DLF’s 2017 Predictions: Best Dynasty Buy

Ken Kelly Posted On September 6, 2017

Most rookie drafts are in the rearview mirror and the NFL Preseason is winding down. We’re all busy combing the news sites trying to keep abreast of all the important developments as we prepare for the best time of the year, the NFL season. That can only mean one thing – it’s time for us to put a bow on those reams of off-season content with DLF’s 2017 Fantasy Predictions. As we do every year, we have several different prediction articles for you in the following categories:

Fantasy MVP
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
Sleeper Rookie of the Year (outside our top 24)
Bust of the Year
Fantasy Sleeper
Best Dynasty Buy
Best Dynasty Sell
Fantasy Comeback Player of the Year

We continue the series with our choices for the candidates for best dynasty buy.

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Kyle Rudolph, TE MIN

Somehow, after a TE2 finish in 2016, Vikings starter Kyle Rudolph is just barely being drafted in the top 12 tight end range. I expect the Vikes to run more in 2017 with the addition of Dalvin Cook, but Rudolph established himself as the security blanket for quarterback Sam Bradford. That shouldn’t change this season and while expecting a repeat of his TE2 performance might not be fair, Rudolph seems like a lock for a top ten rank at his position and he’s currently the TE10 in our ADP, just inside the top 100 drafted players. – Ryan McDowell

Willie Snead, WR NO

His price has risen recently but I am still okay buying him. I think New Orleans could easily support two WR1s in 2017. Snead has a terrific connection with Brees and with Cooks gone, his role should really expand. With a good season, Snead will have three productive seasons under his belt before the age of 25. – Anthony Santigate

Giovani Bernard, RB CIN

I’m buying Bernard on the cheap everywhere I can. He currently has an ADP of 130.5, making him very affordable in startup drafts. Cincinnati is still going to use him as their passing down back and he will be serviceable in PPR leagues. – Bruce Matson

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

Stefon Diggs just always seems to be open. He had 84 catches in an injury-riddled 13 games last season. He has openly acknowledged he needs to take better care of his body and I believe he does so moving forward. A healthy Diggs is a nightmare for opposing cornerbacks and is someone I am buying before he really breaks out. – Kyle Holden

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

I look at all of the other players near Diggs’ dynasty ADP of 38 and there’s no one else I’d rather have. Most WRs in his ADP range are either older and/or riskier, like Alshon Jeffery and Jarvis Landry. Diggs is primed for a massive spike in dynasty value after this season, so this may be the last chance to get him at a reasonable price. – Nick Canzanese

Mark Ingram, RB NO

Ingram’s drop in value is really baffling to me. A summer ago, Ingram was the 37th overall player, according to our ADP data, and he’s a 27-year-old who has finished as a top-15 PPR running back in each of the last three years. The arrival of Adrian Peterson appears to be the anchor which is tanking Ingram’s value, but Peterson is 32 and has barely played in two of the past three seasons because of injury. Ingram is going at a discount right now, ranked outside the top 65 overall players, and it’s a great time to invest. – Austan Kas

Tyler Boyd, WR CIN

This is another one where I can’t predict a favorable situation but I like his chances if things work out differently than we expect. Interest has faded in the second round prospect from Pittsburgh but he did manage 600+ yards and a touchdown as a rookie. The Bengals are another team who are due some touchdown regression and as an organization, they have always favored playing rookies less (except Tyler Boyd.) He still profiles as a successful NFL receiver and he’s cheaper than some worse second (and some first) round prospects this year. – Peter Howard

Leonte Carroo, WR Miami

A year with Jay Cutler and/or Matt Moore under center for the Dolphins most likely mean a year of disappointing results. It also means Carroo will have another year to improve upon the small technical details necessary to transition into a successful WR in the NFL even if his QB play looks to be atrocious. Even though Miami’s training camp oozed hyperbole, HC Adam Gase was quoted this summer saying Carroo has been playing much faster and more confidently. Looking back just two years, Carroo displayed strength, quickness, precision and terrific body control while at Rutgers and because of his slow start as a rookie, he’s basically free at this point in dynasty leagues. At his current cost, he’s a WR to go get now and then sit back and wait for 2018. – Leo Paciga

Jarvis Landry, WR MIA

The man with 288 receptions in his first three NFL seasons has fallen to the edge of the third round in startups. He has to endure one season with Jay Cutler at the helm but then gets to test free agency. I’ll gladly invest in a high floor WR2 at this price. – Curtis Patrick

