The Dynasty Aftermath: The Good and the Terrible
Welcome to DLF’s Dynasty Aftermath. This staple article is our longest running signature piece as we have a little fun after a tough week at the Dynasty League Football office. You’ll find this article will review the week’s happenings in a variety of ways and help set you up for the coming weeks as we spin around the league in the way we know best. Expect it each and every week. I’ve written this column for the past seventeen years and I love it. I enjoy combing through the stats of the week on Monday night, putting together ridiculous lineups, picking MVPs/LVPs and discussing things to worry about.
That’s not all. I also really love sharing observations, little bits of entertainment or some stories with the community of DLF and picking a theme for this column each week. You really never know what you’re going to get. This year, I’m doing a “Five in Five” article each week and that previews this article on Saturdays. Let’s recap the storylines from last week before we get into it.
Sunken Ship?
The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins last week to a torn Achilles and it’s going to have some serious ramifications in dynasty leagues. After all, Cousins himself was having one of his (if not THE) best seasons of his career and Justin Jefferson was already lost for at least a month. Enter Josh Dobbs? The journeyman quarterback was forced into action after rookie Jaren Hall was lost to a concussion early in the game. It started out rough for Dobbs but he rallied the team with three touchdowns and helped them win an important game. With Minnesota still in the playoff hunt, expect Jefferson to return sooner rather than later and Dobbs may just be good enough to keep his value afloat.
Sam I am?
Say what you want about the Commanders but Sam Howell had been pretty terrific most of the season. He threw for 325 yards with one touchdown and one interception this week but was still good enough to lead Washington to another win. While he may not be dominant each week, we’re seeing a young quarterback really start to develop.
Kamara Focus
Maybe it really wasn’t sustainable for Alvin Kamara to be the RB3 in fantasy leagues this year. The challenge he has now is the re-emergence of Taysom Hill, who threw a touchdown, caught another and had 11 carries (more than the nine for Kamara). It’s a crazy situation but one that’s working for the Saints right now. If this continues and Hill gets all the goal-line work, Kamara is going to have a hard time maintaining his value.
Dak to the Future?
The Cowboys and Eagles played in a serious game that will help decide the NFC East moving forward. Dak Prescott could have very well been the best player on the field for it as well. He threw for 374 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and now has seven touchdowns and just one interception over the past two weeks. The Cowboys lost but Prescott has been on a serious run and that bodes well moving forward.
Rolling the Dice
The Raiders fired their Head Coach (again) and looked a lot better this week. However, it’s now DEFCON1 for Davante Adams, who had just four catches for 34 yards on seven targets. Adams hasn’t scored or eclipsed 75 receiving yards since week three and is going to the point of being unplayable. Things change quickly in fantasy football.
After watching the Jets in Week Nine against the Chargers, I honestly find myself amazed at just how good they can be at defense and so bad at offense at the same time. Sure, a franchise quarterback makes a difference but this is amazing to watch, It actually made me think of what humans are really good and really bad at. Here’s my top ten for the week:
THINGS HUMANS ARE REALLY GOOD AT
1.) Making exercise equipment I’m not using right now
2.) Pushing technology further and making AI secretly make us look smarter
3.) Convincing me fake Christmas trees are worth the money just because I don’t want to get the old one out of the attic
4.) Injuring quarterbacks
5.) Convincing massive numbers of people that mint is the best flavor at the dentist
6.) Making me think Dick Vermeil is dead
7.) Not getting Davante Adams the ball
8.) Making really good craft beers
9.) Hiding the fact the Ravens are really the NFL’s best team
10.) Stopping the Bills from running the ball
THINGS HUMANS ARE REALLY BAD AT
1.) Letting me into traffic
2.) Having more restaurants open after 10
3.) Making Indiana Jones movies I’m proud of
4.) Learning from James Harden’s past
5.) Giving the Jets any kind of luck
6.) Keeping the prices of pepperoni reasonable
7.) Helping me win the Powerball
8.) Making Fruit Stripe gum’s flavor last more than ten seconds
9.) Stopping my access to Dr. Pepper
10.) Being convinced the Jets really are bad
On to week nine!
Fantasy MVP of the Week
It’s really hard to find a franchise quarterback. Ask the Titans, Broncos, Giants, Falcons, Cardinals and just about any other struggling team and they’ll tell you. Well, don’t include the Texans any longer as CJ Stroud looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the league already. After a record-breaking performance that featured 470 passing yards and five touchdowns, he now has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the league. No, not the best for rookies. The best in the league.
Fantasy LVP of the Week
The Chiefs offense hasn’t looked right all season and even though they beat the Dolphins in a huge game this week, it was finally Travis Kelce‘s turn to post a clunker. His three catches and 14 receiving yards were a killer for a player who has been as consistent as a sunrise all year.
