Dynasty Fantasy Football Mailbag: Jonathan Taylor Trade Value, Dart Throws, and More
Jonathan Fuller and Sam Wallace take dynasty fantasy football questions from the Fantasy Life community discord to tackle the most pressing topics for dynasty managers.
Jonathan Fuller & Sam Wallace answer a variety of dynasty fantasy football questions from the Fantasy Life Community Discord:
The Fantasy Life Community Discord is the premier hub for all things fantasy football. Active year-round with over 6,000 members, there's something for everyone.
This week, Jonathan and Sam asked our members for their most pressing dynasty questions. Here's what they came up with.
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Mailbag Questions For Dynasty Fantasy Football
In Superflex leagues, are you interested in taking Cam Ward with a top-5 pick?
Jonathan: I wrote about this a bit in my most recent Dynasty Diary article, but now that I actually have some rookie drafts under my belt, I've discovered that I really don't want to take Cam Ward before the fifth pick.
It isn't wrong to take him before that; he's by far the best QB prospect in this class and should be a locked-in starter for multiple seasons. The positional value of QBs means he will retain strong trade value even if he isn't lighting it up on the field.
However, when I'm actually on the clock, I can't force myself to pass on Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Tetairoa McMillan, or Travis Hunter. I view those four as a class above Ward when it comes to their prospect profiles and upside, positional value be damned.
Of course, one important factor in this decision is the trade market in your league. Teams that need help at the quarterback position and are in leagues where trades are hard to make should put a premium on rookie QBs. In most of my leagues, I feel good about being able to acquire a veteran like Geno Smith or Matthew Stafford for a reasonable price, which makes it easier to pass on Cam Ward and take the players I think actually have league-winning upside.
If you wanted to sell Jonathan Taylor in a SF/TEP league, what should you expect to get for him?
Sam: I always enjoy these types of questions because they really get down to the core of what it means to play dynasty fantasy football. While it can be overwhelming at first, it's important to learn how to properly value players so you don't set yourself back several years.
Jonathan Taylor is intriguing because he's still only 26 years old and is coming off a season that saw him top 300 rushing attempts, 1,400 rushing yards, and score 11 times despite missing three games.
He doesn't offer much in the passing game, so he's a bit one-dimensional, but even so, here are some suggestions for pivoting off of a player like Taylor.
First, let's swing big. Target someone like J.J. McCarthy, especially if he's the QB3 for his current manager. McCarthy has a wide range of outcomes as both an NFL player and a fantasy asset, but his situation couldn't be much better.
If QB isn't in the cards, look for someone like Xavier Worthy. He's an elite, talented wideout tied to the best QB of our generation. We saw him flash a few times last season, especially in the Super Bowl, and he could be the anchor your team needs to build around long term.
Should anyone besides Ashton Jeanty be considered with the 1.01?
Jonathan: No. Next Question.
Just kidding, but unless you are in an IDP league or have some very niche scoring settings, I can't see how any other player can make a realistic case to be the 1.01 over Jeanty.
Not only is Jeanty the highest-rated prospect in the RB Super Model since Saquon Barkley, but he landed in an offense with almost no competition for touches. He should be locked into 20+ touches per week from the start, and the Raiders offense has a chance to be much improved this season with a new QB and coaching staff.
If you have the 1.01, don't overthink it, take Jeanty, and enjoy having an instant top-10 RB every week.
In a 1QB dynasty startup draft, how soon should you draft your QB?
Sam: Another great question from the best community in the industry. I'm likely to take one a smidge earlier than my leaguemates simply because I want to lock up someone in that upper-echelon of talent.
I value the rushing upside that the top-end guys offer, especially when they're still young/squarely in their prime. I would much rather pay up for guys like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, and even Jalen Hurts (pending the upcoming decision on the Tush Push) compared to more pocket passers like Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow.
Round 3 is probably where these guys will go, so that's about where I would expect to pull the trigger. As always, let the board and the draft come to you.
Which Year 2 RB, who did little in his rookie year, is the best theoretical buy-low candidate at their implied cost: Benson, Lloyd, Wright, Corum, Shipley?
Jonathan: I view Trey Benson as the clear top of this group, but he is also the most expensive to acquire in a trade. James Conner just turned 30 years old and has accumulated more than 6,000 career touches. He still projects to be the lead back again in 2025, but it is unlikely he has many great seasons left. Arizona also gave a vote of confidence to Benson by not bringing in any real competition at the position. Lastly, Benson also flashed the most of this group as a rookie, averaging 4.6 YPC on 63 rush attempts.
After Benson, I view the next four as grouped much more closely together. However, of that group, I would rank it: Shipley, Lloyd, Wright, Corum.
