The Dynasty Aftermath: What We Can Learn From Jon Gruden
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.
“Dad, was it really OK to say those things back then?”
That was the question posed to me last night after my kids found out the details on why Jon Gruden is no longer the Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. It really (like really) made me think. In this week’s column, I’m going to focus on the fantasy impact this has on the Raiders (it’s obviously secondary, but that’s my job), and also on what I think can be learned from the situation. This one won’t be witty, funny or meant to entertain. I just think this week is more important than that and it presents a great opportunity for us all.
Let me get a couple of things out of the way…
1.) This is in no way an article to do anything other than share my thoughts and these are simply my very own on a topic hotter than hot at the moment.
2.) I’m not going to spend any time discussing the details of the dismissal. I’ve thankfully seen nobody argue it wasn’t an awful turn of events. My only ask is we don’t use anything in the comments section of this article to debate that.
First, the impact on the Raiders players is really tough to gauge at the moment. We have really no idea how Rich Bisaccia is going to coach this team because he’s never been a Head Coach at any level. The only thing we know for sure is as a Special Teams Coach, he’s pretty good at getting players out to kick and return kicks of some kind. How is that going to translate? It’s hard to say. We do know he’s been with Coach Gruden for a long time, is well respected in league circles and is unlikely to make sweeping changes. The short-term future of these players seems relatively safe, but the long-term outlook and job security for any of these players like Derek Carr is totally in flux now. Maybe he’ll get Kenyan Drake involved. Who knows. We’ll start to figure that out next week.
So, more importantly, back to that question.
I never thought I’d need to explain the words “misogynistic,” “bigot,” or “deluge” to my children during Monday Night Football. The simple answer to that question is, “No, it’s never been OK to do that.” However, the difference now is the tolerance level and subsequent consequences for that kind of behavior has changed with many people. And that’s unequivocally a good thing.
As I look at our membership base, I can’t help but imagine there are lots of young parents out there. My thoughts on the subject are pretty simple – I think we can all at least try to make something good out of something terrible. To me, I think there are some important messages (beyond the obvious lessons on language, sexism, racism, equality and everything else that was included over those many years of gross Emails) to be taught from the situation and shared with our own kids or families.
1.) Who you are behind closed doors or when you think nobody is listening is simply who you really are.
I always tell the kids I coach (I’m a HS basketball coach) and my own children the difference between character and reputation is easy – your reputation is what people think you are, while your character is what you would do when you think nobody else will ever know. I think this situation is a perfect example of that. It’s more important to have high character than a good reputation. You can imagine Gruden (and Bruce Allen) never thought any of this ever had a chance to go public. There are countless more. This is not an isolated incident, unfortunately.
2.) When you post, send or do anything electronically, it’s permanent record.
I’m sure we’ll get to the rest of this whole situation when the WFT investigation is released, but what a great real-life lesson for kids to learn at a young age. This example resonates with young people like few others before it. Never say anything online you wouldn’t stand behind later.
So, why even bring this up this week.
In the end, I simply believe we can work together and make change, even if it’s little bits at a time. I also hope you know your hard earned money goes to good people. The owners of this site have always stood by a pretty strong moral compass. We have been accused in the past of being boring or non-controversial. To me, I think that’s simply being professional. We do our best to monitor what we all say on Twitter (as hard as that as), online or through other channels and do our very best to create a culture behind the scenes that’s the opposite of what you’re reading about this week. We’ll keep trying our best to do just that.
The sad thing is we all know this type of behavior is still out there. In the end, hopefully we can all finally work together to end this “locker room” mentality. Please know we try our very best to do our part. If you ever don’t feel that way, please let us know. Again, the column this week was simply meant to look for opportunities out there that have presented themselves – we can all pay it forward and be part of the solution instead of spectators to a problem. Those are just a few of my thoughts, thanks for listening.
On to week five!
Fantasy MVP of the Week
Over the first four weeks of the season, Mark Andrews had 44.3 points, certainly not bad for his position. Well, he had 41.7 on Monday Night alone, posting one of the best tight end performances of all-time. With 11 catches, 147 receiving yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, he single-handedly brought a victory to tons of fantasy managers in the most exciting of all fashions. Simply put, that was awesome. If Lamar Jackson continues to throw this much, Andrews is going to be an absolute fantasy monster the rest of the way.
