Deep Veteran Stash Survivors

As always, the NFL Draft shook up the entire dynasty landscape. However, some deeper veteran stashes survived the draft and should now firmly be on dynasty managers’ radars. I don’t want to waste your time with a massive introduction, so let’s jump into the specific players!

Tre’Quan Smith, WR NO

Throughout the off-season, I mostly wrote off Smith as a dynasty-relevant stash. The Saints have Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara as their two star pieces in the receiving game. Therefore, any other player would have to compete for scraps behind them. In 2020, Smith, Sanders, and tight end Jared Cook all contributed somewhat more than usual, as Thomas struggled with various injuries.

Chart courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

However, even in 2020, none of those players contributed for fantasy football. Sanders was fine, but he was only the WR41. Smith was well off the radar at WR72, while Cook finished at TE17.

After the season, the Saints let Sanders and Cook walk in free agency. They have Adam Trautman to fill in for Cook, but they failed to add any wide receivers in free agency or the NFL Draft, outside of Kawaan Baker in the seventh round. Therefore, Smith should receive an opportunity to compete with Trautman for the third target in this offense behind Thomas and Kamara.

Now, I’m not saying Smith will necessarily be fantasy-relevant. His career up until this point has been a massive disappointment.

He’s never topped 50 targets in any season, and his career-high receiving yards is a paltry 448. Considering that the Saints drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, I think they expected far more from him thus far. This year is the final one of Smith’s rookie deal, and he’ll either need to break out, or his NFL career is likely over. But he’ll get an opportunity to prove himself one final time, which I didn’t expect coming into the NFL Draft. I thought the Saints would select a receiver in the first or second round, like Rashod Bateman or Rondale Moore. Since they didn’t, Smith now has an unexpected opportunity to play in 2021.

La’Mical Perine and Ty Johnson, RBs NYJ

I already hear what you’re saying. “The Jets drafted Michael Carter in the 2021 NFL Draft, so these two players are now backups.” Well, that’s one way to view it, but that’s not necessarily true. Carter was only a fourth-round pick, which doesn’t mean that he’ll be a solid NFL starter.

From 2018 to 2020, here is the list of fourth-round running backs: Joshua Kelley, La’Mical Perine, Anthony McFarland, DeeJay Dallas, Bryce Love, Justice Hill, Benny Snell, Tony Pollard, Nyheim Hines, Mark Walton, Ito Smith, Kalen Ballage, and Chase Edmonds. While Edmonds, Pollard, and Hines have had a bit of success, every other player on this list is a bust, at least so far. Therefore, it would be a mistake to pencil Carter in as the immediate starter.

I won’t get too much into Carter, as he’s not the focus of this article. Let’s say that I believe he’s a solid NFL prospect, and he should be the favorite to win the job. However, since he’s only a fourth-rounder, the Jets’ other running backs deserve a closer look.

First, I hope you noticed that I didn’t mention Tevin Coleman at all.

If you have ever listened to me on the DLF YouTube Channel, you know that I dislike failures. Coleman failed to produce over two seasons in the Kyle Shanahan 49ers’ offense, despite almost every other running back succeeding there. Now, at 28 years old, I believe Coleman is mostly a locker room presence on this Jets’ roster for new head coach Robert Saleh, who worked with Coleman in San Francisco.

However, I like both Perine and Johnson as deep stashes in the Jets’ backfield. Johnson is basically free, coming in at RB88 and 269th overall in May’s DLF ADP. He saw legitimate playing time in 2020 for the Jets.

He led Jets’ running backs with 20 targets, catching 16 of them for 99 yards and a touchdown. He also averaged more yards per carry than Perine. The Jets have him under a cheap rookie deal for two more years after they claimed him off waivers from the Lions in the middle of the 2020 season.

However, based on draft capital, Perine is an even better stash. The Jets selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 120th overall pick, slightly lower than Carter’s 107th overall capital. Yes, the Jets barely allowed Perine to see the field in 2020, although Frank Gore saw most of their running back carries.

But Perine did see some carries in the games he played, even though he missed time for various injuries. I would recommend stashing him as well, in case the Jets decide he’s their starter in camp. Right now, Perine is the RB54 and 168th overall player in DLF’s ADP, which seems too cheap for a potential starter.

Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas, RBs SEA

The Seahawks re-signed incumbent starter Chris Carson in free agency this off-season to a two-year, $10.425 million deal. However, they can easily escape that contract after the 2021 season, saving $3 million against the cap. Carson struggled with injuries in 2020, and he also had a fumbling issue in 2019. Therefore, even though he is the clear Seahawks’ starter, he has had problems throughout his career.

In 2019, Penny finally flashed the talent the Seahawks wanted when they drafted him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In weeks 12 and 13, he totaled 29 carries, 195 yards, and two rushing touchdowns while adding four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. In those same games, Carson had 31 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown, seeing the bench after another fumble. At that time, it looked like Penny was about to create a clear committee backfield or possibly even take Carson’s starting job.

Unfortunately, we all know what happened in week 14. Penny suffered a torn ACL, which was more than a typical ACL tear. He remained out for the entire off-season program, and he started the 2020 season on the PUP list. While he did return for the final three games, he wasn’t the same player, and he didn’t see significant involvement.

The Seahawks declined Penny’s 2022 fifth-year option, which makes sense for his career arc. But that decision has little to no impact on Penny’s status for the 2021 season. He will be Carson’s direct backup, as the Seahawks failed to add any running backs in the NFL Draft. I believe he is one of the best handcuffs in fantasy football, and he’s a steal based on his current ADP of RB56 and 173rd overall.

On a similar note, I also like Dallas as a deep stash if Penny cannot return to full health. The Seahawks like to use multiple running backs, and Dallas could have a good chance at playing time if Carson or Penny goes down. Dallas is currently RB71 in DLF’s ADP data, so he’s essentially free.

Deep Veteran Stash Survivors