The fantasy season just ended, and this is the best time to start sending out trades and putting players on the trading block. Many teams just missed cashing in on a championship and could be a player or two away from being legitimate title contenders. Because of this, these fantasy managers will be looking to trade fantasy assets for established veterans to make another championship run. Now is the time to target assets in the form of young ascending players and draft picks.
Dynasty is playing the long game while also balancing success in the short game. Aging players on your roster are constantly depreciating. Staying on top of the best time to trade them is key. Here are the top IDP players to trade early in the off-season to get the best return on investment without falling victim to player depreciation.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks - Minnesota Vikings
Why He still Holds Value
After dealing with multiple health issues to start his career, Hicks has been surprisingly healthy over the past four seasons. Hicks missed 21 of a potential 64 games during his first four seasons. He has not missed a single game over the last four. I think we can get rid of the injury-prone tag. Hicks is finishing up his fourth consecutive season over 100 tackles, racking up 511 over that span (not including Week 18 of 2022-23).
The play-making ability of Hicks has never been in question, and he continues to produce. This season he is one pass defended short of a career-high (11) while also adding three sacks and his fourth consecutive season with 12 or more pressures. All of this in his year 30 season, which also brings us to my next point.
Why He Should Be Traded
As good as Hicks has been throughout his career, a production decline is almost inevitable. He is 30 years old and has been virtually an every-down player for four seasons now. Needless to say, he has some miles on his body. Hicks has also quietly ceded work to rookie Brian Asamoah over the past four games. Hicks' snap percentage has dropped from 88.83% over the first 12 games to just 64.75% over the last four. Asamoah played just 32 snaps total in the first 12 games. That has jumped to 86 snaps over the past four.
Asamoah is seeing an increased run with Hicks both healthy and on the field. Hicks is also only under contract for the end of the 2023-24 season and has an out after this season. If the Viking choose to cut bait and run with Asamoah, Hicks may be looking at a reduced role elsewhere. He will not be in high demand as a 30-year-old linebacker with potential decline, no matter how good he has been.
Linebacker Zaire Franklin - Indianapolis Colts
Why He Still Holds Value
Franklin easily had a career year in 2022-23. He burst onto the scene, taking over for Shaq Leonard. Franklin was a tackle hog this season with 160 total tackles (before Week 18), good enough for 4th in the entire NFL. He showed solid dependability all season, playing every single defensive snap for the Colts. So why should you trade Franklin after such a good season?
Why He Should Be Traded
The Colts still have their linebackers of the future in Bobby Okereke and Shaq Leonard. Okereke saw some bench time mid-season, though finished incredibly strong, including a 17-tackle effort in Week 17. Leonard has been a top-three linebacker since he entered the league, doing something no other linebacker on this team can do - create turnovers. Though Franklin was an IDP darling this year, he graded out poorly. His overall defensive grade was a mere 56.9 per PFF, less than desirable.
Franklin is signed through 2024, though the Colts have an out after this season. This should not be reassuring for his production, though; more or less a curse in disguise. The Colts likely hold Franklin with worries over Shaq Leonard's health. He is an elite backup, but if both Okereke and Leonard are healthy in 2023, they will be the starters. Franklin likely does not get released either due to his cheap roster price tag and value to run the defense in the wake of an unhealthy Leonard. There is a good chance Franklin becomes the best bench rider in recent history.
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Safety Jonathan Owens - Houston Texans
Why He Still Holds Value
Owens is another IDP darling that burst onto the 2022 scene. He currently has 117 tackles leading up to Week 18. That is almost 100 tackles more than his previous career high (18). Owens has been a terrific tackler, owning an 81.3 tackle grade on the season. He holds a strong snap share of 83.06% on the season, manning the back end of the Texans defense. Look at the flip side, though.
Why He Should Be Traded
Owens was the benefactor this season of being on a rebuilding team that was short of pieces on defense. After playing every snap in the first six games, Owens saw his role diminish slightly. His production has dipped as well. He has only 27 tackles over the past six games, about four and a half tackles per game. In his previous 10 games, he had 90 tackles, nine per game. Owens earned a measly 48.5 overall defensive grade per PFF in 2022. He is also an unrestricted free agent. I do not foresee him having a large role past this season.
Safety Vonn Bell - Cincinnati Bengals
Why He Still Holds Value
Bell has been a staple as a top 15 IDP safety for even seasons now. He sits in that IDP sweet spot for safeties, right in the box. Bell has always done a great job forcing turnovers, with 15 career forced fumbles, 9.5 sacks, 34 passes defended, and six interceptions. He has also averaged just over 90 tackles per season for his career. He has shown some decline, though.
Why He Should Be Traded
2022-23 has been the first season in Bell's career to have less than 80 total tackles, granted he does not come up with seven tackles in Week 18, easily the worst tackle season of his career. His points were still relevant this season but were inflated by a career-high four interceptions. Obviously, that interception rate is unsustainable, considering he had two interceptions combined over his previous six seasons. Bell is 29 years old and an unrestricted free agent. The Bengals likely do not resign him, having used draft picks on both Cam Britt-Taylor and Dax Hill this past season. Ship Bell off before he finds his new team.
Edge Brandon Graham - Philadelphia Eagles
Why He Still Holds Value
Graham has been a revelation this season after returning from a torn Achilles. It is not every day that a 34-year-old edge rusher sets a career-high in sacks. Graham has done just that in 2022. Graham has been a reliable edge rusher for 10 seasons now and apparently does not plan to slow down. He has had one of his best IDP seasons with 33 tackles, 11 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 44 pressures while racking up an overall defensive grade of 89.8 and a pass-rush grade of 89.2 per PFF.
Why He Should Be Traded
The 11-sack mark for Graham is terribly unsustainable, considering he had never hit the mark prior to his 12th season in the league. Seven-and-a-half of his 11 sacks came in three games, leaving just three-and-a-half the other 13. Graham is going to be 35 years old in 2023. He is definitely no spring chicken. If he remains with the Eagles, it will be in a pure pass-rusher role, as he is firmly behind both Hassan Reddick and Josh Sweat in the depth chart. It was a phenomenal season for Graham, but it is time to cash in.
Edge DeMarcus Lawrence - Dallas Cowboys
Why He Still Holds Value
Lawrence holds one of the safest tackle floors amongst NFL edge defenders. In the six seasons in which he has played 16 games, he has averaged just over 57 tackles per season. Lawrence just needs one sack to have his best sack season since 2018 showing he still has plenty left in the tank. He is also signed through 2014 with the Cowboys without any outs in his contract, meaning he is in the team's plans for the next two years. Lawrence continues to impress with an overall defensive grade of 79.9 and a pass-rush grade of 75.2 per PFF.
Why He Should Be Traded
Lawrence is getting older, turning 31 years old next year. The Cowboys have added significantly to the defensive line, with Micah Parsons, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, and Dante Fowler all in the mix. Lawrence is tied with Fowler in sacks on the season, even though Fowler plays significantly less. Lawrence has always been a great tackler, though his sack totals have been incredibly inconsistent. He should still net a solid return, though.
Final Thoughts
All of these players are coming off of fantastic 2022-23 seasons. For this reason, their value is spiked. They are all aging, entering murky roster situations, going to be free agents, or some combination of them all. This is the right time to strike and see if you can take advantage of their value before the players depreciate. Fantasy managers are still very active. Throw these players on the trade block now before the lull of the offseason looms. Thank you for reading this article, and hopefully, it helps net you some good dynasty assets.