DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell Posted On June 7, 2013

isaiah_pead

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.

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

Isaiah Pead, RB STL

Rams second year running back Isaiah Pead has been suspended for one game due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. The running back situation in St. Louis is murky at best with Pead, Daryl Richardson and rookie Zac Stacy all having a chance to earn the starter’s role. Richardson has already beaten out Pead for carries during their rookie year and this suspension will not help Pead’s push for more playing time.

TJ Moe, WR NE

Rookie wide receiver TJ Moe suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the entire season. Although he was undrafted out of Missouri, Moe had some labeling him as a deep dynasty sleeper. Instead, he was waived due to injury and passed through waivers unclaimed. Moe is back with the Patriots and will spend his rookie season on the injured reserve list. There’s obviously nothing to see here and Moe is not worth stashing on your injured reserve spot.

Ryan Swope, WR ARI

Cardinals rookie wide receiver Ryan Swope has yet to participate in any off-season workouts due to symptoms from the multiple concussions he suffered in college. We have seen with Lions running back Jahvid Best and former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie how concussions can derail a promising career. If Swope is already having troubles getting on the field, he is likely not worth a roster spot on your dynasty team.

Trent Richardson, RB CLE

Browns running back Trent Richardson will be out until training camp with a lower leg injury. The injury has been described as a strain, and it is unclear if the team is just being cautious with their stud runner, or if there is legitimate cause for concern. With Montario Hardesty and Dion Lewis behind Richardson on the depth chart, the team would be in trouble if Richardson were to miss significant time. For now, Richardson’s value should not change, though the consistent minor injuries are a concern.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB PIT

Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent minor knee surgery this week to repair a damaged meniscus. Roethlisberger is expected to be fully healed in time for training camp. His dynasty value remains unchanged and he is a low-end starter or a solid fantasy backup.

Santonio Holmes, WR NYJ

Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who is recovering from a Lisfranc injury, is still not ready to practice. It has been nearly a year since Holmes suffered the injury and reports are that Holmes may start training camp on the PUP list. The Jets wide receivers are already among the thinnest in the league and the team was counting on Holmes to regain his status as the team’s top receiver. With second year man Stephen Hill also bothered by a knee injury, the underrated Jeremy Kerley looks to be the team’s top option for now.

DuJuan Harris, RB GB

Doctors have found a cyst on the lung of Packers running back DuJuan Harris and he is expected to be out of action until the start of training camp. Harris has a long way to go to become a relevant name in the dynasty world following the Packers drafting not only Eddie Lacy, but Johnathan Franklin as well. Harris’ performance the latter part of last season should go a long way to earning him a roster spot, but significant playing time is another story. It is safe to drop him in most dynasty formats.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB FA

One of the hot rumors late in the week has surrounded for Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw, who is recovering from off-season foot surgery, visited the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. There were quickly reports that the two sides were close, though as of late Thursday night, there are doubts the deal will get done. Bradshaw has had little interest since being released by the Giants, so he would be best served to take the first solid offer he receives. Bradshaw would be an ideal fit with the Colts, likely forming a running back by committee with second year back Vick Ballard. Bradshaw’s dynasty value has obviously been way down over the past few months, and this signing would really affect that for the better. It goes without saying, this would put a huge dent in the dynasty value of Ballard, even though Bradshaw is likely a short-term option for any team.

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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.