Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I’d Trade (Tink and Centerfield)

[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]

It goes without saying you want to build the best fantasy lineup possible, but sometimes all it takes are a few hot players that can carry you through to a championship. Tink is a new owner that inherited a team that won a championship and rode a few hot starters as the last team in. Both Tink and Centerfield are playoff caliber teams who those types of players.

Tink inherited a team with Alvin Kamara, Julio Jones, Brandin Cooks, Eric Ebron, Kyler Murray, Kerryon Johnson, Sterling Shepard and still had the top pick in the draft. She also moved Deshaun Watson for a haul and had an incredible draft. Tink added rookies, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson, Jalen Reagor, Adam Trautman and Anthony McFarland. She also won the bidding war for Hayden Hurst.

That’s an impressive team with a bright future after a great draft and has the type of players that can spark a run. She also has her first and three 2nd round picks for 2021, so she is set to really reshape this team in two drafts, especially if she can nail her picks like she did in her first draft. The question is do you wait on those to 2021 picks to make your push or trade some of your assets and go all in for 2020?

Tink is 3-2 and in a playoff position and will likely hover there for the rest of the season. Kamara, Julio and Murray could go off any week to pull off even the most difficult upset, but her team has suffered some dings. Jones has been hurt, CEH now has Le’Veon Bell in the backfield and some of the other notable core pieces have been banged up or inconsistent.

While the team is solid it still falls in the second category of teams, a playoff team but not a championship contender. The problem is with a lot of teams already making the decision to sell and try and avoid the playoffs it could be tough to get under the playoff threshold. If she was to sell Julio is the obvious choice to bring back another big haul. He was on the block early in the season but didn’t fetch the desired price. Injuries seem to be catching up with Jones as he ages but I think most would agree he’s not going to fall off a cliff is she hangs on to him for another season.

I think Shepard will be a solid piece when healthy, Cooks can be (and was good with the new coach) but the questions about the lineup start to add up after you get past the first few starters. Jefferson has broken out and Reagor will be someone to watch after he gets healthy. Johnson was an early pick but is behind AP (who Tink owns) and D’Andre Swift. CEH’s value takes a hit in a committee. TE is a little rough as well with Ebron not quite hitting the marks some thought he would and Hurst’s target consistency being a bit concerning.

This is a team no one will want to see in the playoffs, especially if everyone is healthy but the best case would be to miss the playoffs in 2020 and try and load up in 2021. If she can move Jones that ought to bring back another huge haul, but you can trust him on the team for another season if need be.

Centerfield is a team that has some great pieces as well; Miles Sanders, Derrick Henry, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs and Austin Ekeler. Cam Akers and Tee Higgins were added in the draft as well. Ekeler, and O.J. Howard, are hurt but Ekeler will be back and there’s several pieces that can go off and fuel a run above the team’s projections, but this team is not in the tier of championship contenders.

QB is a bit of a rotating start with Derek Carr, Nick Foles, Baker Mayfield, and Dwayne Haskins, Carr has been solid and Mayfield seems to be coming in to his own behind the Cleveland running game. Losing Howard hurt with Kyle Rudolph and Dalton Schultz behind him. The QB position has solid enough options to not really hold the team back but TE looks to be a regular hole in the lineup each week.

What has really hurt this team has been bad luck with draft picks. Howard, until this year, Paris Campbell, Mecole Hardman and Dwayne Haskins all were good picks at the time but haven’t delivered. With all of them being higher picks it stresses the squad as you’re hoping for them to blossom in to regular contributors.

Centerfield is 2-3 and more on the playoff fringe than Tink with a little more uncertainty. There are definitely players that could get hot and carry him, Diggs, Kupp, Henry and Sanders, but the lineup is far from complete. Centerfield also doesn’t really have any vets that are obvious trade candidates. If DeSean Jackson can come back healthy and do something he could be worth a minor pick but most of the starting pieces are still the right age.

This team may not have to put much effort in to avoiding the playoffs to get a higher pick, but really needs to hope for some more luck in the draft. Again, it hasn’t been bad picks, it’s just the picks not developing like you expect when you pick them in the first and second rounds. Most of the core is in place, it’ll just be about adding some more depth and consistent play makers to push the lineup to the next level.