Roster cutdowns are in the books, and Week 1 is a mere week and a half away (September 9th, 8:20 pm). The preseason chaos of the last couple of weeks reshuffled three NFL backfields, which pointed to three running backs for this week’s trio of dynasty trade candidates. One is a Day 3 rookie who could be in line for a lead role following an Ashton Jeanty injury. Another just got traded into a Green Bay backfield that lost its bell cow to the Commissioner’s Exempt List. And the third is a former 1st-round pick working his way back from an Achilles injury.
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Trades were sourced from the Dynasty Daddy trade database. Trades were based on the following settings:
Quarterbacks: 2 (Superflex)
Scoring Format: 1 (Full PPR)
Tight End Premium: 0-0.5
Team Count: 10-12 (Draft pick range noted below extends to 12-team leagues)
Starter Count: 9-11
Bestball: False
Every player has Buys (trade-for) and Sells (trade-away), regardless of whether I am “Bearish” or “Bullish”.
📈 Mike Washington | RB | LV
Washington donned a few different uniforms during his five seasons of collegiate football. Most notably, in 2025 he wore the Arkansas Razorbacks uniform, where he put up his one-and-only 1,000-yard rushing season. After that, Washington wowed at the combine, showing an intriguing blend of size (6’1” - 223lb) and speed (4.33 40-yard dash). As a part of the new regime in Las Vegas, the Raiders drafted Washington in the 4th round, and he has done nothing but impress throughout the preseason.
Where this gets interesting is the injury to the Raiders’ 2025 1st-round pick, Ashton Jeanty. The fantasy football world was in a glass case of emotion as it waited to find out the official diagnosis of Jeanty’s injury. Hearing a running back go down and an inability to “put weight on his right leg” is potentially a sign of a lengthy absence. I haven't seen a definitive statement that Jeanty will be ready for Week 1, so I'm interested in Washington as a multi-week injury stopgap. In the short-term, Washington becomes the lead back in what should be an improved offense, and in the long-term he can serve as a big-play runner in a committee backfield.
➕ To BUY:
Mike Washington ↔️ Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Even before the Jeanty injury, I am more optimistic about Washington than JCM.
Mike Washington ↔️ Skyler Bell + ‘28 3rd
The Bills’ receiver room is likely still too crowded for Bell to become relevant, and the future 3rd helps but doesn’t quite fill the gap.
➖ To SELL:
Mike Washington + Rome Odunze + ‘27 3rd ↔️ Malik Nabers
There is growing optimism about Nabers’ injury timeline, and he can return to his place as a top receiver in dynasty.
Mike Washington ↔️ Emmett Johnson + ‘27 2nd
I wasn't as high on Johnson for dynasty as most, but when paired with a 2nd-round rookie pick, I am in!
📉 Kaleb Johnson | RB | GB
Since getting familiar with Johnson in the pre-draft process, I haven't quite understood the level of hype he's received in some dynasty circles. In my Rookie Superlatives article, where I rank the top couple of rookies at each fantasy-relevant position, I considered his vision and compared him to Carlos Hyde and Chris Ivory. Those two players represent the ceiling of what Johnson could hope to achieve as a productive, physical runner. Unfortunately, outside of his physicality, there has not been much to write home about from his rookie season.
By no means is a player’s outlook determined by one season, but a kick return blunder and uneven work as a runner make for an uphill climb. What’s more, the Steelers are now under a new coaching staff, and after signing Rico Dowdle to pair with Jaylen Warren, the writing was on the wall. After rumblings that Johnson could be a cut candidate, a Josh Jacobs trip to the Commissioner’s Exempt List meant an immediate need for help at running back. A portion of the dynasty community is taking the rose colored glasses approach that this is Johnson’s chance to reestablish himself, and that is fair. But I think it offers the Packers immediate depth behind both MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks. So yes, a fresh start is good, but this could be a chance to recapture some dynasty value before Johnson slots into the RB-3 role in Green Bay.
➕ To BUY:
Kaleb Johnson ↔️ ‘28 3rd
A 3rd is a lotto pick, and there’s a non-zero chance that Johnson can boost his value more.
Kaleb Johnson ↔️ Tre’ Harris
I am not sure on Harris’ place in the Chargers’ receiver room, so I will take my chances on Johnson in Green Bay.
➖ To SELL:
Kaleb Johnson ↔️ ‘27 2nd
This recoups draft capital in a 2027 draft many expect to be a vast improvement from recent years.
Kaleb Johnson ↔️ Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson showed an all-around skill set last season, and the Patriots showed their preference to keep him involved regardless of the addition of TreVeyon Henderson.
💤 Najee Harris | RB | NYG
Harris is a former 1st-round pick by the Steelers just trying to get back to his high-volume ways. After four straight seasons as a 1,000-yard rusher, Harris had his first season as a free agent derailed by a fireworks incident. Once he got back, he was met with yet another roadblock, an Achilles tear in Week 3 of last season. These injuries, plus entering his age-28 season, put a cloud over Harris’ now-second opportunity at free agency.
And that next opportunity is for the New York Football Giants and its new head coach, John Harbaugh. Rumblings around the Giants’ offense have emphasized the rushing attack, which fits what Harbaugh has done historically. While the backflipping, battering-ram Cam Skattebo appears to be healthy for Week 1, Harris represents a capable substitute for the former’s physical, between-the-tackles running style. The remaining running backs, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary, remain on the roster, and the former offers upside as an explosive, pass-catching back. I expect a healthy rotation behind Skattebo, but Harris has real value in case Skattebo deals with injury and could serve as a frustrating touchdown vulture.
➕ To BUY:
Najee Harris ↔️ ‘28 4th
Harris does not have to do much to recoup the value of a future 4th round pick.
Najee Harris + ‘27 1st ↔️ TreVeyon Henderson
A 1st in the 2027 draft is not easy to come by, and I already shared my thoughts on the Patriot’s backfield under Kaleb Johnson’s trades.
➖ To SELL:
Najee Harris ↔️ ‘27 2nd
I am optimistic about what Harris can still deliver for fantasy, but a 2027 2nd is the prudent move here.
Najee Harris + Keon Coleman ↔️ D’Andre Swift
I have never understood the Coleman hype, and Swift has proved many wrong as a steady mid-late RB-2 for fantasy.
So you made it this far, and hopefully you enjoyed it (that’s what she said). If you wouldn’t mind sharing this in your group message with your fellow fantasy football degenerates, I would greatly appreciate it!
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