• Davante Adams would be a wise trade target for a contending fantasy team: His 76.3 PFF receiving grade is top-10 among wide receivers with at least 10 targets in the NFL, and his 2.62 yards per route run are sixth in the league – ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb.
• Rebuilders should move on from Travis Kelce: He is 35 years old, and while his fantasy numbers are solid, he has a worse PFF receiving grade than Tyquan Thornton to open the 2025 season (60.9 to 62.1).
• Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

In dynasty, timing isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. Like a chess match where every move sets the tone for five turns ahead, understanding your roster’s competitive window is the foundation of long-term success.

The first month of the season isn’t just about immediate wins; it serves as the first major checkpoint in an ongoing audit of your team’s trajectory. Are you a contender sharpening the blade, or a rebuilder planting seeds for a future season’s harvest?

This guide breaks down the strategic divergence between contenders and rebuilders, two sides of the same dynasty coin, each requiring radically different trade mindsets.

Contenders

If you’re in “win-now” mode, your primary goal is to convert future uncertainty into present production. That means consolidating assets and trading away depth pieces and draft picks to acquire top-tier starters. Your bench isn’t scoring points. Picks aren’t scoring points. So don’t hoard them.

Contenders should target players others are fleeing from like they’re radioactive. Yes, Davante Adams might be old enough to remember the Bush administration, but through the first two weeks of the season, he and fellow pass catcher Puka Nacua each have 20 targets. One of the early separators is that Adams has six red-zone targets through two weeks compared to Nacua’s two, per PFF.

Adams is the perfect case study for a win-now team. His age (he’ll turn 33 years old on Christmas Eve) and the idea that he is playing Robin to Nacua’s Batman has depressed his value. However, his 76.3 PFF receiving grade is top-10 among wide receivers with at least 10 targets in the NFL, and his 2.62 yards per route run are sixth in the league – ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. You’d never break even on what you pay to give up for an aging wide receiver, but Adams could power a championship push as your high-end WR2 with weekly WR1 upside.

Another veteran in this same bracket is Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams. Entering training camp, you could pick up the former Denver Broncos back for pennies on the dollar after a 2024 season that resulted in career-worst PFF grades across the board and just generally looking like the explosion in his runs had left him for good post-knee injury.

However, he’s currently top 10 in yards (seventh), yards per carry (ninth) and PFF rushing grade with a 73.8 mark, good enough for fourth in the league among running backs with at least 20 carries. And this has come against a Philadelphia Eagles team that ranks ninth in run-defense PFF grade (71.4) and a New York Giants squad that is admittedly bottom half with a 60.7 run-defense grade, good enough for 21st in the NFL, all while being blocked for by a Dallas offensive line that ranks 20th in PFF run-blocking grade at 55.2.

Rebuilders

Stop hugging the points; you don’t need them, you’re a rebuilder. Embrace it. This is your permission slip to start selling your older players.

Travis Kelce’s 3.80 points per touch may be second behind only Tucker Kraft for tight ends that have played at least 50% of their team’s offensive snaps, per PFF, but what good is that if you’re staring down the barrel of a 0-3 fantasy record? Kelce is 35 years old, and while his fantasy numbers are solid, he has a worse PFF receiving grade than Tyquan Thornton to open the 2025 season (60.9 to 62.1).

If you’re a rebuilder, you want to use the early production of a player like Kelce as leverage to get some capital or younger assets – it might not be much because of the age tax, but a third-round pick in hand is better than nothing, and the veteran on your roster retiring at season’s end anyway.

When entering a rebuild, you need the three Ps: picks, prospects, and patience.

A prime market to snap up some prospects in season is in the early part of it. Early-season overreaction can be a buffet for rebuilders. These are your bargain blue chips, just waiting to explode when everyone else is too busy chasing the next Adam Thielen ghost game.

For example, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward is not even a startable QB2 in superflex leagues. His 16.3 fantasy points (using standard PPR fantasy scoring) are 33rd amongst his peers, he’s been sacked a league-high 11 times, and he has the lowest completion percentage (50.8%) and adjusted completion percentage in the NFL (65.5%) among quarterbacks with at least 50 dropbacks, per PFF’s charting. For context, Anthony Richardson’s completion percentage last season was 47.7%, and his adjusted completion percentage was 60.2%.

However, the underlying metrics tell the story of a player who could be a startable QB1 in all formats in a couple of years – once the Titans can protect him and put more weapons around him.

Ward’s accuracy when the Titans use play-action soars. The number one overall pick sees a 23.4% jump in his completion percentage, per PFF, the fourth biggest positive swing in the league, behind only Bryce Young, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. His overall PFF grade when using play-action also soars to a respectable 70.5 – 13th best in the NFL.

Additionally, Ward’s average depth of target is 9.2 yards, the 10th highest mark in the league, and the Titans’ receiving corps’ five drops are tied for fourth highest.

If you’re two years away from contending, check in on a Ward owner who may have turned sour on him early.

Dynasty success demands awareness. It’s an ongoing strategic ecosystem with a heavy dose of emotional whiplash. Know your window. Adapt your strategy. Exploit inefficiencies. If you’re a contender, act like Thanos collecting Infinity Stones. If you’re rebuilding, be like a raccoon hoarding shiny things in a cave. Just make sure those shiny things are named Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Bucky Irving.