Fantasy LVP of the Week
It would be easy to say Saquon Barkley after he was injured in a way most old guys are when they play basketball. Special consideration should also go to the Cleveland defense, who picked up Austin Ekeler and threw him into the end zone, crushing the souls of many fantasy owners in the process. Instead, I’ll go with Trey Sermon, who was relegated back to the bench with Elijah Mitchell healthy and posted just one touch for seven yards in garbage time. Is he already a bust? Probably not. Are the 49ers still in love with him and glad they traded up to get him? Probably not, either.
The Unbeatable Lineup of the Week
QB Justin Herbert LAC = 398 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, five touchdowns
RB Austin Ekeler LACÂ = 66 rushing yards, five catches, 53 receiving yards, three touchdowns
RB Alvin Kamara NO = 71 rushing yards, five catches, 51 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Jonathan Taylor IND = 53 rushing yards, three catches, 116 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Davante Adams GB = 11 catches, 206 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Friggin’ Mike Williams LAC = Eight catches, 165 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Marquise Brown BAL = Nine catches, 125 receiving yards, two touchdowns
TE Mark Andrews BAL = 74 catches, 4,200 receiving yards, and like 95 touchdowns
The Underdog Lineup of the Week
QB Davis Mills HOU = 312 passing yards, three touchdowns
RB Myles Gaskin MIA = 25 rushing yards, ten catches, 74 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Leonard Fournette TB = 67 rushing yards, four catches, 43 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Devontae Booker NYG = 42 rushing yards, three catches, 16 yards, two touchdowns
WR Kadarius Toney NYG = Ten catches, 189 receiving yards
WR Marquez Callaway NO = Four catches, 85 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Chris Moore HOU = Five catches, 109 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE David Njoku CLE = Seven catches, 149 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Disappointing Lineup of the Week
QB Derek Carr LV = 206 passing yards, ten rushing yards, one interception
RB Saquon Barkley NYG = Nine rushing yards, one injury
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC = 13 rushing yards, one catch, 11 receiving yards, one injury
RB Chase Edmonds ARI = 15 rushing yards, three catches, 19 receiving yards
WR Kenny Golladay NYG = Zero catches, one injury
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT = Six rushing yards, one injury
WR Cole Beasley BUF = One catch, five receiving yards
TE Zach Ertz PHI = One catch, seven receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if I thought Marquise Brown was a fluke.
I’d be worried if I thought Austin Ekeler couldn’t be the key to a title this year.
I’d be worried if I was relying on consistency from Adam Thielen.
I’d be worried if I had Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
I’d be worried if I had Marlon Mack sitting on waivers.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring the targets of Ricky Seals-Jones.
I’d be worried if I was relying on any Seattle player for a while.
I’d be worried if I thought Robert Woods has overtaken Cooper Kupp.
I’d be worried if I thought Kadarius Toney was going back to the bench.
I’d be worried if I was needing last year’s DeAndre Hopkins.
I’d be worried if I had bailed on Ezekiel Elliott.
I’d be worried if I was still relying on the Laviska Shenault breakout.
I’d be worried if I was uncomfortable starting Kareem Hunt.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Darrell Henderson was the guy when healthy.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t trying to find a way to get Terry McLaurin.
I’d be worried if I was holding out hope for Ronald Jones.
I’d be worried if I was all of a sudden benching Brandin Cooks.
I’d be worried if I needed consistency from Corey Davis.
I’d be worried if I thought the slump of Darren Waller was going to continue.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring Khalil Herbert.
I’d be worried if I was thinking James Robinson was going to go away after this season.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Diontae Johnson was the prime target in Pittsburgh.
I’d be worried if I missed out on Ja’Marr Chase. Wow.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring Courtland Sutton.
I’d be worried if I was relying on Miles Sanders.
I’d be worried if I had Saquon Barkley. It’s just so frustrating.
I’d be worried if I had JuJu Smith-Schuster. His future is all of a sudden very cloudy.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t scouring the waiver wire for any backup running backs.
Rookie Scoring Leaders
The averages themselves aren’t changing up and down too much now, so I’ll now add the change in ranking for anyone notable.
