How to Find Value When Trading for Wide Receivers in Dynasty
When looking at which wide receivers to buy in Dynasty, at least for me, the answer is always: how much value can I get, and how cheap can I get it? The most productive wide receivers in fantasy football command the greatest target shares, are at the top of the league in air yards, yards per route run, and, oh yeah, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. But can we extract wide receivers who are undervalued? And if so, how do we go about doing that? In this article, I’ll identify seven undervalued wide receivers in Dynasty Fantasy Football and explain exactly why I believe they are worth trading for RIGHT NOW!
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. Below, Seth Diewold gives guidance on dynasty trades to make – identifying players who are buys and sells in dynasty.
7 Dynasty Buys
Courtland Sutton
We are going to agitate the ageists in Dynasty right off the bat by nominating Courtland Sutton as our first wide receiver on this Dynasty Buys list. Sutton had the most productive fantasy season that he’s ever had in 2024. He finished as the WR 15 overall and the WR 24 in fantasy points per game. Sutton also finished No. 22 in Target Share (25.1-percent), No. 2 in Air Yards (859 of those Air Yards were unrealized, which ranked No. 3 amongst wide receivers), and finished No. 10 in Expected Fantasy Points per Game.
We also know Sutton is tied to Bo Nix and Sean Payton for the 2025 season. Payton is a proven head coach and in New Orleans, his system produced many 1,000-yard receiving seasons from Marques Colston and Michael Thomas. These wide receivers are similar in style and body type to Courtland Sutton.
Currently, Sutton is ranked as player No. 102 (WR 40) according to Keep Trade Cut’s Dynasty Superflex Rankings. This would put Sutton in a similar range to Alvin Kamara, Tucker Kraft, Mark Andrews, Michael Pittman, Tank Dell, David Njoku, or a 2025 mid-2nd round rookie pick (according to KTC). If I’m a win-now team, I’d be interested in seeing if I can trade a 2025 mid to late-round rookie pick for Sutton to strengthen my Dynasty team.
Jameson Williams
I’m not sure Jameson Williams is ever going to be an elite fantasy asset, but he is an extremely fun player to watch playing in an offense that is utilizing his talents very well. This season, Williams finished as the WR 22 overall and the WR 23 in fantasy points per game (14.2 fantasy points scored per game). If you look past the target share, which I will admit is lower than we’d like (No. 51 amongst wide receivers at 18.9 percent), Williams does make the most out of the targets he gets. Williams ranked No. 12 amongst wide receivers in yards after the catch, No. 5 in yards per reception, and ranked No. 11 in target separation while ranking No. 22 among wide receivers in yards per route run. That means he gets open deep down the field.
His quarterback, Jared Goff, doesn’t necessarily take a lot of deep shots down the field (No. 22 amongst QBs in deep ball attempts), but he does throw the ball far down the field on average. Goff ranked No. 2 amongst quarterbacks in yards per attempt this season, and he’s very accurate with the football. Additionally, Williams is still just 23 years old. Sure, Ben Johnson might leave for a head coaching job, but the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator should be a coveted job in the NFL. I trust Dan Campbell and company to find the right guy to replace Johnson, and therefore, I feel good about Williams’ place in the offense.
Williams is currently ranked No. 63 overall (WR23). To be honest, that is still a bit high for my taste, but I’m still targeting Williams in trades. I wouldn’t trade Chris Olave or Xavier Worthy to get him, but if I could flip D.J. Moore, Brandon Aiyuk, or Keon Coleman for him, I’d take that deal, especially in best ball leagues.
Rome Odunze
Odunze might be my favorite wide receiver to buy this offseason. This is because the Bears were an absolute dumpster fire this season. A lot of the other rookie wide receivers had success. Brian Thomas Jr. is the talk of every Dynasty league and so is Malik Nabers. Ladd McConkey had a really good season. But those who drafted Rome Odunze ahead of Thomas Jr. and McConkey are probably pretty jaded right now. It’s time to take advantage because this season could have gone much differently for Odunze.
