The dynasty trade deadline begins in some leagues as early as the Week 12 kickoff, roughly two weeks away. The key window is upon dynasty teams to explore team direction-specific trades, whether in or out for the 2024 season. Reference New Reality 219, which breaks down how to assess your team strength beyond a win-low record. Also, hedge on the side of contending. With five weeks to go in the regular season for most dynasty leagues, even being out of the sixth spot (typical playoff cut-off) by two games offers a legitimate chance to make a run. Be realistic but optimistic.

Also, something Jordan McNamara and I discussed frequently on the Footballguys Dynasty Show in the past was the big difference between not contending this season and still maintaining a focus on contending the following season. Making a trade tilted for the future beyond the current season is different than gutting a team and creating a steeper uphill climb to compete the following year.

Here are suggested target players, at each position, by team direction with their likely cost:

Contending Teams

The biggest pieces of advice for contending team trades are:

Make a dynasty trade. Carefully select player profiles that are durable beyond 2024, ideally aiding your title journey for multiple seasons. Generally, older productive players are the ideal subset as their price is a fraction of their younger peers who are similarly productive due to age erosion in the trade market.

Older running backs are typically some of the more treacherous acquisitions if paying a premium, which is why the suggested roster-building methodology includes strongly using the waiver wire, plus drafting them in rookie drafts, preventing the need to trade for the position.

If trading away a future pick (as a contender), include 2025 picks instead of 2026. The phrase that applies here is "control the controllable." The known is you are a contender this year - the biggest factor to where those 2025 picks reside within the round. The 2026 picks are unknown, especially relative to the data points known for 2025 picks. Being nine weeks into this season is a significant advantage to projecting pick ranges compared to a null set of data yet known from the 2025 season.

QB Geno Smith, Seattle

Smith has been a regular recommendation for contending team acquisition for the past two or three years. His dynasty trade cost has always been tempered since becoming Seattle's starter, and his performance has been rock-solid from an underlying metrics perspective. A key number to track quarterback level in their career is the ratio of big-time throws to turnover-worthy plays. Anything above 1.0 is above the NFL average, and above 1.5 is a strong NFL quarterback. Geno Smith was 1.52 last season and 1.80 through Week 9 this season. The weapons are sound in Seattle, even if they lose Tyler Lockett in the offseason. Offer a 2nd or 2nd+ for Smith if without Dak Prescott, Anthony Richardson, or just need supplementation at the position.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans

Christian McCaffrey is another veteran option with a shot to boost a fringe playoff team to a title this season. Kamara has a free run of the depth chart in New Orleans, and they are No. 1 in HLO score (high-leverage opportunities) for the position this season. If on a non-contender, offer a future 2nd for Kamara or an ancillary wide receiver like Jordan Addison or (highest end) Jameson Williams as win-win trade construction for Kamara to outline successful deals this week.

WR Nico Collins, Houston

Like Rashee Rice, Collins not only built upon his breakout 2023 season but improved upon it in the early weeks of 2024. A hamstring injury has kept Collins out of the time, and Houston has downturned on offense as a result, even before Stefon Diggs sustained an injury. Collins will return within a week or two to a vacated depth chart and an opportunity to be the overall WR1 for the rest of the season. Yet, there is a market discount on Collins both as a current season and long-term asset present. As a contender, offering your late 1st and 2nd for Collins has been a regularly accepted deal this week, in addition to a deal like Jonathan Taylor, Cedric Tillman, 2nd for Collins.

TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City

Death, taxes, and Travis Kelce producing at an elite level. Since his first three weeks of the season (aka warm up), Kelce is TE2 in PPG with four of five games above 15 points. In short, Kelce is making a difference at a position where few offer such a luxury. There are retirement concerns for Kelce in the offseason, but his cost is palatable if he ends up retiring and a printing machine if Kelce plays for even one more season. Kelce for Ja'Lynn Polk, 2nd was a market trade this week in stock PPR. Even with a light premium, offering a 2nd+ is more than fair by the recent market.

Non-Contending Teams

Injured players, 2025 free agents, and quality profiles in a current production slump are common profiles to target once they fall out of the 2024 playoff race. The goal is to contend in 2025 by resculpting a dynasty roster, not stripping a team from projected 2025 production as well.

It can be easy to focus solely on future rookie picks, especially Round 1 selections, as a non-contending team in the dynasty trade market. However, there can be significant variance from league to league on the accessibility of these selections. Know and explore your specific league market. In some, Round 1 picks are held with a vice grip and rarely traded for anything but a gold standard premium. Those same leagues might freely give up 2nds and beyond. If focusing on building your roster of assets through the best values, be open to picks and player profiles if picks are held tightly.

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas

An injury to a productive and insulated profile is an easy pathway to acquiring more core assets over time. Prescott's Week 9 injury and injured reserve placement could be a havoc-wreaking absence for contending teams. As a non-contender (or a contender with quarterback depth), sending offers for Prescott this week while the wound is fresh is optimal. Offering Kirk Cousins within the radius of straight up is an ideal presentation with production now for getting significantly younger with Prescott and pushing production to 2025 and beyond. A surprising deal in the market this week was Bo Nix, 3rd for Dak Prescott, 1st. Even if the plus is softer than a 1st, This exploits the need for production now for a much longer trajectory with Prescott considering his age and proven profile. 

RB Trey Benson, Arizona

Benson's early Round 3 and workhorse profile are ideal for making a dynasty trading bet that Benson has strong odds of being Arizona's Week 1 starter in 2025. Benson finally started to play more in Week 9, so the window may be closing to acquire Benson from a contender with another flash play or two. Ideal recent deals for Benson include Chuba Hubbard, 4th for Trey Benson, 2nd and Diontae Johnson for Trey Benson. Offering 1-2 running backs or bridge wide receivers for Benson is a win-win construction as a non-contender in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City

Rice built on a breakout 2023 season with a massive start to 2024 before his season-ending injury. Rice's combination of 3.16 yards per route run and 32% target per route run this season was a rarified air duo of usage and efficiency. Rice is still among the most traded dynasty assets this week, likely due to contending teams finally needing to supplement their roster and using Rice as leverage. Non-contending teams should be aggressive in sending production in return for Rice and the profile security for 2025 and beyond. Drake Maye for Dak Prescott, Rashee Rice is one example deal of sending production for non-production. DK Metcalf for Rice, 1st is an ideal construction to 'solve' wide receiver for the other roster and crush long-term value in return.

TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore

After the near-invisible opening month of the season where Andrews mired in the TE30s, he rebounded through a string of touchdowns before another down game in Week 9. Overall, Andrews is TE18 on the season and tough to trust due to low routes per game and now the addition of Diontae Johnson. Andrews is one of the three pinnacle profiles among active tight ends (Travis Kelce, George Kittle) with long-standing production and efficiency. Andrews is an ideal profile bet for 2025 and beyond. Deals this week include:

• Ken Walker III for Mark Andrews, 1st (1.5 PPR TE)
• Quentin Johnston, Christian Kirk for Jameis Winston, Mark Andrews (1.5 PPR TE)
• Jaylen Waddle for Dontayvion Wicks, Mark Andrews (1.5 PPR TE)

Check out all of Chad Parsons' content at Footballguys.