Week 1 is finally here! Fantasy footballers rejoice! We’ve already seen two good games before Sunday’s slate. Let’s hope the rest of the opening weekend is as good as the Eagles vs. Cowboys and Chargers vs. Chiefs games. If you’re looking for an edge or some guidance on the best dynasty fantasy football trade to make before the majority of Week 1 kicks off, I’ve got you covered.
I’ve highlighted five players I think you should buy, sell, or hold, depending on your roster build. Check them out below — and go make some deals.
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Dynasty Fantasy Football Trades To Make Week 1
Buy: RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Have we learned nothing from the past? In 2023, De’Von Achane opened the season buried below Salvon Ahmed on the Dolphins’ depth chart. Bijan Robinson was technically behind Cordarrelle Patterson in Atlanta. Just last year, Tyrone Tracy Jr. sat behind Eric Gray in the Giants’ running back room.
Like Steve Rogers said, “I can do this all day.”
Right now, the Patriots have TreVeyon Henderson listed as their RB3 after Antonio Gibson, and no one’s losing sleep over it. Yet somehow, there’s panic in the streets because Kaleb Johnson is the RB3 on the Steelers’ depth chart behind Kenneth Gainwell. Really?
Let’s get real for a second. Gainwell had four full seasons behind Philadelphia’s elite offensive line and produced a pedestrian 4.2 yards per carry with just 12 total touchdowns. Fantasy managers are actually worried Johnson can’t beat that out for early-down work? Come on. Gainwell is a change-of-pace guy who’s going to get a couple of touches per game. Nothing more.
The actual competition for Johnson is Jaylen Warren, who just signed a two-year extension. Warren is a solid, efficient runner with a career 4.8 YPC. But he’s never been a workhorse, averaging only 7.2 carries per game. Even if he creeps up to 10 carries per game, most of his value comes through the air, where he’s hauled in 127 receptions over three seasons.
And those catches matter because he simply doesn’t score: just six total touchdowns in 48 career games. Yikes.
Kaleb Johnson‘s Advanced Metrics
I like Warren as a complementary piece, but make no mistake — Kaleb Johnson is the guy the Steelers hand-picked to replace Najee Harris. They didn’t have a second-round pick due to shipping it out for DK Metcalf, so Johnson was their second-highest draft capital investment, going in Round 3.
Johnson isn’t a burner; his game is power and physicality. With his upright running style, he thrived in Iowa’s one-cut scheme in 2024, bulldozing defenses for 1,537 yards and 21 TDs. Johnson ranked No. 2 in breakaway yards (861), No. 4 in yards after contact (1,060), and forced 66 missed tackles. And he did all that without fumbling the football once.
If managers in your dynasty league are spooked by a meaningless preseason depth chart, now’s the time to strike. See if you can buy him for a single second-round pick. If a contender has him, maybe they’d rather have a win-now veteran like Stefon Diggs or Darnell Mooney plus a third.
Don’t go sending a first for him during this buy-low window, but if you can scoop Johnson up at a discount, you could be landing a future workhorse before his price spikes.
Sell: WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
The hype surrounding the Detroit Lions’ offense reached a fever pitch this offseason. Apparently, we’re about to see:
- Another top-three season from RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- A third consecutive double-digit TD season from RB David Montgomery
- A bounce back from TE Sam LaPorta now that he’s fully healthy
- Rookie Isaac TeSlaa emerging as a late-round sleeper
In fact, the only member of this offense the fantasy community is down on for some reason is two-time All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished as the WR3 overall in back-to-back seasons. I guess we’ve just grown bored of him casually putting up 110+ catches, 1,200+ yards, and 10+ TDs every season.
Enter Jameson Williams.
Jameson Williams‘ Advanced Metrics
On top of all those other predictions, the loudest narrative being pushed right now is that Williams is set to take a massive leap forward, outproduce St. Brown, and ascend to WR1 status in 2025.
