The Dynasty Aftermath: The Time my Cousin’s Friend turned into Lee Harvey Oswald
Welcome to DLF’s Dynasty Aftermath. This staple article is our longest running signature piece as we have a little fun after a tough week at the Dynasty League Football office. You’ll find this article will review the week’s happenings in a variety of ways and help set you up for the coming weeks as we spin around the league in the way we know best. Expect it each and every week.
I’ve written this column for over fifteen years and I really do enjoy it. I love combing through the stats of the week, putting together ridiculous lineups, picking MVPs/LVPs and discussing things to worry about.
That’s not all.
I also really love sharing little bits of my life with the community of DLF and picking a theme for this column each week. You really never know what you’re going to get. In fact, I’ll reserve the right to change my theme ideas if something cool happens like my friend peeing their pants at the Goodwill. If you missed one this year, click below:
Week One: The time I ordered The Peloton
Week Two: The time I went Vegan
Week Three: The time I went snowboarding without a Sherpa
Week Four: The time I found my Lack of Mystical Kung-Fu Powers
Week Five: The time my Mom thought she was going to prison for Bootlegging Brewster’s Millions
My family moved to the State of Washington way back in the 1970s. My Grandfather and Great Uncle lived in Southern Idaho and were tired of all the snow and wanted to find a place with better hunting and fishing. They literally took out a Rand McNally map (look ’em up on your Googler if you’re too young to know what that is) and opened it to the Washington and Oregon pages. They had a few drinks, spun my Grandpa around blindfolded and had him point to a spot on the map. And that, my friends, is how I ended up being born in a small town North of Portland, Oregon, as they packed their stuff up and moved.
After one winter, my Uncle Ronnie decided it was just too wet and rainy in Washington and wanted to move back home to Idaho. Apparently snow was better than rain. Why not move to Palm Springs, Ronnie? My Grandfather was so mad at him that he stayed….for 75 years and counting. Yep, that is the definition of stubborn. They had made a decision and my Grandpa Kelly just had to stick it out.
As I grew up, my family would occassionally take the 14-hour road trip to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho to visit them. The visits became more and more infrequent as we grew older, but I treasure those memories of working on a farm in the Summer and playing in the snow all winter. They were the best trips every year.
Except for one.
One winter break, we decided to drive over and stay for a week on a visit. One of the highlights of our trips were always the snowmobiles. My Uncle owned 500 acres of land full of hills and trails and it was great. We’d spend the mornings out riding on the snow, then come back to watch game shows and play the Atari.
One morning, my Mom and Dad decided to take one of the snowmobiles out for a run and have some fun. I remember watching them go down the hill and head out towards the back half of the acreage. I also remember them coming to an abrupt stop and seeing my Dad running up the hill carrying my Mom. It looked like she was bleeding and we quickly determined something had broken on the snowmobile and struck her leg. Blood was flowing out of her pants and it looked like a significant kind of injury. My Dad and Uncle rushed her to the hospital in Pocatello and we got a call about two hours later. And it was a call I will never forget.
My Mom was suffering from a bullet wound. She had been shot in the leg and the bullet went through, exited, then went into her other leg. We were obviously stunned. We weren’t running for office, didn’t have any sworn enemies and weren’t in Idaho as fugitives committing crimes.
We walked down to where the snowmobile had stopped and looked up around the treeline. Was there a magic bullet? Was there a hit placed on my family? Had Lee Harvey Oswald LIVED! My parents were not running for office. There was no book depository there. We saw nothing of the Bubushka Lady. It was all so confusing, especially with no grassy null or film to review.
We then saw just one house when we looked up and we figured it all out. You see, my Cousin Kody and I were pretty tight and a kid he went to school with lived in that house. Turns out he was jealous of my family being there, a little unstable mentally and felt like we were stealing one of his friends for the winter. So, he did the only logical thing – he took out a rifle and tried to kill my parents.
Soak that in.
The next few days were full of police reports, confusion, anger and frankly, us just being stunned. After all, we had never been on a vacation where someone had tried to murder us.
What happened next I will never forget.
My Mom came home from the hospital and we had to wheel her around on a dolly (they didn’t have those leg carts back then.) Our one week turned into about a month as she recovered. But none of that is really that important and this is the point – my Mom didn’t press charges and instead only wanted to see that young boy (he was only in his early teens) to give him a hug, forgive him and encourage him to get the mental health treatment he needed to move forward. I’ll never forget that. I, on the other hand, wanted to unleash those mystical Kung-Fu Powers on the kid who tried to be Lee Harvey Oswald from the snowy null. My Mom cared enough to forgive and that’s always stuck with me.
So, what does this have to do with fantasy football? There are times where you get really upset at fellow owners because of smack talk, failed trades, those who you find arrogant, those who forget to set lineups and a myriad of other reasons. If my Mom can forgive someone who tried to kill her, we should keep things in perspective and remember it’s just a game. Forgive!
….and next time you go snowmobiling, you better keep your head on a swivel.
