If you are rebuilding your dynasty team, you want to trade away any players likely to see their value drop substantially before you are ready to contend. Given that running backs have the shortest average career length of any skill position, it is the first position you should consider when trading away players. It is often easiest to rebuild your roster with younger talent at quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end first. You may stash some younger running backs during the rebuilding process, but only after you have enough pieces to switch your focus to contention should you genuinely focus on building at the running back position.
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While you should consider trading any of your valuable non-rookie backs if you are in rebuild mode, you should be extremely aggressive in trying to trade any older running backs with significant value in the current season. You should also consider moving younger backs if you are not entirely sold on their having long-term staying power in their current role. In this article, we will highlight four of those backs. Each has a Dynasty Startup ADP of 64 or earlier, so you should be able to turn any of these players into valuable assets to help you jumpstart your rebuild.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay
Typically, a third-year running back would be a player you could consider building around longer term in your dynasty league, even if you are rebuilding. However, several factors make White a player you should be looking to trade away. First, White is older than the typical third-year running back. He will turn 26 in January. Second, running backs are expected to lose a high percentage of their trade value during their third NFL season. Last month, I wrote about the concept of Burn Rate in Dynasty. Third-year running backs saw their trade values drop 29.7% when comparing 2023 and 2024 startup values. Third, White is a risky dynasty asset because he needs to maintain heavy usage as a receiver to come anywhere near replicating his strong 2023 fantasy performance. He has averaged 3.7 yards per carry and scored a touchdown on 1.7% of his career carries. The one area in which he excelled was as a pass catcher. However, his usage there may dip with former offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who is now in Carolina. New offensive coordinator Liam Cohen was involved in drafting rookie Bucky Irving, known for his receiving skills. If Irving eats into White's usage as a pass catcher, White could see his fantasy production and dynasty trade value take a severe hit. The time to move him is now, especially for rebuilding teams.
#Bucs RB Bucky Irving continues to look like the real deal as a runner and receiver. He will have a more significant role than most think this year as RB2.
— PewterReport ??? (@PewterReport) August 3, 2024
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans
Kamara should be in line for another productive fantasy season in 2024. However, if you are rebuilding, that does not help you. You are focused on 2025 and beyond. Kamara is a major question mark after this season. It would cost the Saints $24.9M to keep Kamara on the roster in 2025. That will not happen. Kamara will be a 30-year-old free agent back. There is no guarantee he will land on his feet. Given that well over half of his dynasty value is based upon what he is expected to produce in 2024, Kamara belongs on the roster of a contender.
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