Dynasty Dilemma: Odell Beckham Jr.

By Bob Miller

Breaking News: Odell Beckham Jr. has signed with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a 1 year deal with up to $18 million.

More details on Odell Beckham Jr.‘s one-year deal with the #Ravens:

$13.835 million signing bonus
$1.165 million base salary
$3M in reachable incentives

So OBJ will make at least $15 million and as much as $18M on the deal negotiated by agent Zeke Sandhu. https://t.co/z6S8tkjvP1

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 9, 2023

This is a nice addition to a wide receiver needy Baltimore Ravens offense. Now that Beckham has found a home for 2023, I'm here to give you my thoughts as if you should be buying or selling OBJ in your Dynasty League.

Offense

The Baltimore Ravens and former offensive coordinator Greg Roman mutually parted ways shortly following the 2022 season. On February 14th the Ravens signed Georgia Bulldogs offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was also the former OC for the Cleveland Browns. Monken is a highly experienced and successful offensive coordinator who helped lead those Georgia Bulldogs to two straight national championships. He has a balanced offense that will be friendly to both the running game and receiving game. Back in 2019, Monken coached Odell Beckham Jr. in Cleveland. That year Beckham caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. I see Lamar Jackson returning to the Ravens at least for one more season. With a more pass friendly offense and an experienced offensive coordinator, there's no reason to think that Odell Beckham Jr. can't be productive for your fantasy team.

Price

Let's face it, Odell Beckham Jr isn't going to cost much in your Dynasty League. I'm already seeing him go for a third round rookie pick. I'd trade a third rounder for him all day. If Odell can stay healthy this season, he should be pleasantly productive for your fantasy team. So, why not take a chance on a guy at such a low cost? He could be WR3 or a solid flex at worst.

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Injury History

Anyone that's watched football over the last six or seven years knows that Odell Beckham has been quite injury prone. He had hamstring issues early in his NFL career followed by ankle injuries. Obviously the two biggest injuries he's had were tearing his ACL twice in his left knee. Add the fact that OBJ hasn't played football in well over a year can be quite concerning. If history has taught us anything it's that Odell Beckham has a strong chance of finishing this season on injured reserve.

Ravens History

Now that I've talked about Odell Beckham's history, let's talk about the Baltimore Ravens’ history. We all know that Baltimore has never been a very fantasy productive place for wide receivers. In fact, since 2017 the Ravens have only had one wide receiver finish in the top 24. That was Hollywood Brown back in 2021 when he finished as the WR22. Odell may not be as productive as we hope he will be. If OBJ is on your roster right now, he was nothing more than either depth or a lottery ticket. Why not cash in right now while he's trending, and try to get yourself some running back depth or possibly a second round rookie pick.

I really do like the idea of getting some running back depth or a second round rookie pick. Let me say this, if you can trade OBJ for a decent profit, then you do it. However I'm not sure many knowledgeable dynasty owners will go for it. So with that being said, I'm actually in favor of buying Odell Beckham. If I can trade a 3rd or 4th round rookie pick for him, I believe it's worth the risk. 3rd/4th round rookie picks are dart throws anyways, and Odell can be a productive player right now for your fantasy team. Like I said earlier, why not take a shot. Low risk, high reward.