Week Six Fantasy MVP
I get the fact he doesn’t catch very many passes, but this week was a clear reminder about just how talented Derrick Henry is. He ran over the Texans front seven and posted 212 rushing yards, two catches, 52 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner where nobody had a chance to stop him. There are very few running backs who can post a 40-burger without catching more than two passes, but Henry reminded us all this week he’s one of them.
Week Six Fantasy LVP
What in the world has happened to JuJu Smith-Schuster? After week one, he looked like all it was going to take was a healthy Ben Roethlisberger to vault him back to WR1 status. Since then, we’ve seen Chase Claypool emerge, Diontae Johnson get peppered with targets when healthy and JuJu post a meager 17 catches over the past four games combined. This week was rock bottom for Smith-Schuster as he posted two catches for six yards on just four targets. This week is huge for him as another dud will have him squarely on benches for dynasty owners.
Lineup Fun
The Unbeatable Lineup of the Week
QB Deshaun Watson HOU = 335 passing yards, 26 rushing yards, four touchdowns
RB Derrick Henry TEN = 212 rushing yards, two catches, 52 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Ronald Jones TB = 113 rushing yards, two catches, eight receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC = 161 rushing yards, four catches, eight receiving yards
WR Justin Jefferson MIN = Nine catches, 166 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Julio Jones ATL = Eight catches, 137 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Will Fuller HOU = Six catches, 123 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE George Kittle SF = Seven catches, 109 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Underdog Lineup of the Week
QB Philip Rivers IND = 371 passing yards, three touchdowns, one INT
RB Kenyan Drake ARI = 164 rushing yards, two touchdowns
RB D’Andre Swift DET = 116 rushing yards, three catches, seven receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB James White NE = Eight rushing yards, eight catches, 65 receiving yards
WR Christian Kirk ARI = Two catches, 86 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Keelan Cole JAX = Six catches, 143 receiving yards
WR Travis Fulgham PHI = Six catches, 75 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Anthony Firkser TEN = Eight catches, 113 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Disappointing Lineup of the Week
QB Aaron Rodgers GB = 160 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, two interceptions
RB Chase Edmonds ARI = 23 rushing yards, one catch, six receiving yards
RB Alexander Mattison MIN = 26 rushing yards, one catch, four receiving yards
RB JK Dobbins BAL = 28 rushing yards, two catches, one receiving yard
WR John Brown BUF = No catches
WR N’Keal Harry NE = No catches
WR Mecole Hardman KC = No catches
TE Mark Andrews BAL = Two catches, 21 receiving yards
GUT CHECKS
I’d be worried if I was building my team around Jonathan Taylor.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Tee Higgins wasn’t going to be the Bengals WR1 very soon if he isn’t already.
I’d be worried if I was relying on JK Dobbins. At some point, it just seems like the Ravens would set him free and see what he can do.
I’d be worried if I had Baker Mayfield.
I’d be worried if I had Ryan Fitzpatrick as my backup. It’s Tua time.
I’d be worried if I had given up on Ronald Jones.
I’d be worried if I was relying on any Cowboys player at this point because…
I’d be worried if I was thinking Andy Dalton could just replace Dak Prescott.
I’d be worried if I thought the Vikings didn’t have two of the best receivers in the game with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson.
I’d be worried if I owned Zach Ertz. It’s just time for Dallas Goedert now. Ertz needs a new home next year post-injury.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Ryan Tannehill was one of the very best options at the position at the moment.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think James Conner could still win you a title if he stays healthy.
I’d be worried if I thought Le’Veon Bell was going to take over for Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
I’d be worried if I had given up on Rob Gronkowski.
I’d be worried if I owned Mike Evans. What’s going on here?
I’d be worried if I owned Evan Engram. Sure, the Giants are bad. Still, he should be doing more.
I’d be worried if I owned Chase Edmonds. The leash on Kenyan Drake just got longer. Thanks, Dallas!
I’d be worried if I thought I had waited to buy D’Andre Swift.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t looking at this as a window to sell Todd Gurley.
I’d be worried if I thought Travis Fulgham wasn’t going to be a thing.
I’d be worried if I was playing against George Kittle.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring the production of Myles Gaskin.
I’d be worried if I was still holding out hope for Kerryon Johnson.
I’d be worried if I thought Julio Jones was done.
I’d be worried if I owned Cam Akers. This just doesn’t look great.
I’d be worried if I owned Raheem Mostert. He’s so good when he’s healthy, but tends to get nicked up a lot.
I’d be worried if I owned Drew Lock. He hasn’t taken a step forward yet.
I’d be worried if I owned Cam Newton. He has to be better.
I’d be worried if I missed out on Chase Claypool.
I’d be worried if I was still holding out hope for Marvin Jones.
I’d be worried if I didn’t see this as a possible window to buy Alexander Mattison or Diontae Johnson.
I’d be worried if I hadn’t noticed the performances of AJ Brown. Safe to say he’s back.
I’d be worried if I owned Odell Beckham, Jr. It’s just so inconsistent with this team.
I’d be worried if I didn’t have a bell with a bullet in it engraved with the words, “One Shot Vacation.”
Bonus Section One: Top Rookie Scoring Averages through Week Six
I may just make this a permanent section as I find it interesting. I’m adding the scoring change from week-to-week so you can see how each performance is affecting their averages – this could help you in determining any buy or sell opportunities.
