Dynasty Trending Observations: Dak Prescott and Jordan Love Elite Dynasty Quarterbacks?
It’s almost playoff time – in both real-life and dynasty leagues – but that doesn’t mean social media is slowing down. There are several developments to monitor as your team either heads to the post-season or the off-season.
Dak to the Future
Dak Prescott in his last 6 games:
20 TDs
2 INTMVP? 🍿 pic.twitter.com/j4YxeiDwPT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2023
Dak Prescott was already one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the NFL. From a career 67% completion percentage to never throwing more than 15 interceptions in a season. He’s been a steady, if not spectacular, franchise quarterback for real-life and fantasy teams. But he’s taken it to another level in 2023. His current 70% completion percentage would be the best of his career; his average of 270 passing yards is 10 more than his career average; and his 26 touchdowns are already the third-most of his career with his sights set on setting a new career-high. All of that, plus Dallas being 9-3, has led to the MVP discussion.
Prescott has also led a lot of fantasy teams to a playoff run. Even before week 13 – when he threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns – he was a top-three fantasy quarterback with only Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts scoring more. So can dynasty managers expect him to keep it up or is this an illusion?
Dynasty Impact: It’s not as if Prescott has never reached these fantasy heights. Those efficiency numbers have led top-12 fantasy finishes in five of his seven professional seasons. The only two seasons he didn’t was when he was hurt – in 2020 when he played five games and last year when he played 12. But ever since that 2020 season, dynasty managers have downgraded Prescott’s value.
Yet he turned in a top-seven season in 2021 (when he played the entire season) and is on track to do so again this season (assuming he stays healthy).
For current Prescott dynasty managers, keep him as your franchise quarterback. For prospective managers, it might be too late as that dip in his value is sure to end.
Love to See It
Jordan Love is in some pretty good company 😏 pic.twitter.com/PLMDaLvz2L
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) December 4, 2023
No one would fault dynasty managers for hesitating about Jordan Love entering the season. After being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he rode the bench while Aaron Rodgers won two more Most Valuable Player awards. It certainly wasn’t Love’s fault that Rodgers took the fact that Green Bay drafted his replacement personally, but it did ice Love for two seasons. Fast forward to the 2023 off-season and Rodgers moved on to the Jets while the Packers, at long last, turned the offense over to Love.
And despite the youngest receiver room in the league, Love got off to a good start – throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions in both of his first two games. He (and the Packers) then hit a rough patch when he threw just six touchdowns against eight interceptions over his next six games. You could probably see when that stretch was as it directly impacted his dynasty value.
But prepare for that value to rise again after the month Love has had. In his last four games, Love has thrown 10 touchdowns against just two interceptions while the Packers have gone 3-1. Fantasy-wise, he has been a top-three quarterback in that stretch which has also put him in the top ten of fantasy quarterbacks.
Dynasty Impact: Using the DLF Trade Analyzer, Love is already worth a first-round rookie pick when it comes to superflex leagues. Even in this upcoming 2024 class, which is sure to include several first-round quarterbacks, Love would be preferred.
Love should also continue to get better. He had already been studying for three seasons under one of the best to ever do it. And the Packers surrounded him with, not just young receivers but, good ones as Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed have all looked more than capable despite being first and second-year receivers.
For current Love dynasty managers, they might be sitting on a franchise quarterback. If you’re not a current manager and can swap a first (in superflex leagues) or second (in 1QB leagues) for him, do it before the price goes up.
Tornado Kyren
Sean McVay is one of us 🤣 pic.twitter.com/gMIy4qbNHp
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) December 4, 2023
Rams running back Kyren Williams was a 2022 third-round pick who was injured most of his rookie season and totaled just 44 touches the entire year. That uninspiring first year led many to think Williams would be a bit-part or backup player for the Rams in 2023 but, instead, he’s turned into a stud. Despite missing a month of the season, he is STILL a top-ten running back, totaling 687 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in just eight games. He’s also added 22 receptions for 190 yards and three more touchdowns through the air. Within a matter of weeks, Williams has gone from the bottom of your dynasty roster – or even a Taxi squad member – to a potential franchise player.
Dynasty Impact: Few players have improved their dynasty stock so much and so quickly as Williams. From bottoming out as a top-80-ish running back to a now RB2.
If he were to keep up his current rate of production, coupled with his age, you could argue that he’d be a top-12 fantasy running back.
However, readers of this series know that running backs can be expendable, especially in dynasty leagues. Williams is a great story and if you’re a current Williams dynasty manager, he very well may help win you a championship. But next year? If you can turn a former low-round rookie pick into a package with a proven veteran, a high draft pick, or both – you should do it.
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