Is Will Dissly an Under-the-Radar Dynasty Target?
When talking about the weapons Russell Wilson has on the Seattle Seahawks offense, the names Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Chris Carson immediately come to mind. And how could they not? Lockett catches anything in insanely small windows, Metcalf is emerging as a freak talent, and Carson is a gifted runner in spite of fumble issues.
These weapons would be perfect for any quarterback, but really become more noticeable with a QB as talented as Wilson. A high-quality passer in and out of the pocket, he can guarantee you a shot at big plays even if you haven’t won your route. Just get open while he’s buying time and you’ll have a shot. That makes Metcalf and Lockett very good options for the dynasty crowd.
But among those pieces, one returning weapon is going under the radar, and that’s tight end Will Dissly. The lack of interest makes sense, as the 2018 fourth-round pick has only played in ten career games. But even so, at a position that’s needed help since the departure of Jimmy Graham, Dissly has had some star performances in the short amount of time he’s been on the field.
In six games in 2019, Dissly was producing at an admirable rate with 23 catches for 262 yards and four touchdowns. In FantasyData’s metrics, this gave him 50.9 points, making him the TE30 for the year. Of course, this fails to account that he was on pace for 135.7 points and would’ve been the TE4 for the year (only trailing Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and George Kittle, while just barely ranking higher than breakout star Darren Waller).
Furthermore, Dissly only had one target against the Browns (the sixth game), so there’s no telling what pace he would’ve been on.
A torn Achilles in the Cleveland game knocked Dissly and a promising season out for the rest of the season. The Seahawks eventually made the playoffs thanks to an MVP-caliber season from Wilson, but the losses of weapons including Dissly and Carson ended up being burdens for the offense, apparent in the Divisional Round loss at Green Bay. Dissly has never made it to the second half of a season yet either, as he only played four games in his rookie season before a patellar tendon injury cut it short.
It’s a shame too, because Dissly has had a great connection with Wilson whenever he’s been on the field. Any combination involving an elite quarterback is worth investing in dynasty, so let’s check the tight end’s tape to see what he has to offer.
At 6’4 and weighing in at 265 lbs, Dissly is a huge target for Wilson, and much like Lockett, he’s able to haul in tight-window passes without letting the ball get jarred from his hands. This is proven by Pro Football Reference, as they credit him with zero dropped passes in his career. Ten games is an extremely small sample size, but it’s good to see him off to a promising start in terms of consistency.
Here, Wilson is able to launch this pass perfectly to Dissly’s back shoulder, and the tight end is able to seize control of the pass with his long arms, also allowing himself to cradle it in as he falls to the ground in the end zone for six points.
On this play, the Seahawks call for a tight end throwback, arguably the finest play call in the damn sport. I say this because the call is often used cleverly, as a hint of misdirection complements the quarterback rolling out of the pocket and throwing across the field to said target, who is usually schemed open in this instance.
Indeed, Dissly is schemed open on this play, a rare scenario where the accuracy from Wilson is just a little bit off. No problem for the tight end, as he’s able to adjust to an underthrown ball without bending and breaking his back in half. Though Dissly’s momentum is stopped, his adjustment and glue for hands create a positive play for Seattle.
It seems like no matter how tightly covered Dissly is, he’s guaranteed to haul in a pass from Wilson as long as it’s on the money. That should be a guarantee from any competent receiver, but some are less successful than others, so Dissly should be commended for rarely missing a beat on these passes.
Dissly isn’t exactly Jonnu Smith when it comes to speed, but his size makes up for that and makes him a dangerous playmaker on the rise. Just like on his routes and at the catch point, this play after the catch highlights how tough it is to prevent the ball from being in his hands. He runs a solid shallow drag route and is able to break free of a tackle to reach the yellow first-down marker and move the chains.
The main problem with Dissly is obvious; the limited sample size. We have a good idea on how productive he can be with Wilson calling the shots, but until he lasts anywhere close to a full season we have too little of game footage to highlight. So certain parts of his game may have yet to be revealed or fully realized, and hopefully Dissly will be healthy enough for us to witness what he can become.
That said, what is on tape is extremely consistent. Lacking a single drop and containing strong hands, Will Dissly is a potential dynasty gem in the making, one who can give Wilson another weapon in addition to Lockett, Metcalf, and Carson.
I’m not even sure if I’d wait until the final rounds (at least for a tight end) to draft him. Dissly is talented enough to be a key contributor to any dynasty team, but it’s the health that is the main setback. Still, if you’re looking for an under-the-radar target, you may want to consider scouting him and take a chance.
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