Odunze finished the 2024 season as the WR 49 overall and the WR 56 in fantasy points per game (8.5 fantasy points per game). Ouch. However, Odunze flashed in Week 3 when he scored 23.4 fantasy points (WR 3 overall), and in Week 14, scoring 20.2 fantasy points (WR 13 overall). Odunze also ranked No. 11 amongst wide receivers in air yards and No. 35 in Expected Fantasy Points per Game. These two metrics point to another bleak metric that could explain the reason for his horrid season. Odunze ranked No. 99 amongst wide receivers in catchable target rate.
So, why is there still reason for optimism? The first is I have to believe Caleb Williams is better than he showed in 2024. Williams endured a mid-season coaching change that resulted in him having three offensive coordinators in his first NFL season. None of the other rookie quarterbacks had to endure that level of chaos. Secondly, the Bears are likely going to seek out an offensive head coach who can maximize young talent. And lastly, Keenan Allen is unlikely to be back for 2025.
KTC ranks Odunze as player No. 52. This puts him in a similar range to Zay Flowers, Josh Jacobs, George Pickens, Jared Goff, and Chase Brown. I think I’d feel comfortable trading any of those players minus Jared Goff for Odunze, but I’d prefer to trade a player such as Chris Olave or Jaylen Waddle to acquire Odunze on my Dynasty team.
Ricky Pearsall
Sometimes in Dynasty, there is some real value to be gained by leaning into the uncertainty. On the surface, the 49ers wide receiver room appears to be crowded. With Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey returning from injury, and Jauan Jennings under contract for 2025, Pearsall may serve more of a backup role. However, Deebo Samuel was dreadful to end the season. Since Week 11 (the last seven weeks of the season), Samuel finished with double-digit fantasy points one time (Week 16 – 25.1 fantasy points: WR 5).
Ricky Pearsall did flash at times throughout the season (17.3 fantasy points in Week 10, 28.7 fantasy points in Week 17). Unfortunately, Pearsall didn’t get on the field sooner because of the injury (gunshot), but we do know the 49ers are going to have to make some tough decisions here very soon because Brock Purdy is now eligible for a contract extension, and some of their stars are getting older.
For example, there were rumors surrounding Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk being available for trade during the offseason and even leading into the regular season. Jennings is only under contract for one more season, and we know McCaffrey has been dealing with a lingering calf/leg injury. As I mentioned at the top, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 49ers. However, there isn’t any uncertainty surrounding Pearsall who was drafted in the first round in 2024 and will be under contract through 2027, with a club option for 2028.
Currently, Pearsall is player No. 100 on Keep Trade Cut’s Dynasty Superflex Rankings (WR 39 overall). That puts him near Michael Pittman, Alvin Kamara, Courtland Sutton, and Khalil Shakir according to KTC’s rankings. It also puts him close in value to a 2025 mid-second-round rookie pick. I would see if I could trade a mid to late second-round rookie pick to acquire Pearsall.
Rashid Shaheed
Before Rashid Shaheed suffered an injury, he was on a torrid pace in fantasy football. During the first five weeks of the season, Shaheed finished all but one of those weeks with at least 16 fantasy points. Clearly, the Saints figured out how to unlock Shaheed as a deep play threat. In fact, Shaheed ranked No. 1 amongst wide receivers in air yards share (50.3 percent), No. 4 in ADOT (17.6), and No. 35 amongst wide receivers in deep targets (16) even though he played in just six games.
The Saints will have a new head coach in 2025, but the quarterback should remain the same. Meaning, there should still be continuity amongst the quarterback and wide receivers and Shaheed will be under contract in 2025. Currently, Shaheed is the player No. 137 overall and the WR 52 overall. This puts him right next to Romeo Doubs and Jake Ferguson. I would have no problem trading either one of those players for Shaheed. There is also a world where Shaheed is an afterthought as we get closer to rookie drafts, and an early third-round rookie pick gets the job done in a trade.
