New homes for DJ Chark, Odell Beckham, and Chase Claypool: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact
Free agency was a whirlwind this year with players signing right and left. The running back market in particular was especially active as players like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Austin Ekeler (among many others) all found new homes. The receiver market wasn’t quite as heavy as many teams likely waited for the 2024 NFL Draft to fill their rosters. And that they did, with a whopping 35 taken over the span of three days. Even after all that action, teams that missed out were looking to round out their rosters and we saw a flurry of activity to end the week. DJ Chark signed a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, Odell Beckham, Jr. signed with the Miami Dolphins and Chase Claypool inked a deal with the Buffalo Bills. While all of those players have seen a significant drop in production over the span of the last few years, each signing does have some implications in dynasty leagues. Let’s take a look at each of these deals and the players whose values have been affected.
Odell Beckham, WR MIA
One of the most dynamic players the league has ever seen, Beckham’s career has been defined by acrobatic plays, unbelievable stretches of production, and a whole host of injuries that have derailed him over a great part of his playing days. Overall, Beckham has 566 catches for 7,932 yards, and 59 touchdowns in his nine seasons played for the Giants, Browns, Rams and Ravens. Last year brought a lot of promise in Baltimore but Beckham just never really got going, posting just 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, looking fairly pedestrian in the process.
The move to Miami is a relatively exciting one from a fantasy perspective. Beckham will join Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to potentially create one of the most talented wide receiver trios of all time. Now another year removed from his ACL tear in the Super Bowl when he was with the Rams, OBJ should go into training camp as healthy as he has been in years. Unfortunately, he’s going to be no better than third on the target list behind Hill and Waddle this upcoming season, making his production likely pretty up and down. In the end, his ADP should stop falling (he’s currently way down between 225 and 250) but expecting vintage OBJ is likely going to get you burned. He’s still roster worthy as he’s a Hill or Waddle injury away from real relevance again but he’s also likely going to be a bit of a roster clogger in the meantime until we start to see some glimpses of his vintage former self (if we ever do). In short, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Other Miami Receivers
The addition of OBJ really shouldn’t affect Hill or Waddle much, quite honestly. The player it likely affects the most is rookie Malik Washington, who was a popular sleeper in dynasty circles after being drafted by Miami in the sixth round. With Hill, Waddle and OBJ taking up the top three wide receiver spots, it’s hard to see much production coming for a veteran like Braxton Berrios, no less a rookie like Washington. He’s going to remain a decent dart throw late in a rookie draft but the chances of him emerging in his rookie season just took a pretty big hit.
Chase Claypool, WR BUF
After a 62/873/9 rookie season in 2020, Claypool looked like the next big thing in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, his play dropped off precipitously since as he’s scored just four times since in his subsequent seasons with the Steelers, Bears and Dolphins. Still amazingly just 25, he should get a decent chance for a career comeback by joining forces with Josh Allen and the Bills. However, he’s on a one-year contract and is guaranteed nothing going into training camp. While we know there’s a good player to be found in there somewhere, we also haven’t seen much from him in a long, long time. The fact he’s going to a team with an unsettled depth chart and elite-level quarterback should put him back on the map but he’s going to remain a fringe dynasty roster option at the moment until we see something productive from him again.
Other Buffalo Receivers
This is honestly one of the most unsettled depth charts in the league. Curtis Samuel has established himself as a pretty good weapon over the years and Khalil Shakir looks like he’s ready for a new role. The key to this group is clearly Keon Coleman, who is in line for a huge role as a rookie, perhaps even as Buffalo’s WR1. If you’re in a league where someone believes the signing of Claypool somehow affects that sentiment, I’d take advantage of it.
DJ Chark, WR LAC
Much like Claypool, Chark was once a very highly regarded receiver after he posted a 73/1,008/8 season for the Jaguars in his Sophomore campaign back in 2019. Also, much like Claypool, Chark just hasn;t done much since, posting fewer than 2,000 yards over the next four seasons with time in Jacksonville, Detroit, and Carolina. The 15 touchdowns he’s scored have kept him on the dynasty map but just barely. However, the landing spot with the Chargers could put him back on the radar. The depth chart for the Chargers currently consists of Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and rookie Ladd McConkey, who all have a lot to prove in the league. Of the three receivers who signed last week, Chark could honestly have the best season if he can establish a good rapport with Justin Herbert. Chark was likely dropped in a lot of leagues over the past couple of seasons but this should make him roster worthy again as we see just how targets get distributed in Los Angeles moving forward,
Other Chargers receivers
As mentioned, this depth chart is pretty unsettled. It’s also pretty amazing that McConkey has already passed Johnston (a first round rookie pick last year) as the highest valued asset of the group. The fact is, we have no idea just what’s going to happen with this group and each of them is going to have a runway to solid production moving forward.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