The Unbeatable Lineup of the Week
QB CJ Stroud HOU = 470 passing yards, five touchdowns
RB Rachaad White TB = 73 rushing yards, four catches, 46 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Rhamondre Stevenson NE = 87 rushing yards, four catches, 42 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Josh Jacobs LV = 98 rushing yards, two touchdowns
WR Tank Dell HOU = Six catches, 114 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR CeeDee Lamb DAL = 11 catches, 191 receiving yards
WR Amari Cooper CLE = Five catches, 139 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Dalton Schultz HOUÂ = Ten catches, 130 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Underdog Lineup of the Week
QB Joshua Dobbs PIT/TEN/CLE/ARI/MIN = 158 passing yards, 66 rushing yards, three touchdowns
RB Keaton Mitchell BAL = 138 rushing yards, one touchdown
RB Alexander Mattison MIN = 44 rushing yards, two catches, 49 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Najee Harris PIT = 69 rushing yards, two catches, seven receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Noah Brown HOU = Six catches, 153 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Diontae Johnson PIT = Seven catches, 90 receiving yards, one touchdown!
WR Jahan Dotson WAS = Four catches, 69 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Jake Ferguson DAL = Seven catches, 91 receiving yards, one touchdown
The Disappointing Lineup of the Week
QB Geno Smith SEA = 157 passing yards, one interception
RB Zack Moss IND = 26 rushing yards
RB Kenneth Walker SEA = 16 rushing yards, one catch, one receiving yard
RB Roschon Johnson CHI = Six rushing yards, one catch, nine receiving yards
WR Michael Thomas NO = No catches
WR Gabriel Davis BUF = No catches
WR Brandin Cooks HOU = One catch, seven receiving yards
TE Travis Kelce KC = Three catches, 14 receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if I missed out on this window to trade for De’Von Achane or Justin Jefferson
I’d be worried if I was just looking at the game line of Will Levis.
I’d be worried if I thought Najee Harris was somehow back.
I’d be worried if I thought the Chiefs look right.
I’d be worried if I thought Geno Smith was a long-term answer.
I’d be worried if I didn’t think Gus Edwards was a viable play right now.
I’d be worried if I had Cam Akers. Just brutal.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring the progress from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
I’d be worried if I needed anything from a Cardinals player.
I’d be worried if I didn’t notice Deshaun Watson looking better.
I’d be worried if I thought Rachaad White was an automatic play again.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t noticing the play of Cade Otton.
I’d be worried if I needed anything from a Texans runner.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring Noah Brown.
I’d be worried if I was playing against Taysom Hill. What an advantage again.
I’d be worried if I thought D’Onta Foreman was going to just disappear.
I’d be worried if I thought we’d see pre-injury Micahel Thomas again.
I’d be worried if I paid too much for Bijan Robinson. I love him but the price was not right this off-season.
I’d be worried if I was ignoring the play of Jonnu Smith.
I’d be worried if I needed any Rams player while Matthew Stafford was out.
I’d be worried if I was sold on Jordan Love.
I’d be worried if I didn’t notice some improvement from Dontayvion Wicks.
I’d be worried if I was still sleeping on Demario Douglas.
I’d be worried if I needed Zack Moss anytime soon. Well, that was fun.
I’d be worried if I still had Miles Sanders. Yikes.
I’d be worried if I needed anything from any Giants players moving forward.
I’d be worried if I thought this was a mirage from CeeDee Lamb.
I’d be worried if I wasn’t watching the breakout of Jake Ferguson.
I’d be worried if I needed Dallas Goedert over the next month,
I’d be worried if I thought the Bills were just fine.
I’d be worried if I had forgotten about Tee Higgins.
The Top Rookie Scoring Averages
1.) De’Von Achane RB MIA = 25.93
2.) CJ Stroud, QB HOU = 23.16
3.) Will Levis, QB TEN = 20.65
4.) Anthony Richardson, QB IND = 20.36
5.) Puka Nacua, WR LAR = 17.68
6.) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB DET = 16.07
7.) Tyson Bagent QB CHI = 15.66
8.) Bryce Young, QB CAR = 15.35
9.) Jordan Addison, WR MIN = 15.18
10.) Tank Dell, WR HOU = 14.34
11.) Sam LaPorta, TE DET = 13.80
12.) Bijan Robinson, RB ATL = 13.04
13. Aidan O’Connell, QB LV = 11.47
14.) Josh Downs, WR IND = 11.26
15.) Zay Flowers, WR BAL = 11.11
Just missed: Rashee Rice, Jayden Reed. Michael Wilson, Dalton Kincaid, Luke Musgrave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jaleel McLaughlin, Marvin Mims
The Rookie Top 10
Always check our latest rankings to see the updates throughout the week. These rankings are simply my own.
1.) De’Von Achane, RB MIA
Just a smidge over Nacua and Robinson now.
2.) Bijan Robinson, RB ATL
I’m still feeling fine about him here.
3.) Puka Nacua, WR LAR
Needs better quarterback play.
4.) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB DET
Looking forward to seeing what’s next.
5.)Â Jordan Addison, WR MIN
The loss of Cousins is going to hurt in the short-term but he’s been impressive.
6.) Tank Dell, WR HOU
OK, now it’s getting serious. Three games of 25+ fantasy points now.
7.) Sam LaPorta, TE DET
Yep. He’s been that good.
8.) Â CJ Stroud,QB HOU
I’d take him over Richardson with no hesitation now.
9.) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR SEA
Starting to string together some good games now.
10) Zay Flowers, WR BAL
Building on a solid start.
Just Missed.) Anthony Richardson, QB IND
I have major concerns.
See you on Saturday for the “Five in Five!” and next week for the Dynasty Aftermath.
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