1.) Justin Herbert QB LAC = 26.06 (No change)
2.) Joe Burrow QB CIN = 20.28 (+0.12)
3.) Chase Claypool WR PIT = 17.72 (+0.10)
4.) James Robinson RB JAX = 17.32 (-0.40)
5.) Justin Jefferson WR MIN = 16.95 (+4.53)
6.) CeeDee Lamb WR DAL = 16.50 (-0.62)
7.) Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB KC = 15.87 (+1.01)
8.) Jonathan Taylor RB IND = 14.48 (+0.20)
9.) D’Andre Swift RB DET = 13.78 (+3.38)
10.) Antonio Gibson RB WAS = 12.71 (-0.65)
11.) Tee Higgins WR CIN = 11.57 (+1.43)
12.) Brandon Aiyuk WR SF = 11.08 (-0.47)
13.) Laviska Shenault WR JAX = 10.90 (-1.36)
14.) Henry Ruggs WR LV = 10.27 (No change)
15.) Jerry Jeudy WR DEN = 9.92 (-1.18)
17.) Joshua Kelley RB LAC = 8.72 (No change)
18.) JK Dobbins RB BAL = 7.63 (-0.55)
19.) Jalen Reagor WR PHI = 7.30 (-1.18)
20.) Darnell Mooney WR CHI = 7.27 (-0.13)
Bonus Section Two: The Rookie Top 20
Always check our latest rankings to see the updates through the week. I take these from the rankers who input their information the quickest after the end of the week.
1.) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB KC (161 rushing yards, four catches, eight receiving yards) (Previous Ranking: 1)
The lack of touchdowns is still concerning, but he showed up this week after the team brought in Le’Veon Bell. His short-term value is going to be affected by Bell, but this may be the time to buy.
2.) CeeDee Lamb, WR DAL (Seven catches, 64 receiving yards) (2)
He salvaged a decent night with some garbage time catches, but the quarterback switch will not be great for him this season.
3.) Jonathan Taylor, RB IND (60 rushing yards, four catches, 55 receiving yards) (3)
Solid, not spectacular. It’s the story of Taylor’s season so far.
4.) JK Dobbins, RB BAL (28 rushing yards, two catches, one receiving yards) (4)
He got nine carries this week, but couldn’t do much with them. It’s starting to get a little concerning he hasn’t moved up the depth chart.
5.) D’Andre Swift, RB DET (116 rushing yards, three catches, seven receiving yards) (6)
It looks like the Lions spent their bye week figuring out Swift was their best running back.
6.) Justin Jefferson, WR MIN (Three catches, 23 receiving yards) (7)
Jefferson has posted a few clunkers, but he’s also had a couple of monster games, including this week when he posted nine catches for 166 yards and two scores. He’s here to stay and looks like the steal of the late first round in rookie drafts this year.
7.) Jerry Jeudy, WR DEN (Two catches, 32 receiving yards) (5)
We’re still waiting on the big game from Jeudy and frankly, it may not come if Drew Lock doesn’t play better.
8.) Tee Higgins, WR CIN (Six catches, 125 receiving yards) (10)
You’ve just got to love the early returns here. I thought he was supposed to wait a year behind Green, Tate and Boyd?
9.) Henry Ruggs, WR LV (Bye Week) (9)
10.) Cam Akers, RB LAR (Zero rushing yards) (8)
OK, now it’s time to be concerned. The Rams seem clearly content with Darrell Henderson as their starter and Malcolm Brown being a change of pace back. Until that changes, Akers is going to continue sliding down this list.
11.) Chase Claypool WR PIT (Four catches, 74 receiving yards, rushing touchdown) (15)
He just continues to shine and looks like a future star.
12.) Jalen Reagor, WR PHI (DNP) (13)
They kind of need him back.
13.) Laviska Shenault, WR JAX (Three catches, ten receiving yards) (13)
A little disappointing this week.
14.) Antonio Gibson, RB WAS (30 rushing yards, four catches, 25 receiving yards) (11)
Struggled to churn up yards, but is still getting his opportunities.
15.) Brandon Aiyuk, WR SF (Two catches, 12 receiving yards, one touchdown) (17)
The volume needs to be better, but we know he can play.
16.) Michael Pittman, WR IND (16)
DNP
17.) James Robinson, RB JAX (48 rushing yards, five catches, 22 receiving yards, lost fumble) (14)
I’m a huge fan of Robinson, but I’m also a realist. He was only able to post 75 rushing yards the past two games against bad opponents. Is it time to worry? No, I don’t think so. However, you can see he’s going to be the victim of some negative game scripts pretty often.
18.) Denzel Mims, WR NYJ (DNP) (18)
Why even come back this year.
19.) Joe Burrow, QB CIN (313 passing yards, rush touchdown, one interception) (18)
Still showing nothing for us to not believe he’s a future QB1.
20.) Justin Herbert, QB LAC (Bye Week) (NR)
This will be a fascinating three man race to see which quarterback is most coveted at the end of the season. Will it be Burrow, Herbert, or Tua?
….and Michael, the Stat Pack will be posted this week.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