Terrelle Pryor, WR WAS

In just one season as a full-time wideout, Pryor showed he’s as dangerous a pass catcher as there is in the league. Considering the slugs he had throwing the ball to him last season have been replaced by Kirk Cousins — a guy who nearly threw for 5,000 yards in 2016, then lost his top-two wideouts, creating a 214 target void. With each of these players in contract-years, staring down mega-deals at season’s end — Cousins and Pryor could become one of the NFL’s most lethal passing duos in 2017… then go their separate ways in the off-season. – Mo Brewington

Martavis Bryant, WR PIT

I’m a sucker for a comeback stories, especially when the main character is a dynamic playmaker in an offense where he’s not the top option. Bryant has checked all the boxes in his return to the Steelers, has been fully reinstated and his role on the outside is unquestioned. He’s a dynamic presence across from Antonio Brown who will command most double teams while Le’Veon Bell sucks up any remaining attention. Bryant should eat and eat often in 2017. At only 25 years of age, he’s a fantastic “buy” before the beginning of the season. – Jeff Haverlack

Michael Crabtree, WR OAK

The fact that Michael Crabtree continuously gets drafted as a mid-WR3 is criminal. The guy plays in a young, high powered offense and always produces. In his two years in Oakland he has averaged 87 catches for 962 yards and 8.5 touchdowns. He finished as the WR17 in 2015 and the WR12 in 2016 and has the trust of quarterback Derek Carr. Amari Cooper and Crabtree are like the 2017 version of the old school Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin duo in Arizona. – Eric Olinger

Jordan Howard, RB CHI

Okay, so I am cheating a bit – I am talking about buying a guy with a second round ADP. However, there are a lot of questions on Howard. Will he continue to get passing down work? Will game script and being on a bad team cost him? I am not worried about the bad team factor and am beyond excited about the talent. Here is a 22-year old running back that finished with over 100 total yards in six of his last seven games and the one he didn’t he finished with 99 total yards. Only Starting 13 games Howard finished with 1,313 yards rushing, 298 yards receiving, and seven total touchdowns. With his offensive line being one of the best in the league and his consistent success, if he proves this year that he wasn’t a fluke he will be nearly impossible to acquire going forward. Get him on your team before it is too late. – Eliot Crist

Brandin Cooks, WR NE

If you are a fan of Brandin Cooks like I am, now is the time to buy. He probably won’t get much cheaper, and his 2018 outlook will be much higher. The only thing to be concerned about is the aging of Tom Brady. However, Jimmy Garroppolo has a great future ahead of him. – Mike Valverde

Frank Gore, RB IND

Alright. The chances of him recording 1,500 rushing yards are slim. But I don’t want Gore as my every-week top back. I want to bet that he’s better than the RB in anyone else’s RB3/flex2 slot. Which means I have a weekly advantage over all of those other teams. – Tom Kislingbury

Derrick Henry, RB TEN

DeMarco Murray has been so fun to watch when healthy. His next injury will spell his demise. Buy Derrick Henry. The Titans have been diligently building him an O-line and surrounding offense. There is no better dynasty buy. – Bob Brannon

Paul Richardson, WR SEA

His price is still insanely low but his opportunity is coming. When he has gotten playing time, he has been dominant. I don’t really understand why his value isn’t rising more than it is, but that means he is cheap enough that you can still get him as a throw-in on trades with bigger names. Try to get him thrown in as much as possible. – Trevor Bucher

Allen Robinson, WR JAX

Yes, his quarterback is really bad. Don’t let that deter you though. He’s still young, gets the lion’s share of the targets, and push comes to shove, he is in the last year of his contract and could move on to someone with competent quarterback play (Hello KC!). Don’t let his circumstances blind you to the player. – Doug Green

Mike Gillislee, RB NE

It would be easy to avoid all Patriots running backs based on the fallacy that Belichick isn’t willing to lean on just one bell-cow, but the positive game script they should see (again) can support multiple players regardless. Gillislee has shown high efficiency in limited work last season and should get a chance to prove that wasn’t a fluke. He’s currently being drafted as the 25th RB, which makes him an easy buy for me. – Eric Dickens

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

Only 23 years old, a good route runner and seeing his targets increase from 84 to 112 in his first two seasons – there’s an arrow pointing up for Diggs. His touchdowns could start increasing, I believe he’s too talented to have four and three touchdowns his first couple of seasons, and with his ability to separate from CB’s I can see him getting at least seven touchdowns as his floor. Diggs has WR2 upside. – Bee Salamat

Chris Conley, WR KC

He has been a bit of a disappointment so far in his career, but I think part of his struggles relate to the system he is currently in. Conley’s skill set doesn’t really match that of current quarterback Alex Smith. When they drafted Mahomes, a quarterback with a big arm, Conley’s future outlook shot through the roof for me. He has a ton of potential, and I think we might get a chance to see it in the not too distant future. – Jacob Feldman

