Rookie Report Card: DeeJay Dallas and Zack Moss
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and how well he’s lived up to those expectations at the NFL level to this point, I’ll grade the player in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, rookie season potential and long term upside.
The series moves forward as we focus on a pair of rookie running backs who came through for dynasty managers in week eight, DeeJay Dallas and Zack Moss.
DeeJay Dallas, RB SEA
Week Eight Stats: 18 carries, 41 yards, one touchdown five receptions, 17 receiving yards, one touchdown reception (five targets)
Watching Dallas in his time in college, it was easy to see his NFL upside, albeit raw NFL upside. Although he was prone to missing running lanes and would sometimes outrun his blockers on perimeter runs, he also flashed explosiveness at the attack point and strong tackle-breaking ability and balance when taking on tacklers at the second level.
To go along with his raw rushing ability, Dallas entered the draft process as a solid pass-catching prospect. Despite catching just 28 passes in his three seasons at Miami, where he began his college career as a wide receiver, he displayed soft hands and used his kick return skills to get extra yards after the catch.
Despite his strengths, Dallas slid to the fourth round of the NFL draft. Landing with the Seahawks – where their depth already at running back pushed him down rookie draft boards throughout the summer. Picked regularly in the late third or even fourth round of rookie drafts, most dynasty managers saw Dallas as nothing more than an end-of-bench depth player who could be useful if Seattle suffered multiple injuries at tailback.
As fate had it, that’s exactly what happened in week eight.
With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde both sidelined with injuries (and Travis Homer limited with an injury of his own), Dallas took advantage of his opportunity as the lead back against the 49ers, accounting for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
Though he was very inefficient on Sunday, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry and 3.4 yards per catch, his two-yard touchdown reception and a one-yard touchdown run in the second half led him to 22.8 fantasy points in PPR leagues and a top-five week at running back.
Despite the strong fantasy showing, those who saw every touch Dallas had against San Francisco on Sunday most likely found it difficult to see positives in what he put on tape. Although he fell forward for extra yardage and showed good hands out of the backfield, plucking the ball away from his body, he struggled to break tackles. In fact, although he was contacted in the backfield and right at the line of scrimmage regularly, he had multiple one-on-one opportunities against defenders and was brought to the ground on each of them.
Although I was a fan of Dallas as a raw prospect with upside during draft season, I’ve seen little in his first five games as a pro (29 touches for 99 yards) to indicate he can be anything more than a third tailback for an NFL team. While the 49ers defense is a difficult matchup, dynasty managers should be thrilled with the production he gave them on Sunday but it’d be unwise to ever expect it again.
Zack Moss, RB BUF
Week Eight Stats: 14 carries, 81 yards, two touchdowns, zero receptions (one target)
To be completely honest, I was staying far away from Moss throughout rookie draft season. Despite his three 1,000-plus-yard, double-digit touchdown seasons at Utah, Moss’ college tape lacked the top-end explosion at the line of scrimmage that we all covet in a running back prospect and his lack of wiggle and long speed in the open field showed up far too often for anybody to believe he had big-play upside against NFL defenses.
Although some were pointing to his powerful running style which created broken tackles, as well as his patience at the point of attack to wait for running lanes to develop as reasons to believe Moss could be a bell-cow runner on Sundays, I was very leery. When he plodded to a 4.65 40-yard dash time at the combine, he fell into the mid-’20s on my draft board. But landing in Buffalo as a third-round pick and the eighth running back off the board, his rookie draft ADP settled in the middle of the second round (18) for most of the summer.
With other options like Michael Pittman, Bryan Edwards, Laviska Shenault, Antonio Gibson and Chase Claypool still on the board in the second round of drafts, not to mention the fact of Moss having to share a backfield with Devin Singletary, it was easy for me to go a different direction when I was on the clock.
Through his first five games as a pro, passing on Moss appeared to be a good decision as he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry on 29 totes but on Sunday against the Patriots’ tough run defense he had his first really strong showing, piling up 81 yards on 14 carries (5.8 YPC) and two rushing touchdowns.
Although he wasn’t involved as a pass-catcher (something he proved while in college to do adequately), he had multiple runs where he got the edge including a 21-yarder to the left in the first quarter and a slick 12-yard gallop off right tackle to end the third quarter. Both runs showed good enough burst to get to the perimeter and excellent vision to find rushing lanes.
On his two touchdowns Sunday, Moss-truthers saw more of what made him appealing coming out of Utah. His first score featured a hesitation in the backfield before surging eight-yards into the end zone while his second included a good cutback, a broken tackle in the backfield and excellent leg drive to get to pay dirt.
All things told, after being somewhat disappointing up until Sunday, Moss showed exactly what those that picked him over the summer thought he had the potential to be – a strong runner with good vision and enough burst to get through a running lane. At this point, he appears to be preferred in the Buffalo backfield committee (Devin Singletary also got 14 carries) simply because he should continue to be the primary goal-line option.
If he stays in a 50/50 timeshare and keeps the short-yardage role – and especially if he gets opportunities in the passing game – Moss will have mid-RB2 upside for the rest of his rookie season and perhaps beyond. Although I’m still suspicious of his long-term value, Sunday was the first step towards dynasty managers like me who faded Moss in rookie drafts regretting that move.
- League Tycoon: Dynasty Salary Cap Fantasy Football - December 15, 2023
- Final Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part Two - March 22, 2023
- 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Player Dynasty Review - March 10, 2023
