Dynasty trade completed

Dynasty/Devy Leagues
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After Derek Carr’s stinker game yesterday, I decided now was the time to trade for him (as I additionally hope the Raiders fire Josh McDaniels, who has proven once and for all he is a completely inept head coach).

But some context first. This dynasty team is in a rough way. I took it over this year, and went into the season with Jameis Winston and Davis Mills as my QB’s. I also had Matt Corral, and was hoping he might make an appearance during the season, but he got hurt in preseason and has been riding my IR. The rest of the team is a muddle of mediocrity. The team is 2-6 after this week’s loss.

Even worse is my draft situation. I only have one first round pick, and it was from the team currently leading the league, which means expect it to be around pick 12. After that, I only have a third round pick. Not a recipe for rebuilding, but this is what you get when you inherit a losing franchise.

Last year, several teams left the league, and the commish put all their players into a pool for new owners to draft, basically an expansion-style draft. he even allowed existing teams to enter the draft. So I am hoping for something similar to happen this year. With that hope in mind, I decided the best strategy isn’t acquiring draft picks, but rather trade mine away.

Which leads me to the trade: I gave away Jameis Winston and my first round pick for Derek Carr and Eno Benjamin.

Winston has been benched by the Saints, and with their victory yesterday, Andy Dalton looks like their starter for the rest of the year. Winston is almost a throwaway in this deal.

Say what you will about Carr, but he is easily the Raiders franchise QB. Jarrett Stidham did nothing in relief of him yesterday, as the offensive line play was horrendous. I need a starting QB, and Carr is that, and can be quite good when the rest of the offense works with him.

Eno Benjamin is actually a nice complement piece for me, as I also have James Conner. While I don’t really want to pin my hopes to a Cardinals running game, at least I have a replacement for Conner if needed.

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I don’t hate the trade, but I’m not too excited, either. If this is an SFLEX league, it’s been a solid move. But if this is a 1QB league, then even a late 1st seems too much for a QB who has always been solid in his career, but never a must-start.

Eno Benjamin is a depth piece, and I’m not sure he will retain value beyond the season. Even with Conner out, Benjamin is struggling to keep Darrel Williams in check. I would be extremely surprised if he will play a major role in the Cards’ plans for 2023.

In a 1QB league, I’d probably have kept my 2023 1st, even if it is a late one. The fact that some established players will be distributed among new teams should not change the situation for the rookie draft, and the 2023 class is one of the best in many years.

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Sorry, I forgot to mention. Both my dynasty leagues are superflex, hence the premium on QB’s. Literally every single starting QB, and quite a few backups, are already owned. Going to the waiver wire for a QB is like playing the lottery: Maybe you’ll have a QB, someday. A late first for a QB is kind of cheap.

I’m actually hoping to somehow be out of the Arizona running game by next year. I really don’t like Arizona. Kingsbury is a bad joke.

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Tell me about it. I wanted to scoop up Ehlinger last week, so that I had at least 1 starter this week. Nope, he’d been claimed during the offseason already. My earlier emergency pickups (Zappe, Rypien) didn’t start, either. So no QB it was.

True that.

Benjamin is signed through 2023, and as a 7th round pick, he’s not likely to generate a lot of attention. I just put him on the trading block.