DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell

roy_helu

The 2013 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 players on your team:

Roy Helu, RB WAS

Redskins running back Roy Helu underwent a procedure in February to repair the toe injury that cost him most of the 2012 season. The timing seems odd as Helu has been out of action since September, but evidently the direct cause of the injury was just recently discovered. Helu was one of the darlings of many dynasty owners this time last year, routinely being selected in the first four-to-six rounds of start-up dynasty drafts. Between the injury and the emergence of rookie Alfred Morris, all of Helu’s dynasty value is gone. This recent surgery, which will put his participation in off-season activities in doubt, only makes it worse. Don’t be surprised to see the Skins add another running back to pair with Morris.

Kevin Kolb, QB BUF

Free agent quarterback Kevin Kolb signed a two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, and will likely be their starter in 2013. The Bills clearly needed to make a move at the position following the release of former starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, but this cannot comfort Bills fans. Reports are that Kolb is a great fit for the new offense that will be installed in Buffalo, but the Bills are still expected to add a rookie quarterback early in the draft. Kolb has little upside and has not proven he can be consistent or remain healthy enough to be a reliable QB2.

Matt Flynn, QB OAK

The quarterback carousel continued this week as the Seattle Seahawks traded backup quarterback Matt Flynn to the Oakland Raiders. Flynn is now in line to start for the Raiders in 2013, though some support the idea that Terrelle Pryor could earn the job. Of course, he was penciled in as the Seahawks starter this time a year ago and we know how that worked out. Flynn is solid, but unspectacular, has a weak arm and little fantasy upside – this could hurt the prospects of wide receiver Denarius Moore. If you own Flynn in your dynasty team, take this opportunity to trade him to a quarterback needy team.

Colt McCoy, QB SF

It was no secret that quarterback Colt McCoy would not be back in Cleveland in 2013, so the only question was would the Browns be able to get something in return for him, or release him outright. That was answered this week when the 49ers acquired McCoy to serve as their backup quarterback in an exchange of late round draft picks. McCoy has very little upside and is not suited to be a starter for any team. He has no dynasty value, even to the Colin Kaepernick owner.

Steve Smith, WR TB

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed veteran wide receiver Steve Smith, who has bounced around the league following his microfracture surgery, spending time with the Eagles and Rams, but only amassing twenty-five receptions in the past two seasons. The soon to be 28-year old Smith simply is not the same player as he was when he starred for the Giants. He is no sure thing to make the Bucs final roster and has no dynasty value at the moment.

Carson Palmer, QB ARI

The Arizona Cardinals acquired veteran quarterback Carson Palmer in a much anticipated move. Palmer will step in as the Cardinals starting quarterback and should be a big upgrade over last season’s group of John Skelton, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Lindley. Palmer has the big arm Larry Fitzgerald owners have been begging for, though he is obviously not the long-term answer in the desert. Don’t be surprised if the team still adds a rookie quarterback in the draft’s first three rounds. For 2013 though, Palmer is a cheap backup quarterback option for fantasy teams and makes a fine spot starter. In the fourteen games Palmer started and finished in 2012, he finished as the QB12 and this season he has an elite wide receiver, something he has lacked since he was throwing touchdowns to Chad Johnson with the Bengals.

Domenik Hixon, WR CAR

The Carolina Panthers signed free agent wide receiver Domenik Hixon, the former Giant. Hixon never made a big fantasy impact with the Giants, but he was also stuck behind Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. With the Panthers, Hixon will have the chance to step into the WR3 role and possibly even earn a starter’s role if Brandon LaFell does not step up. Hixon is worth a roster spot in very deep dynasty leagues, but will be the third option at best behind Steve Smith and tight end Greg Olsen.

Tony Gonzalez, TE ATL

Future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez has stated the 2013 season would be his last – this is what most assumed after he nearly retired following the 2012 season, but Gonzalez is nearly making it official with this statement. He is tough to place a value on in dynasty leagues, as he will almost certainly perform as a TE1 in 2013, but obviously has no long-term value. He is an obvious target for contending teams lacking an elite tight end, as he would be much cheaper to acquire than Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowksi or Jason Witten, among others.

Mohammed Massaquoi, WR JAX

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free agent wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, formerly of the Cleveland Browns. Massaquoi was a surprise for the Browns as a rookie, exploding for an eight catch, 148 yard game in just his third contest as a professional. Unfortunately, that remains his career highlight through four seasons. Massaquoi has battled injuries and inconsistencies. In Jacksonville, there were already questions of how a below average quarterback could support top wide receivers like Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts, so there is little hope for Massaquoi to regain any fantasy or dynasty relevance.

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