The Dynasty Aftermath: A Tribute to Norm Macdonald
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. This year, the plan was to focus all my energy on bringing you stories from my childhood. Each one of these will be true, though I may change names from time-to-time to protect the innocent, but mostly guilty.
However, something has changed.
I’m going to switch things up this week and table my childhood stories so we could remember Norm Macdonald, who passed away last week after a long and secretive battle with cancer. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s brought me what many believe to be the golden age of Saturday Night Live and the best Weekend Update host I ever saw, this same Norm Macdonald.
Some of you may not remember those days or are simply too young to have really enjoyed Norm’s sarcasm and original delivery. The thing I loved most about his sense of humor was the fact he just didn’t care if you got the joke or not. He believed in what he was doing and wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. In many ways, Norm’s outlook on life is a lot like what you should love about dynasty fantasy football – build you team the way you want and don’t let anyone or anything stop you from doing that. One of the things I really do love about our (not my) site is the idea we don’t often tell you what to do – you’re all too smart for that. We give you suggestions and opinions for you to consume, then allow you to make up your mind based on balancing the arguments. So, even we can learn something from the late Norm Macdonald and use that same sense of confidence.
I will remember fondly when the 98609 finally got cable and I was able to watch Macdonald, Will Ferrell and the rest of the great former cast members of SNL. With Phil Hartman, Chris Farley and Norm Macdonald now all gone, I felt it was appropriate to pivot this week. If you’ve never seen the famous (or infamous) Norm Macdonald moth joke, watch below. The cadence, delivery and dedication is pretty amazing.
…and here’s a great tribute below to a comic genius. We will miss you, Norm.
Let’s get to it!
Fantasy MVP of the Week
After last week’s performance that featured just 58 scoreless rushing yards, managers of Derrick Henry were certainly hoping for more this week. Well, he delivered in a big way with a whopping 182 rushing yards, six catches, 55 receiving yards and a grand total of three touchdowns in a comeback win against the Seahawks. Henry was bottled up in the first half as he had only 30 yards, but simply obliterated Seattle after the break. The best news here is the Titans continued use of him in the passing game. With nine catches in his first two games, the floor and ceiling for Henry are both getting a boost. While he’s inevitably going to wear down at some point here in the next few seasons, Henry is quite possibly going to be the number one target for contending teams this season as they look to fortify their lineups. Sorry, but the “buy low” window closed on Sunday.
Fantasy LVP of the Week
Lots of analysts and dynasty enthusiasts are continuing to wait for the “impending” breakout of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. At this point, it may be time to accept the fact it just may not happen. CEH was a disaster on Sunday with just 43 rushing yards, three catches, 29 receiving yards and a game-changing fumble. So far this season, he’s posted just 89 yards on 27 carries, good for a non-robust 3.3 yards per carry. The catches he had this week were his first of the season as well. He does have 27 of the team’s 31 rushing attempts thus far, but that’s going to change at some point if he doesn’t start producing. It’s still very early in his career, but his first fifteen games as a professional are not exactly what his managers had hoped for after likely taking him with a top two or three selection in their rookie drafts, most with the coveted 1.01.
