Twitter Observations: Odell Beckham on the Move, Cam Newton is Back
The dynasty trade deadline is inching closer and there’s a lot of player movement to monitor. Below are the tweets that highlighted the biggest developments this week and how they will affect your dynasty leagues.
Odell California
Welcome to LA my brother @obj! It’s GO TIME!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 11, 2021
Well, that was unexpected. Then again, maybe it shouldn’t have been. The Rams weren’t on anyone’s radar when it came to Odell Beckham’s destination after being cut by the Browns. But Los Angeles is also ‘going for it’ as evidenced by their earlier move for Von Miller to go along with their huge trades for Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey over the past few seasons.
So where we are, Beckham will, at a minimum, slot behind Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods in the passing game. A more optimistic scenario is Beckham finding the magic that made him one of the dynasty’s top receivers at the start of his career.
Dynasty Impact: Now that we know where Beckham will be for the foreseeable future, his arrow is pointing up. He goes from a Cleveland team that was next-to-last in the league in pass attempts (29) to a team in LA in the top-half (36). It’s not great news for new teammates Kupp or Woods but being the third option on a Rams team is better for Beckham than being the top option on Cleveland. I would buy and especially at the prices that our DLF Trade Analyzer is estimating.
I don’t know that I’d move him for an Elijah Moore or Joe Burrow, but for more than half the players on this list I would.
Fix Newton
Cam Newton walking back into the Panthers facility pic.twitter.com/3hzsI8Bf37
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) November 11, 2021
It’s rare for a franchise player to return to the franchise that moved on from him but here we are. Cam Newton is back with the Panthers after a serious injury to the incumbent Sam Darnold. Newton won’t play immediately – PJ Walker will start week ten – but it would be silly to think Newton doesn’t start soon. It wouldn’t be worth it to Carolina to put up with the frenzy of Newton’s return if they didn’t have higher hopes for him other than a backup spot.
Newton last played significant snaps in 2020 with the Patriots where his passing stats left a lot to be desired. He averaged under 200 passing yards per game and had more interceptions (ten) than passing touchdowns (eight). But his rushing stats were as good as ever, as he totaled over 500 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Any Newton dynasty manager would take that trade-off.
Dynasty Impact: If your superflex dynasty team is hurting (literally) at quarterback, Newton would be an ideal lottery ticket for the end of the season. According to the DLF Trade Analyzer, Newton (if he’s on a roster) could be acquired for a third-round rookie pick at a cheap price for a quarterback who can win games just from his rushing stats.
Let’s also not forget that Newton will have receivers during this tour of Carolina unlike any he ever had during his first stint. The collective trio of DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, second-round pick Terrace Marshall – along with running back Christian McCaffrey – is the best group from top to bottom that Newton has had. Don’t be surprised if his passing numbers improve from last year to go along with the running numbers.
Be Afraid, Be Jerry Afraid
Glad to have you back, 🔟. 🤩@jerryjeudy | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/TcFA9XXTPb
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 7, 2021
Before the season, there was a debate on which Broncos receiver would be the better one to have on your dynasty team. On one hand, you had Courtland Sutton returning from injury after a breakout sophomore season in 2019. On the other, you had Jerry Jeudy, the 2020 first-round pick who had a decent rookie season but was ticketed for more.
If week one was any indication, it was Jeudy who won out with seven targets, six receptions for 72 yards while Sutton saw a whopping three targets, catching one of them for 14 yards. Of course, then Jeudy was hurt in week two and hadn’t played since then until week nine against Dallas where he saw eight targets to Sutton’s two.
Dynasty Impact: There are only two full games where both Jeudy and Sutton played but the difference was stark. Jeudy is seeing a lot more of the targets while Sutton is being frozen out. And while Sutton closed the gap in terms of dynasty value, Jeudy appears to be pulling ahead again now that he’s healthy. 
The safer bet going forward is on Jeudy. He’s got more draft capital behind him while Sutton – a free agent after 2021 – may be moving on so his future is unknown. Jeudy is seeing more targets and is doing more with them.
Entry-Level Mahomes
Zach Wilson drew so many Patrick Mahomes comparisons that Patrick Mahomes started playing like Zach Wilson
— Eliot Crist 🏆 (@EliotCrist) November 5, 2021
While the Tweet above is an exaggeration, the point is Patrick Mahomes has not played like himself this season. His 7.0 yards-per-attempt average is a full yard below his career average of 8.1, while his ten interceptions through nine games are just two off of his career-high season-long total of 12. He’s still thrown 20 touchdowns and is a top-ten fantasy quarterback but he’s not playing up to the elite, Mahomes-ian level we’re used to.
Dynasty Impact: For most Mahomes dynasty managers, they have a lot invested in the quarterback position. Whether it’s single-quarterback or superflex league settings, there was a consensus that he was the top quarterback in any kind of ranking and he still is in the DLF’s rankings. But you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering what might Mahomes bring in a return if you were to move on from him. And using the DLF Trade Finder, more and more trades of Mahomes are happening as the season goes on.
But it’s too early to jump ship on such a valuable player. Mahomes is in his prime – and the offense around him is in its prime – and there’s no reason the entire team won’t be bouncing back any week now. Just sit tight and wait for the old Mahomes to return.
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