3 Underrated Players You Should Trade For Now
Every year there is a small group of guys that always seem to be undervalued in dynasty fantasy football for no good reason. These guys aren’t the flashy, big-name players, but they consistently put up fantasy points. Maybe people discount them because they don’t play for the best offenses, or maybe it’s just a weird perception that people have about these players.
Regardless, these guys are solid producers and would be a welcome addition to any dynasty roster. The best part is these guys usually cost less than players who will score similarly. Again, maybe it’s the lack of name value or star power that gives these guys a lower perceived value. If you need a solid fantasy producer at a reasonable price, send an offer out for these guys.
Diontae Johnson
This is a guy that always seems to be slept on in dynasty, even after he just finished as the PPR WR8 in 2021. One would think that a 25-year-old wide receiver who just finished as the WR8 would be valued at more than a mid 1st round pick, but that’s about the going rate for Johnson. I’ve even seen someone add a late-round pick with Johnson to acquire a mid 1st round pick which is insane.
The main argument against Johnson as a top dynasty wide receiver is the change at QB from Big Ben to a combination of Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. No one knows how this situation will play out but we can assume that Trubisky begins the year as the starter and Pickett takes over at some point barring some shockingly good play from Trubisky. Most people think either guy is a QB downgrade but I’m not so sure.
Big Ben was not himself during the last few years of his career. He would rarely push the ball deep, which may be part of why Diontae Johnson has been such a target hog. Johnson thrived in the short and intermediate game because Big Ben was not as willing to throw the ball down the field.
The quarterback situation doesn’t worry me that much for Johnson. Mitch Trubisky is probably regarded as an average-at-best NFL quarterback, but that didn’t stop him from supporting Allen Robinson as a high-end WR2 for years. What happened to Allen Robinson last year when Trubisky left? He was unstartable and was one of the biggest busts of 2021. Robinson was so bad that his dynasty value completely tanked, and it hasn’t recovered much even though he’s now in a great situation with the Rams.
I think Trubisky can be decent enough to support Diontae Johnson as a high-end WR2 just as he did for Allen Robinson. If Pickett is out there, it may be a different story but I would still expect Diontae Johnson to be the focal point of the offense. The Steeler's game plan should be pretty simple in 2022; give the ball to Najee Harris 20 times and find Diontae Johnson early and often.
Whichever quarterback is out there, I think either should be able to get the ball to Diontae Johnson within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage which is where he has thrived. All they need to do is get the ball in his hands and let him do his thing after the catch. Johnson is a huge yards-after-catch receiver and 45% of his yards came after the catch in 2021.
As far as Diontae Johnson’s value goes, I would gladly trade a mid-1st for him. You’re getting a wide receiver who is a PPR monster and a target hog in his offense. He’s also only 25 and in the prime of his career. Diontae Johnson is a case where the talent should outweigh the situation, go get him on your roster.
Kirk Cousins
Another guy who is criminally undervalued is Kirk Cousins who just seems to put up back-end QB1 numbers every year. Again, he’s not flashy, but he gets the job done. He may not have the top-end upside that you want, but he’s going to consistently put up solid numbers and will occasionally put up week-winning performances.
Cousin’s is valued as a late 1st round pick on KeepTradeCut currently. If you need a quarterback for 2022 you need to go get Cousins. When you think about what you can get for a late 1st in 2022, the options are pretty murky. Maybe you’re looking at Jahan Dotson or George Pickens. You’re telling me you could essentially trade one of those guys for a borderline top 12 fantasy quarterback? That’s insane. Usually, that kind of production would cost you multiple first-round picks in Superflex but people are selling Kirk Cousins for a late 2022 1st.
I understand the arguments against Cousins. He’s about to turn 34, but that’s not old for a quarterback. I won’t use Tom Brady as an example because he’s not human but let’s take Matt Ryan for example. Matt Ryan is 38 and was just traded to the Colts. This means Ryan will play at least his age 38 season. Matt Ryan may have been a great quarterback at one point but I think we can agree that he is closer to average at this point.
Kirk Cousins has always been a good, but not great NFL quarterback, however, I see no reason why he can’t play another 4 or 5 years. Cousins is still signed with the Vikings for 2022 and 2023. Maybe the Vikings move on from him after next year but I believe Kirk Cousins will still be good enough to be a starting NFL quarterback should he become a free agent in 2024.
So while Cousins may not have the elite upside, I think he does still have upside given his current value. Given the elite weapons around him, Cousins should be able to put up top 15 numbers for the next 2 years. If the Vikings move on from him after 2023, he should get a job somewhere else where he could likely be a top 24 quarterback for another couple of years.
I’m expecting Cousins to remain top 15 for 2 more years and top 24 for another 2 years after that. That’s pretty solid for a speculative late 1st in the 2022 class. You can’t even get Kenny Pickett with a late 1st and if you give me a choice between Cousins and Pickett I’m taking Cousins. Sure, Pickett is in a good situation but he could get replaced in a year or 2 if he doesn’t pan out for the Steelers. Cousins should provide good fantasy production for the next 3-5 years and is incredibly cheap to trade for, go get him.
David Montgomery
What does this guy have to do to get recognized? It seems like too many people remember the “human refrigerator” comments about David Montgomery and won’t give him any credit for what he’s done in his career. After a shaky rookie year, Montgomery crushed it in his second year finishing as the RB4 in fantasy in 2020. He missed some time in 2021 but was very good when on the field with 15.1 points per game. Rookie Khalil Herbert shined in Montgomery’s absence, but when Montgomery got back on the field it was clear that the lead running back job is his.
The departure of Matt Nagy should hopefully mean good things for the Bear's offense as his playcalling seemed to hold them back for years. New head coach Matt Eberflus should be able to get this offense moving and if Justin Fields can take a leap in 2022, big things could be coming again for David Montgomery.
It seems like Montgomery is always undervalued because he’s on the Bears, which has been an uncreative offense for as long as I can remember. That hasn’t stopped Montgomery from producing though. It’s hard to find a running back with Montgomery's guaranteed workload in today’s NFL. If Montgomery is healthy, it’s easy to pencil him for close to 250 carries with probably 35+ catches as well. You can’t say that about many running backs worth just a mid-1st.
The argument can be made that the Bears move on from Montgomery after this year as his contract is up, but this seems like a case where both parties need each other and they would work out a deal. The Bears aren’t exactly flooded with offensive talent. Sure, Khalil Herbert was solid filling in for Montgomery last year, but he’s already 24 so it’s not like he has a huge edge with age over Montgomery. The bears would be wise to keep David Montgomery and focus on other areas of their offense in the draft, like perhaps drafting a wide receiver that’s younger than 25 years old.
David Montgomery should flirt with top 15 running back numbers again in 2022 and if you need a running back go get him. You won’t have to pay the premium that you normally would with a top 15 running back and that’s what you’re gonna get. A good, but not flashy, dynasty running back who should continue to produce for another 3+ years.