The Weekend Update (Unbeatable) Lineup of the Week
QB Kyler Murray ARI = 400 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, four total touchdowns
RB Derrick Henry TEN = 182 rushing yards, six catches, 55 receiving yards, three touchdowns
RB Christian McCaffrey CAR = 72 rushing yards, five catches, 65 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Aaron Jones GB = 67 rushing yards, six catches, 48 receiving yards, four touchdowns
WR Cooper Kupp LAR = Nine catches, 163 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Tyler Lockett SEA = Eight catches, 178 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Terry McLaurin WAS = 11 catches, 107 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Travis Kelce KC = Seven catches, 109 receiving yards, one touchdown
The I’ll never give up on my David Hasselhoff joke (Underdog) Lineup of the Week
QB Daniel Jones NYGÂ = 249 passing yards, 95 rushing yards, two touchdowns
RB Tony Pollard DAL = 109 rushing yards, three catches, 31 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Cordarrelle Patterson ATL = 11 rushing yards, five catches, 58 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB JD McKissic WAS = Ten rushing yards, five catches, 83 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Courtland Sutton DEN = Nine catches, 159 receiving yards
WR Rondale Moore ARI = Seven catches, 114 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Henry Ruggs III LV = Five catches, 113 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Maxx Williams ARI = Seven catches, 94 receiving yards
The Turd Ferguson (Disappointing) Lineup of the Week
QB Dak Prescott DAL = 237 passing yards, no touchdowns, one interception
RB Trey Sermon SF = One carry, eight rushing yards, one fumble, one concussion
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC = 46 rushing yards, one fumble
RB Jonathan Taylor IND = 51 rushing yards, one catch, two receiving yards
RB Gregory Olinovic LA= No catches
WR Brandon Aiyuk SF = One catch, six receiving yards
WR Jarvis Landry CLE = One catch, nine receiving yards
WR Antonio Brown TB = One catch, 17 receiving yards
TE Tyler Higbee LAR = One catch, eight receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if I was relying on any Patriots running back. (this exact line was cut and pasted from every edition of this that’s ever been written and that spans multiple decades)
I’d be worried if I had Miles Sanders. The Gainwell kid isn’t going away.
I’d be worried if I was needing Josh Jacobs in the next couple of weeks.
I’d be worried if I thought I had the Ravens running game figured out.
I’d be worried if I thought Deshaun Watson was going to play for the Texans again.
I’d be worried if I was Gregaro.
I’d be worried if I missed out on Rondale Moore.
I’d be worried if I had Terrace Marshall. This is unexpected.
I’d be worried if I was still underestimating the likes of Adam Thielen, Brandin Cooks and Sterling Shepard.
I’d be worried if I was relying on anyone in the Steelers offense.
I’d be worried if I thought Julio Jones was done.
I’d be worried if I was playing for the Palm Beach Golf and Tennis Resort in my charity league.
I’d be worried if I had Baker Mayfield. The injuries to his wideouts are mounting.
I’d be worried if I thought Tyler Boyd was just going to disappear.
I’d be worried if I thought the Bears were done with Andy Dalton.
I’d be worried if I was relying on AJ Green, who is looking like a roster clogger at the moment.
I’d be worried if I thought Randall Cobb was going to be vintage, well, Randall Cobb.
I’d be worried if I was relying on any Saints pass catcher at the moment.
I’d be worried if I fell in the bitter cold last year like Alexandria.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t sending out feelers for Brandon Aiyuk.
I’d be worried if I had any piece of that Pittsburgh offense at the moment. Yuck.
I’d be worried if I thought Jameis Winston was all of a sudden never going to be Jameis Winston again.
I’d be worried if I thought AJ Dillon was more of a flex than a handcuff right now.
I’d be worried if I had forgotten about Will Fuller.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Jared Goff could actually be useful in fantasy.
I’d be worried if I left the light on at the Podiatrist’s office.
I’d be worried if I had Trey Sermon. Wow.
I’d be worried if I was relying on Cole Kmet.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Chris Carson was a weekly start.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t attempting to acquire DK Metcalf with the “Tyler Lockett is their new #1″ type of opening line.
I’d be worried if I owned Mike Davis. Is any of this surprising?
I’d be worried if I thought the slow start from George Kittle was going to continue.
I’d be worried if I was relying on either Denver running back right now.
I’d be worried if you thought Germans didn’t love David Hasselhoff.
I’d be worried if I thought Corey Davis was just going to score 20 points every week.
I’d be worried if I missed out on Quintez Cephus. The Lions might have something here.
I’d be worried if I had Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard simply looks better.
I’d be worried if I was somehow concerned about Jonathan Taylor.
