Stop Neglecting the Bottom of Your Roster: Three Off-Season Dynasty Adds

Zachary Wilkens Posted On June 15, 2019

The bottom of a dynasty roster can often go neglected, filled up with backups and handcuffs who offer very little upside. I think the best way to use the bottom of your roster is to use it as a revolving door of players who max out your upside.

By nature of being ‘bottom of the roster’, these players will have very long odds of actually hitting that upside. At the very least, if your league expands roster during the off-season, these players are great buys in case an injury happens.

Let’s look at three players who have hinted at the potential for fantasy relevance but have very obvious obstructions in their path.

Zach Zenner, RB DET

When Zenner was released with a back injury at the start of the 2018 season, things weren’t looking good for the future of his career. When no one else touched him throughout September and October, it seemed likely that the former undrafted career backup was done in the NFL.

However, when Kerryon Johnson got hurt midway through the season, the Lions decided to kick the tires on ol’ reliable Zach Zenner once more.

He was mostly relegated to special teams usage in his first four games, logging just 12 offensive snaps in total. But frustrated by the extreme inefficiency of plodder LeGarrette Blount and with nothing to lose, the 4-8 Lions decided to give Zenner some opportunities.

He proved to be far more effective than Blount with three touchdowns and 289 yards from scrimmage (72 per game) over the final four games. The highlight was a 22-touch, 123-yard performance in week 17. He was good for RB15 over that four-game span.

This wasn’t the first time Zenner had shown potential over a four-game stretch. At the end of the 2016 season, Zenner had a very similar run with three touchdowns and 354 yards. He even got the start and had a team-best 88 yards in a playoff loss to the Seahawks. Unfortunately, this did not lead to more opportunities in 2017 despite the lowest rushing yardage in the league.

Could this season be different? Unfortunately, it is unlikely.

Kerryon Johnson is definitely the top dog. The Lions signed CJ Anderson following a huge end-of-season surge with Sean McVay. Of course, Theo Riddick remains on the team as well, relegated to catching passes. Zenner will be fighting for a roster spot on the 53 before he can even think about getting offensive snaps and fantasy relevance. He does play on special teams, which separates him from Riddick and Anderson. If CJA decides to turn back into a pumpkin, Zenner may find himself as the backup to Johnson.

He’s worth carrying this off-season in case things break his way. With no ADP right now, he might be available on waivers. If not, he can probably be acquired for a small amount of FAAB or a less intriguing player at the bottom of your roster.

Taywan Taylor, WR TEN

Corey Davis had a markedly improved sophomore season that has allowed him to maintain a top-50 ADP and the majority of attention among the veteran Titans wide receivers. Yet over the final five games, a different player led the team in receiving yards: That would be Taywan Taylor. Over that stretch, Taylor caught 61.5% of his targets for 15.75 yards per catch. He exceeded 50 yards in three of the final five games. Davis managed that just once.

Of course, much like Zenner, there are a few major hurdles in front of Taylor. The team made two significant additions at the position, signing Adam Humphries and drafting AJ Brown 51st overall. Delanie Walker will return. Oh, and Marcus Mariota just wasn’t that good last year. Lastly, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left to become the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

The Titans made an interesting signing to replace LaFleur. They stayed in-house with tight ends coach Arthur Smith. This means he will already be familiar with both Davis and Taylor and their skillsets. This gives Taylor a headstart over the new competition.

Ultimately, the fact that Taylor outplayed Davis at the end of the season makes him worth holding onto or acquiring for very cheap. With a DLF ADP of 257, he is virtually undrafted. I imagine he could be acquired for a future fourth or fifth rounder.

Blake Jarwin, TE DAL

It’s not often that a player can have a game of 7-119-3 on just eight targets and remain completely off the radar, but that’s exactly the case with Blake Jarwin. To me, it seems like everyone is writing off Jarwin as a one-game wonder.

That is kind of true, but not entirely. He had seven targets in weeks 14 and 15 as well. In week 14, he caught all seven targets for 56 yards. Jarwin was quiet in the playoffs but did catch all five of his targets, albeit for just 32 yards. That amounted to an 83.3% catch percentage over his final six games consisting of 30 targets. When you catch the ball that much, your quarterback is going to take notice.

What prevented people from giving Jarwin more attention? That would, of course, be the return of future Hall-of-Famer and fan favorite Jason Witten. Witten is now 37 years old and when we last saw him, he put up his least productive season. Witten should never be counted out completely, but at his age with a year off, it feels to me like he might be returning just in time to pass the torch off to the future.

Jarwin is another player who doesn’t even have an ADP as of May. It did reach 178 in January before Jason Witten announced his return. Among our DLF rankers at the tight end position, he is 38th. That means he can be acquired extremely cheaply, perhaps for only FAAB, if he’s even owned in your league. He’d be a little more expensive in TE premium leagues but likely can be had at a price worth paying.