The average dynasty fantasy football manager only cares about two things: box scores and the most popular takes circulating on the internet right now. The edge comes from knowing what the “experts” are looking for before they give their sage advice that everyone else in your league just got from the same echo chamber. Usage and efficiency metrics are some of the best measurements to assess and project if/when a player may break out.
Here are three dynasty trade targets I’m buying across my leagues, and I expect their values to jump sooner rather than later.
Dynasty Trade Targets
Eli Raridon, TE, New England Patriots
We’ve been blessed with early breakouts from Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, and Harold Fannin. That’s not typical for the tight end position. Unless they are elite, we typically don’t see a full breakout until around age 25. Eli Raridon isn’t likely to become a top-five tight end, but his value could rise within the next year in dynasty fantasy football. After multiple knee injuries in college, he’s well positioned to capitalize on the situation in the NFL. He’s attached to a great, young quarterback in Drake Maye and has an aging veteran ahead of him on the depth chart.
Hunter Henry is clearly nearing the sunset of his career. While I expect him to be back with the New England Patriots in 2027, it wouldn’t shock me if he reverts to a more rotational or backup tight end role. He turns 32 this December, and his contract speaks volumes.
He was given a two-year contract earlier this year, but his average annual value (AAV) is $8 million. That currently ranks 22nd at the position, which isn’t alpha tight-end money. That’s high-end backup or rotational TE money when compared to the rest of the league. His reception bonuses don’t paint an alpha-level role either, since they trigger between 50 and 65 receptions. They also have a potential out on his contract in 2028.
While Raridon hasn’t crushed it on the box score yet, his analytics suggest promising projections if his role continues to grow. He’s been involved early in his career, maintaining a 67.7% snap share, 68.0% route share, 20.3% Targets Per Route Run, and a 17.0% target share over the last five games. He’s also being targeted downfield, rather than as a cheap check-down merchant, with an average target depth of 7.1 yards over the last three games.
The Takeaway: I’m more interested in Raridon for 2027 than for 2026. While he may never be a top-five dynasty fantasy football tight end, his early involvement is encouraging. The Patriots have plenty of other positions to address this offseason, so Raridon is seeing solid usage for a rookie tight end and is a good upside shot who can be an add-on in your next trade. Hunter Henry was a top-ten tight end with Drake Maye last year and is a top-15 tight end this year. If Raridon can mimic this level of performance, it will be valuable for dynasty fantasy football, especially in tight end premium leagues.
Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos
Pat Bryant, admittedly, wasn’t someone I was ever super high on in dynasty fantasy football. I always thought he was just sort of an OK talent. However, the Broncos desperately need wide receiver production. Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton looks old and washed. Meanwhile, the other veteran wide receiver the Broncos traded a first-round pick for, Jaylen Waddle, has done little for them this year and is currently dealing with a concussion going into their bye.
Pat Bryant isn’t likely to ever become the team’s top wide receiver, but he’s a good player and is probably too low on most people’s dynasty fantasy football radars. In his first game back from injury, Bryant ran 28 routes and caught four of five targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. He outperformed Courtland Sutton on an efficiency basis; Sutton ran more routes and had more targets with a similar stat line.
In his first game back, Bryan had a 68.0% snap share, 74.4% route share, 14.7% target share, and17.2% target share. For reference, he was at a 70% snap rate in Week 3, so he clearly has Sean Payton’s trust in this offense. They didn’t just ease him back in. I expect a fully healthy Bryant to contend for the WR2 role on this offense when Waddle is healthy, which will inherently have solid flex value. It may not be long before that happens, as Sutton is 31 and has a weak back half of his contract.
Sutton signed a nice extension in 2025, as Denver handed him a 4-year, $92M contract. That $23M AAV sounds massive, but it isn’t true WR1 money today. That AAV actually ranks 24th at the position right now. According to Spotrac, they locked in $40M fully guaranteed at signing, which basically covers his 2025 and 2026 compensation. They built a “potential out” in 2027, but swallowing $25.45M in dead cap to save just $3M is a tough pill. In 2028, Denver can cut a 33-year-old Sutton, eat $16.9M in dead money, and save $13M against the cap.
The Takeaway: Pat Bryant isn’t a superstar in hiding, but he can be a viable flex play for you in dynasty. Especially if he overtakes Courtland Sutton’s WR2 role in this offense next to Jaylen Waddle, who should be the WR1 when healthy. In most dynasty circles, he costs less than a second-round rookie pick, so this is again someone you don’t have to go out and directly trade for, but instead can throw in as an add-on as part of a bigger trade to see if he realizes a higher upside role.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints
Jordyn Tyson has been a buy for me pretty much all season long, but I believe the buy window is still open in some leagues. Remember, most managers only pay attention to box scores and what they hear on the internet. They don’t actually do any in-depth analysis. This is where you can gain an edge and strike while people are still hesitating over what to make of Jordyn Tyson’s dynasty fantasy football value.
Tyson had a fumble on his debut, and people will gravitate towards that and the injury-riddled profile, but the talent is undeniable. Market inefficiencies come from uncertainty. Remember when Christian Watson, Christian McCaffrey, Chris Olave, and Joe Burrow were all players people were hesitant to want because they were all “injury-prone,” but now that they are consistently performing, you hardly ever hear anyone bring it up.
His role should continue to grow from his 24.0% snap rate, 26.7% route share, and 15.6% target share. The most impressive stat for him in his debut was his targets-per-route rate, which was 41.7%. If he stays healthy, we could be looking at a young star people will wish they weren’t so afraid to take a shot on. Olave is great, but concussion trauma doesn’t just go away like a broken bone; if he were to suffer another significant one, we could be having a very different conversation around Jordyn Tyson. He has the potential to be a top-15 or better wide receiver for dynasty fantasy football, and he’s currently being valued outside the top-20 at the position.
The Takeaway: Jordyn Tyson came back and had a solid debut, aside from the fumble. If that hadn’t happened, we’d be talking about him very differently. Expect his usage to keep trending up if he stays healthy. He was drafted in the early first round for a reason, and the Saints have to throw the ball a ton to stay in games this year. This may be your last buying opportunity, and I’d look to take advantage. I’d look to move an equally risky dynasty fantasy football player like Rashee Rice for him, since I doubt you’d have to move much, if anything, to make this deal. The Chiefs just traded for Josh Downs, who operates in the same area of the field. Expect the Chiefs to spread the ball around much more than we’d like, and Rice still has no news on a contract extension.
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