John Ross, WR CIN

Ross is immensely talented (draft pedigree, Combine, production, etc.) and playing in quite a favorable setting (#2 to AJ Green with only Tyler Eifert, who serves a different role, as the only real secondary competitor). His injuries are certainly troublesome, but folks are pricing him like he’s already a step below the rest as a talent regardless of his injuries. However, a top ten (a full round better than both Joe Mixon and Dalvin Cook, but who’s counting?) draft slot is clear indication both that Ross is an immense talent and that Cincy is confident in his ability to stay healthy. This opportunity doesn’t come along very often. – Steve Gill

Thomas Rawls, RB SEA

It should be Eddie Lacy starting in Seattle, but Rawls has outplayed the rotund one this off-season and should be the lead back to begin the 2017 season. Lacy got the money, but if we know anything about Pete Carroll, it’s that he doesn’t factor in contracts when choosing his starters. Rawls had an excellent, albeit, short 2015 and never got healthy in 2016. I expect Rawls to pay off his current RB50 ADP in spades. – Matt Price

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

For every true star in this league, there’s a “last chance window” to buy at the start of a career before the price turns insane. For Odell Beckham Jr., it was only a few weeks. In Le’Veon Bell’s case, you had a whole season to pry away the future superstar from his owners. I think he’s the next big thing at receiver, and this off-season will be the last chance to grab Diggs for a reasonable price. – James Simpson

Austin Hooper, TE ATL

I am surprised Hooper is getting such little love as a second-year tight end who was great on a yards per target basis in 2016 and left Stanford after his redshirt sophomore season. He’s in the same tier as Hunter Henry as a dynasty prospect, yet is seldom mentioned in the same breath. I feel he starts making serious impacts in 2017 and becomes a weekly starter with high-end TE potential. – Rob Willette

Todd Gurley, RB LAR

Buy Gurley, buy Gurley, buy Gurley. I could keep going. I know there has been quite a bit of analysis out there, and not all of it is favorable for Todd Gurley’s future success, but I still believe that huge talent is there. I really think the dumpster fire in LA last season may have worn Gurley down, as it likely did a lot of players. I think McVay turns that ship around with one Todd Gurley at the helm. If I’m right, this is your last chance to buy him at any kind of a discount. – Ryan Finley

Randall Cobb, WR GB

While injuries have certainly slowed production in years prior, Cobb is finally coming into a season healthy and once again ready to rock. His last fully healthy season Cobb dropped 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. While he may never hit that number again with the emergence of Adams, 1,000 yards and 8-10 touchdowns doesn’t seem out of reach. – Dwayne Brown

DeVante Parker, WR MIA

Yes, I know Parker has been mostly a disappointment and it’s fair to wonder if all the fluff pieces written about him all off-season are just total hyperbole. However, I believe Jay Cutler is going to latch on to Parker and allow him to finally realize his massive potential. With an ADP of around 50, there are a lot of players you could do worse buying. – Ken Kelly

Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

I’ve become so smitten with Diggs, I’ve nearly forgotten how to spell Brian Quick’s name. Injuries are a huge issue going all the way back to the start of his college career, but Diggs is so damn good, I don’t care that he can’t stay healthy. How good is he? Despite Sam Bradford throwing the him ball, Diggs’ points per game over the 13 2016 contests he played in paced him to be a WR1. Luckily, with an ADP of 38, and many of his owners wary of the aforementioned injury history, you won’t have to pay a massive premium to gamble on his health. There are few bets you can make with a bigger payoff than to throw you chips in the middle on the Vikings’ number one receiver. – Jeff Miller

Cooper Kupp, WR LAR/Gerald Everett, TE LAR

I think both of these guys are going to lead a revitalized Rams team that will take a lot of people by storm this year. I’m not saying they’ll blow the doors off the league but they appear to be solid pieces around which Los Angeles can build on going forward. By this time next year I expect both to have quite respectable ADPs. – The FF Ghost

Final Vote Count

Stefon Diggs – 5 votes
Kyle Rudolph, Willie Snead, Giovani Bernard, Mark Ingram, Tyler Boyd, Leonte Carroo, Jarvis Landry, Terrelle Pryor, Martavis Bryant, Michael Crabtree, Jordan Howard, Brandin Cooks, Frank Gore, Derrick Henry, Paul Richardson, Allen Robinson, Mike Gillislee, Chris Conley, John Ross, Thomas Rawls, Austin Hooper, Todd Gurley, Randall Cobb, DeVante Parker, Cooper Kupp, Gerald Everett – 1

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK