Five Dynasty Winners in Free Agency
The 2020 season is finally underway, and based on the craziness that has ensued from a few of the trades and signings, it was well worth the wait.
From DeAndre Hopkins joining the Cardinals, to DeForest Buckner being shipped to the Colts, Stefon Diggs being traded to the Bills and Tom Brady moving on from the Patriots for the first time in his professional career, the off-season has been far from short on news. Several teams already look better on paper, with some looking significantly worse. As we’ve seen in the past, some free agents who look good in theory may turn out to become busts in reality, and we could see a few hidden gems as per usual.
A big part of dynasty football is also finding studs who can potentially impact your team straight out of free agency. Therefore, a few dynasty players/defenses can very well benefit from these trades and signings. It’s hard not to exaggerate and overreact about certain players and units going forward, that’s just a part of football culture!
So you’re probably wondering what dynasty winners are out there so far? Let’s take a look at five separate dynasty winners who you should take note of going into the 2020 season. Without further delay, let’s get into it!
Kyler Murray With The Addition Of DeAndre Hopkins
In one of the most shocking trades ever, The Cardinals immediately upgraded their receiving corps with an All-Pro receiver without giving up a first-round pick. All they had to do in return was send running back David Johnson, a 2021 fourth-round pick, and a second-round pick to the Texans. Considering Kenyan Drake is the leader in the RB clubhouse, this was even more of a fleece than it already was.
One player who will immediately see a favorable impact in dynasty is quarterback Kyler Murray. The 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year dazzled with his appealing style of play, keeping Arizona in games despite lacking a true number one wideout. That ends now with the addition of Hopkins. For years, Hopkins had to put up with carrying terrible quarterbacks and was a huge reason why the Texans were able to make the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. That changed when Deshaun Watson became his quarterback in 2017.
It’s not like Murray is that much of a downgrade from Watson either. Obviously Watson is better at the moment, but I expect Murray to take a big step forward in his sophomore season, especially with a top-five receiver in the palm of his hands. So obviously Murray is a big winner for those that have invested in him in dynasty. Let’s eat!
Josh Allen With The Addition Of Stefon Diggs
I think we all expected Diggs to be traded after several vague (yet obvious enough) complaints on Twitter, and he’s Buffalo’s “problem” now.
Josh Allen is a talented young quarterback, but accuracy issues could make this a worse landing spot for Diggs than either of his two seasons with Kirk Cousins. Having said that, Allen, who produced the seventh-most fantasy points in 2019, is the clear benefactor here, as Diggs gives him an electrifying WR1 who’s arguably the best route runner in the NFL.
Now Allen has a significant amount of talent on his receiving corps; In addition to Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, tight end Dawson Knox, Duke Williams, and Robert Foster back him up. There’s also Devin Singletary in the backfield as well, so the Bills are virtually set at the skill positions. Now they just need an improved offensive line to give Allen one of the league’s absolute best supporting casts.
Xavien Howard With The Addition Of Byron Jones
Miami’s Howard is a very good corner who has made plenty of refinements in his game to become an above-average corner. And with the (expensive, but worthy) addition of former Cowboys Pro Bowler Byron Jones, he’ll get plenty of lockdown help.
While Jones has come away with zero interceptions in his last two seasons, his coverage efforts were highly lauded, and as such, he became a highly-targeted free agent in the off-season. The Dolphins were able to land him to the tune of a five-year deal worth $82.5 million with $57 million guaranteed. Not only is this a signing that will make the Dolphins defense better, it’s also a signing that will make Howard better in IDP leagues.
Fletcher Cox With The Addition Of Javon Hargrave
Cox is easily a top-five defensive tackle. The face of the Eagles defense, Cox has put together five Pro Bowl appearances, a First-Team All-Pro season in 2018, and three Second Team All-Pro appearances as well.
Cox fell from 13th among all defensive linemen in fantasy points in 2018 to 39th in 2019, though he still put up a damn good season. One addition that should help his production is the addition of former Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave, and the signing in the interior has earned rave reviews thus far.
In his last two seasons, Hargrave has put up 10.5 sacks, 13 TFL, and 14 quarterback hits – pretty good numbers for a nose tackle. This was also as a part of a loaded Steelers pass rush, so it’s likely he’ll offer the same help with Cox in Philly. With the projected depth potentially including Cox, Hargrave, and a healthy Malik Jackson, the Eagles should be more than set in the defensive interior.
The Bills Defense With The Additional Depth
In 2019 the Bills defense was already pretty damn good. It was obvious that head coach Sean McDermott and company were on the verge of building something special on that side of the ball, and were a few pieces away from putting out a dominant defense.
If the recent signings are of any indication, the Bills defense just might be the one your dynasty team needs to get over the edge.
None of the signings include generational cornerstones at their respective positions, but in terms of depth, they were huge acquisitions. Former Seahawks defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and former Panther Vernon Butler fill up an interior that already included the promising Ed Oliver, Mario Addison was added to improve an edge rush attack that has Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy, and Josh Norman was added as depth to help out with the sensational Tre’Davious White.
When you combine those players with the stellar safety duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, the aforementioned stud corner White, Jerry Hughes, the stellar linebacker duo of Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, etc., that just makes the Bills defense a tantalizing unit as a whole. I’d go ahead and grab them if made available.
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