The 2021 NFL season provided fantasy football with some surprise IDP performers. Some players seemed to break out, while others reappeared to relevancy after a slight hiatus. What this did, though, was create a value facade for some of these players. Some maintain a high perceived value based on their current situations. Either way, there are players you should jump at the chance to trade away, or disinvest in, to get the best value on return to bulk up your dynasty rosters. It is time to cash in on them before their perceived value drops. Here are some top options to disinvest in for the upcoming 2022 NFL season.
DE/EDGE Robert Quinn, Chicago
2021 Stats: 49 tackles (38 solos), 17 tackles for a loss, 18.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 47 pressures.
Nobody is going to deny that Robert Quinn had an unbelievable 2021 season. He was just a half of a sack short of his career high of 19 that he set back in 2013 and was just eight tackles short of his career-high which he set in that same year. Quinn had a sack conversion rate of 39.5% of his pressures which is a completely unsustainable percentage. Though he had 18.5 sacks in 2021, he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. He has had 8.5 sacks or more in six of his eleven seasons but 6.5 or less in five of his eleven seasons.
Quinn is not getting any younger, either. He turns 33 years old this season and has shown some signs of slowing down. He had a missed tackle rate of 23.1% in 2021, which was the worst mark of his entire career. The Bears also traded away Khalil Mack, the team's premier pass-rusher. With Quinn now as the team's top pass-rusher and the Bears adding little talent to play across from Quinn, opposing lines will be giving Quinn added attention. 2021 was likely Quinn's last all-pro season, and it is time to move on from him. If you have the opportunity to trade Quinn for rookie picks, jump at the opportunity, his value will never be higher.
LB Shaq Thompson, Carolina
2021 Stats: 104 tackles (65 solos), 9 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions, and 12 pressures.
Shaq Thompson has been drafted as a low-end LB1 since he put up 109 tackles and three sacks in 2019 while playing next to Luke Kuechly. Kuechly retired after the 2019 season, vacating an average of 136.5 tackles per season. After the seemingly apparent breakout of Thompson, matched with Kuechly's retirement, Thompson was supposed to become a high-end LB1. The two seasons following Kuechly's departure have been far from high-end LB1 territory. Thompson has failed to eclipse 114 tackles at any point in his career and has averaged only 109 tackles per season since Kuechly retired, which is astonishing considering how many vacated tackles there were on the roster.
His playmaking ability has never really become what it was in college. He has never eclipsed 3.5 sacks, never eclipsed two interceptions, or eclipsed five passes defended in any of his seven seasons. If he has not done it by now, I do not foresee him doing it in the future. Add that the Panthers added Cory Littleton, and Thompson could fall back in line as the team's LB2. Littleton was a top 5 LB in 2018 and 2019. Even though he was highly inefficient with the Raiders, he has shown enough in the past that it makes me worry dearly about Thompson's value. Thompson is consistently banged up as well. Though he has not suffered season-ending injuries, he has missed two games in six of his seven seasons. He is still drafted as a low-end LB1. Cash in on that value and draft his replacement.
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DE/EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Houston
2021 Stats: 33 tackles (23 solos), 9 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, 4 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, and 27 pressures.
This one may be a tough pill to swallow, and this may end up biting me in the backside, but hear me out. Greenard is being pegged as a 2022 breakout by many people after he posted eight sacks in 12 games in 2021. Let's look a little deeper into his breakout, though. Greenard went from an unspectacular rookie to a premier pass-rusher. As a rookie, he had an overall defensive grade of just 51.9 that jumped to 82.9 in year two per Pro Football Focus. His pass rush grade jumped from 62.6 to 89.2. Could he have surpassed his rookie growing pains? Sur.. But I am worried that the grades are unsustainable.
Greenard had a spike from a single sack as a rookie to eight in 12 games in year two. He did this while only creating 27 total pressures. That is a sack conversion rate of 30%, which will be incredibly hard to replicate. He has also shown to be more of a pass-rushing specialist than a three-down player. He only played on 52% of the team's defensive snaps. Greenard only averaged 2.75 tackles per game in his breakout season and has been an incredibly inefficient tackler so far in his career, with 40.3 and 62.8 tackle grades per Pro Football Focus. His run defense grades have not been much better either, grading out at 51.7 and 61.5. Greenard has two years left on his rookie deal and could earn another contract, though it may just be in a specialist role. You should want more of a three-down type player for the hype he has garnered this offseason. Greenard should provide ample return on investment and should at least hit the trade block to field offers.
LB T.J. Edwards, Philadelphia
2021 Stats: 130 tackles (64 solos), 5 tackles for a loss, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pressures.
T.J. Edwards was the best linebacker on an Eagles team in dire need of leadership. Still, he is a player that probably will not reach the heights he reached in 2021 again, and it is time to move him. Edwards signed a cheap ($2,200,000) one-year contract extension, giving him more chance to garner a larger deal. The Eagles may not be the team to give it to him, though. They signed Kyzir White in the off-season to a one-year contract of his own after he had a breakout year with the Chargers. The Eagles also drafted Nakobe Dean, one of the best defensive players in all college football in 2021. If the Eagles had faith that Edwards was the answer, they likely would not have put so much effort and attention into upgrading the position.
Edwards did have a great 2021, providing 130 tackles at a highly efficient rate, receiving an 83.9 tackle grade per Pro Football Focus. Still, of those 130 tackles, less than half (64) were solo tackles. This shows that often he was not the first player to the ball, even though he was in the right position. Edwards has always been an intelligent player but lacked elite athleticism, which both White and Dean provide. Edwards has also shown a lack of playmaking ability, with only three career sacks and two interceptions over 44 games. Edwards is a high-floor but low-ceiling player, and the Eagles are looking for more upside. It is time to move Edwards before his value drops.
Final Thoughts
To stay on top and ahead in your dynasty leagues, you must stay ahead of the curve on players' potential value. All four of these players could have had either peak seasons in 2021 or a bleak future outlook. Being able to trade away and disinvest in these players keeps you ahead of your leaguemates while keeping your dynasty moving in the right direction. Acquire value while trading away value that could trend in the opposite direction. Thank you again for reading my content. Check out all of my articles, rankings, and projections here at Footballguys.com.