Dynasty Capsule: Los Angeles Rams
Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the regular season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.
Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”
Quarterback
The Rams used the first overall pick to select Goff in last year’s draft with the hopes he can develop into their franchise quarterback. His career started off a little rocky, losing all seven of the games he played in and passing for just 1,089 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. His efficiency metrics weren’t good either as he completed just 54.60 percent of his passes while finishing the season with a 22.9 QBR. He showed some prominence during week 12 against the Saints when he passed for 214 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while completing 62.5 percent of his passes.
He currently ranks 22nd amongst quarterbacks with a 190.50 ADP, making him a 15th-round pick in startup drafts. The only thing that should be questioned with his ADP is that he’s being selected ahead of Joe Flacco, Eli Manning and Ryan Tannehill who are all veteran options that can immediately provide value for your team. Goff is still a very young prospect, considering he will only be 22 years old going in to his second NFL season and he has a lot of promise with a lot of room for growth.
There’s going to be a lot of changes with the Rams’ coaching staff which could only be a positive for Goff’s development. Honestly, the Jeff Fisher regime was a major elephant in the room when it came to the demise of the franchise’s ability to compete with heavy hitters in the NFC and infusing new blood into the coaching staff could be good for Goff’s development. He has a lot of young talented receivers around him who are still in the developmental phases of their careers and one of the best defenses in the league to help bail him out of trouble when needed.
Capitalize on his cheap price tag if you liked him last year as a prospect because he’s very obtainable due to his cheap price point via trade. He may never become a stud but there’s a good chance that he could hold value in the future as a backup or spot starter for your dynasty team.
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He’s going to be a free agent in the off-season and cataclysmic events would have to transpire for him to become a starting quarterback again. Do everyone a favor and leave him on the waiver wire.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft and he’s signed with the team through 2018. He’s currently scheduled to be Goff’s backup, but the new coaching regime will not have any allegiances with him, making him dispensable if he has a bad training camp. He’s a dark horse prospect, but he currently holds no value in dynasty.
Running Back
The Rams selected Gurley tenth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft to be the team’s feature back. He blew up during his rookie season, rushing for 1,106-yards and ten touchdowns with five games surpassing the 100-yard mark. Last season was a different story as the Rams’ offense struggled, averaging just 263 yards per game, which hindered his ability to get anything going on the ground. The offensive line is in need of a major overhaul and is one of the key factors to why Gurley finished the season with a 3.2 yard per carry average. Sean McVay, former offensive coordinator of the Redskins, is going to be the new head coach and hopefully he can rejuvenate the offense for Gurley’s sake.
Even with the bumpy sophomore season, he still is averaging a 14.50 ADP, making him an early second round pick in startup drafts. A year ago today he was considered a consensus top ten pick. He’s still about impossible to trade for because his owners either paid a lot to acquire him or they still believe he’s one of the top players in the league. His price tag is appropriate given that he’s one of the most talented running backs in the league who is unfortunately stuck in one of the worst situations a running back could be in. The cream eventually rises to the top and Gurley has the talent to eventually break through these oppressive times in the Rams’ offense. Don’t lose faith in him.
He will hit the open market once free agency opens in the spring and there’s a good chance he could be fighting for a roster spot with another team. He has showed some promise during the last few years, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, but the excess talent entering the league at the running back position will make it even more difficult for Cunningham to carve out a niche with an NFL team. He currently holds no dynasty value at the moment and his stock is very dependent on what team picks him up in free agency.
Brown was a five-star recruit out of high school and at one time considered one of the most decorated prospects in the nation. He wasn’t able to put it together at Texas, causing him to go undrafted. His size and short area quickness makes him a dark horse going into next season.
Green became a popular name after his performance in the 2016 Senior Bowl when he made a couple of big plays that caught the eye of a lot of draft analysts. He’s not the sexiest back but he always seems to get the job done when he’s on the field.
Mason has a history of running into the law, which eventually caused him to be placed on the reserve/did not report list for the 2016 season. He’s technically under contract through the 2017 season but I doubt he will make it through the season on an NFL roster.
Wide Receiver
Austin caught 58 receptions for 509 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 159 yards and one touchdown last season. He had five games with more the 15 PPR fantasy points, allowing him to average 10.08 fantasy points per game. The Rams signed him to a four year $42 million deal in August, which means he should be on the team through 2018. He will be 26 years old during the start of the NFL season and he has plenty of tread left on the tires to be an asset for your dynasty team.
