Dynasty Twitter Observations: Patrick Mahomes Solidifies (Dynasty) Legacy, Hope for Kyler Murray?
The season is officially over but 2023 dynasty leagues are just starting. Between the coaching changes and impending player moves, Twitter is a busy place. Let’s check out some of the more talked about tweets below and how they could alter your off-season plans.
Kyler Optic
FIRED UP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/flHpfermpC
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) February 14, 2023
When we last left Kyler Murray in Arizona, Kliff Kingsbury’s job was in doubt and it looked as if Murray wouldn’t be ready for the 2023 season after he tore his ACL. Fast forward and Murray now has the second coach of his professional career in Jonathan Gannon, fresh off the latter’s stint as defensive coordinator of the NFC Champion Eagles.
Additionally, Twitter is full of clips of Murray working out on that surgically repaired knee and is on track to be back earlier than expected. Of course, we’re still in the honeymoon phase of the new Cardinals regime but it’s still encouraging to see the new head coach embrace Murray from the jump.
Dynasty Impact: Murray was always going to be viewed as a comeback candidate. He’s reached elite status (in terms of dynasty value) before dipping back to QB1 fringe status all in the span of a four-year career.
There were a couple of reasons to think 2022 was rock-bottom for Murray’s dynasty value. The torn ACL forced him to miss five games, the most he’s missed in any season of his career. It also led to the lowest yardage totals – passing and rushing – Murray has ever recorded.
The vibes were also off seemingly all year. There was a lot of pressure on the regime, most notably Kingsbury, which had to be a distraction amid a 4-13 season.
But 2023 is a clean slate. We know Gannon will be a fresh start with a new coaching staff. And thanks to that 4-13 record, Arizona will have three picks in the first 66 selections including the third overall pick. They also have the 11th most cap space (so far) heading into the off-season.
When it comes to Murray’s dynasty value, he’s far and away better than any quarterback in this draft which means he’s worth more than anyone rookie draft pick. If you’re a current dynasty manager, he’s a hold.
Tears for Pierce
Houston #Texans are expected to hire 49ers pass-game coordinator Bobby Slowik as their offensive coordinator, per source. Strong move by the Texans landing Slowik, who has been a popular name this cycle.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 12, 2023
There weren’t a lot of positives from the disastrous 2023 season for the Texans. Their 4-13-1 season was their worst in a decade and they saw their second coach fired in as many seasons. One of the few bright spots was fourth-round rookie running back Dameon Pierce. Pierce won the job from the beginning and proceeded to total over 1,100 yards from scrimmage in just 14 games before an ankle injury prematurely ended his season. And that was behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
The hiring of a 49ers disciple as offensive coordinator is a welcome sign. New head coach DeMeco Ryans’ hiring of Bobby Slowik promises to at least innovate an offense that finished second-to-last in DVOA. They, quite literally, can’t get much worse.
Dynasty Impact: Thanks to Pierce’s cheap rookie contract, age, and lack of competition, he’s not going anywhere. Houston is also expected to draft a quarterback with the second pick while entering the off-season with the fifth-most cap space in the league. Even before the hiring of Slowik, Pierce’s positional dynasty ranking of 20th seems criminally low.
But having Slowik makes a higher ranking for Pierce inevitable. Think about Slowik’s most recent stop in San Francisco plus the fact that he was part of that legendary coaching staff in Washington that include Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur. In every example, the run game is essential and tends to produce extremely valuable fantasy running backs. Pierce was already a top-15 fantasy running back in his rookie season (up until his season-ending injury) but the added emphasis on the run game thanks to Slowik should make that a certainty for the foreseeable future. Pierce is and will be a strong buy heading into 2023.
Simply the Best
Disney World was so good, Patrick Mahomes had to check out Disneyland too 😎 pic.twitter.com/x7phA6H6ef
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 15, 2023
You know you’ve reached superstar status when people who don’t even watch football, let alone play fantasy football, know you. Patrick Mahomes II has officially reached that level after his second Super Bowl win and second Disney World commercial.
Mahomes led the Chiefs to a comeback win over Philadelphia and made it look easy in the process. Yes, Mahomes has possibly the greatest tight end of all time in Travis Kelce but he also had a bunch of (relative) scrubs at receiver after All-Pro Tyreek Hill was traded in the off-season. He finished Super Bowl 57 completing 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were to players who have barely seen the field in Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore.
Oh yeah, Mahomes also won the Most Valuable Player award this season while throwing for 41 touchdowns and setting a career-high with 5,250 passing yards.
The only question left for Mahomes – whether it’s the real NFL or fantasy leagues – is how long can this last?
Dynasty Impact: It’s tough for any player to stay at the top of their profession for long. But that’s what Mahomes has done since he first blew up the NFL in his sophomore season.
But it’s not the eye-popping numbers Mahomes is producing but the consistency. Since becoming a starter, he’s thrown for at least 4,000 yards in each season. His lowest touchdown total was 26 in the 2019 season but he also missed two games. His second-lowest touchdown total in a season is 37!
Superflex players know how valuable Mahomes is. He’s the most valuable player – not just quarterback – and would warrant an extra pick if you were to swap him with an elite quarterback.
Even in 1QB leagues, Mahomes is just as valuable as he is in the NFL. According to our DLF Trade Analyzer, Mahomes warrants an early first-round rookie pick, something usually reserved for running backs or wide receivers.
If you’re lucky enough to have him now, consider the quarterback position on your dynasty team spoken for over the next decade. And if you’re looking to acquire Mahomes, get ready to give up, literally, your entire team.
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