1.) Ja’Marr Chase WR CIN = 19.72
2.) Najee Harris RB PIT = 19.30
3.) Trevor Lawrence QB JAX = 19.30
4.) Mac Jones QB NE = 16.05
5.) Zach Wilson QB NYJ = 13.85
6.) DeVonta Smith WR PHI = 12.88
7.) Trey Lance QB SF = 12.50
8.) Davis Mills QB HOU = 12.21 (+10 spots)
9.) Kyle Pitts TE ATL = 12.16 (+4)
10.) Rondale Moore WR ARI = 11.8
11.) Jaylen Waddle WR MIA = 11.26 (-4)
12.) Elijah Mitchell RB SF = 10.63
13.) Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI = 10.04
14.) Javonte Williams RB DEN = 9.92
15.) Kadarius Toney WR NYG = 9.82 (+11)
16.) Michael Carter RB NYJ = 8.86
17.) Chuba Hubbard RB CAR = 8.36
18.) Justin Fields QB CHI = 7.36
19.) Amon-Ra St. Brown WR DET = 7.36
20.) Trey Sermon RB SF = 5.45
Notable players not in the top 20: Pat Freiermuth, Terrace Marshall, Tommy Tremble, Elijah Moore, Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, Anthony Schwartz, Rhamondre Stevenson.
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 (Six catches, 159 yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 1)
Where does the rise end? Can he make it into the overall top five this year?
2.) Najee Harris RB PIT (122 rushing yards, two catches, 20 receiving yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 2)
The tier between the top two is getting wider by the week.
3.) DeVonta Smith WR PHI (Seven catches, 77 receiving yards) (Last week: 3)
The Eagles seem content to sling it around the yard. Smith managers won’t complain.
4.) Kyle Pitts TE ATL (Nine catches, 119 yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 5)
..and just like that, the battle with Matt Price is over. It’s about time.
5.) Jaylen Waddle WR MIA (Two catches for 31 yards) (Last week:4)
We expected more with Parker sidelined. Patience should be rewarded.
6.) Javonte Williams RB DEN (61 rushing yards, three catches, 25 receiving yards) (Last week: 6)
Same old story and it will be until something happens with Melvin Gordon.
7.) Rondale Moore WR ARI (Five catches, 59 receiving yards, 38 rushing yards) (Last week: 7)
Having this many receivers is great for Arizona and bad for fantasy owners.
8.) Travis Etienne RB JAX (Last week: 8)
Out for the season.
9.) Rashod Bateman WR BAL (Last week: 10)
Getting closer…
10.) Kadarius Toney WR NYG (Ten catches for 189 yards) (Last week: 19)
It only took 57 injuries for the Giants to use their first round draft pick. Good luck putting that genie back in the bottle.
11.) Trevor Lawrence QB JAX (23-of-33, 273 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, two touchdowns, one interception) (Last week: 12)
At least Urban Meyer is now the second most talked about current or former Head Coach.
12.) Elijah Moore WR NYJ (No catches on two targets)(Last week: 9)
At some point, we’re going to need to see what the hype is all about.
13.) Terrace Marshall WR CAR (Two catches, 14 yards) (Last week: 11)
Is he a buy low or just a play low. I’m starting to wonder.
14.) Trey Lance QB SF (15-of-29, 192 passing yards, 89 rushing yards, one interception) (Last week: 13)
I’m not so sure he can handle 16 carries every week.
15.) Justin Fields QB CHI (12-of-20, 111 passing yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 14)
…and I’m not sure we can handle three carries from him every week.
16.) Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI (16 rushing yards, one catch, eight receiving yards) (Last week: 15)
Philadelphia is looking a lot like Buffalo where a dynamic quarterback is just eliminating the running backs completely.
17.) Michael Carter RB NYJ (38 rushing yards, three catches, 20 receiving yards, one touchdown) (Last week: 16)
You’re going to see lots of up and down lines as he’s completely touchdown dependent.
18.) Mac Jones QB NE (23-of-30, 231 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception) (Last week: 18)
This was supposed to be the “blow-up” week. Didn’t happen.
19.)Â Elijah Mitchell, RB SF (43 rushing yards, two catches, 19 receiving yards) (Last week: 19)
The counting stats don’t look good, but he was the clear RB1.
20.) Zach Wilson QB NYJ (19-of-32, 192 passing yards, one interception) (Last week: 17)
Looked inept again after making some progress. This is just going to be a rough season.
Knocking on the door: Trey Sermon, Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Rhamondre Stevenson, Larry Rountree, Pat Freiermuth, Tylan Wallace, Amari Rodgers, Chuba Hubbard, Jaret Patterson and more.
See you next week!
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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