Dynasty Twitter Observations: Derek Carr Moves on, Cam Akers Settles in, Hope for Russell Wilson?
At long last, we’ve reached Super Bowl week. But there’s been plenty of news outside of the big game to keep our dynasty brains happy. Below are a few tweets to bookmark as we head into the off-season.
Payton’s Place
Breaking: Saints and Broncos are finalizing compensation in return for Super Bowl-winning HC Sean Payton, sources tell ESPN. This clears the way for Payton to sign with the Broncos to become Denver’s next head coach.
And so Payton is expected to head to Denver as its next HC. pic.twitter.com/HA4RAtE6P8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2023
If any team needed a shot in the arm regarding fantasy points, it might have been the Denver Broncos. Every skill position player – from Russell Wilson to Jerry Jeudy – was projected to have a big year in 2022 before nearly all saw their dynasty value drop by the end of the season.
Several factors contributed to the dip, including the regrettable decision to hire Nathaniel Hackett as head coach, and Javonte Williams‘ torn ACL. So when Sean Payton handed his rose to the Denver Broncos (for those Bachelor fans out there), it was the best news possible for dynasty teams with any Bronco shares.
Dynasty Impact: Payton’s resume speaks for itself. Not only are we familiar with the names he made fantasy studs – Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas – but the statistics are there to back it up. In 15 seasons as the Saints head coach, his offenses finished in the top five in scoring nine (!) times or 60% of the time.
At quarterback, Payton led Drew Brees to a top-ten fantasy finish at quarterback between ages 35-40 which happens to be the widow that his new quarterback, Russell Wilson, is entering now. In the run game, Alvin Kamara was a top-ten fantasy running back in four of the five seasons he played under Payton. This is good news for Williams fans who were robbed of a breakout season when he tore his ACL and looked like another Kamara with a strong presence in the receiving game.
The player twho may get the most hype, relative to their position, is tight end Greg Dulcich. A rookie in 2022, he was a top-ten fantasy tight end during the weeks he played (6-16) before missing the last two games due to a hamstring injury. We all remember Jimmy Graham coming out of nowhere only to become one of the best fantasy tight ends of all time. Dulcich will get more attention, as he should, but don’t treat him like Graham… yet.
In all, it’s a good time to be a Broncos fan or a manager of their players in dynasty leagues.
Space Cam
Cam Akers could see a big uptick in receiving production in 2023 with LaFleur at OC https://t.co/qZNAJ0RQhG
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) February 1, 2023
The 2022 season was quite the roller coaster for Cam Akers and his dynasty value.
Akers was largely an afterthought for most of the season as he led the anemic Rams offense during their post-Championship hangover. Akers failed to top 65 rushing yards through the first 15 weeks of the season and scored only four times in that span. But he turned it on between weeks 16-18, almost as if he knew he was auditioning for the 2023 season and single-handedly won some fantasy managers playoff games (for those brave enough to start him). He averaged 115 rushing yards in those last three games, scored three times on the ground, and caught as many balls (six) in those last three games as he had all season (seven). He was literally an elite fantasy option at running back to close out the season.
Dynasty Impact: For all the good Akers did for his fantasy managers those last three weeks, it’s still a very small sample size. Sure, it’s what we expected from him after his rookie season and before an Achilles injury wiped out his entire sophomore campaign. But it’s only three games and now we have a whole off-season to wonder if Akers can not just do it again but even have the opportunity.
Luckily for current Akers managers, the tweet above is a step in the right direction. The Rams recently hired former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur who oversaw a lot more receptions for his running backs than Akers is used to in the pros. However, Akers did manage to be part of the passing game in college where his 30 receptions in his last year at Florida State is more than he’s had in 29 games as a Ram.
He is a hold right now but one with a great ceiling – if he says atop the depth chart.
Carr Trek
“That’s probably why I’m going somewhere else” 😂😂😂 the boy @derekcarrqb is hilarious pic.twitter.com/1fwfaSW4eE
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) February 3, 2023
The man speaks the truth. Derek Carr was brutally honest about his situation in Las Vegas and his impending departure. In a way, it was refreshing to see a player with that level of self-awareness. Carr has always been on the cusp of greatness, finishing somewhere between 10th and 20th in fantasy scoring in each season of his NFL career including this season when his 3,500-plus yards and 24 passing touchdowns resulted in a 17th-place finish among quarterbacks. But as mentioned, he’s played for nine years and never taken that next step. He also had a new coach in 2022 in Josh McDaniels who, in fairness, gave Carr the benefit of the doubt and even paired him with All-Pro Davante Adams. Yet Carr was still Carr and will seemingly move on to his second NFL team.
Dynasty Impact: Unfortunately for Carr and his dynasty managers, his landing spot will have a huge effect on his value going forward. In Las Vegas, he had this year’s top running back plus an elite receiver and still couldn’t crack the top-12 quarterbacks in fantasy scoring. Not many teams that will be vying for his services this off-season will be able to match that kind of talent. Tampa Bay could only dream of having Josh Jacobs in their backfield; the Colts cumulatively don’t have the talent of a Davante Adams. Pick any team in the market for a quarterback and it’ll most likely be a downgrade for Carr when it comes to his situation.
Currently, he isn’t worth a whole lot even in superflex leagues.
Any of these players, Jared Goff included, or picks would be preferable to Carr no matter where he ends up. If you’re a current manager, feel free to cash in after Carr’s move to another team is official. He’s a depreciating asset and it will only get worse.
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