Dynasty Twitter Observations: Mac Jones’ Return and the Decline of Kirk Cousins
As dynasty players know, there is no off-season. There’s also no period where you’re not looking to improve your team. Now, those teams could be in different stages of success. Some are making a playoff run now while others are looking at next year. Either way, the news never stops, which means Twitter never stops. Below are a few tweets that can go a long toward building a dynasty contender now or later.
Return of the Mac
Mac Jones vs. the Vikings tonight pic.twitter.com/WQH4fmGTdU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 25, 2022
It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. He entered the season as, arguably, the quarterback with the brightest future from the loaded 2021 rookie class after leading New England to the playoffs in his rookie season. But there were whispers that something was off with Jones and the Patriots’ offense in the preseason and it carried over into the regular season. Jones managed to throw at least one interception in his first five games of the season which were before and after an injury that saw him miss a few games. It got so bad that fourth-round rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe was considered in taking over the starting job before he looked pretty bad himself and gave way back to Jones.
So when Jones broke out on Thanksgiving for 382 yards, two touchdowns, and (just as importantly) no interceptions, to say it was unexpected would be an understatement. He had just come off a game where the Patriots offense scored just three points, was on the road, and had a short week. It’s the glimmer of hope Jones’ dynasty managers had been looking for all season.
Dynasty Impact: Until this past week, Jones’ dynasty value had taken a free fall. From a mid-QB2 in ADP to almost out of the superflex conversation altogether.
It’s much too early to know if Jones’ game against the Vikings was the start of a turnaround or a fluke but, at a minimum, he’s back in the ‘hold’ category. Jones will be the starter in New England next year. The only question is how good of a starter he will be for them and your dynasty team.
Captain Kirk
Kirk Cousins in primetime:
🟣 30/37
🟣 299 yards
🟣 3 TDs (1 INT)
🟣 116.1 passer rating
🟣 W pic.twitter.com/feovzUf9mY— PFF (@PFF) November 25, 2022
You couldn’t be blamed for fading Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in a primetime game. Cousins had gained the reputation for disappearing during the most watched games but he came through on Thanksgiving with his best fantasy game of the season. Completing over 80% of his passes, nearly 300 yards (299), and three touchdowns, he looked like a legitimate QB1. But while Cousins can look like a QB1 in games, he’s also just as likely to throw multiple interceptions in a game. It’s the story of his career where he’ll end the season as a QB1 in fantasy scoring but it takes a wild ride to get there.
More importantly for Cousins’ dynasty managers, how much longer can this wild ride last? There have been signs of decline this season despite having possibly the best receiver in football to throw it to. The 250 passing yards he’s currently averaging are his lowest in four years while the 6.7 yards per attempt would be the lowest of his career as a starter.
Dynasty Impact: While the Thanksgiving game may have been a bright spot for Cousins and his dynasty managers, don’t expect it to happen a lot going forward. Currently ranked 17th in our DLF rankings, Cousins is a low-risk option for superflex teams. But you may want to move on before the start of next season. Not only will he be 35 entering the 2023 season but those signs of decline mentioned above are a concern. He was already on the QB1/2 line in fantasy scoring and that was before the 2023 rookie class that will see between 3-5 quarterbacks taken in the first round. If you’re a current Cousins dynasty manager, not only should you look to move him this off-season but you should start having a post-Cousins plan in motion.
Jet Stream
Oh my, Garrett Wilson! Wilson broke some ankles and does the rest for a 54-yard TD from Mike White. pic.twitter.com/WdXc54vsy5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 27, 2022
Compared to other recent first-round receivers, Garrett Wilson hasn’t set the world on fire. He has been good, not great. Entering week 12, he had 44 receptions for 533 yards and two touchdowns. So not quite a 1,000-yard pace and looking at just a handful of touchdowns on the year but still room for improvement.
Of course, that was before week 12 when the Jets replaced Zach Wilson with Mike White who not only found ten different receivers but made Wilson his primary target. Wilson led the way with eight targets, five receptions, 95 yards, and two touchdowns. It wasn’t Wilson’s best game of the season but it was an encouraging sign that he can produce no matter who the quarterback is in New York.
Dynasty Impact: Despite being a top-ten pick of the actual NFL Draft in April, Jets receiver Wilson was still considered a mid-round first-round pick when it came to rookie drafts. According to the DLF Rookie App, it was possible to draft Wilson in the 4-6 range behind second-round running backs Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker and receiver Treylon Burks who were drafted eight picks after Wilson.
But no one would argue that Wilson has been better than both London and Burks so far and will be battling Olave for the title of best rookie receiver the rest of the way. The more encouraging development is Wilson producing no matter who is throwing the ball. So far the Jets have started Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and now Mike White with Garrett Wilson producing with all three. That will be necessary as the long-term solution for the Jets at quarterback remains in flux after Zach Wilson’s recent loss of the locker room.
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