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Twitter Observations: Easter Edition

Michael Moore Posted On April 9, 2020
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If there’s a fantasy sports arena that hasn’t been completely derailed by what’s happening in the real world, it’s dynasty football leagues. Think about it – we’re in the off-season of the NFL calendar, which no other league can say, and the threat of no 2020 season doesn’t mean no fantasy for dynasty players. It just means no games and a sooner-than-expected off-season. It may not seem much compared to what a lot of people are going through but you must appreciate the little things.

With that said, there were a few notable tweets sent out this week that will influence those dynasty leagues. This is the time right before the NFL Draft where veteran news will start to slow down and be replaced by draft rumors and innuendo so take advantage of those vets on the move while you can.

A reminder: This space will be dedicated to an assortment of things we find on Twitter and what it means for our dynasty teams. Most fantasy tweets undoubtedly have a redraft slant to them but we’re here to talk about the dynasty implications.

Return of the King

Now that we know where Derrick Henry will play in 2020, it’s time to evaluate his dynasty prospects. It’s not an exaggeration to say Henry has gotten better every single year of his four-year career. From upping his rushing total by at least 50% each season and adding more and more scores year-after-year, Henry topped out last season at over 1,500 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. He also carried several fantasy teams to championships in the process. There are certainly several positives of having Henry on your dynasty team. The Titans are returning the nucleus that enabled Henry to finish so strong last year including bringing back quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Additionally, the departure of Dion Lewis could potentially open more targets for Henry. Lewis had a down year in 2019 with just 25 receptions but totaled 59 the year before that most of which could be funneled to Henry.

Dynasty Impact: All of this sounds nice for Henry, but he still plays the most replaceable position in football. There’s a reason the Titans are not willing to back the Brinks truck up to pay Henry over the course of several years nor should you. His current dynasty ADP is truly the best it ever will be but will be 26 and, for all intents and purposes, on the last year of his contract in Tennessee. Not only has he seen a steady increase in his production every season but in the number of touches too, ending the 2019 season with 303 carries. Henry is a great back, but I would rather be a year early in trading him than a year late.

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King of the Hill

Now that the Saints quarterback situation is settled for the foreseeable future, we have a better idea who holds the keys to the Saints’ offensive kingdom. Yes, Drew Brees re-signed for two more years but, more telling, last year’s backup Teddy Bridgewater has moved on to a starting gig with the Panthers. Taysom Hill is now the primary backup despite not acting like much of a quarterback the last two seasons. Sure, he had a breakout in the Saints last game of the 2019 season but even before then, he’s been doing a little bit of rushing, a little bit of receiving with very little passing. This promotion to Drew Brees’ primary backup will change that.

Dynasty Impact: The bump Hill got from his new role certainly helped his dynasty value. Going as a late QB3 in dynasty startups at the end of the 2019 season, his breakout game – coupled with being promoted – bumped him up to fringe QB2 territory. Any quarterback backing up a 41-year-old quarterback, like Hill is doing this year, should automatically get your attention. And the fact that the Saints don’t appear to be curbing his usage at other positions just enhances it. He’s certainly not to the point of overpaying what you would for a backup quarterback in dynasty leagues but, should your league count any offensive statistic for any player, it doesn’t hurt to use a late-round rookie pick to acquire that kind of versatility.

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Man Seeking Winston

Not many people expected Tampa to land Tom Brady this off-season so in addition to that curve ball, we now needed to prepare for a new team for Jameis Winston. Fantasy-wise, Winston was incredible last year after throwing for over 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns plus a top-five fantasy finish in most leagues. Unfortunately, NFL teams don’t care about fantasy stats and were less than impressed at Winston’s 30 interceptions and five fumbles lost for a cool average of over two turnovers per game. It’s those latter numbers that will be the biggest obstacle for Winston to find a starting gig.

Dynasty Impact: Currently ranked as DLF’s QB21, that’s sure to change unless Winston happens to fall into a starting job. The problem is there don’t seem to be many teams looking. Even those with lackluster options right now will surely be choosing one in the NFL Draft later this month, like the Dolphins and Chargers, who are widely expected to draft a young quarterback with their top-ten pick. If Winston does end up with a backup gig, that isn’t the end of the world, but his value will heavily depend on the landing spot. For example, if he’s part of a three-quarterback race for the starting job in Las Vegas or Chicago, his chances of winning that contest go down. He’s a strong hold right now to see where things shake out.

Operating Stidham

Now that we’ve thoroughly examined the past and present at quarterback for the Buccaneers, it’s time to look towards New England where the last quarterback not named Tom Brady to start a season in New England was drafted in 1993 (and Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t count). Jarrett Stidham was, at the time, just the latest quarterback drafted by the Patriots who appeared to be nothing more than an understudy to Tom Brady. But Brady’s departure changed all that and Stidham now has the ‘inside track’ to the starting job.

Dynasty Impact: It’s far from a given that the Patriots will actually roll with Stidham to start the 2020 season, but they also haven’t rushed out to sign a veteran and have yet to move up to grab one of the top quarterback prospects. There’s still time to do either but if Stidham holds on, just being the starting quarterback under Bill Belichick will have value and certainly bump him higher than his current DLF ranking of 37th. But also, don’t be fooled into trading for him just because he’s a starter. The supporting cast isn’t exactly appealing as it’s currently made up of aging veterans and unproven young players. Nary a bona fide stud in sight! Certainly, acquire Stidham if the price is cheap enough but you’re not missing out by passing either.

Michael Moore
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