With trade deadlines likely in the past, it’s time to start looking towards moves to make in the fantasy football offseason. I am going to highlight a few players who I have concerns with moving into the 2022 season. Some of them still hold high value and will net a good return. Others will force you to weigh out the option of holding, or selling for what you can get.
I wish you all the best as you move into the fantasy football playoffs. For those who didn’t make it, good luck with reshaping your team for next year!
Myles Gaskin, RB Miami Dolphins
Myles Gaskin currently sits as RB18 in fantasy football Half-PPR scoring. Over the last three games, he is averaging 13.4 points per game and has been a top-10 performer. He has a combined 31 targets and rush attempts inside the redzone this year.
22 are rush attempts inside the redzone, but zero have been touchdowns! That’s the main problem, though he does have three receiving TDs inside the redzone.
His yards per attempt and receptions are down from his previous two years. He is averaging 3.5 per attempt and only 4.9 per reception, down from 7.3 (2019) and 9.5 (2020).
It is no secret the Dolphins wanted Javonte Williams and were also in the mix for J.K. Dobbins the year before.
While we don’t know their plans, Phillip Lindsay had 12 rush attempts in his first game as a Dolphin after being claimed off waivers Wednesday. This should be a clear sign they don’t want Gaskin as their guy moving forward.
The Dolphins will be in the market for a RB this offseason. Whether it is a free agent like Ronald Jones or a rookie, they will address the early down and redzone role. Gaskin will still be a receiving back as he is signed through the 2022 season, but he will be a spotty flex play. It’s very unlikely he will remain a top-24 fantasy football RB next year.
Alvin Kamara, RB New Orleans Saints
I have Alvin Kamara here for a few reasons. First, he will be 27 before the season starts; but age isn’t the main concern. The main concern is who will be playing quarterback.
The Saints signed Taysom Hill to a 4-year contract. $22.5 million of the contract is guaranteed, but the salary ranges anywhere between $40 and $95 million depending on the position he plays. Depending on if Hill can get healthy and how he finishes the season, there is a very real chance he is the leading candidate to start next year. He is 3-2 in career starts.
In the four combined games last year where Hill started, Kamara only had 10 catches for 51 yards and 0 TD in the receiving game. Seven of those catches came in Week 14, where the Saints found themselves down by 17 going into the 3rd quarter. He only averaged 13 fantasy points per game during this span.
The Saints have aging Mark Ingram and undrafted free agent Tony Jones behind Kamara on the depth chart. There is a chance they could bring in more competition for Kamara, especially with him missing time this year with an injury.
Maybe you held onto Kamara for a playoff push or a run at the ship, I don’t blame you! However, he is someone I am looking to move early in the offseason while his price is still high.
Robert Woods, WR Los Angeles Rams
Robert Woods will be 30 years old when the season starts next year. ACL injuries aren’t the career-enders of the past, but Woods is no longer a young pup. According to Ian McMahan of The Guardian, based on his research on ACL injuries, “20% of running backs and wide receivers never return to the NFL and for those that do return, performance drops by a third.”
His targets have already gone down each year. In 2019 he averaged 9 targets per game, eight in 2020, and this year was at 7.6 before the injury.
The fact that they brought in O’dell Beckham before they knew about the injury also concerns me. Are they all in now that they have Stafford? What stops them from bringing back Beckham, or bringing another veteran in while they are in the win-now window?
Woods will be back, but I don’t know if I trust him to be the same fantasy football player we have seen the last few years. He did sign a 4-year contract that kicks in next season, but this injury has me concerned. Julio Jones comes to mind as a player who hasn’t been able to stay healthy since being hit with injuries after turning 30.
If you weren’t able to move him before the injury, he’s a player I would look to ship off at the first sign of good news. Hopefully his name can carry enough value into the offseason to get a decent return.
Courtland Sutton, WR Denver Broncos
Honestly, Courtland Sutton signing back with the Broncos sucks for his fantasy football managers. This is starting to become a very crowded WR room. Not only did they sign Sutton, but Tim Patrick signed an extension as well. Noah Fant, Jerry Jeudy, and K.J. Hamler are still on rookie contracts.
Since Jeudy has come back from injury, Sutton’s target share has dropped significantly. Sutton’s targets over the last four games are 4, 2, 3, and 3. Yikes!
The next question is who will be the quarterback next year? Some believe Aaron Rodgers will be coming over. That might get you excited, but what have we seen from Rodgers over the last few years? He favours one target. Could that target be Sutton? Possibly, but I lean towards Jeudy being the main guy.
There are a lot of question marks as the Broncos figure out their QB situation. The signing of both Sutton and Patrick was an interesting move. It has me very concerned for Sutton. Not only for the rest of this year, but going into the 2020 season.
His dip has created what some would consider a buy low opportunity, but buyer beware! Even if he is bought cheap, he could keep his fantasy football roster clogger status going into the 2022 season.
George Kittle, TE San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle is currently TE15 in fantasy football, averaging 7.4 points a game.
Last year in his eight games played, Kittle had 63 targets (7.8 a game). This year in eight games, he is currently at 50 (6.25 a game). That is a difference of over 1.55 targets a game. In his most productive years (2018 and 2019) he averaged 8.5 and 7.6 targets a game. His targets are down significantly this year.
Has the emergence of Deebo Samuel cut into Kittle’s production? Is this a trend that will continue? Brandon Aiyuk has also upped his target share over the last few weeks. In the last four games since Aiyuk was brought back from the dead, he has averaged more targets (6.25) than both Kittle (5.25) and Samuel (5, left the last game injured).
I realize Kittle is talented, but this year has been concerning. Besides the target loss, mix in his injuries over the last two years. He missed eight games in 2020 and has already sat out three games this year.
Trey Lance will be under center next season. Will the sophomore QB lock in on his big target over the middle? Possibly, but his rushing upside could lead to less check down plays. Samuel and Aiyuk will continue to demand their targets. The 49ers are only currently passing on 51.40% of their offensive plays.
Can Kittle bounce-back or is he just another everyday, average, fantasy football TE? In his two huge years, the WRs on the 49ers were 32-year old Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin (2018); and in 2019, 32-year old Emmauel Sanders and rookie Deebo Samuel.
I think we have seen the peak of Kittle. Can he still be a productive TE, yes! However, I think the years of him being a locked in top-5 fantasy football TE could be done. If I can move him on his name value in the offseason for a younger piece plus another asset, I am taking that opportunity.
Sheldon Hand
Sheldon Hand is an elementary school teacher. He started writing in 2019, and started working with The League Winners in 2021. He has been playing fantasy football for fifteen years, got into dynasty seven years ago and have become a bit obsessed.