Dynasty Trending Observations: Mad George Pickens, Hurt Daniel Jones and Astronaut Joshua Dobbs
With trade deadlines looming, expect your screen time to go up. There were several developments this past week both off and off the field that could affect your dynasty prospects.
Slim Pickens
Pittsburgh Steelers George Pickens went to social media to air frustrations.
Pickens claimed he's not a priority in Pittsburgh's system and wants to be released.
"Free Me" Pickens also removed Steelers from his IG account. pic.twitter.com/h57yXqtsXE
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) November 3, 2023
George Pickens had one of the more memorable stat lines of the season on Thursday and not in a good way. He had five targets, two receptions, and minus one yard. Pickens has had some disappointing stat lines this year but that one takes the cake. Not surprisingly, he is frustrated with his role or lack thereof. What was a surprise was him taking to social media to express it, thus the post above. Pickens quickly backtracked but the damage was done.
Heading into the season, Pickens was one of the more promising receivers in dynasty leagues. As a rookie, he totaled 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns and ended the 2022 season as a mid-to-late WR2 regarding dynasty value.
That’s where Pickens’ value started the season but thanks to some of those dud stat lines, it’s starting to decline. It’s hard for his managers to rely on him when the Steelers offense, led by middling quarterback Kenny Pickett, can be as flat as much as it can be explosive.
Dynasty Impact: If Pickens were a stock, it would be recommended to ‘buy the dip.’ He will be just 23 when he enters his third professional season, younger than some rookies are when they enter the league. Additionally, there’s a good chance that he either moves on or the Steelers move on from the current play-caller. Either way, the situation will be different next year and hopefully allow Pickens’s talent to win out instead of being shackled to a drab offense.
Using the DLF Trade Analyzer, Pickens is currently worth a mid-to-late first-round rookie pick. If it would cost more than that to acquire him, it would cost you a chance for a rookie receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr. Short of that, Pickens would be worth a shot.
Sticks and Jones
#Giants QB Daniel Jones is, in fact, out for the season with a torn ACL, coach Brian Daboll said following today’s MRI. He’ll undergo surgery with the plan of being ready for the 2024 season. pic.twitter.com/Sa4WPTkEYk
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2023
The further we get into the 2023 season, the more it looks like Daniel Jones’ 2022 breakout was a fluke. Jones had never had a top-20 finish in fantasy scoring until last season when he threw for 3,200-plus yards, 15 touchdowns, and then ran for 708 yards and seven more touchdowns. It came at the right time for him as he got a big new contract after the season that tied him to the Giants for the foreseeable future.
The trouble started from the jump this season as Jones threw for 104 yards and two interceptions in week one. It hasn’t gotten better as Jones has thrown for more than 203 yards in a game just once in six games this season. He has just two touchdowns compared to six interceptions and has run for just 206 yards and one touchdown and lost a fumble. And it wasn’t just his performance. Jones had already missed games due to a neck injury and now he’s out for the season with a torn ACL. With no more games this season, the disappointing stats will stick with him for the entire off-season.
Dynasty Impact: After the dismal statistics season and the injuries, Jones’ current ranking of 18th in our dynasty rankings seems high and certainly not sustainable. For 1QB leagues, he may have been a starter in some leagues but not most. Where Jones’ drop-off is more apparent is in superflex leagues. He was undoubtedly a starter in superflex leagues to start the season but would be hard-pressed to continue next year, especially considering his injury recovery time is now TBD. But make no mistake, thanks to Jones’ contract, he’s tied to the Giants for at least another season which means he’ll be in town.
If you’re a current Jones’ dynasty manager, you’re stuck and hopefully your leagues have an IR spot you can place him on. Now, would he be an interesting trade candidate in the off-season? Yes, depending on the cost. You certainly shouldn’t spend a first or even a second-round rookie pick next year on him. But if it would cost you only three or later? It would be worth it since you’ll have one of the 32 starters on a team next year.
Odd Dobbs
Congratulations @josh_dobbs1 on yesterday’s big win! Looks like you rock(et) on and off the field. We heard you’ve even got a new nickname, the "Passtronaut." If the suit fits, wear it.🚀 pic.twitter.com/Pah3MuQsWs
— NASA's Glenn Research Center (@NASAglenn) November 6, 2023
How did we get here? Rather, how did Joshua Dobbs end up here? The journeyman quarterback has played for five different teams throughout the 2022-2023 seasons After some stability with the Steelers organization, Dobbs has tried, and failed, to latch on to a team for any significant amount of time. He backed up the backup in Cleveland until Deshaun Watson returned; and spent time on the practice squads for both the Lions and Titans; then signed with Cleveland again before they traded him to Arizona.
It was there that Dobbs started to (relatively) shine. He threw for 1,500-plus yards and eight touchdowns ran for another 258 yards and three touchdowns and was a fringe QB1 in fantasy scoring. His usefulness for Arizona expired when Kyler Murray came off the injured list and he was promptly traded to Minnesota to replace the injured Kirk Cousins. With no prep, he came on for the injured Jaren Hall and promptly led Minnesota to a victory while throwing for 158 yards and two touchdowns. It led to a new nickname (see above) and a new respect for the jobs Dobbs has done and not just one but two franchises this season. But what does it mean for his future?
Dynasty Impact: Unlike Daniel Jones above, Dobbs is healthy and producing. The question is will there be another job for him next year? He could stay in Minnesota if they move on from Cousins; he could go to a team that ends up drafting a quarterback in the draft as a stopgap; or maybe he could go to a team that’s in NFL purgatory. That, unfortunately, is the biggest drawback to acquiring him for your dynasty team. He’ll produce the rest of this season with good weapons around him including rookie receiver Jordan Addison and stud tight end TJ Hockenson. So if you need an option to fill the gap for your dynasty team as well, it wouldn’t hurt to offer a late-round rookie pick for him.
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