DLF’s Weekly Impact Events

Ryan McDowell Posted On December 27, 2013

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The 2013 fantasy football season is over, but the dynasty season is just beginning. As you prepare for next season, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of the news. You have to pay close attention to everything 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!  Here is a quick look at the events of the past week and how they impact the players on your team.

Lamar Miller, RB MIA

Dolphins’ running back Lamar Miller had just eight rushing yards on only three carries in the team week sixteen shutout loss to the Bills. Miller lost snaps to Daniel Thomas for much of the game. This is the seventh game this season in which Miller has been held under twenty rushing yards. Considering he did little during his rookie season to deserve the off-season hype he gained, this may be a case of Miller just not being as good as we thought. Normally, I’d suggest buying low on players like this, but it may be time to get out while you can.

Griff Whalen, WR IND

Wide receiver Griff Whalen had another impressive game for the Colts last week, catching seven passes for eighty yards. Like tight end Coby Fleener and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, Whalen is another player with Stanford connections to quarterback Andrew Luck. Reggie Wayne is expected to be back next season, but Whalen may have found a spot in the slot. In very deep leagues, he’s worth taking a chance on as we enter the off-season.

Matt McGloin, QB OAK

The Oakland Raiders have decided to bench undrafted rookie quarterback Matt McGloin for the team’s final regular season game against Denver this week. In his place, the Raiders again opt for Terrelle Pryor, who began the season as the team’s starter. In case we needed it, this is one final sign the Raiders don’t think of either of these players is the future starter for their franchise. McGloin has proven he can be a solid backup quarterback, but this could be Pryor’s final game with the team. Neither have any dynasty value.

Andre Holmes, WR OAK

Wide receiver Andre Holmes had five catches for 71 yards in the Oakland loss to San Diego last week. Holmes has only been active with the team for the past six games, but is averaging four catches and 66 yards per game – that puts the former Cowboys’ wide receiver on pace for over 1,000 when extrapolated over a full 16-game season. Holmes is signed to a very team friendly contract through the 2014 season and with fellow wideouts Denarius Moore and Rod Streater, form a talented young trio of pass catchers for the Raiders’ 2014 quarterback.

Stedman Bailey, WR STL

Rookie wide receiver Stedman Bailey played a season high 40 snaps last week in the Rams win over Tampa Bay. Bailey had three grabs for 44 yards and scored his first career touchdown on a 27-yard reverse. After failing to record a catch in the first half of the season, Bailey now has eleven catches for 162 yards in the last four games. He has been solid and should be a part of the Rams plans going forward, but at 5’10” and under 200 pounds, he’s not the prototypical wide receiver in the NFL. However, his dynasty value is on the rise and savvy owners should take advantage of that.

Josh McCown, QB CHI

Veteran quarterback Josh McCown hinted this week that he may retire following the end of the 2013 season. McCown played at a very high level after taking over for an injured Jay Cutler in Chicago. Even though he is already in his mid thirties, there was speculation McCown could be re-signed as the Bears starter if the team lets Cutler walk in free agency. While admirable that he wants to spend more time with his family, this is not the kind of thing coaches and general managers want to hear when considering handing the keys to a quarterback to run their team. McCown can be dropped in most leagues as we wait to see what decision he makes.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE DET

The Lions have placed tight end Brandon Pettigrew on the injured reserve list, meaning he’ll miss the team’s final regular season game. While this is of little importance for this season, it likely signals the end of Pettigrew’s Lions’ career. Pettigrew enters unrestricted free agency following the conclusion of this season and with the emergence of rookie tight end Joseph Fauria, along with the continued mediocrity from Pettigrew, the team will likely go in a different direction. Additional snaps could give Fauria more dynasty value headed into the 2014 season, but the team will add another tight end through the draft or free agency. Pettigrew will find a new job with another team, but has little dynasty value.

David Wilson, RB NYG

According to local beat writers, there are some who think David Wilson should never play football again due to his neck injury. There were reports earlier this season that doctors had told Wilson that he risked further injury by playing again, and this report just adds to that speculation. This is becoming similar to the Jahvid Best situation, which just lingered and lingered without resolution. This could be like that in that doctors refuse to clear Wilson in fear of further injury. If you own Wilson, he’s a hold for a couple of reasons. If he does come back, he has the talent to be a dynasty asset. Also, with the injury and his poor performance from early this season, he really has no dynasty value at this time.

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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.