The Dynasty Aftermath: Week Two
Welcome to DLF’s Dynasty Aftermath. This staple article is our longest running signature piece as we have a little fun after a tough week at the Dynasty League Football office. You’ll find this article will review the week’s happenings in a variety of ways and help set you up for the coming weeks as we spin around the league in the way we know best.
NIRVANA (noun) [nir-vah-nuh]
- A place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world.
As a kid growing up in the late 80s and early 90s in the Northwest, the grunge music revolution hit me as hard as anyone. At any given time, you could find me listening to songs from many of my favorites, including Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and, of course, Nirvana. I still enjoy many of these epic songs to this day and fondly remember Friday and Saturday nights when I’d spin many of these songs as a DJ at a local roller skating rink. Yes, I know you’re jealous.
When thinking of the word “nirvana” and tying it into fantasy football, I can’t help but think about the emotional roller coaster felt each and every Sunday. While some may find their nirvana as a waiver wire darling breaks out or they have a come from behind victory, the opposite occurs just as often.
As running back after running back started going down with injuries on Sunday, I started really thinking about just how much it can affect teams each season. All in all, Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson, Rashad Jennings, Doug Martin, Thomas Rawls, Ameer Abdullah and Danny Woodhead all had issues ranging from nagging to serious – that’s about 1/4 of the league’s starting running backs getting hurt (I’m counting Woodhead as a starter since he’s such a PPR asset). This doesn’t even take into account the backs who already on the shelf like Dion Lewis, Jamaal Charles and Chris Ivory. Next week, there will likely be a total of eleven teams (New England, Miami, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Kansas City, San Diego, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Detroit and Seattle) that will already have a depth chart weakened critically at the position and we’re a mere two weeks into the season. Two. Weeks.
Meanwhile, it certainly smells like teen spirit as young receivers seem to be emerging each week. Will Fuller is doing his best to prove to everyone why he should have been taken earlier in rookie drafts. Sterling Shepard is already proving to be the complementary receiver the Giants have been looking for. Stefon Diggs is taking a huge second year leap. Josh Doctson flashed his ability already this weekend in his first real game action. Michael Thomas has shown an element of reliability in a complicated offense. Tyler Boyd is making plays for the Bengals. Corey Coleman torched the Ravens for two scores on Sunday. Tajae Sharpe has already ascended to the WR1 post for Tennessee and played every offensive snap this week. DeVante Parker looks to be back with a fury in Miami. Willie Snead is second in the league in receiving yards. Amari Cooper continues to prove why he’s one of the most prized assets in dynasty leagues. Kelvin Benjamin is back and better than ever. The list goes on and on.
We recently posted an article about different dynasty startup strategies and were surprised to see as many people still holding firm to taking running backs early. There is certainly no right or wrong but this weekend really magnifies the danger you face in loading up on running backs because their shelf life is amazingly short. With the laundry list of wide receivers emerging all over the country, it’s fair to wonder if it’s time to make it official – these young wide receivers are truly the nirvana of fantasy football and having running backs as the corps of your team could end up putting you six feet under.
Anyway, in honor of one of my favorite bands of all-time, we present the weekly aftermath. Expect some Nirvana references along the way.
Week Two’s Fantasy MVP
I had this whole paragraph written about Kelvin Benjamin (who would be a great choice this week), but then Sunday Night Football rolled around and we saw Stefon Diggs single-handedly win some fantasy games this week with his nine catches, 182 yards and a touchdown. Diggs now has a whopping 285 receiving yards on the year (tops in the NFL) while working with two different quarterbacks. While it’s next to impossible for him to maintain this pace (he’d finish the year with a 128/2,280/8 line), it’s clear he’s making a case to be a weekly “plug and play” in fantasy leagues. He’ll be a player to watch next week against the Panthers. Another big game and it’s fair to wonder if the Vikings had their future WR1 before taking Laquon Treadwell in the draft after all. In any case, they certainly have two receivers to build on. For the record, I’m nowhere close to downgrading Treadwell and if an owner in your league thinks he should be on pace with some of the other productive rookies, I’d pounce on that.
Week Two’s Fantasy LVP
AJ Green was an absolute monster last week, catching twelve passes for 180 yards and a touchdown. This week was much different as he could only post two catches for 38 yards, leading to massive disappointment from dynasty owners. This game is most certainly going to be an outlier but it was hard to swallow, nonetheless.