It’s hard to project what the volume of targets will look like for Austin going forward because there are a lot of unknown variables that could contribute to his workload. We don’t know how the new coaching staff plans to implement him in the offense and the receiving corps could be drastically different compared to years prior. He’s currently being selected around the 12th round in rookie drafts and ranks 76th amongst wide receivers with a 151.50 ADP. His upside is depending on the amount of volume he receives and how he’s used within the offense. With a borderline free price point on the trade market, Austin could be had for little to no capital, making him a safe investment if you are interested in acquiring his talents.
I’m old enough to remember when Britt was considered one of the hot young prospects in the NFL when he played for the Tennessee Titans back in 2009. Since then, multiple knee injuries created a major road block for Britt and his dynasty stock. It feels like he has been in the league forever but he will only be 28 years old going into the regular season. Things are starting to look good for Britt’s dynasty stock as he surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career and he’s scheduled to be a free agent in the off-season, giving him the opportunity to leave Los Angeles for greener pastures.
Britt’s trade value is hard to gauge because his current owner either regards him as an end of bench stash or slightly over values him due to the combination of him potentially landing in a better situation and the nostalgia that reeks from his younger years in Tennessee. His dynasty ADP of 114.67 suggest that he’s going somewhere between the ninth and tenth round of startup drafts. His stock should take a slight bump right before free agency due to dynasty owners taking a chance and buying low on him just in case he lands on a better team. Once we start getting closer to rookie drafts his stock should either level out or take a slight drop due to the insurgence of talented young players.
Quick caught 105 receptions for 1,499 yards and ten touchdowns during his five year tenure with the Rams and he’s set to hit free agency this offseason. The best case scenario would be him getting picked up by a team with a high volume passing attack who is willing to utilize his skill sets correctly. His NFL career has been riddled with flashes of greatness and broken dreams, which labels him as a bust and destroys whatever optimism that was entrenched in his dynasty stock. His value is currently at an all time low as he’s virtually free on the trade market and might possibly be sitting on the waiver wire in some leagues.
The Rams selected Cooper in the fourth round during last year’s draft to provide depth and to hopefully become one of their key starting wide receivers. Although he’s not a blue chip prospect, he does have enough athleticism to make an impact for the team. Right now, he currently holds dynasty value as an end-of-bench-stash.
Thomas, a Matt Waldman favorite, experienced a lot of ups and downs in the last year, from being crowned the “Good Michael Thomas” to now being labeled as the “Forgotten Mike Thomas” due to his lackluster rookie season. Not all prospects hit during their rookie season, especially sixth round picks who play under Jeff Fisher. He’s still a talented prospect and will receive more opportunities in the offseason to carve a role within the offense. He can be had for pennies on the dollar compared to his price tag last year during rookie drafts. Take advantage of his discounted price tag while you can, because his stock might increase if Kenny Britt and Brian Quick both sign with different teams during free agency.
I don’t see him making an impact for the Rams and becoming fantasy relevant. His face has NFL journeyman written all over it.
McRoberts will be fighting for a spot on the roster during training camp and there’s a chance he won’t be on an NFL team next season. There’s nothing special here, he doesn’t have elite athleticism and he wasn’t a mega producer in college.
He’s an interesting prospect because he was highly productive at Colorado catching 294 receptions for 3,347 yards and 23 touchdowns during the course of his collegiate career. He lacks athleticism, which could be the Achilles’ heel that prevents him from making it in the NFL.
He has the height-weight-speed combination of the typical WR1 in the NFL. A lot of draft analysts were banging the drum for North last year and he has the talent to impress the coaching staff during training. It would be a good idea to put him on your watch list or stash him in super deep dynasty leagues.
Tight End
Kendricks caught 50 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns off of 88 targets last season. He finished the year ranked 23rd in the NFL amongst tight ends with 112.90 fantasy points in PPR leagues, allowing him to average 7.06 fantasy points per game. It wasn’t a super productive year for Kendricks, but he served well as a fill in for fantasy teams who were enduring bye weeks and injuries.
He’s the tight end of the future for the Rams. As a highly athletic specimen, Higbee is a mismatch nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs. He could potentially become a valuable fantasy asset once he gets more acclimated to the NFL. You might want to think about acquiring him via trade if you have the extra room on your roster.
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