Dynasty Trending Observations: Chiefs Receivers Drop the Ball, D’Andre Swift Disappears
Week one is in the books and our dynasty leagues are off and running. It was everything we expected and nothing we expected at the same time. Below are a few of the more notable developments trending out there that could shape your dynasty team immediately.
Disturbing the Chiefs
chiefs receivers tonight pic.twitter.com/WqS35GghfY
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2023
Yikes. What could have been a golden opportunity for a Chiefs receiver – any Chiefs receiver – to stand out in the wake of the last-minute injury to Travis Kelce turned into a disaster for everyone. In the 21-20 loss to the Lions, Patrick Mahomes found 11 different pass catchers with none of them topping 50 receiving yards. He targeted 12 players but the lone receiver who failed to catch his targets was last year’s second-round pick, Skyy Moore. Moore saw three targets but failed to record a reception.
But he wasn’t the most disappointing receiver of the night. That honor goes to Kadarius Toney. Toney did manage to record a single reception (for a measly yard) but had four drops, one of which turned into a pick-six. The Chiefs had two receivers who caught long bombs but those were few and far between with both Marques Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson catching two passes for 40-plus yards. But if that’s the best Kansas City can produce, they have a problem.
Dynasty Impact: While that game was bad, it’s important to remember that it is only one game – and a game that didn’t have Travis Kelce completely changing what the opposing defense does. But it wasn’t a great start for a few players who were hyped up in the off-season.
For Moore, his value has been waiting to take off since he was drafted in the second round last year. Landing on the team with possibly the greatest quarterback of all time has its benefits. But Moore’s rookie season was disappointing and there was hope that his sophomore season would be much better without JuJu Smith-Schuster. That better season will have to wait at least another week.
Toney was a very popular target in dynasty leagues. He was going to have a full off-season with his new team and still have the talent that made him a first-round pick. But if the drops continue, Mahomes and the Chiefs won’t be able to trust him.
It’s hard to target any of the Chiefs receivers right now despite the eventual dip in the cost. Not only is a bounceback not guaranteed but we still don’t have a clear picture of which receiver will step up to lead the position room.
Why Eagles, Why
Kenneth Gainwell vs. D'Andre Swift pic.twitter.com/566064DyFn
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 11, 2023
We knew the Eagles weren’t going to willingly share their plan for the backfield heading into the season. After a complete overhaul of the running back room that saw them trade for D’Andre Swift and sign Rashaad Penny, there still wasn’t an obvious answer for who would take over for the recently departed Miles Sanders. Throw in holdover Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott and you have one of the most unclear situations in all of football.
Turns out most of us were wrong. There were plenty of Penny and Swift fans out there but not nearly as many for Gainwell. The third-year back dominated every category possible over the likes of Swift and Boston; Penny didn’t even see the field after being a healthy scratch.
Nonetheless, it’s still a crapshoot for this year and even more confusing for next year.
Dynasty Impact: Of the three main backs in contention for touches, Swift is technically the most valuable as he’s still benefiting from his peak value as a top-five running back.
But the trend of Swift’s decline should continue in Philadelphia especially if he keeps getting less attention than Gainwell. It started when he was discarded in Detroit despite averaging over 900 total yards and eight touchdowns in his three-season career there. He was moved for a very little draft capital and is now in the last year of his rookie contract which makes him extremely expendable. Penny is too, signed to a one-year deal after his rookie deal expired in Seattle. Gainwell represents the most value after working as the lead back while also being the least valuable when it comes to dynasty leagues.
It’s best to avoid this entire situation. No back is going to play significantly more or better than the other.
Desert Island
Report: Joshua Dobbs to start at QB for Cardinals. https://t.co/Vs8NDr7BDN
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 6, 2023
This particular development has no bearing on the future of the Cardinals quarterback situation. Despite having Kyler Murray still on the roster, it’s widely assumed the Cardinals would take a quarterback in next year’s draft especially if they have the top pick to take USC’s Caleb Williams. Neither Joshua Dobbs (the starter on Sunday) nor Clayton Tune (the future starter?) are going to do anything to change that.
Rather this will have an impact on the surrounding skill positions and what we do with them. It wasn’t long ago that the Cardinal offense was full of players who had decent dynasty values from the now-departed DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk to current Cardinals like Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown. Even the run game had contributors in the now-departed Chase Edmonds to current starter James Conner. But for those still in the desert, the prospects don’t look bright and the quarterback situation this year makes it even worse especially after what we saw in week one.
Dynasty Impact: While the Cardinals are the odds-on favorite to finish with the worst record in 2023, it doesn’t mean their players won’t perform for your dynasty teams. With Hopkins gone, Brown is expected to lead the receiver room in targets. Tight end Trey McBride is now past his rookie season and is tapped to keep developing. He gained more yards on just two receptions than veteran tight end Zach Ertz did on six. And Rondale Moore might finally contribute after leading the team with 33 yards on Sunday.
For the cost, it could make sense to target one of these young pass catchers if you need depth in a deeper league. Brown would cost you the most in terms of draft capital but he’s also entering a contract year and not only motivated to ball out but could be in a whole different situation next year. McBride is just 24 and whether he has Murray or a rookie quarterback next year, will have a better situation than he does now. The point is to not discount the fantasy prospects of some Cardinals players despite the team as a whole being ticketed for disaster this season. There’s always an opportunity for bargain shopping.
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