Dynasty Superflex Fantasy Football Rankings: Movers and Shakers
Welcome to Movers and Shakers, an in-season series from DLF. Each week we choose a different ranking category; top 250 (one quarterback and superflex), devy, and IDP. We then review players from that group who may have risen or fallen substantially from the past month’s ranks and alert you to any relevant changes. Let’s get right to it.
Quarterback
We will avoid the no-brainer changes each week, such as Justin Fields. We all know he will be skyrocketing up everyone’s board. Instead, we will focus on the more subtle shufflings amongst the ranks.
Brock Purdy, QB SF (Current QB41)
Three games do not make a career, but it is hard not to drink the Brock Purdy Kool-Aid. The rookie led his team to victory in his first real game action when Jimmy Garoppolo went down versus the Miami Dolphins. “Mr. Irrelevant” then led the 49ers to victory in his two ensuing starts against the Bucs and the Seahawks.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Gamelog App.
Nothing on the stat sheet pops out at first glance, but upon closer examination, the fact that a rookie has only thrown one interception in 84 pass attempts is quite impressive. Purdy has also thrown two touchdowns in each of the past three contests.
Taking a peek at the quarterback stats throughout the past three games league-wide, we see that Purdy has put up good enough numbers to be a QB1 (QB10). In superflex leagues, he’s been good enough to put up QB1 and QB2 finishes each time out. The Iowa State grad also has several things working in his favor for the future.
Data Courtesy of DLF Coaching History App.
One of those things is head coach Kyle Shanahan. While the fantasy finishes have not been great of late, the potential exists for top-five finishes in his offense, a la Matt Ryan, Robert Griffin III, and Matt Schaub. Also in his favor is the bevy of weapons at his disposal. Imagine having Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle to choose from every time you drop back.
Data Courtesy of Over the Cap.
The biggest obstacle to Purdy’s future success might be Trey Lance‘s contract (shown above). The 49ers’ front office will have a tough decision if Purdy takes them on a deep playoff run. Garoppolo is a free agent and would likely command a more considerable dollar amount that general manager John Lynch may not want to pay. Stay tuned.
Should Move Ahead Of:
I have no issues pushing the intriguing Purdy ahead of Sam Darnold, Marcus Mariota, or even Matt Ryan. I like what we have seen thus far.
Running Back
Injuries and age will make running back the most volatile of all the positions, and we won’t be dropping the obvious fallers due to injury. Instead, we will focus more on opportunities and performances.
Alvin Kamara, RB NO (Current RB15)
My, how the mighty have fallen. Don’t get me wrong, Kamara is still a serviceable fantasy back, but his days as a league winner are over. The veteran currently sits as the RB15 in PPR formats (RB22 in standard) and has not had an RB1 finish since week eight versus the Raiders.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Gamelog App.
Making matters worse, the long-time Saints star has just two RB2 finishes in that same stretch. That is not what we expect from a running back drafted in the top ten recently as this past May. The offense has been subpar all season long, and the skill position players suffer because of it. Kamara is on pace to have his worst fantasy finish as a pro.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Gamelog App.
Kamara is also on the wrong side of 25 and will turn 28 before the 2023 season kicks off. New Orleans will likely be in full rebuild mode and can part ways with him before next year and save millions in future cap space. The writing could be on the wall.
Data Courtesy of DLF Yearly Data App.
Kamara cannot make the most of his opportunities as he has in the past and sits at a career-low on the rushing side of things, earning just .43 points per chance. His receiving points are 1.68 for the second time in his illustrious fantasy run in PPR formats. Is it the lousy offense or his age? Both? It would be wise not to hold on too long to find out.
Should Fall Behind:
We would be comfortable moving several backs ahead of Kamara. These players include Tony Pollard, Miles Sanders, and Rhamondre Stevenson, to name a few. It was a good run for Kamara, and many championships were won on his receiving prowess, but all good things must, unfortunately, end.
Wide Receiver
The cream stayed at the top, as expected. Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, and Ja’Marr Chase all did their thing and will continue to do so, hence the positioning up at the top.
Josh Palmer, WR LAC (Current WR63)
Don’t look now, but we may have an heir apparent to Keenan Allen in Los Angeles. Palmer has made the most of his opportunities when Allen and Mike Williams have missed time this season. So much so that he sits as the WR34 in PPR formats and ahead of big-name players such as Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
Data Courtesy of DLF Yearly Data App.
Allen is nearly 31 years old, and Williams is 28 (and can’t stay healthy). Meanwhile, Palmer just turned 24, and the only other receivers on the roster are DeAndre Carter, Michael Bandy, and Jalen Guyton (IR). The Chargers will likely attack the position in the draft, but regardless, Palmer should have a more prominent role moving forward.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Splits App.
With Allen likely being the first to part, we ran the splits with and without the All-Pro on the field with Palmer. We can see that the targets, receptions, and yards increase dramatically. Justin Herbert is young and aggressive, opening up plenty of future opportunities for the duo.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Scoring History App.
The chart above shows that Palmer can exist even with Allen on the field, as evidenced by his 30-plus point performance in week 11. Palmer also has put up double digits in over half of his games (seven of 13). The fantasy future is bright in sunny California.
Should Move Ahead Of:
Move Palmer ahead of Jarvis Landry, Allen Robinson, and even Michael Thomas (age, injuries). There is excellent value here, and you need to capitalize on it before the others in your league get wise to it and demand more to acquire Palmer’s services.
Tight End
The tight end position will be right behind the running backs regarding their rank volatility. With the scarcity of the position, we are always on the lookout for the next big thing. Perhaps a chip off the block is the answer for 2022.
Robert Tonyan, TE GB (Current TE24)
The time has come and gone for Tonyan to continue being a top-25 tight end in dynasty formats. The drop in targets to the tight end position in Green Bay has rendered the veteran almost useless, even at a thin position as thin as tight end.
Data Courtesy of DLF QB History App.
The emergence of Christian Watson of late and Aaron Rodgers‘s reliance on Randall Cobb and Aaron Jones has dropped Tonyan down to the TE19 spot in PPR formats. That is more of an indicator of how bad the position is than what Tonyan is doing on the field. The veteran has one TE1 finish on the season, coming on a 19-point performance against the Jets in week four.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Gamelog App.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old has one other double-digit performance across 14 games played. We should not be surprised. Tonyan has just 12 TE1 performances in 65 career games (18.46%). We cannot rely on someone with more games outside of the top 36 at his position more often than not.
Data Courtesy of DLF Player Scoring History App.
Don’t let Tonyan clog your roster any longer. Look on the wire for younger players with more upside or future playing time. It was a feel-good story in 2020 when the UDFA finished as the TE4. Sadly, the clock has struck midnight in this Cinderella story.
Should Fall Behind:
Chigoziem Okonkwo and Daniel Bellinger are two names to move ahead of Tonyan and may still be available on your waivers, depending on the depth of the rosters. I would also rather have Cade Otton and Foster Moreau on my roster.
Wrapping It Up
We aim to tip you off as to who the movers and shakers are weekly across our different ranking platforms. During the season, they will fluctuate on the regular. The best way to stay abreast of how a particular player you are tracking is performing is to head directly to our rankings pages. Thank you for following along—best of luck in your fantasy endeavors.
He graduated from SUNY Alfred State in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Technology Management. When he is not writing or playing video games, Jeff spends time with his wife Naomi and their Bichon Poo, Daisy.
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