Twitter Observations: Urban Meyer Flames Out, Travis Kelce Blows Up
It’s fantasy playoff time which means plenty of fireworks on the field. But there were plenty off the field this week too. Below are the highlights of a wild week on Twitter.
Urban Decay
Mike Vrabel was on Urban Meyer’s coaching staff at Ohio State pic.twitter.com/E5v0xfiQWd
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) December 12, 2021
There were several tweets that we could have used here but we went with this one. After a miserable first year that saw Meyer constantly shoot himself in the foot, no one in Jacksonville – Meyer included – looks like they wanted this marriage to continue. Jaguars owner Shad Khan had good intentions, pulling an elite college name out of retirement to coach his team and incoming franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But even if you remove the off-field foibles of Meyer, there’s nothing on the field – especially from Lawrence – that indicates Meyer was the right man for this job.
Dynasty Impact: Despite the ongoing drama and Lawrence’s poor play – he’s not even registering as a QB2 in fantasy scoring – his dynasty value hasn’t taken a hit. 
I don’t get that but also understand Lawrence managers holding out hope that the infrastructure will be upgraded soon. And really, there is nowhere to go but up. Between Meyer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, they’ve led the Jaguars offense to a bottom-six ranking in DVOA while Lawrence is bottom five in QBR.
Lawrence is a hold for now but don’t be shy about exploring a trade in the off-season if his new coach – whoever it is – boosts his value.
Travis Aggressive
Andy Reid on his reaction to Travis Kelce's walkoff touchdown: "If I could jump, I’d jump."
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) December 17, 2021
There may never be a better time for Travis Kelce to turn in a career-high in yards as the fantasy playoffs kick off in dynasty leagues around the country. After totaling just 128 yards in his previous three games, he blew up in week 15 for ten receptions, 191 yards, and two touchdowns and already propelled several dynasty teams into the next round of their playoffs. Those who manage him (myself included) are hoping he can keep it up. But what about after the season is over?
Dynasty Impact: While Kelce may not match 2020’s numbers – where he set career-highs in receptions (105), yards (1,416), and touchdowns (11) – he’s still on track to finish the season as the top fantasy tight end. If anything, his 2021 numbers look to match his 2019 numbers where, unsurprisingly, he still finished as fantasy’s top tight end. It’s a title he’s held for four seasons in a row and five of the last six. So should you value him that way this off-season or as a 32-year old player whose contract will be easier to cut in the next year or two?
Put me in the former as there’s nothing to indicate Kelce will be slowing down. He’s truly at the top of his game and no one – not even George Kittle – can consistently challenge him. Young tight ends like Kyle Pitts, TJ Hockenson, and Noah Fant have shown flashes but nothing to indicate they can even match his production in the short-term let alone the long-term. According to the DLF Trade Analyzer, Kelce is worth a first-round rookie pick and then some. I would do that this off-season especially if you’re looking to make a playoff run in 2022.
Penny for your thoughts
Rashaad Penny's 137 yards rushing is the most by a Seahawks running back in a regular season game since Thomas Rawls racked up 209 yards against the 49ers in 2015.
— Field Gulls (@FieldGulls) December 13, 2021
There’s no doubt Seattle took Rashaad Penny in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft to turn in rushing performances as he did in week 14. And they took him so he could turn in the most rushing yards by a Seattle back since Thomas Rawls in 2015, as the tweet mentioned. They just didn’t think it would take almost four seasons to get there. But we’re here now thanks to a barrage of injuries to the Seattle backfield.
For Penny, the on-field performance was never the issue. It was getting on the field at all that prevented him from living up to the expectations of a first-round pick. We may never get to the bottom of why Seattle refused to play Penny over the pedestrian Chris Carson but Penny will have his shot as the 2021 season winds down to earn a starting job next year.
Dynasty Impact: Dynasty managers (originally) spent a lot of draft capital as Penny was near the top of rookie drafts in 2018. But after totaling just over 800 rushing yards in three seasons, his value was completely gone.
If you kept Penny this whole time, how did you do it? Unless your roster limits were ridiculously high, there was no reason to. Several current Penny managers probably got him off the scrap heap or as a throw-in. But those moves are looking pretty good now as Penny is the best, healthiest option left for Seattle and is auditioning for a bigger role in 2022 whether it’s with Seattle or not.
Most trade deadlines have passed in dynasty leagues but keep an eye on Penny as an intriguing buy-low option in the off-season. You shouldn’t spend a first or even second on him but if you swap a disappointing veteran of your own for him, you may want to take that chance.
Market Hopkins
Sources: #AZCardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins is having knee surgery on his torn MCL in the coming days and is headed to Injured Reserve. His regular season is over, but if AZ advances deep in the playoffs, Hopkins has a chance to return. He’s looking at likely 6 weeks of recovery.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2021
With the news that DeAndre Hopkins will miss most, if not the rest of, the 2021 season, the time may finally be here where Hopkins isn’t an elite dynasty receiver. The signs have been there as this will be the first season he hasn’t played in at least 15 games in a season. And when he did play, his 57.2 yards-per-game average is the lowest since his rookie season.
The silver lining is Hopkins is still as efficient as ever on a per-play basis. His 13.6 yards-per-reception is right in line with his career average of 13.4 and he had totaled eight touchdowns in just 10 games. But if the health and volume aren’t there, it’s hard to count on him.
Dynasty Impact: This off-season will be interesting for Hopkins dynasty managers. He’s still one of the more reliable receivers but his age is catching up with him. Not to mention, the Cardinals offense is as crowded as it’s ever been which means the days of Hopkins seeing 150-plus targets are over even if he does stay healthy.
According to DLF rankers, Hopkins is on the WR2/3 line. And it’s probably safer to count Hopkins as your WR3 rather than bank on him as your WR2. If you were able to move him for WR2 – or even low-end WR1 – value, I would do it.
- Dynasty Trending Observations: Jayden Reed and Patrick Mahomes slumping, Ja’Marr Chase the WR1? - December 12, 2024
- Dynasty Trending Observations: Jerry Jeudy, Garrett Wilson, and Brock Bowers - December 5, 2024
- Dynasty Trending Observations: Puka Nacua, Quentin Johnston, and Caleb Williams - November 28, 2024
