Players To Trade For In Dynasty Fantasy Football Ahead Of Week 9

Is it just me, or does each NFL/fantasy football season seem to go by quicker as the years go by? Let's not forget to enjoy it because the weeks and seasons do go by in a hurry. That's my sentimental thought for the week. Let's get to some names you'll want to keep an eye on in your various dynasty leagues.

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets For Week 9

Dylan Sampson, RB - Browns

Second-year RB Dylan Sampson made his season debut in Week 7 and now has two games under his belt in Year 2. Over those two games, Sampson has immediately made an impact as a receiving specialist in a backfield that's predominantly been led by Quinshon Judkins.

In his two games, Sampson has tallied 11 targets, 9 receptions, and 94 receiving yards.

That's not nothing, and it certainly makes him a viable weapon for the Browns' passing attack. Speaking of the Browns offense, it's been surprisingly fruitful for fantasy purposes. While Deshaun Watson hasn't thrown a TD pass in three weeks, he has topped 300 passing yards in consecutive games.

Fantasy managers don't need Sampson to score TDs to return value. He's the ideal flex candidate or bye-week replacement now that we're into the thick of bye weeks.

As for Judkins, the incumbent, he hasn't been all that productive either. In seven games, he's averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry across over 100 rushing attempts. His durability and consistent volume have kept him mildly relevant, but he has yet to top 10+ PPR without scoring a TD.

Now that he's worked his way back into game shape a bit, there's a real opportunity for Sampson to continue carving out a larger role in the weeks ahead. He's still only 22 years old, which makes him an ideal dynasty stash.

Mike Washington Jr., WR - Raiders

Ashton Jeanty managers need to look away.

The Raiders won this weekend, and Jeanty, the 6th overall draft pick, has two rushing attempts.

Mike Washington, the fourth-round pick, carried the ball 25 times.

To say this season has been disappointing for Jeanty managers would be putting it lightly, but I'm not sure how many people realize that it's been historically bad. Check out this banger:

It's a historic workload decline for Ashton Jeanty

No RB in NFL history has started a season with a longer streak of declining/even rush attempt totals after 10+ rush attempts in the season opener

His rush att by game:

To be fair, it hasn't been all doom and gloom for Jeanty. His robust receiving workload has kept his fantasy value afloat. As of this writing, Jeanty leads all RBs in receiving yards (376).

Even so, there's no ignoring Washington's workload, and he's a high-end handcuff / stand alone flex player in all formats. The Raiders offense, specifically Kirk Cousins, is clicking right now. Cousins (19) is second only to Joe Burrow (20) in passing TDs.

We don't have to make it make sense. We just need to ensure we roster Washington everywhere and make moves to acquire him if possible.

Jordan Addison, WR - Vikings

I don't know if Kyler Murray will be anything more than a bridge QB for the Minnesota Vikings or if he'll eventually resurrect his career and become a franchise player once again. Regardless, I do want more exposure to Jordan Addison no matter who the QB is.

Yes, the passing game funnels through Justin Jefferson and that will always be so, but at just 24-years old and already in his fourth season, Addison offers a unique blend of floor/upside that dynasty managers should be paying attention to.

I do believe it's well within the realm of possibility that the Vikings turn the ball over to Carson Wentz at some point this season. I also believe the Vikings are in a prime spot to be in the market for an RB like Jonathan Taylor. If that happens, and this defense continues to play at the elite level we've seen this season, Wentz offers more stability and drive-sustaining capability than Murray does at this juncture.

We've seen Kevin O'Connell bring out the absolute best in a range of QBs throughout his coaching career, but Murray might be at his limit to carry a team deep into the playoffs. It would be another waste of a season not to see what could happen for the Vikings, and Addison is primed to be a key contributor for this team both this season and in the seasons to come.

Eli Raridon, TE - Patriots

Finishing up with a rookie TE, the Patriots selected Eli Raridon in the third round this spring. He came in as the TE6 in our Rookie TE Model and has slowly grown into a larger role in this passing attack.

Both A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, the top-projected weapons in this offense heading into this season, have either spent time on or are currently on Injured Reserve. Even veteran TE Hunter Henry went down with a foot injury this past weekend, so we'll have to monitor his status moving forward.

As for Raridon, he's had 4+ targets in three of his last four games. That doesn't sound like a lot for a depth, rookie TE, but after a disastrous start to the season, Drake Maye and this Patriots offense have started to look more like how we thought they would this season.

Raridon is not someone I would anticipate starting anytime soon, unless you are truly desperate and are chasing TD-upside. However, he's a worthy stash in deeper dynasty fantasy football formats as he continues to learn and grow into his role this season.