Players To Trade For In Dynasty Fantasy Football: Dameon Pierce & More
Dynasty

Players To Trade For In Dynasty Fantasy Football: Dameon Pierce & More

Sam Wallace breaks down four different RBs to consider trading for in your dynasty fantasy football leagues.

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Last week, I brought you a slew of young wideouts that I believed were ready to take the next step. This week, it's all about RBs. We are far enough into the season that roles are clearly defined. At the same time, that means we have a clear sense of the top-end backups/handcuffs that dynasty managers should be aware of for both this season and for the seasons to come.

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Dynasty Trade Targets For Week 8

Seth McGowan, RB - Colts

I had a few questions about Seth McGowan last week, and I addressed him in my latest fantasy football mailbag column. The circulating trade rumors of Jonathan Taylor, among others (more on that below), have naturally led to additional conversations about the "next man up" in the Colts backfield.

As it currently stands, that player is McGowan.

Taylor has been one of the premier running backs in the league since he entered the NFL. If he were to ultimately move on to another franchise, there would be a bellcow-sized hole in the Colts offense.

From Weeks 3-6, McGowan saw between 4 and 6 rushing attempts in each of those four games. Then, in Week 7, he turned 11 rushing attempts into 46 yards. He's also been efficient, averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

Besides Taylor and McGowan, no other RB has earned a carry this season. This is about as clear-cut a situation as you'll find in the league. Even if Taylor doesn't get moved ahead of the trade deadline, it's still smart to roster the obvious handcuff both for this season and in the seasons to come.

Dameon Pierce, RB - Eagles

Speaking of another veteran running back that might be on the move, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles are in a fascinating spot at this juncture. Jalen Hurts is out the remainder of the season, and their RB room has been ravaged by injuries.

As it stands, Dameon Pierce is in line to lead the team on Monday night if Barkley can't go, but it sounds like the veteran is at least trending in the right direction. Regardless, between Barkley (hamstring), Tank Bigsby (IR), and Will Shipley (IR), there isn't a ton to get excited about on the Eagles offense.

While some combination of Barkley / Pierce will likely be called upon in the short term, if we look ahead to next season, it gets a bit more cloudy. Barkley will be 30 years old next year, and there isn't a great long-term replacement option on the roster at the moment. Pierce has the history and production to warrant a short-term, bridge contract to a more viable replacement.

Regardless, Pierce is someone with more short-term, handcuff value as Barkley manages a soft tissue injury. Tread carefully with this offense in the weeks and months ahead.

Jonah Coleman, RB - Broncos

One of the more intriguing running backs/offensive situations to follow this season has been Jonah Coleman and the Denver Broncos.

An early-Day 3 pick, Coleman joined a messy backfield led by some combination of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Dobbins is an aging, injury-riddled veteran, and Harvey is more of a passing-down specialist rather than a true, three-down grinder.

That's what makes Coleman the much more appealing option both for the second half of this season and in the seasons to come. In fact, our own Matthew Berry just had this to say about Coleman:

First game back and Jonah Coleman already led the Broncos backfield in snap share (50%), rush share (41%), and route participation (34%). J.K. Dobbins? 21% of snaps.

I mean, if Berry is in on Coleman, that's all I need.

In all seriousness, the intersection between talent and opportunity is just too obvious at this point. If the Broncos are looking to remain competitive this season and not overly rely on Bo Nix and the passing game, getting Coleman a full workload is going to be important. Coleman is in prime position to take over this backfield both this season and moving forward into the future.

Kaelon Black, RB - 49ers

The clock is ticking on Christian McCaffrey's dynasty value, and Kaelon Black is in a prime spot to see his value absolutely skyrocket should the worst happen.

It's no secret that CMC has dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his career, and he certainly isn't getting any younger. In fact, he even briefly left the field on Sunday due to a thigh injury, but he did manage to return to the game.

Black made the most of his expanded role by posting a 12-63-1 rushing line, which was good for nearly 5.3 yards per carry. Despite being a 25-year-old rookie, Black is in a prime offensive situation to be a league-winner both this season and moving forward should the wheels ultimately fall off CMC.

While it's possible that CMC takes the Derrick Henry approach and continues to defy the age/injury gods for another few seasons, it's just not a smart bet to make in a vacuum. Yes, he takes incredible care of his body to weather the rigors of a full season, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't plan for contingencies, especially when a talented teammate shares the backfield.

While dynasty trade targets can make sense for the future, it's important to not always be looking ahead. It's still important to find ways to maximize your win-now window. If you have CMC on your roster, you should be doing everything you reasonably can to lock down Black's services as soon as you can.

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