Dynasty Twitter Observations: Patriots Reward DeVante Parker and Treylon Burks Ascending
It is July 4th weekend, so what better time to look at your dynasty roster over hot dogs and fireworks? As we get closer to the preseason, players are separating themselves and setting their dynasty managers up for big seasons. Below are a few of the tweets that cover such developments.
Walk in the Parker
pretty wild DeVante Parker stat
his WR separation ranking using Next Gen Stats player tracking data:
2022: #122 out of 122 WRs
2021: #127 out of 127 WRs
2020: #132 out of 132 WRs— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 28, 2023
Uh, sure. After a fairly nondescript season(s), the Patriots felt the need to extend receiver DeVante Parker and hand over more guaranteed money. It will lower his cap hit for this year but it’s still perplexing. Parker, quite literally, hasn’t been a top-40 fantasy receiver in his three years in New England. He has never been a top-40 receiver except for the 2019 season when he totaled 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Outside of that, no 1,000-yard seasons, no more than four touchdowns in a season – nothing.
But follow the money. If the Patriots made this move, it shows their level of commitment even if it’s for a single season. What does that tell you about other Patriot receivers who have been targeted in dynasty leagues this off-season?
Dynasty Impact: Signed earlier in the off-season, JuJu Smith-Schuster should be the WR1 this season. Last year’s leading receiver in New England, Jakobi Meyers, is off to Las Vegas which should allow Smith-Schuster to slide into that role. I say should because Smith-Schuster is dealing with lingering knee issues so his availability isn’t a given.
But if it is, Meyers as the leading receiver last year only totaled 804 yards. Parker, as previously mentioned, was a disappointment after catching just 31 balls for 539 yards. There has been plenty of chatter about Tyquan Thornton taking on a bigger role after a quiet rookie season. He’s already valued more in dynasty than Parker.
If Parker hadn’t been given the extension, the talk about Thornton possibly overtaking Parker’s role would make more sense. But now that Parker was ‘rewarded’, it stands to reason that he’ll keep his role and block Thornton’s progress to start the season.
The bottom line is the Patriots’ receiver situation is too murky and not rewarding enough to make any moves. If you have one, it’s a hold. If you don’t, consider yourself lucky.
Public Burks
Ten – WR Treylon Burks
“There's a different swagger with Burks, who reported to the facility with a noticeably leaner build. The 2022 first-round pick is playing at a different speed from his rookie season. Burks said the difference this season is he is in better shape, and the… https://t.co/c93kLJH5rm— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) June 28, 2023
Heading into 2022 rookie drafts, Treylon Burks going first overall wasn’t that foreign of a concept. I know because I had multiple such drafts. He has the prototypical build of an alpha receiver at 6’ 2” and 225 pounds. He was drafted in the first round by a team in desperate need of a WR1. The stars were aligned for him to have a big rookie season.
Until he didn’t. He totaled just 129 yards through the first month of his rookie season before an injury kept him out the next month. But when he came back, he showed flashes of why dynasty leaguers took him. He notched his first 100-yard game and scored his first touchdown and ultimately ended the season with 33 receptions for 444 yards and that one score. That was nowhere near the totals of his fellow rookie receivers but also salvageable after that first month. Now with a full off-season of work to build off that rookie season, Burks looks better than ever if that tweet is to be believed.
Dynasty Impact: Despite a rookie class full of fantasy-friendly receivers last year to go along with Burks’ relatively disappointing season, his dynasty value surprisingly hasn’t dipped too much.
His value and our rankings both have him in the top-25 range when it comes to dynasty receivers even after the 2023 class of receivers is factored in. And it’s been nothing but good news coming out of Tennessee so far.
However, there could be big changes happening in Tennessee and they could happen early. The Titans moved up to draft quarterback Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft which indicates current starter Ryan Tannehill’s time is winding down. If Tennessee gets off to a slow start, there could be a changing of the guard under center and all that work Burks did with Tannehill this off-season will have been for naught. Burks, and his dynasty managers, need a quick start to the season if his value is going to remain steady.
Strong Man
Patriots RB Pierre Strong “could complement Stevenson as the lightning to Rhamondre’s thunder” ⚡️and has “been on the James White track” per Patriots writer @ezlazar 👀pic.twitter.com/9qU9Ifg9Ts
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 26, 2023
It’s a double-header of Patriots tweets this week but with how often Bill Belichick likes to change it up, it’s probably warranted. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is a hot ticket this off-season after a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him total nearly 1,500 yards. But if there’s anyone who will never lean on a running back, it’s head coach Bill Belichick. Not that Stevenson won’t still be fantasy-relevant, but it’s always worth it to scope out the other Patriots as a precaution. In this case, it’s second-year back Pierre Strong. Now that veteran Damien Harris is off to Houston, Strong has a golden opportunity to see more playing time, targets, etc. And by the looks of it, he’s taking advantage of it.
Dynasty Impact: If the tweet is to be believed, and Strong turns into the next James White in the Patriots offense, that could be a valuable, albeit low-ceiling, fantasy play. James White had multiple seasons of at least 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards to go along with minimal rushing stats. If you’re in a PPR scoring league, that’s more than enough to contribute especially in deeper roster leagues. Using the DLF Trade Analyzer, he can be acquired for a later-round rookie pick. I would entertain it if you’re needing some depth in a PPR league.
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