Dynasty Fantasy Football Mailbag for Week 4: Hold On To J.K. Dobbins?

Is it time to buy low? Is it time to sell off the vets and start a rebuild? Which players are worth holding on to on your dynasty squad? Sam Wallace got these and more questions in the Week 4 Dynasty Mailbag. As always, refer to our fantasy football rankings before making any deals.

Week 4 Dynasty Fantasy Football Mailbag

Who are the top buy-low candidates at this point of the season?

Initially, I had one player in my mind for this question. Then, I read Dwain McFarland's weekly Utilization Report. Not only did I see that player I was going to talk about (success!), but I found another great option to share with you, so let's break down both.

First, Chase Brown. Candidly, it's been a little bit disappointing these last few weeks, especially when you consider what you likely paid to land his services and what the preseason expectations were. However, like any good buy-low candidate, the boxscore numbers might not be looking strong but the underlying metrics certainly are.

He is still receiving high-end RB1-caliber snap shares (71%) and rush shares (78%). Those marks rank seventh and fourth, respectively … Even if Brown's role remains unchanged along with the offensive plays per game, his 79 Utilization Score compares with RBs that have averaged 15.4 PPG. Of that cohort, 41% were RB1s.

That's more than enough for me. Now let's talk about Josh Downs. He is averaging 10 targets and more than 70 receiving yards per game over his last two contests which, as Dwain mentions, hints that bigger games could be right around the corner.

The loss of Alec Pierce (heel) to Injured Reserve only opens up additional opportunities for Downs in the weeks ahead. Here's what Dwain had to say:

Historically, WRs with a Utilization Score in his range have averaged 16.4 PPG. Half of them posted WR1 seasons, with WR2 campaigns as the floor.

Get in on both Brown and Downs before their spike weeks inevitably come.

How much FAAB do we spend on Braelon Allen?

Fun fact, I used to live/work not far from where Braelon Allen went to high school. Still a pretty cool story for a player who made such an impact both there and in college. On Wisconsin!

Anyway, with Breece Hall looking like he'll avoid Injured Reserve, I wouldn't be overly aggressive going after Allen. Somewhere in the 10-15% range feels appropriate, maybe a touch more if you are truly desperate for a win in the next couple of weeks.

It's also worth noting that Isaiah Davis should be more involved as well. It likely won't be Allen garnering 100% of the touches in this backfield. Needless to say, I would temper your expectations for Allen moving forward.

Thoughts on buying Justin Herbert after his early-season struggles?

This has been one of the most unusual storylines of the 2026 season thus far. Through three weeks, Justin Herbert has failed to throw for more than 230 yards or a single TD in any game. For someone who throws the ball as well as he does and for just how talented he's been throughout his career, those are mind-boggling stats.

It's gotten so bad that even his head coach publicly said he needs to be better.

In dynasty formats, especially in superflex leagues, I don't mind sending out some offers for Herbert. QBs are naturally expensive because of the positional scarcity that exists, but it's hard for anyone to trust Herbert on a weekly basis right now. At the same time, Herbert managers likely don't have a better option.

If you're not competing this season, there's a world in which you could cultivate a trade around Dak Prescott (aging veteran putting up numbers) for Herbert (younger, high-ceiling asset going through a slump). There aren't many opportunities to realistically trade for young QBs in their prime, so it's worth at least gauging the interest of Herbert managers in your leagues.

Is J.K. Dobbins worth holding in a 12-team league?

The Denver Broncos have one of the most frustrating backfields in the league right now, along with probably the New Orleans Saints.

J.K. Dobbins has yet to rush for more than 50 yards in any game yet this season, and has been under 3.6 yards per carry twice. Perhaps worse yet is his total lack of involvement in the passing game. He's essentially a two-down option who is dependent on scoring TDs.

At the same time, I don't mind holding him only because I don't know how many other options you'll have. He was likely drafted as your RB2, so you may have to just accept he'll be your flex option for now. However, if you have a better option, certainly be willing to make the pivot.

When do you decide it's time to sell your dynasty players for future picks?

I had a great conversation with someone in our Fantasy Life Discord about this very question. On paper, his team is excellent. However, he was 0-3 as of this writing. The initial thought was, "Is now the time to sell my elite assets?"

Before I could give him a straight answer, I took a closer look at some of the underlying metrics. First, he had the highest Points Allowed by a wide margin. That was the biggest signal to me that he should not be looking to sell off everything (yet).

Second, he was top 5 in points scored. That tells me he was getting unlucky. While it's not always the news that someone wants to hear, my suggestion for him was to ride out the next couple of weeks and hope/pray that some positive regression was coming his way.

Over the course of a season, the Points Scored and Points Allowed should start to more closely align with the actual records of each team. If we get to Week 6 and he's 1-5, I said that we would revisit this conversation, adjust to new information and make a recommendation from that point.

These are great "big picture" questions and scenarios that I love breaking down with dynasty fantasy football managers. If you have questions like this, come find me in our Fantasy Life Discord.