I’d be worried if I did own Carson Wentz, though. Both ankles on one play? I thought the only way to do that was weightlifting.
I’d be worried if I had waited to buy on Courtland Sutton. Too late.
I’d be worried if I was was playing Celebrity Jeopardy against Turd Ferguson.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t looking to acquire Michael Gallup with an eye on next season.
I’d be worried if I was relying on any running back for the Texans.
I’d be worried if I had Joe Burrow. He’s taking too many hits again.
I’d be worried if I thought the slow start from Antonio Gibson was going to continue.
I’d be worried if I needed consistency from any Jaguar, including Laviska Shenault.
Fun with Numbers
Derek Carr is on pace for 6,945 passing yards.
Sterling Shepard, Cooper Kupp, TJ Hockenson, and Amari Cooper are on pace for 136-catch seasons.
Deebo Samuel is on pace for 2,397 receiving yards, which would be just enough to edge out the 2,329-yard pace of Tyler Lockett.
Rob Gronkowski is on pace for 34 touchdown catches.
Bobby Wagner is on pace for 281 tackles.
Tom Brady is on pace for 76.5 touchdown passes. I’ll take the “under,” but I actually don’t feel good about it.
The Top 20 Rookie Scoring Averages
1.)Â Trevor Lawrence QB JAX = 17.80 (-7.80)
2.) Rondale Moore WR ARI = 17.60 (+6.80)
3.) Ja’Marr Chase WR CIN = 17.25 (-3.85)
4.) Zach Wilson QB NYJ = 15.15 (-6.75)
5.)Â Mac Jones QB NE = 13.68 (-4.37)
6.) Jaylen Waddle WR MIA = 13.45 (-2.65)
7.) Najee Harris RB PIT = 12.50 (+6.60)
8.) Elijah Mitchell RB SF = 11.85Â (-4.55)
9.) DeVonta Smith WR PHI = 11.35 (-7.75)
10.) Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI = 9.75 (-2.55)
11.)Â Kyle Pitts TE ATL = 9.70 (+2.60)
12.) Davis Mills QB HOU = 8.10 (+8.10)
13.) Javonte Williams RB DEN = 6.95 (+1.45)
14.) Michael Carter RB NYJ = 6.90 (+3.90)
15.) Demetric Felton RB CLE = 6.55 (+6.55)
16.) Justin Fields QB CHI = 5.95 (-1.70)
17.) Anthony Schwartz WR CLE = 5.80 (-5.80)
18.) Pat Freiermuth TE PIT = 5.50 (+2.10)
19.) Terrace Marshall WR CAR = 5.15 (-0.90)
20.) Elijah Moore WR NYJ = 4.85 (+7.60)
Notable players not in the top 20: Trey Lance, Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Wayne Eskridge, Dyami Brown, Josh Palmer, Nico Collins, Amari Rodgers, Mike Strachan, Rhamondre Stevenson, Larry Rountree, Kadarius Toney, Trey Sermon, Chris Evans, Khalil Herbert. Tylan Wallace.
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.Â
1.) Ja’Marr Chase WR CIN (Two catches, 54 receiving yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 2)
The difference between Chase and Harris is pretty negligible and they may flip-flop again this season. Chase clearly has the “it” factor.
2.) Najee Harris RB PIT (38 rushing yards, five catches, 43 receiving yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 1)
He had a much better game this week, but that line is awful and is becoming a major concern.
3.) Kyle Pitts TE ATL (Five catches, 73 receiving yards) (Last week: 3)
The expectations for him are simply not fair. He’s the TE8 as a rookie and some think he’s a disappointment. It’s ridiculous, but that’s how fast the hype train was chugging along. On the plus side, I could still be right and Matt Price could still get fired.
4.) DeVonta Smith WR PHI (Two catches, 16 receiving yards) (Last week: 4)
He was close to another touchdown. The box score may not look good, but he’s clearly their best receiver already.
