Who I’m Selling Before the Draft

“Sell, Mortimer, Sell!”

Gotta love the Duke brothers from the ’80s classic Trading Places. I’m a sucker for those iconic ’80s movies. Eddie Murphy is one of my all-time favorites—his character Randy Watson, the lead singer of Sexual Chocolate in Coming to America, still cracks me up. Here’s the video for fun (you’ve got to wait for the mic drop at the end!).

We’ve got a couple of weeks to kill before the NFL Draft kicks off, and you know what that means—it’s time. The new Dynasty season is here!

In 2025, I’m managing 16 Dynasty teams, up from 14 last year. My all-time high was 26. For some of you, managing 16 teams might sound like a walk in the park—and for others, complete madness. Personally, I’ve found 12 to 15 to be my sweet spot. All of my leagues are Dynasty, all hosted on Dataforce.

Each year before the draft, I make a point to sell off assets. I sell if I believe a player is at peak value and about to decline, or if I expect their NFL team to bring in competition at their position. My goal is to get full value in a trade, though sometimes I’ll discount a player slightly just to move them.

I still like the Dynasty Trade Calculator for general value, but I’ve moved to using Keep, Trade, Cut for more up-to-date, real-time market values. Shout out to Big Brother Rick for convincing me to make the switch.

You’ll notice most of the players I’m selling are running backs—it’s a good year to reset the age clock with a strong RB class entering the league. Top 5 picks in rookie drafts are worth acquiring and holding.

Here are the players I’m selling before the draft:

Bucky Irving –
Why? He’s a stud, right? Absolutely. But I think he’s peaked, and like the stock market, I’m selling high. He went from a late 3rd-round rookie pick to a top pick in startup drafts. I traded him for a 1st-round pick plus some assets. As a 4th-round NFL draft pick with a smaller frame (5’10”, 195 lbs), I think the Bucs will add another RB and end up in a committee to keep him healthy.

Devon Achane –
See: Irving. Fast, but small. He caught 76 passes with 6 receiving TDs in 2024. Tua was the checkdown king last year. I expect Miami to go deeper in the passing game in 2025, reducing Achane’s reception count. I also see the Dolphins shifting toward a committee approach for health reasons. His trade value was similar to Bucky’s.

Chase Brown –
I’m just not a fan. That’s the main reason I traded my shares. In my Bold Predictions article from August 2024, I said Zach Moss would outscore him in fantasy—yeah, I was way off. Chase was a beast. But I still think the Bengals will draft an RB on Day 2, creating a split backfield. Brown isn’t going to carry the full load in my opinion.

Najee Harris –
I’ve been getting late 2nd-round 2025 rookie picks for Harris. He could have a solid year, but this is likely the peak of his value. I suspect the Chargers will draft an RB or re-sign J.K. Dobbins to share the workload. My bet is on Dobbins coming back.

Kyren Williams –
Same story. I don’t see the Rams giving him another 316 carries and 14 TDs in 2025. With only 5th-round NFL draft capital and entering the final year of his contract, I can see them giving Blake Corum more opportunities. I’m betting this is Kyren’s last season in L.A., so I sold while I could.

George Pickens –
Obvious one here. It’s going to be tough to trade him now that DK is in town. I managed to move my shares before the signing. Some think the Steelers will trade Pickens and his value will bounce back—but I’m not buying it. He seems like a guy who’s tough to keep happy, and those players usually don’t work out long term. (Unless you’re talking about TO, Cris Carter, or Michael Irvin.)

Ricky Pearsall –
Trade him while the illusion is alive that he’s WR1. Maybe he becomes that by season’s end, but I’m betting against it. CMC should return at 90%, Kittle is still grabbing targets, and Aiyuk may be back mid-season. It wouldn’t surprise me if the 49ers took a WR on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Adonai Mitchell –
He’s got the talent, no doubt. But will he ever be a target hog? He’s relying on Anthony Richardson to become more accurate—or on Daniel Jones to turn into a QB1. Too many mouths to feed in Indy. I sold my shares at a loss and moved on. I totally get holding and betting on talent over a 3rd-round dart throw, but this year, I’m the gambler taking the lottery ticket.

Draft Picks (for Contenders)

If you’re a contender (a projected top-4 team), I’m all about trading draft picks for aging vets with a few years left. I picked up shares of Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara for a 2025 title run. I wouldn’t move a top-5 rookie pick, but I would move a mid-1st and a future pick to make a legit championship push.

You can always recover future picks during the season—teams get desperate when injuries pile up or they’re trying to squeeze into the playoffs. If you’re rebuilding, then sure—stack those picks.

These are just the bets I’m making. I’ll be right on some, wrong on others. But I love trying to gain an edge by trading away assets before their value crashes post-NFL Draft. Nothing hurts more than watching your stud RB’s team draft a 2nd-round running back. It’ll happen. Just close your eyes and hope your guy doesn’t get swallowed by a committee. Big shoutout to Big Brother Rick and Johnny G for getting me into this obsession—I mean hobby—all those years ago.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, and remember—have fun!