DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell Posted On March 2, 2013

miles_austin

The 2012 fantasy football off-season has begun. You have to pay close attention to everything in order 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!

Now that we’ve entered the off-season, the next few months will be filled with rumors. Much of the “news” will be speculation about the futures of individual players. While this can be important, it can also be a challenge to determine the validity of certain reports. I will included many of these reports and share my opinion about how the player’s value might be affected, for better or worse.

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

Miles Austin, WR DAL

Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin agreed to a restructured contract with the team, saving Dallas $3 million in cap space for the upcoming season. While I usually don’t cover contract related news here, this is relevant due to the rumors that Austin could be released. This new contract guarantees Austin’s tenure with the team will continue into next season, which helps maintain his dynasty value. Austin is still only 28 years old and has been overlooked as dynasty owners overvalue youth in the off-season.

Fred Davis, TE FA

Free agent tight end Fred Davis, coming off an Achilles tear in 2012, has been medically cleared and should be a full participant in offseason activities. Although he is a free agent, most expect Davis to remain with the Redskins, although he and quarterback Robert Griffin III reportedly lacked cohesion last year. Davis has been largely forgotten in dynasty circles and this is a great time to buy low.

Brandon Lloyd, WR NE

Despite the fact that fellow wide receiver Wes Welker and Julian Edelman are currently free agents, there have been rumors circulating that the Patriots will cut ties with wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, leaving little experience at the position. It’s somewhat of a surprise, especially given his relationship with Josh McDaniels. At 31 years old, Lloyd’s best days are behind him. While he may not be ready for the dynasty waiver wire, he is certainly in Dynasty Purgatory.

Blaine Gabbert, QB JAX

Reports on Gabbert have been somewhat consistent over the past few weeks, but I have chosen to ignore them, assuming this had to be coach/GM talk only, but they are so persistent that it’s now time to address them here. This week, there was yet another report that Blaine Gabbert would indeed enter the 2013 season as the starter for the Jaguars. Nearly every metric available shows just what we have all seen on the field – Gabbert has been a failure for Jacksonville, making these reports very difficult to trust. Wide receivers Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts have both been hot commodities early this off-season, but if these reports are true, their value has to take a slight ding.

Jermichael Finley, TE GB

Just when the general consensus was that Packers tight end Jermichael Finley would remain with the team for 2013, Finley puts those chances in doubt. This week, Finley explained he would not be willing to take a pay cut in order to stay with the team. He finished the season on a high note, ranking as the TE6 from weeks eleven tough seventeen, which was well ahead of his TE14 ranking on the season as a whole. Finley owners are so frustrated and the former Texas Longhorn is young and talented, making him a solid buy low candidate for teams needing upside at the tight end spot.

Danny Amendola, WR FA

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Rams are prepared to let wide receiver Danny Amendola test his value on the free agent market. There had been rumors all off-season that the Rams would use their franchise tag on Amendola, but that now looks unlikely. While Amendola has already been linked to the New England Patriots, his recent injury history will certainly affect his value to NFL teams and dynasty owners alike.

Ramses Barden, WR FA

Free agent wide receiver Ramses Barden, who has played his entire career with the New York Giants, admitted it is probably best if he moves on and plays for a new team in 2013. Barden has done little in his four year career, but he has always been viewed as a talented wide receiver. Although Barden is unlikely to be atop many teams’ wish lists, he makes an intriguing stash in deep dynasty leagues.

David Garrard, QB FA

Reports are that the New York Jets and free agent quarterback David Garrard are nearing a contract agreement. Garrard had some success with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but just as he looked poised to win the Dolphins starting job a season ago, suffered a knee injury that resulted in him missing the entire season. The Jets offense is in shambles with no skill players that would even be considered above average in either fantasy football or the real thing. Garrard could be a good option to provide some veteran leadership the team is clearly lacking, but he has no dynasty value.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.