5.) Jaylen Waddle WR MIA (Six catches, 48 receiving yards) (Last week: 5)
He’s going to need Tua to stay healthy and that’s no given.
6.) Javonte Williams RB DEN (64 rushing yards, one catch, ten receiving yards) (Last week: 6)
This is one of the more frustrating timeshares at the moment. Don’t expect it to change as long as Denver is winning.
7.) Rondale Moore WR ARI (Seven catches, 114 receiving yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 11)
He was the most impressive rookie this week and showed some unbelievable athletic ability in the process. Big things are coming for him.
8.) Elijah Moore WR NYJ (Four catches, 47 receiving yards) (Last week: 7)
Better numbers this week, but his quarterback needs to calm down.
9.) Travis Etienne RB JAX (Last week: 9)
Out for the season with an injury.
10.) Rashod Bateman WR BAL (Last week: 8)
DNP
11.) Terrace Marshall WR CAR (Three catches, 17 receiving yards) (Last week: 10)
Two straight clunkers don’t exactly make us confident.
12.) Trevor Lawrence QB JAX (14-of-33 passing, 118 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 21 rushing yards) (Last week: 12)
Can we just get rid of Urban Meyer now before he ruins this kid’s career?
13.) Trey Lance QB SF (DNP) (Last week: 14)
He’s STILL never once thrown a pass that hasn’t resulted in a touchdown.
14.) Justin Fields QB CHI (6-of-13 passing, 60 passing yards, 31 rushing yards) (Last week: 19)
At this point, I’m 100% sure he’s better than Andy Dalton and now about 46% sure I’m better than Andy Dalton, an increase of 34% over last week.
15.) Michael Carter RB NYJ (59 rushing yards, two catches, 29 receiving yards) (Last week: 15)
Hey, welcome to the party. Casually late, but better than nothing.
16.) Mac Jones QB NE (22-of-30 passing, 186 passing yards) (Last week: NR)
There’s one number that sticks out – 73.9%. Yep, Jones is completing over 70% of his passes through two games, which is a joke for a rookie. The Jets could take a page out of the New England playbook to learn how to manage a rookie quarterback.
17.) Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI (14 rushing yards, two catches, 18 receiving yards) (Last week: NR)
He’s going to be a consistent thorn in the side of Miles Sanders’ managers this season.
18.) Elijah Mitchell, RB SF (42 rushing yards, two catches, 11 receiving yards) (Last week: NR)
That wasn’t what we hoped for in game two, but the 49ers are going to roll with him as long as they’re the walking wounded and he’s available.
19.) Kadarius Toney WR NYG (No catches) (Last week: 13)
The Giants added Toney, Kenny Golladay, John Ross and Kyle Rudoph this off-season instead of addressing other needs. That group has accounted for a grand total of 13 catches for 133 yards. Meanwhile, the Giants can’t block for Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard has put up 16/207/1 through two games. If you know what they’re doing, you must work in their front office because none of us other folks get it.
20.) Zach Wilson, QB NYJ (210 passing yards, 19 rushing yards, four interceptions) (Last week: 20 TIE)
It just feels so Jet-like, doesn’t it? Sam Darnold is completing 68.5% of his passes for 584 passing yards, while posting three touchdowns, one rushing score and just one interception for the Panthers in two games. Meanwhile, Wilson has completed just 55.7% of his passes for 468 yards, with two touchdowns and five interceptions. Darnold has a QBR of 66.2, good for sixth in the league. Wilson’s QBR is 22.6, good for worst. While it’s early, the Jets brass are currently sitting on some very, very hot seats.
Knocking on the door: Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trey Sermon, Rhamondre Stevenson, Larry Rountree, Pat Freiermuth, Tylan Wallace, Amari Rodgers, Chuba Hubbard, Jaret Patterson and more.
That’s it for the week…or so the Germans would have us believe.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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- 2024 Rookie Bust Mock Draft (Pre-Draft Edition): Round Two - April 21, 2024
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