[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]
Lineup Fun
The Unbeatable Lineup of the Week
“Come as you are.”
QB Cam Newton CAR = 353 passing yards, 37 rushing yards, four touchdowns, one interception, one fumble lost
RB Matt Forte NYJ = 100 rushing yards, two catches, nine receiving yards, three touchdowns
RB DeAngelo Williams PIT = 94 rushing yards, four catches, 38 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB DeMarco Murray TEN = 89 rushing yards, seven catches, 56 receiving yards
WR Kelvin Benjamin CAR = Seven catches, 108 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Stefon Diggs MIN = Nine catches, 182 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR DeAndre Hopkins HOU = Seven catches, 113 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Greg Olsen CAR = Five catches, 122 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Underdog Lineup of the Week
“On a plain.”
QB Tyrod Taylor BUF = 297 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, three touchdowns, one interception
RB Giovani Bernard CIN = 17 rushing yards, nine catches, 100 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Isaiah Crowell CLE = 133 rushing yards, one catch, 15 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Fozzy Whittaker CAR = 100 rushing yards, three catches, 31 receiving yards
WR Travis Benjamin SD = Six catches, 115 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Corey Coleman CLE = Five catches, 104 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Danny Amendola NE = Four catches, 50 receiving yards, two touchdowns
TE Dennis Pitta BAL = Nine catches, 102 receiving yards
The Disappointing Lineup of the Week
“All apologies.”
QB Russell Wilson SEA = 254 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, one lost fumble
RB Doug Martin TB = 23 rushing yards, one surprising soft tissue injury
RB Arian Foster MIA = Nine rushing yards, one not-so-surprising soft tissue injury
RB Jonathan Stewart CAR = Nine rushing yards, two catches, seven receiving yards, one expected soft tissue injury
WR Kamar Aiken BAL = No catches
WR Donte Moncrief IND = One catch, nine receiving yards
WR Eli Rogers PIT = One catch, nine receiving yards
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins TB = Two catches, 14 receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if I thought Matt Forte was washed up. I guess all this timeshare stuff wasn’t exactly the truth, eh? Again, here’s a prime player to move right now if you’re not competing. His value may never be higher again.
I’d be worried if I owned Danny Woodhead. It’s a long recovery and always a concern with aging players. Woodhead is 31.
I’d be worried if I was relying on anyone in the Seahawks offense. How you pay a quarterback that much money and put together an offensive line that bad is beyond me. Is the front office taking lithium?
I’d be worried if I owned Kirk Cousins. The vultures are already starting to swirl.
I’d be worried if I owned John Brown. There’s something just not right here.
I’d be worried if I was underestimating the impact of Marvin Jones. I was clearly wrong about him. He’s legit.
I’d be worried if a Nirvana song wasn’t currently playing in your head.
I’d be worried if I was hoping for a breakout from Kenny Stills. It sure looks like DeVante Parker leapfrogged him quickly.
I’d be worried if I owned Kamar Aiken. Wow, Mike Wallace and Steve Smith are taking ALL the targets.
I’d be worried if I was still expecting RB1 numbers from Devonta Freeman.
I’d be worried if I was thinking Tyrod Taylor is going to put up the same numbers he did this week any time soon.
I’d be worried if I was playing against Jarvis Landry in a PPR league. That kid just knows how to get open.
I’d be worried if I was simply looking at the stats and felt like Isaiah Crowell has broken out. Take out his long run and he had 17 carries for 48 yards.
I’d be worried if I thought Will Fuller was a fluke.
I’d be worried if I was expecting another game like that from Antonio Brown any time soon.
I’d be worried if I was concerned about the slow start from Allen Robinson or Odell Beckham.
I’d be worried if I thought I had the running back situation in Oakland all figured out.
I’d be worried if I was counting on any of the Baltimore running backs.
I’d be worried if I was a rebuilding team and had players like DeAngelo Williams on it while he still has value.
I’d be worried if I owned Lamar Miller. It’s nice to be a three down runner, but let’s hope the Texans don’t “DeMarco Murray” him. The touches are really starting to pile up.
I’d be worried if I didn’t see real value in Theo Riddick right now.
I’d be worried if I owned Ezekiel Elliott. The worry meter isn’t high yet, but he’s on the radar since folks had to give up the farm to get him.
I’d be worried if I owned Blake Bortles. He just hasn’t been good so far.
I’d be worried if I thought Jamaal Charles was going to just get handed the reins to the offense when he returns.
