DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell

lattimore

The 2013 fantasy football season is nearing an end. As you march towards the playoffs, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of the news. You have to pay close attention to everything to stay on top of your dynasty league. For most of us, we do well to steal some time away from our families and jobs to watch the games on Sunday. It becomes difficult to monitor the daily happenings around the league and even more demanding to process how that news affects your dynasty team.
That’s why we’re here! Each week there are many news items that are important and helpful in the day-to-day managing of your fantasy team, yet have little affect on the dynasty value of players. Because of this, I will not be mentioning those here. 
Here is a quick look at the events of the past week and how they impact the players on your team.

Marcus Lattimore, RB SF

We finally have a bit of news on a player who has been out of action for a while. Reports out of San Francisco say rookie running back Marcus Lattimore will begin practicing this week, though he will almost certainly not see any game action this season. Though the 49ers’ running game has been solid again this year with starter Frank Gore putting up another great season and backup Kendall Hunter returning to form after his injury last season, there should still be plenty of opportunity for Lattimore come 2014. This should serve as a reminder that Lattimore should see a big bump in value over the next few months in anticipation of his NFL debut.

Marquise Goodwin, WR BUF

Bills rookie wide receiver Marquise Goodwin had another impressive game this week with both starters Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods out of action. Goodwin had six grabs for 81 yards and a touchdown and we can expect to see his playing time increase even after others return to action. Goodwin, a speedster out of Texas, can easily beat defenders once he breaks clean off the line. He is also a player who may still be sitting on the waiver wire in some shallow leagues. If this is true in yours, now’s the time to grab him.

Matt McGloin, QB OAK

One of the biggest surprises of the week (and possibly the season) was the performance of undrafted rookie quarterback Matt McGloin, who started his first game for the Raiders in place of the injured Terrelle Pryor. McGloin threw for just under 200 yards and three scores, leading the Raiders to their fourth victory of the season. There had been rumors prior to the game that a strong performance from the rookie could lead to him unseating the inconsistent Pryor as starter and it appears that is what has happened. Pryor will reportedly serve as the backup when McGloin makes his second career start this week. It appears the Raiders will use the final weeks of the season to see what they have in McGloin and if they will need to use an early draft pick on a quarterback. In the meantime, grab McGloin and stash him.

Bobby Rainey, RB TB

Rookie running back Bobby Rainey is the latest tailback to have some success for the Buccaneers. After playing second fiddle to Brian Leonard following the injury to Mike James, Rainey was clearly the lead back in week 11. He carried the ball thirty times and totaled 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He looks to be the starting back for the remainder of the season and will have the chance to earn the backup role for 2014 when starter Doug Martin returns. For now, Rainey will be a very valuable player down the stretch, but don’t pay too much to acquire him, as he will not unseat Martin come 2014. The player to buy low on now, or add from the waiver wire, is James.

Michael Floyd, WR ARI

Cardinals’ wide receiver Michael Floyd had his best game of his career last week, catching six passes for 193 yards and a score. Floyd got past the defense to score a long 91-yard touchdown, but had a productive day even without the big scoring play. As Arizona makes a much-assumed upgrade at quarterback this off-season, expect Floyd’s value to skyrocket, possibly into the top twelve wide receiver area.

Leonard Hankerson, WR WAS

Redskins’ wide receiver Leonard Hankerson tore both his ACL and LCL and will be lost for the year. Hankerson was having the best season of his career, giving Robert Griffin III another reliable weapon in the passing game in addition to Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed and was on pace to set career highs in most receiving statistics. Hankerson is worth hanging onto throughout the off-season in deeper leagues, and it is fair to expect him to maintain the starting role he earned into 2014.

Stephen Hill, WR NYJ

Talented Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill continues to slump and week eleven was his second consecutive week in which he was held without a catch. This time, his erratic play was enough to prompt head coach Rex Ryan to bench Hill in favor of David Nelson. It’s clearly bad news for Hill, but quarterback Geno Smith has struggled as well throughout the season. This is the perfect opportunity to buy low on Hill as his price is now more reasonable in relation to his production, or lack thereof.

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ryan mcdowell