“I, am number one, no matter if you like it,
Here take it sit down and write it,
I am number one,
Hey hey hey hey.
Now let me ask you man,
What does it take to be number one?
Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.
What does it take to be number one?
Hey hey hey hey.”
- Nelly (#1)
Ted Lasso once spoke of the virtues of being a goldfish, utilizing a 10-second memory for when things go poorly, or perhaps even when things go phenomenally well so that you don’t get too big a head. When it comes to your fantasy rosters, I’ll modify the phrase just a bit. Be a Chief.
If you’re wondering why I led with Nelly’s decades-old but nevertheless poignant lyrics, it’s to pay homage to the NFL’s only unbeaten team, and the team that just keeps managing to climb to the mountaintop. It isn’t always pretty – last year the defense led the way, with all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes doing enough when it mattered. This year was supposed to be an offensive resurgence, but injuries to Isiah Pacheco, Hollywood Brown, and Rashee Rice have robbed the team of a litany of talent.
As for Mahomes? He has one game over 300 passing yards and incredibly has more interceptions than touchdowns. But he makes the plays he has to, and the coaching staff led by Andy Reid put the players in the best position to succeed.
I mention this because wins might be gritty, not pretty. That’s okay. Whether it’s injuries or bye weeks, just keep finding ways to get it done. And if you’re a reader of this weekly column, I’ll do my best in this space to highlight some moves to hopefully help you get there.
Disclaimer! As you’re well aware by the fact you’ve come to a website entitled dynastyleaguefootball.com, we’re still taking a long view into account in addition to each player’s weekly (and year-to-date) output. Guidance will continue to take into account a player’s current stature in tools such as DLF’s ADP and rankings, in addition to how he’s performed.
One last note, as I’m referencing DLF ADP and rankings, advice herein is for a 12-team, non-superflex setting with full PPR scoring. Divergent league settings (both for starting positions and scoring) hopefully shouldn’t render this advice as not actionable, but it’s an important disclaimer nonetheless.
With that preamble in hand, here are the tactical transactions you should consider before week nine:
Week 8 Line: 5-51-1 (8 targets)
After missing over a month of action, Kupp returned to do what he does best – gobble up targets and get into the end zone. While the 51 yards were modest, owners likely won’t complain after receiving 16.1 PPR points for the effort. Given his prolonged absence, it was near a best-case scenario.
Teammate Puka Nacua also returned, sequestering nine targets of his own while churning out a more efficient 106 yards. That’s okay, because the entirety of the Rams' offense is centered around Nacua, Kupp, and running back Kyren Williams. The three combined for 24 of Matthew Stafford’s 34 passing attempts, while Williams gobbled up another 23 carries. This is all to say there is a defined hierarchy, with Kupp as one of the key pillars.
Strongly Contending Teams: The elephant in the room, of course, is Kupp’s 31 years of age and recent checkered injury history. But when he’s playing, he’s one of the best and seems a lock to provide PPR WR1 return. That he could likely be had relatively cheaply as compared to his statistical output should make him a palatable buy for contending teams.
The below shows a couple of young players with theoretical ability to add value to non-contending rosters. I’d have no issue sending these types of guys – ones who have more dynasty value than fantasy value – to lock in a player like Kupp and maximize my chances.