This is partly based on my prospect evaluations of the players, but also on what their teams did this offseason. The Eagles and Packers didn't add much at the RB position. On the other hand, the Dolphins signed Alexander Mattison and drafted Ollie Gordon, while the Rams spent a fourth-round pick on Jarquez Hunter.
Shipley and Lloyd are behind clearly established starters in Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, but they have clearer paths to being the number two in their backfield, which gives them strong contingent value in good offenses if something were to happen to the starter. Lloyd's injury-plagued rookie season is a concern, but Green Bay didn't make it a priority to draft or sign an RB, and I liked Lloyd a lot as a prospect, so I would still be willing to bet on him carving out a role in year two.
Do you feel like this is a deep rookie dynasty draft?
Sam: I'll be honest, I don't think this draft class is as deep as others are making it out to be. Yes, there are plenty of guys going in the third round and beyond that are in enticing spots and could produce if given the opportunity. Even so, in a 1QB Mock Draft I recently did, by the time I got to the end of Round 2, I wasn't feeling all that great about some of the options.
We've gotten so comfortable as a fantasy community talking up every late-round player to the point where there are no true sleepers anymore. We're overloaded with info and comps about prospects from "Nowhere University" all in the hopes of finding the next Puka Nacua.
In the grand scheme of the talent pool, focus your efforts on the top-end guys and get inside the top-24 picks as often as you can.
Everything beyond that is just speculation.
Who are your favorite dart throws in the last round of a rookie draft?
Jonathan: I love talking deep sleepers. Hitting on a star in the first few rounds of a rookie draft is great, but nothing beats finding a sleeper who delivers usable weeks from the last round of your rookie draft. Of course, these are low-probability bets, but it's still fun to talk about. My favorite late-round picks this year who should be available in the fourth round or later of rookie drafts:
Tory Horton - WR, Seahawks
Horton had back-to-back seasons of 1,100+ receiving yards at Colorado State but suffered a season-ending injury in 2025. He's a bigger receiver who tested very well at the NFL Combine and lands with a Seattle team that recently traded away DK Metcalf. Horton offers a different profile to Seattle's top two receivers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, that could allow how to earn a role as a rookie.
Seattle looks to be rebuilding on the fly, and if they fall out of playoff contention, I expect we'll see expanded opportunities for young players instead of veterans like Kupp or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. In that scenario, I think Horton can make a strong case for an expanded role in 2026 and beyond.
Jaylin Lane - WR, Commanders
It seems to have flown a bit under the radar that the Commanders spent a fourth-round pick on a WR in a year where they only ended up making five selections in the NFL Draft. Lane is undersized, but he's an electric athlete who displayed intriguing versatility in college. His receiving production won't turn any heads, but he also got 32 rush attempts in 24 games at Virginia Tech and was one of the better punt returners in this class.
Lane's special teams ability should ensure he is active every week and it is a positive sign for his ability to create with the ball in his hands. I'm also interested in the fact that Washington traded for Deebo Samuel this offseason. Lane is smaller than Deebo but can be used in a similar role and should add another explosive weapon for Jayden Daniels to utilize inside of Kliff Kingsbury's system.
LeQuint Allen - RB, Jaguars
Bhayshul Tuten has gotten all the hype in the Jacksonville backfield, but the Jags drafted another rookie RB in the seventh round with LeQuint Allen out of Syracuse.
What I like about Allen is that he has a fantasy-friendly skill set as one of the best receiving backs in this class. He had 102 receptions over his final two college seasons while also topping 1,000 rushing yards in both of those campaigns.
Jacksonville has a crowded backfield situation in 2025, but Travis Etienne is in the final year of his contract, and Tank Bigsby will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Neither RB was drafted by the current coaching staff, so unless they impress, there will be opportunities for this year's rookies to earn touches and claim a role moving forward. Given Allen's ability in the passing game, I think there is upside for him to become the third-down back despite the lackluster draft capital.
How are you evaluating the Cowboys WR situation?
Sam: Ian Hartitz recently wrote his Dallas Cowboys Team Preview piece, so I'll let him do most of the heavy-lifting here.
To put it simply, the only options I like in Dallas, at cost, are CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. From a dynasty perspective, Lamb is still locked in as a top-end option behind Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase.
As for Ferguson, he could legitimately be the No. 2 option in the passing game. Ian summed it up perfectly when he said, “This is EXACTLY the sort of bet late-round TE diehards should be looking to make.”
Yes, George Pickens will make some highlight reel plays. Thinking long term, however, Lamb and Ferguson are where I will be placing my faith.
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