“You sure about that?!?”
Look, Williams had a solid 2024 season. He posted 1,001 yards on only 58 receptions and averaged 14.2 PPR PPG, good for WR23. But the underlying usage wasn’t great. He ranked just:
- 34rd in snap share
- 36th in routes run
- 39th in red zone targets
- 42nd in first-read targets
- 44th in Dominator Rating
He had just 91 total targets and a middling 18.9% target share. His fantasy finish was fueled by efficiency and splash plays, not volume. To match what St. Brown has been doing for three straight seasons, Williams would need to earn three-plus additional targets per game — and there’s zero guarantee that happens just because Ben Johnson left town.
In fact, Johnson’s absence doesn’t bode well for this offense staying atop the mountain. Last year, the Lions scored the fourth-most points in NFL history and racked up a staggering 68 offensive touchdowns. It’s hard to imagine that kind of production holding steady, especially with new offensive coordinator John Morton now calling plays. Morton’s only been an NFL play-caller once — back in 2017 with the Jets — and he was fired after just one season. Fewer TDs means fewer fantasy points. Pretty simple.
And don’t forget Williams’ baggage: a 2023 gambling suspension, a 2024 PED suspension, and a torn ACL coming into the league. He’s a risky asset with that résumé.
Add it all up, and I’m not buying the WR1 hopium. If someone in your league is and is willing to pay WR1 prices, you should be selling. Currently on KeepTradeCut (KTC), players valued just below Williams include Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, Bryce Young, Matthew Golden, and George Pickens.
I’d take any of them over Williams. If you can flip him for one of those players, or a future first and a second, do it, before the efficiency regression and offensive shake-up ding his value.
Hold: Young Backup Quarterbacks
Specifically, I’m thinking Anthony Richardson, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders. Right now, the dynasty value for these guys is down in the dumps. But that could change in a hurry.
Take Richardson. He lost the starting job to Daniel Jones, but we’ve seen five years of Jones and his mediocrity. His best season since his 2019 rookie year? Just 3,205 passing yards and 15 TDs. He’s not the long-term answer for the Colts — or anyone else, for that matter.
Anthony Richardson‘s Advanced Metrics
There’s a very good chance Richardson starts games this year for the Colts, or for another team, as there have been rumors of them exploring a trade. Still only 23 years old, Richardson’s athletic profile is off the charts — he was literally the most athletic QB in NFL Combine history. When he does get his chance again, his rushing upside alone will get managers excited once more.
Then there’s Shough, whom the Saints just took 40th-overall. He’ll turn 26 later this month, so he’s old as dirt for a rookie, but new head coach Kellen Moore picked him that early for a reason. He must’ve liked what he saw.
Tyler Shough‘s Advanced Metrics
Spencer Rattler is the starter for now, but how long is that really going to last? The Saints project to be a bottom-tier team, and Rattler’s rookie year wasn’t exactly inspiring: He posted a 57-percent completion rate, four touchdowns, and five interceptions across six starts. If the losses pile up, Shough will get his shot.
And that brings us to Sanders. I mentioned Steve Rodgers earlier — the old man version of him at the end of Avengers: Endgame is currently starting for the Browns. Joe Flacco was a fun story a couple of years ago, but at 40 years old, he’s clearly not the future in Cleveland. Once the team inevitably starts losing, they’ll make a change.
As of now, Dillon Gabriel is the Browns’ QB2, but he profiles more as a long-term backup at the pro level, mainly due to his stature. Kyler Murray looks down on him. Gabriel will eventually get a couple of starts, but I think his starting reign will be … short.
Sanders will get his chance to audition for the 2026 starting role, likely towards the end of the season when the fans are clamoring for him.
The point is, all of these players are likely to be starting games in 2025. Hold until that happens. Their time as “the guys” could be limited, so use that window to get out from under them if you don’t believe in their long-term outlook.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
