DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell

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Much like us here at DLF, there really is no offseason in the NFL. Even after the dramatic conclusion of the Super Bowl and the MVP’s trip to Disney World, the day-to-day business of the league continues. This means you should be paying attention to give yourself every advantage in 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!

Here is a quick look at the events of the past week and how they impact the players on your team.

Taylor Thompson, TE TEN

Titans rookie tight end Taylor Thompson, a converted defensive end, thrived throughout off-season workouts and reportedly displayed elite athleticism. He has even drawn comparisons to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. For now, the Titans will rely on Jared Cook as the primary receiver from the tight end position, but Thompson is worth rostering in most dynasty leagues. He was an early favorite of mine and was drafted late in my rookie drafts. If your league has deep rosters or 24 or more, consider stashing Thompson.

Mike Wallace, WR PIT

Star wide receiver Mike Wallace and the Steelers are still not close to a long term contract. At this point, most are expecting Wallace to skip the majority of the preseason and some are even speculating this situation could be similar to that of Vincent Jackson when he missed multiple regular season games as part of a holdout. Wallace’s startup average draft position has been suffering as part of his holdout and his trade value is also taking a dive. This might be an opportunity for savvy owners to try to buy low on the Steelers’ deep threat wide receiver.

Jordan Shipley, WR CIN

Reports this week suggest that the Bengals wide receiver Shipley is a candidate to begin the season on the PUP list, which would cause him to miss the first six weeks of the season. Shipley, coming off an ACL tear, is behind starter AJ Green, and would battle rookies Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones as well as Brandon Tate for snaps at wide receiver. Shipley has no dynasty value and belongs on the waiver wire until he proves he is healthy.

Montario Hardesty/Brandon Jackson, RBs CLE

Multiple reports this week have contradicted each other regarding the competition for the backup running back position in Cleveland. Hardesty and Jackson are the main candidates to backup rookie starter Trent Richardson. Neither offers much dynasty value, but it is always a good idea to own the handcuff to a bell cow starting running back, especially since there are so few in today’s NFL. Richardson owners will want to pay close attention to this camp battle and look to acquire the ultimate winner of the job as Richardson insurance.

Josh Gordon, WR CLE

Gordon was selected by the Browns in the second round of this week’s supplemental draft. Opinions have varied greatly regarding the impact Gordon could make as a rookie in the league, but one thing is now certain – he will have an opportunity as Cleveland desperately needs wide receiver talent and depth.

Although he has been labeled by some scouts as raw, Gordon has a chance to start some games this season thanks to the lack of weapons on the Browns offense. Pay close attention to how your league handles Gordon. After recent supplemental drafts included Terrelle Pryor and Harvey Unga, many leagues instituted a supplemental draft of their own, usually using future draft picks as currency. In other leagues, Gordon will be available via blind bid waivers or even first come, first serve waivers.

If he is on your waiver wire and free for the taking, rush now to get him. If not, he is worth acquiring and will likely go for a second round rookie pick in 2013, just as he did for the Browns. I have also seen some owners spend around 30% of their yearly allotment of blind bid waiver money on Gordon.

Randy Moss, WR SF

There were a couple of positive reports regarding Moss, the free agent signee of the San Francisco 49ers. Both his Head Coach and more recently his new teammate, Brandon Jacobs, had great things to say when asked about Moss. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh called him the team’s best wide receiver and Jacobs mentioned the chip on his shoulder and desire to prove his critics wrong. Although Moss sat out the 2011 season, he still offers fantasy upside and could even be a starting level wide receiver. He can be had late in redrafts and even later in startup drafts.

Ed Wesley, RB FA

Wesley, a rookie from Texas Christian, was another player eligible for the supplemental draft, but unlike Gordon, he was not chosen in the seven round draft. Wesley is now a free agent and can sign with any team. Wesley tested out as smaller and slower than expected, which is the likely reason he went undrafted. Although he is a long shot to make a fantasy impact, watch for Wesley’s name and check back next week for an update on his status.

Check back next week for another update on the week’s impact events! Follow Ryan McDowell on Twitter @RyanMc23.

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