Sunday Evening Huddle: Week Fourteen
This column is usually reserved for us going game-by-game and quickly highlighting a player we think should be in the spotlight in terms of their dynasty value for each team on the schedule Sunday Morning. These players have a lot riding on the games today and merit watching for sure. For the last two weeks, I’ve taken a different approach with this column and focused on some players more in-depth prior to he games. Today, I decided to focus on some players after the Sunday performances so we could quickly review any relevant performances to reassess their value in dynasty leagues. Let me know in the comments what format you like for Sundays and I’ll do my best to cover what you like to read the rest of the way.
So, with that being said, the six players I believe need to be looked at differently after today are Stedman Bailey, Da’Rick Rogers, Luke Willson, Rob Gronkowski, Robert Griffin III and Shane Vereen. Let’s get to it!
Stedman Bailey, WR STL
Bailey was a waiver wire suggestion of ours prior to the games this week and proactive owners who nabbed him were rewarded with three catches for 46 yards. More importantly, Bailey started the game this week. He’s been steadily moving up the depth chart and while it’s a stretch to see him making an impact on your fantasy season this year, he’s shaping up as a great stash as we move into the off-season. Bailey makes for a great “throw-in” for a trade if you can convince his owner Bailey has minimal value.
Da’Rick Rogers, WR IND
We’ve been waiting all season for Rogers to do something and he was undoubtedly dropped in many leagues throughout the course of the season. Those who hung on to Rogers were finally rewarded as he started the game in place of Darrius Heyward-Bey and produced six catches for 107 yards and two scores on his first nine targets of his career. On his long touchdown catch, he shedded a few would-be tacklers and took it to the house. The Colts were down for much of the game, but Rogers did his damage throughout the contest. It’s too early to anoint him the next big thing, but this was a huge step in the direction for the talented, but troubled young wideout. With the Colts still having a hard time establishing the run, it’s going to be fun to see what Rogers can do over the next few weeks. If anything, it looks as if he’s earned another start next week.
Luke Willson, TE SEA
Willson has been on our radar for a long, long time, but he’s finally starting to see some significant playing time. At 6’5″ and 250 pounds, Willson creates some serious matchup nightmares and he showed great athletic ability this week as he scored his first touchdown en route to a three catch, 70-yard day. Willson (much like Bailey) won’t do much for you in the short term, but he looks like a really good tight end stash in dynasty leagues.
Rob Gronkowski, TE NE
Sigh.
Some guys can’t catch a break and others simply can’t avoid them. It looks like Gronkowski is going to be out for the season (again) with a possible torn ACL/MCL. We’ll let our own Dr. Scott Peak weigh in on the severity of the injury once it’s known, but this is a huge blow to Gronk’s value. He’s quickly earned the tag of injury prone and it looks like his career is just going to be filled with partially played seasons and injury updates. If it’s truly a torn ACL, he could be back in time for camp, but can you really count on him as your TE1 at this point? From today on, any and all production from Gronkowski in dynasty leagues is going to be considered an added bonus to a squad. Simply put, he just can’t be considered a building block any longer.
Robert Griffin III, QB WAS
The Redskins are a total disaster and it’s very unlikely Mike Shanahan returns next season (or maybe even next week). With Shanny unwilling to commit to RGIII for next week’s game, it just shows how far down the franchise has dropped. I believe today’s performance from Griffin is important to note because it’s no doubt we’re reaching a climax in the icy relationship between the Coach and quarterback. With Shanahan no doubt on the way out, the Redskins will turn to a new coach next year. They’ll undoubtedly find someone willing to work with RGIII, but new coaches also tend to like hand picking their new quarterback. If the Redskins continue to flop into next season, Griffin will start getting some of the blame. Once thought of as a top three quarterback in dynasty leagues, Griffin’s value is sinking by the week.
Shane Vereen, RB NE
Look, we already knew Vereen was going to make for a nice RB2 down the stretch, but the loss of Gronkowski makes him the most dependable weapon for the New England offense. With 12 catches and 153 yards this week, Vereen showed vintage Darren Sproles-like PPR scoring ability today. You shouldn’t look at Vereen as a RB2 moving forward this year – he’s squarely on the radar as a can’t bench RB1 the rest of the way.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
