Dynasty Trade Targets

Our front page gives it’s 5 best players to target via trade with a very good run down as to why.

Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT)

No wide receiver in football ran as poorly as Diontae Johnson in 2022. He set an NFL record that no one would want, finishing with 147 targets without scoring a single touchdown. While touchdowns are a noisy stat (Jerick McKinnon

scored nine receiving touchdowns on 71 targets out of the backfield), we should expect to see Johnson score at least once based on volume alone. While he finished as the PPR WR29 this year, he was just two touchdown catches away from being the WR24 which makes his year look a lot less disappointing.

Touchdown variance aside, Johnson should bounce back in 2023. While the Steelers have made the inexplicable decision to bring Matt Canada back, he’s been a net positive for Johnson. He has target counts of 144, 169 and 147, with Canada being involved as the play caller. Only a handful of receivers in the NFL can command that type of target share. One of the league’s best route runners, Johnson should benefit from Kenny Pickett

being in his second year under center as well. Though Pittsburgh may not be a juggernaut offensively in 2023, Johnson is a slam dunk to bounce back. Grab him now while the sour taste of his 2022 season is still fresh in his manager’s mouth.

I, like most others, knew how bad Johnson was this past season and have him on my roster. However, after reading the article I can now see him turning things around and have to consider keeping him.

It is amazing that in spite of how bad the season was that he was only 2 scores away from a top 24 rank.

I agree that Diontae is a most likely top 24 WR. But there are 2nd WR’s on better offenses I like better (I.e. Tee Higgins, Davonte Smith). I don’t expect Johnson to ever be suddenly a WR1. I would expect that more from George Pickens than Johnson, unless Kenny Pickett explodes to be an awesome QB (not likely).

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I would treat Diontae as a mid-range WR2 at the moment. A WR with his kind of volume should easily see 5-8 TDs per season. Even if a few of his targets go over to Pickens, Johnson could still easily end in the WR16-20 range if he is able to end his TD draught.

The good thing is that you can get him rather cheap in most leagues, which makes him a good trade target.

Not in our league, though, Ed, so don’t keep your hopes up. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

C’mon Zak, you know I would go out of my way to give Ed any trade dirt cheap.
Sarcasm gone too far? Judges?

I agree with both and see Diontae as middle of the pack WR2 and he will only be 27 come July with a 6th round cost in our league.

My problem is keeping him would force me to move Burks who I really like and was our Mr Irrelevant when I drafted him last in round 15.

Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN)

Putting another tight end in the article might be taboo, but there is a good reason for it. Chigoziem Okonkwo is a guy I want on as many rosters as I can get him on. While it took until Week 12 for Okonkwo to be fully involved in the offense, once Tennessee bumped his snap share, he was targeted on 33% of his routes. He also led all tight ends in fantasy points per route run and yards per catch this year. The trouble is, he only had 32 receptions, but for a guy who only had two games with a better than 50% snap share, there is a lot of meat on the bone.

Tennessee will have [Austin Hooper
back in the fold in 2023, but Okonkwo offers them versatility that Hooper does not. From a formational standpoint, Okonkwo lined up in the backfield, split out wide, and as an in-line tight end. The Titans have a dearth of talent on the offensive side of the ball (Robert Woods is a pre-June one cut candidate), so Okonkwo could find himself as the second option in the passing game behind Treylon Burks in 2023. He is my favorite tight end target this offseason.

This is a very interesting option for me as I will be shopping for a TE.

I’m not looking to trade for Diontae, so no worries.

Considering you squeal like a stuck pig if I don’t give you a dirt cheap trade…


edmcgon
Regular

1h

Considering you squeal like a stuck pig if I don’t give you a dirt cheap trade…

Enough! You are not welcome in my 2nd and 3rd leagues and would prefer you leave the first league. That choice is up to you for now. End of story.

Yep, not going anywhere. Especially since I have one of the better teams in the league. But I’ll grant you the kindness of not joining any of your new leagues. See? I’m not so bad?