumored to be heavily interested in Kirk Cousins is the Atlanta Falcons. That would be fantasy heaven as well, with head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree. This would be a perfect fit as Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell comes from the same coaching tree. Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson paired with the super distributor, Cousins, would instantaneously become one of the better offenses in the NFL.

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys fans might not agree, but Dak Prescott officially entered the, “you may not be able to win a championship with him” conversation. The narrative has even shifted so far that some people are speculating the Cowboys will look to move off of Prescott in the near future. However, this doesn’t matter for dynasty gamers who are building teams in two to three year windows. The truth is Prescott is going to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 with CeeDee Lamb as his primary receiver. 

Still just 30 years old at the quarterback position, there are plenty of fantasy relevant years ahead for Prescott. Additionally, Prescott is coming off of one of his best fantasy seasons when he finished as the QB3 overall and the QB4 in fantasy points per game. At his current value, it would be hard to get what Prescott is worth to a dynasty team, so it makes sense to keep him and build around him as a primary piece, especially in superflex. 

D.J. Moore

This might seem counterintuitive considering D.J. Moore is coming off of his best season, finishing as the WR6 overall and the WR9 in fantasy points per game, but the truth is the situation could be even better for the Bears and Moore in 2024. The Bears are likely moving on from Justin Fields and drafting Caleb Williams. 

While counting on a rookie quarterback is tricky, here’s why Williams is likely going to be an upgrade as a passer over Justin Fields. Fields ranked No. 32 amongst qualified quarterbacks in Accuracy Rating and No. 51 amongst quarterbacks in Catchable Pass Rate. Fields was better throwing the ball to Moore. Moore was No. 20 amongst wide receivers in Catchable Target Rate, but he also No. 19 amongst wide receivers in Unrealized Air Yards. 

Most scouts believe Williams possesses elite skills as a passer of the football, and Moore would most assuredly be a veteran wide receiver the rookie quarterback could depend on. Moore is going to turn 27 years old this year, but a partnership with a potentially elite quarterback would make it difficult for me to trade him away. It would also likely be tough to acquire him near the top of the market, so the best course of action is to hold him and enjoy the fantasy points that come your way.

Garrett Wilson

Simply put, Garrett Wilson was a victim of bad quarterback play last season. Wilson ranked No. 65 in Catchable Target Rate amongst wide receivers last season. Wilson ranked No. 4 in targets amongst wide receivers (168) while ranking as the WR26 in total fantasy points on the season. That doesn’t add up.

In fact, according to his Expected Fantasy Points, Wilson should have finished as the WR6 in fantasy points per game – which would have been 7.61 more FPPG. The dip in production was largely due to bad quarterback play, which is something that should be remedied this season with the return of Aaron Rodgers. At just 23 years old, Wilson has immense upside and dynasty gamers won’t be able to truly get what he is worth in a trade right now. 

Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs is going to be 30 years old this upcoming season. Due to the uncertainty around his situation (where he might play, age, etc.), there is some skepticism surrounding his profile as he enters 2024. However, Diggs is most likely going to be playing for the Bills in 2024. That is due to the way his contract is structured. Entering 2024, Diggs carries a $27.8 million cap hit according to Spotrac. His dead cap number is approximately $31 million. Also, the Bills rank dead last in cap room according to Spotrac, as they are currently $40.5 million over the salary cap.

Cutting or trading Diggs doesn’t do much to help the Bills get out of the salary cap predicament. Restructuring his contract makes more sense. Additionally, trading Diggs wouldn’t likely net a return that would help the Bills achieve their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. Likely, the Bills are going to try and smooth things over with Diggs and have him and Dalton Kincaid as their featured offensive weapons in 2024.

Diggs is coming off of a season where he finished as the WR9 overall and the WR13 in fantasy points per game. He didn’t finish the season as well as he started, which is sure to leave a bad taste in some Dynasty gamers mouths, but he was dealing with injuries that could have impacted his performance. He did finish the 2023 season ranked No. 6 in targets, No. 11 in Air Yards, and No. 8 in Unrealized Air Yards. Additionally, Diggs ranked No. 10 amongst wide receivers in Expected Fantasy Points per Game (19.0). That means Diggs should have scored nearly three more fantasy points per game than he did in 2023. 

Roschon Johnson

Editor’s Note – This was written before the news of D’Andre Swift signing with the Bears was reported.

It’s no secret that PlayerProfiler loved Roschon Johnson when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 2023 NFL Draft. The situation seemed primed for Johnson to take over the backfield. What happened was more complicated than people think, and Johnson enters 2024 with a similar opportunity to take a good share of the opportunities in an offense that looks to improve upon last season.

Currently, the Bears running back depth chart includes Khalil Herbert and Johnson, but things could shake up after the NFL Draft and free agency. Johnson is a player to hold for now because he could lead the Bears backfield and he possesses the skills to play on all three downs. However, Johnson hasn’t proven he is that player yet. We will see how the Bears feel about the position soon. My guess, based on their past behavior, is that investing in running back is not a priority. They have other needs to address. 

Saquon Barkley

Free agency can be good for some players. We will see how Saquon Barkley fares in the free agent market, but I’d wager Barkley winds up in at least as good a situation as he was with the Giants. For starters, the Giants offensive line was horrendous last season, and Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury. Neither benefited Barkley, yet he still managed to finish as the RB13 on the season and the RB9 in fantasy points per game.

Barkley may wind up in a better situation signing somewhere else. In fact, the chances are good that he will. Therefore, holding Barkley until he signs is likely the best course of action. Also, Barkley is still just 27 years old and has the physical makeup to age well in the NFL. Barkley likely has two to three seasons of solid production left.

Michael Mayer

While he didn’t have the breakout season Sam LaPorta had, Michael Mayer showed the potential to be a productive asset. He finished as a top-10 tight end in three of his 15 games before missing the rest of the season with a toe injury. Mayer is going to be a big part of the Raiders offense going forward considering the draft capital they spent on him. Vegas used the 35th overall pick in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Additionally, the Raiders have a new offensive coordinator in Luke Getsy who is coming from Chicago where Cole Kmet enjoyed a TE8 overall finish. The Raiders are also likely to get an upgrade at the quarterback position either from the NFL Draft or free agency. Playing in the AFC West also lends itself to shootouts. All of these factors and more can only improve Mayer’s situation in 2024 and beyond.

Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce is going to turn 35 years old this year. Some dynasty gamers are going to be scared off by the age, but there are many indicators Kelce is going to be productive well into his mid 30’s. The Chiefs have smartly preserved their future Hall of Fame tight end. Last season, Kelce played on 78.7-percent of snaps, which ranked No. 9 amongst tight ends. His Snap Share has gone down every year since 2018 when Kelce ranked No. 1 amongst tight ends in Snap Share (95.6-percent).

Kelce was also dealing with an injury during the 2023 season. While he didn’t miss any games and played well, it affected his overall performance. What many people don’t realize is that Kelce finished as the TE3 overall and the TE1 in fantasy points per game. Kansas City will undoubtedly look to add a wide receiver in either the NFL Draft or free agency as they have parted ways with Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This can only help open up the field for Kelce. It appears Kelce wants to play in 2024. With all of those factors combined, it’s a good idea to hold or buy Kelce in Dynasty.

See Seth Diewold’s dynasty bench stashes here: 2024 Dynasty Stashes (Updated) | 16 Players to Stash on Your Dynasty Roster