Twitter Observations: Stud Receivers and Le’Veon Bell’s KC Impact
Between the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19 cancellations and postponements plus a surprise release this week, there was plenty of dynasty buzz to go around. Below are just a few of the tweets that caught our eye which could affect your season prospects.
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.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Kansas City, #ChiefsKingdom, thank you for the opportunity 🙏🏾 let’s go! pic.twitter.com/6aEY9GaoA7
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) October 15, 2020
As if 2020 couldn’t get any weirder, Le’Veon Bell has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for the rest of this season. Bell was released by the Jets earlier in the week which led to a busy week of speculation of where he would land. After flirting with a couple of AFC East teams, Bell ends up in Kansas City where he’ll still get the opportunity to face off against his old team later in the year.
As far as what Bell in Kansas City looks like, he won’t play this week as he sits out for COVID testing but he should be ready to go the week after. Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire has failed to impress since his week one debut, failing to top 70 rushing yards in any game since and it’s entirely possible Bell takes over the top spot while Edwards-Helaire gets to work on his game as a super backup.
Dynasty Impact: There is little doubt that Bell’s signing set off a flurry of trade offers in your dynasty leagues. Something like a future first-round rookie pick for him (which was an offer I received on more than one team) seems to be the baseline of which Bell owners are starting. To date, using the DLF Trade Finder, no one seems to have taken the bait, at least not straight up. It’s much more common to see him being moved for a second-round pick and then some which is exactly what our DLF Trade Analyzer suggests.
Remember, it was only a one-year deal so the chances of Kansas City, who just drafted a running back in the first round, re-signs Bell for any significant amount of money. If you are a contender and trading for Bell, it’s solely because you’re gunning for a championship this year. Don’t expect – or pay for – much beyond that.
The Other Clyde of the Coin
The “big 5” rookies RBs (Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Johnathan Taylor, JK Dobbins, D'Andre Swift & Cam Akers) have combined for 0 top-10 FF games so far this season.
— Ryan McDowell (@RyanMc23) October 16, 2020
Of course, the player impacted most by Bell’s signing was top rookie pick Edwards-Helaire who our own @RyanMc23 noted was just one of many disappointing rookie running backs so far. Of course, Edwards-Helaire will now have an even tougher time breaking out and notching a top-ten fantasy week this season. Then again, he wasn’t exactly lighting it up before which evidently led the Chiefs feeling compelled to sign Bell. But what CEH did have going for him – volume – is now in danger of being taken away.
His 81 carries through the first five weeks of the season was seventh-most among all running backs so that pace is sure to slow down barring an injury to Bell. Could CEH see more passing-down work? Maybe. But one of Bell’s better traits is pass blocking which would mean he’d see his share of those downs, too. In short, the Bell signing is a gut punch for CEH owners. At least for 2020.
Dynasty Impact: While the reaction to Bell’s dynasty value has been tame, the overreaction to CEH’s is remarkable. Of the handful of trades since the Bell signing became official, he looks to be going for a fraction of what he would have before the news broke. But remember that this is just a one-year deal and Bell, likely won’t be a Chief next year. If he does well, he’ll command more money than the Chiefs, who already spent a first-round pick on a running back, would surely like to invest. And if Bell plays poorly, that opens the door to CEH reclaiming his spot. He won’t have bell-cow carries like he did the first five weeks of this season but he has a long, productive, career ahead of him. Hold tight.
Radioactive DK
.@dkm14 came up HUGE on 4th down 💪
Watch #MINvsSEA: https://t.co/pPjgDawjby pic.twitter.com/eDmpvYkWgm
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 12, 2020
Another week and another amazing play by DK Metcalf. He’s accumulated a lot of those lately which, when coupled with Russell Wilson’s cooking, has shot Metcalf’s dynasty value straight up. Most recall the reason it was as low as it was when he first entered the league was due to his drop in the 2019 NFL Draft. Widely expected to be a top pick, a lingering neck injury plus some poor results in multiple drills at the combine contributed to Metcalf being a second-day pick where Seattle, who have a history of plucking future Pro Bowlers outside the first round, snagged him.
After an impressive rookie season that saw him total exactly 900 yards plus seven touchdowns, he’s off to an even better start this season. Through four games, he’s averaging nearly 100 yards per game and already has five touchdowns – just two less than last year in only one-third of the games.
Dynasty Impact: Between the numbers and the plays, Metcalf’s quickly becoming a WR1 for many dynasty teams and he’s done it quickly. From a WR3/4 to start his career to a WR2 at the start of the season to the new top dynasty receiver according to our DLF rankings. If you had the foresight to take Metcalf in the middle of rookie drafts in 2019, you got a winner.
If you’re trying to acquire him, good luck. Using the DLF Trade Analyzer, Metcalf is currently worth the top rookie pick. Even then, you may need to add pieces to it to make the deal whole. In short, Metcalf isn’t going anywhere. If he’s not on your team, he won’t be anytime soon.
Cut to the Chase
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (back) has been ruled out for Sunday vs. the Browns.
Chase Claypool projects to start and score 4 TD in his place.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 16, 2020
It was a big day for rookie receiver Chase Claypool as he scored more touchdowns in week four than most rookie receivers score all season. Catching three touchdowns and rushing for another, Claypool totaled a slash line of 11-7-110-3 and added a rushing touchdown for good measure.
He saw more action because of an injury to second-year receiver Diontae Johnson and took full advantage, seeing five more targets than the next Steeler pass catcher. Johnson is out again this week which means Claypool has a chance to up his dynasty value even more.
Dynasty Impact: Shout out to those that drafted Claypool in the third (!) round where he was available 70% of the time according to our Rookie Draft App.
He might have single-handedly won his dynasty owners their week four matchups if anyone was lucky enough to start him. Which is the crux of the issue when owning Claypool. No one knows how many targets he would have seen if Johnson wasn’t knocked out early. And Claypool may very well produce again this week with Johnson out but what about after?
There’s no way to tell which Steelers receiver will rise to the top of the pecking order when they (Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington) are all healthy. Which is to say if you can flip Claypool for a proven, veteran player and you want to win-now, I would do it before the spark fizzles out.
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