DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell

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The 2013 fantasy football off-season is in full swing and dynasty drafts are in progress. 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 and have completed the NFL Draft, 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 include many of these reports and share my opinion about how the player’s value might be affected, for better or worse.

Note: We have had some excellent and thorough coverage of the NFL Draft this week, so I will not be rehashing the results of the draft.

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

Tim Tebow, QB FA

The New York Jets waived backup quarterback Tim Tebow. It is still unclear why the team even brought Tebow in from Denver as they never gave him a shot at quarterback, despite the struggles of starter Mark Sanchez. Along with Tebow came endless media scrutiny and unwanted attention, resulting in added locker room strife. It seems Tebow is a long shot to get a job anytime soon, especially if he continues to refuse to consider a position switch, as has reportedly been the case. Despite impressive fantasy performances two seasons ago, Tebow has no dynasty value.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB FA

The San Diego Chargers recently contacted retired running back LaDainian Tomlinson to invite him to return to action for the team in 2013. When I first heard about this, I thought it was a joke. Sadly, general manager Tom Telesco was serious about the inquiry – this is not a good sign for the Chargers’ evaluation of the future of running back Ryan Matthews.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB FA

According to Profootballtalk.com, free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw has finally received full medical clearance for all football activities. Bradshaw has recovered from his foot surgery that took place early in the off-season. He has been most strongly linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who despite drafting Le’Veon Bell, could still have interest in pairing him with the veteran Brandshaw. Several other teams could still use an upgrade at running back. Expect Bradshaw to find work soon.

Nate Washington, WR TEN

With the addition of second round draft pick Justin Hunter, it is expected that the Tennessee Titans will either trade or release veteran wide out Nate Washington. Washington had some solid seasons in Pittsburgh, as well as for the Titans, but it appears his time there has come to a close. Washington has no dynasty value.

Justin Blackmon, WR JAX

Jacksonville Jaguars young wide receiver Justin Blackmon has been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 regular season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It is unclear of the exact violation Blackmon has committed, but what we do know is that if he is caught once more, the result would be a year-long suspension. This is a huge blow to the Jaguars and Blackmon’s dynasty value. He had been climbing the ADP ranks all off-season and his value was at an all-time high. Personally, I would take this as a chance to hopefully buy low on Blackmon, but I understand those who will avoid him altogether.

Luke Stocker, TE TB

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly have a lot of confidence in third year tight end Luke Stocker. Many expected Stocker to get a chance at the starting gig early on in his career, but instead, the team brought in veteran Dallas Clark. Now, Clark is unlikely to return to the team and Stocker has a legitimate shot to start at tight end. With many young tight ends getting a lot of hype, such as Rob Housler, Dwanye Allen and Jordan Cameron, Stocker is relatively under the radar. If you have a spare spot, he could be worth holding for the next couple of months, especially in leagues that reward tight ends extra PPR points.

Mychal Rivera, TE OAK

Local beat writers have projected late round draft pick Mychal Rivera from Tennessee as the likely week one starter at tight end for the Raiders. This is somewhat of a surprise as the Raiders return David Ausberry and also drafted Nick Kasa out of Colorado ahead of Rivera. Personally, Rivera has been a sleeper favorite of mine throughout the pre-draft coverage and I think he landed in a great spot with the potential for early playing time, but earning the starting position would be surprising. Based on early rookie draft results, neither Kasa nor Rivera have much dynasty value. Let this one play out during OTAs and training camp before using a spot on any Raiders’ tight end.

DeAngelo Williams, RB CAR

New Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman refused to confirm if veteran running back DeAngelo Williams would be part of the team going forward into the 2013 season, saying “anything’s possible.” A Williams departure from Carolina is something Jonathan Stewart dynasty owners have been wanting for years now. While it is no sure thing, it would make sense for the Panthers as they could spend that money on another need and still have Stewart, veteran big man Mike Tolbert and speedy rookie Kenjon Barner, whom they drafted last weekend. Whether in Carolina or another team, Williams is likely to have relatively the same dynasty value. Stewart on the other hand, would really see a boom in his value if he were to finally be handed the full time starting job.

Stevan Ridley, RB NE

Patriots starting running back Stevan Ridley is fully recovered from the concussion he suffered in the playoffs. Ridley took a nasty hit, but has the entire off-season to recover. Ridley, though only 24 years old and already with a 1,000 yard rushing season under his belt, is being vastly underrated in dynasty leagues. The late season emergence of teammate Shane Vereen and even the recent trade for LaGarrette Blount seem to worry dynasty owners when it comes to Ridley’s value.

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ryan mcdowell