In the Crosshairs | Dynasty’s Biggest “Buy High” and “Sell Low” Players in 2026

by Wyatt Bertolone · Featured
dynasty buy high sell low 2026

Sometimes in dynasty fantasy football, it’s important to know that even when paying a high price for a player, it’s still a discount in the end. Occasionally, even though a price seems to be a player’s peak, you’re actually catching them along their ascension. Likewise, there are times when it’s in a manager’s best interest to sell a player while their cost seems to be at rock bottom, because it could always get worse. It can be hard to tell when this is the case, and that’s why I’ve done the work for you.

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Buy ‘Em High or Sell ‘Em Low?

Strike While The Iron is Hot!

Justin Herbert | Quarterback, Chargers

Justin Herbert had a great start to his 2025 season before things fell apart when his offensive line was decimated by injury. For the season, he averaged 18.7 PPG, but had just 14.8 PPG from Week 10 through the end of the season.

This offseason, the Chargers bolstered their offensive line and brought in Mike McDaniel to run the offense. If the offensive line can stay healthy along with McDaniel’s proven system, the potential for Herbert and the offense is as good as any team in the league. 

From looking around the dynasty marketplace, it’s possible to tier down from Caleb Williams, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow to Herbert. If you can send any one of those quarterbacks for him while getting another relevant asset added on, it’s a winning move. Herbert has just as high a ceiling as any of them and, arguably, a better chance of hitting it. Plus, he’s in the prime of his career.

DeVonta Smith | Wide Receiver, Eagles

Before the NFL Draft, I talked about needing to trade for Devonta Smith, and you should still be trying to trade for him now, even at a higher price. Smith is a certifiably great player and is about to be the centerpiece of the Eagles’ passing offense. Even as the WR2 on his team in a lower-volume passing offense, he’s continuously produced. A.J. Brown will be traded, and when he does, Smith’s price will rise even more. 

Once Brown is out of the way, Smith will project to have a good chance of finishing as a WR1 in 2026, and potentially beyond. His value will vary a bit by league, as not everyone is on the train yet, so this will be about finding the right deal. If you can use other wide receivers like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, or Tee Higgins to “tier down” to Smith, you’ll be rewarded.

Chase Brown | Running Back, Bengals

Two years in a row now, Chase Brown has had his doubters, and two years in a row, he’s proven them wrong. The former fifth-round pick has been invalidating naysayers since entering the league, and continues to ascend. After scoring 15.9 PPR PPG in 2024, he got better in 2025 with 16.6. Brown has rounded out into a complete back during his time in the NFL, and plays on one of the best offenses in the NFL. Additionally, the Bengals have continued to show faith in him by making only minimal additions at the position.

Right now, Brown is valued right on the fringe of the top 12 running backs in dynasty. He’ll be expensive, but it comes with a top-5 ceiling. When trying to trade for Brown, I’d want to try to use other running backs whose 2026 outlook doesn’t look as good. De’Von Achane and Breece Hall are good candidates for talented players who could easily have a down season or two, but still have enough value to be able to fetch Brown plus more.

Abandon Ship!

Marvin Harrison Jr. | Wide Receiver, Cardinals

The first two years of Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s career have not gone as planned. His rookie season was… fine, scoring 11.6 PPR PPG, but a disappointment for someone with such a pedigree entering the league. In his second season, he had his moments, but 2025 will be remembered more for Michael Wilson outplaying him and seeing his fantasy scoring fall to 10.7 PPR PPG. Now he may not even be the WR1 on his team anymore.

The best part about this move is that there are still plenty of Harrison Jr. believers left, meaning it shouldn’t be hard to find a trade you like. Right now, he’s still valued as a fringe WR2, meaning you could use him to buy other wide receivers like Zay Flowers, Jaylen Waddle, and Jameson Williams, who project better than him now, and for the future, while being able to add a rookie pick on. These trades are readily available, and you should be jumping at the chance to make them.

Travis Hunter | CB/WR, Jaguars

Travis Hunter‘s rookie season never had a boring moment. The assumption for many — after Hunter was drafted No. 2 overall — was that he would find plenty of success despite playing on defense as well. Instead, he started slowly. But, as he got his feet under him, Hunter started to take on a larger role leading into the Jaguars’ bye, culminating in a breakout game in London.

However, Hunter had season-ending surgery after tearing his LCL in the subsequent week of practice. In his absence, the Jaguars traded for Jakobi Meyers, who thrived in his new home, and Parker Washington blew up at the end of the year. Now Hunter’s situation is muddled. 

To make things worse, reports from the Jaguars this offseason indicate Travis Hunter will focus more on defense this season, which makes sense given their team makeup. He’s not valued that highly anymore, but why hang on when you have no idea when you’ll be able to confidently put him in your lineup? A 2027 2nd round rookie pick would be enough for me to sell Hunter, and you may be able to get even more depending on your league.

Josh Jacobs | Running Back, Packers

We may have seen the first step toward Josh Jacobs‘ eventual fall-off in 2025. He still finished as RB9 in PPR PPG, buoyed by 14 touchdowns, but his efficiency marks dropped. Among running backs, Jacobs was 48th in true yards per carry (per PlayerProfiler), 49th in Expected Points Added, and 21st in yards created per touch. His 2026 should still be fine due to projectable volume; however, how long can we count on that volume if his play takes another step back?

This may be a year early, but I don’t want to get stuck holding the bag with Josh Jacobs. Tier down from Jacobs to Derrick Henry, David Montgomery, or D’Andre Swift. They’re all essentially the same bet, but you could buy the others and get another asset added on instead of holding on to Jacobs. Plus, Jacobs is at the point in his career where buying him back later, if you want to, won’t be hard.


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