Calvin Ridley
Ridley signed a 4 year 92-million-dollar deal in the 2024 offseason to be the primary wide receiver in Tennessee. And on the surface, it would appear as though Ridley had a rather disappointing fantasy season. He finished as the WR 28 overall and the WR 36 in fantasy points per game. However, it is undeniable that Ridley suffered through some of the worst quarterback play of any wide receiver in football. Ridley ranked No. 94 amongst wide receivers in catchable target rate.
Some other metrics would point to the fact that Ridley should have had a much better 2024 season. Number one is, Ridley ranked No. 1 amongst wide receivers in air yards. As you might guess, Ridley also ranked No. 1 amongst wide receivers in Unrealized Air Yards in 2024. These two stats suggest there could have been a lot more production for Calvin Ridley if he saw more catchable targets down the field.
Ridley is going to be either the top receiving option in Tennessee next season, or one of the top options. And this isn’t necessarily a deep free agent or draft class at the wide receiver position. The Titans have also secured the No. 1 overall pick. This likely means Ridley will be playing with either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward next season. Either one of those options has a lot more upside than either Will Levis or Mason Rudolph had this season.
Ridley is 30 years old, so there is a chance that Father Time catches up to him, but for win-now teams there is a lot of value in adding Ridley this offseason. Currently, Ridley is ranked as the player No. 157 overall and the WR 56 overall according to KTC. He is closely ranked with players such as Jalen Coker, Christian Watson, Cedric Tillman, Jaylen Wright, and Rashod Bateman. In terms of rookie draft capital, Ridley is being valued close to a 2027 mid-2nd round pick, but my guess is he can be had for an early 2025 3rd-round rookie pick.
Marquise Brown
Let’s end with a fun one. Marquise Brown was signed by the Chiefs in the offseason to be one of the primary receiving options. The problem was he missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Since returning, the Chiefs have very clearly eased him back into a regular role within the offense. And while he didn’t necessarily score fantasy points, Brown did command targets. In Week 16, the Chiefs targeted Brown eight times, and in Week 17, Brown was targeted seven times.
Brown will be an interesting case study. Can a 27-year-old wide receiver coming off an upper-body injury return to form in 2025? Well, a lot will depend on what team he is playing for. But here is what I do like about Brown’s situation. The injury wasn’t to his knee or his foot, it was a shoulder injury. Brown also doesn’t have a terrible history when it comes to injuries. There are no torn ACLs or Achilles injuries on his record. There is also a strong likelihood, barring a playoff breakout, that Brown returns to the Chiefs on a team-friendly deal. This would leave Brown, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy as the team’s top three wideouts, and if that happens, then Brown would be an absolute steal as a Dynasty asset for 2025.
The problem, of course, is we don’t know any of this for certain. The best we can do is look into the tea leaves to project and see what his situation might look like. But the best part of all of this is the price of acquiring Brown in Dynasty. Currently, he is ranked as player No. 169 overall and WR 64 overall. He’s ranked near Amari Cooper, Cole Kmet, and Wan’Dale Robinson. I would very easily trade any of those players for Brown in Dynasty right now.
Conclusion
When it comes to dynasty trades, some of the best moves are often the hardest to make. Staying one step ahead of the competition is important, and sometimes that means making moves that others will disagree with. That’s okay. Different people have different opinions about player values.
While it is true that not every trade will work out, if you win more than you lose, chances are your Dynasty team will be successful in the long run. Stay tuned for more advice, and feel free to DM me any questions you may have on X. See the handle at the bottom of the page. Until next time, happy trading, and best of luck to your dynasty teams this season!
Subscribe to Seth’s YouTube Channel – (1042) Seth Diewold – YouTube
Check out Seth’s Articles on PlayerProfiler – Content Editor | Seth Diewold Bio, Highlights and Article History
