Each week of the NFL season I will highlight risers and fallers in dynasty leagues — one player to trade for, one to trade away, one to add and one to drop.
Dynasty Risers
Trade for: Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Gordon suffered a knee injury that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the fantasy football season. He’s the RB5 on the season despite missing Week 7, and only Todd Gurley has more RB1 games than the Chargers back.
Needless to say, this has been a highly successful season for Gordon, up to this point.
Buying Gordon in dynasty leagues won’t be an easy task considering he’s only 25 years old and is one of the few every-down backs in the league. His current dynasty ADP of 10th overall is the highest of his career, which is a sign that his value has reached a peak.
But considering his strong play so far this season, there’s a strong possibility that whichever team in your league currently has Gordon is also a title contender. That’s something you can take advantage of.
Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Melvin Gordon
Offering whoever has Gordon on their roster a currently productive back who can replace Gordon for a potential deep playoff run would be attractive, but don’t get too greedy. This type of deal would likely require a player like Nick Chubb or Aaron Jones, along with a high draft pick. If the situation is right, those are the types of offers that could pry Gordon away and benefit both teams.
Add: Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Let’s stick with the Chargers! With Gordon tabbed as week-to-week with an MCL injury, it’s imperative that fantasy owners replace that production as best as possible. If a trade is not feasible — either due to rising costs or to a long-passed trade deadline — contenders will have to hit the waiver wire.
The player next in line for a heavy workload is Austin Ekeler. Considering he’s the RB22 on the season with many productive weeks on his resume, it’s very unlikely Ekeler is available for free. The next target would be Jackson.
The former Northwestern back has seen action in just four games this season but was quite effective in Week 12. With Gordon out of the lineup and the Chargers resting starters late in the game, Jackson totaled 57 yards on only seven carries against the Cardinals.
While Ekeler has been quite effective, especially as a pass-catcher, he hasn’t shown an ability to work as an every-down back. His career-high is just 12 carries and he’s exceeded double-digit totes just three times. The fourth could come soon, but we should also expect Jackson to be worked into the rotation.
Dynasty Fallers
Trade away: Josh Adams, RB, Philadelphia Eagles & Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The fantasy football world has been abuzz over a pair of undrafted rookie running backs who have quickly ascended their respective depth charts. While their paths have been quite different, the current landing spot of Adams and Edwards is very similar.
Adams, a Notre Dame product, was surprisingly bypassed in the draft before be was scooped up by the Eagles. An injury to Jay Ajayi and poor performances from Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement gave Adams the chance he needed. Meanwhile, the unknown Edwards seemingly came out of nowhere in Week 11 to claim the lead role in the Ravens’ backfield, leapfrogging Alex Collins, Javorius Allen and Ty Montgomery in a single game.
Both of these players have been impressive in their limited action as lead backs, but I have major questions about their long-term viability.
Part of that comes from their lack of draft capital. Going undrafted is not always a sign of what to expect from a players’ stat line, but at the very least, those players lack the insulation present with players like Ronald Jones and Rashaad Penny.
Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK. Pictured: Josh Adams
My main worry with this duo is the lack of pass-catching chops. Edwards has one lone target in five games. And with Allen and Montgomery around, that’s unlikely to change. Adams has seven opportunities in the passing game, with six of those coming in one game. This lack of involvement in the passing game leaves these backs to rely on 100-yard games and touchdowns; those are the exact situations I avoid when building teams.
If I were fortunate enough to acquire either of these rookies from the waiver wire, I’m looking to make the quick flip by taking any second-round rookie pick for each running back.
Drop: Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 12 brought us another dreadful performance from Bortles. The veteran quarterback finished with 127 passing yards and a garbage-time touchdown. He needed that late drive to even break the 100-yard mark.
Following the game — the Jaguars’ seventh straight loss — the team fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett then announced Bortles had been benched in favor of journeyman QB Cody Kessler. Obviously the Jaguars don’t view Kessler as the long-term answer, and with a 3-8 record, the Jags are just trying to play out the disappointing season.
Despite some exciting season-long finishes early in his career — resulting from numerous garbage-time situations — Bortles has been an inconsistent and untrustworthy fantasy option throughout his career. Assuming this is the beginning of the end of his career in Jacksonville, Bortles’ future is up for debate. He could land with another team, but that’s no sure thing.
Outside of superflex or 2QB leagues, it’s time to send Bortles to the waiver wire.
Pictured: Gus Edwards
Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