I’d be worried if I owned Eddie Lacy or Aaron Rodgers. It’s just not quite right in Green Bay. They’ll get it together, but don’t expect magic until they do. You could say there’s just “Something in the way.”
I’d be worried if I owned Ameer Abdullah. Foot injuries and running backs do not mix well.
I’d be worried if I thought Vernon Davis was suddenly relevant again.
I’d be worried if I’m still not paying attention to the points Derek Carr can put up.
I’d be worried if I owned Coby Fleener. At what point do we just say he isn’t very good?
I’d be worried if I owned Arian Foster. Another year of playing the injury game? Not fun. I’ll give the hassle a grade three.
I’d be worried if I still didn’t believe in Kelvin Benjamin. The kid may not fit your profile, but he’s as productive as they come.
I’d be worried if I didn’t pounce on Tevin Coleman before it was too late. And it is.
I’d be worried if I owned Adrian Peterson. He had a slow start last year, but that slow start also wasn’t made worse with an injury. He’s human. At least I think he is.
I’d be worried if I was still holding out much hope for Tavon Austin. He needs a change of scenery and a change in expectations
I’d be worried if I didn’t buy in to Quincy Enunwa. He’s really made some strides.
And finally.
I’d be worried if I bought into the “I told you so,” hype from fantasy analysts out there. When we first created DLF, it was so we could create a site without a group think mentality. We wanted a site with lots of well-educated opinions and calculated guesswork – that’s exactly what we have. I believe we’re right more often than wrong but I also believe in admitting when we don’t get it right. Take last week for example. We suggested you pick up Dwayne Washington and that looks like a pretty good tip. Last year, I was a week too late on a few players and might be on Cody Kessler this week. It’s going to happen again this year, too. We do our best and allow you to make the decisions you feel best for your team.
I see a lot tweets and hyperbole out there from analysts “screaming from the rooftops” or retweeting something they suggested a year ago because it’s come true. Be sure those who you trust admit their shortcomings as well. To me, the truth is what makes the DLF community extraordinarily special. We’re right sometimes. We’re wrong sometimes, too. We don’t hide from it, either. I guess you could say, “You know you’re right,” so we don’t need it, either.
I’ll get off my heart-shaped soapbox now.
A Look Ahead to Hot Names on the Waiver Wire
Remember, we focus on the lesser names here. There’s really no need to be telling people of your skill level to pick up players you undoubtedly have like Spencer Ware, Chris Hogan, Mohamed Sanu or Tyrell Williams. We’re also not going to list obvious names you likely have rostered like Jerick McKinnon. Pay close attention because we tend to be ahead of the curve.
1.) Jacoby Brissett, QB NE
The Patriots really like this Bill Parcels pet project and it’s quite possible they can’t hold on to Jimmy Garoppolo forever. Brisset should get two games to showcase his ability.
2.) Cody Kessler, QB CLE
It looks like Kessler will be the next quarterback in Cleveland to have their season cut short by injury. Next!
3.) Fozzy Whittaker, RB CAR
Cameron Artis-Payne should be active this week, but my hunch is the Panthers just don’t like him that much. Whittaker looked serviceable and it’s not like Jonathan Stewart is going to be healthy again this year. Or ever.
4.) Colt McCoy, QB WAS
The Redskins look like geniuses right now for not giving Kirk Cousins some big money. Or maybe they’re a bunch of idiots because they’ve put so much pressure on him. Regardless, McCoy may get his chance before long because the locker room is starting to become divided.
5.) Kenny Britt, WR LA
Remember me? Yeah, I’m in LA!
6.) Kenneth Farrow, RB SD
I expect the Chargers to add someone to help replace Danny Woodhead. However, Farrow is the next man up if they don’t. He’s an intriguing prospect at this point. If you’re in a deep league, he’s worth stashing for the moment. Andre Williams is also around in San Diego if you really like being disappointed.
LATE ADDITIONS
7.) Trey Burton, TE PHI
He’s been talked about all Summer and finally made an impact with Zach Ertz. He’s a player to monitor for sure and add in deeper dynasty leagues.
8.) Colin Kaepernick, QB SF
The bigger conversation needs to be had, but the smaller one says Blaine Gabbert hasn’t been spectacular.
See you next week and remember…all we are is all we are. Rest in peace, Kurt.
[arve url=”https://youtu.be/aWmkuH1k7uA”]
[/am4show]
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
