Welcome to the dynasty trading post, where optimizing strategy, roster construction, format, and player value oscillations are examined weekly with examples and completed dynasty trades.

This week, we'll focus on the running back position for contending and pretending (aka teams not contending) dynasty teams.

All trades are Superflex unless stated otherwise

Contending Teams

RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore

Derrick Henry is the RB2 in PPG over the opening six weeks. The blend with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore has been ideal for unlocking his elite upside. While Henry will be 31 years old in January, Henry has shown no decline this season to suggest an age cliff is coming this year or potentially in 2025. Buying older running backs is inherently risky, but selecting those with elite situations and ceilings is the safest venture of the subset to potentially push a contender to a championship. 

• Henry for Chase Brown, Tank Bigsby
• Henry, Davante Adams for James Cook, Jameson Williams
• Henry for Tank Bigsby, 2nd, 3rd

Ideally, do not include a future 1st in a trade for Henry in Superflex. As a strong contender, a late 1st is palatable in 1QB formats. Adding to Tank Bigsby (or other flashing young running backs) is the backbone to a winning trade for a contender. Think Tank Bigsby, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Ray Davis, or others of the ilk.

RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina

Chuba Hubbard is RB11 in PPG on the season and RB6 since a Week 1 dud game with Bryce Young under center. Hubbard is a very affordable contending addition for running back as most assume rookie Jonathon Brooks will seize the starting job in the coming weeks. Holes in that idea include: Chuba Hubbard is a legit profile and playing well, Brooks is returning from a significant injury, and Carolina is going nowhere this season and would be prudent to slow-play their Round 2 pick into the mix as 2025 is the next meaningful game for the franchise.

• Hubbard for Keenan Allen
• Hubbard for 2nd
• Hubbard for Gabe Davis, 3rd
• Hubbard, 1st for Davante Adams, 3rd

If strong at wide receiver, the above are quality pivots to supplement running back with Hubbard. Like Derrick Henry, avoiding including a 1st for a contending addition at running back is preferred. Start with a 3rd and an ancillary player (Gabe Davis or slightly higher) and circle back to giving a 2nd if needed, assuming it projects as a later 2nd.

Pretending Teams

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina

Jonathon Brooks is an easy-button answer to the perfect non-contending running back target. Brooks is ideally young (21.2 years old for Week 1), likely unproductive in the coming weeks to aid pretenders' draft position, and set up for an insulated offseason and Week 1 starting perch in 2025. If Brooks is on a contending team, offering production to secure Brooks is a win-win scenario.

• Brooks for Diontae Johnson, 2nd
• Brooks, 1st for Kyren Williams
• Brooks, 1st, 2nd for Saquon Barkley
• Brooks for Devin Singletary, Amari Cooper, 2nd

Arbitraging at running back to gain future capital (like a 1st in the Williams and Barkley recent trades) is an excellent way to insulate with two ways to win the trade, with Brooks being more valuable than Williams or Barkley by 2025 or the future 1st, making the deal slanted because the running backs are a wash or the veterans won in the short term. Offering bridge players (like Singletary and Cooper) with non-1st picks is an ideal consolidation for a pretending team.

RB Trey Benson, Arizona

Yet to play much, Benson is mostly a bet on being the Week 1 starter in 2025 for Arizona. Benson has been the RB3 in the early-season rotation with Emari Demercado functioning as the primary backup to James Conner and dominating passing game work. Benson has largely been out-of-sight and out-of-mind. The hope is Benson is accessible from a contending roster to shift from a non-producing player to a productive one.

• Benson for Andy Dalton, Kareem Hunt
• Benson, KenDre Miller for Braelon Allen
• Benson for Allen Lazard
• Benson, 1st, 3rd for Derrick Henry

Check out all of Chad Parsons' content at Footballguys.