Tactical Transactions: Dynasty Moves to Make Before Week 11
Fantasy football is a funny, fickle game. To that point, think about all the work we put in year-round – devouring content, formulating strategies, and making the moves to generate what we perceive to be our best possible rosters. More than halfway through the fantasy season, and hopefully, these efforts have large paid dividends.
And then week 10 happens. More specifically, let’s consider the absolute zaniness at the wide receiver position.
No, I’m not talking about Ja'Marr Chase’s 55.4 PPR point eruption – yes, it was a mammoth output, but we know Chase is one of the best receivers in the league, capable of taking a game over at any time. If you faced him this week you have my condolences, but at least you knew the likely outcome following Thursday Night Football. Rather, let’s consider the rest of the WR1 tier, comprised of players including the following:
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR2)
Tylan Wallace (WR5)
John Metchie (WR7)
Alec Pierce (WR8)
Rashod Bateman (WR11)
Ricky Pearsall (WR12)
That’s a sextet of players who, more than likely, were riding fantasy benches this week (though one described in additional detail below piques my interest). But while perhaps they didn’t hurt you, I’m guessing the owners of Zay Flowers were a bit resentful of Wallace and Bateman! Taysom Hill, Tank Dell, Josh Downs, and Deebo Samuel? Also pushed down the fantasy hierarchy in week 10.
Perhaps there will be some signal to the noise, and as such I don’t want to automatically invalidate these results. But I’m also not going to massively shift my prior thinking. Reacting is good, but overreacting can be problematic.
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 11:
Buy (All Teams / Contending Slant)
Terry McLaurin, WR WSH
Week 10 Line: 5-113-0 (6 targets)
Finally, in this the sixth year of his career, we are seeing what always overachieving McLaurin can do with competent quarterback play.
After some early struggles, McLaurin has been a PPR WR2 or better in seven of the past eight weeks (not shown: a PPR WR15 finish in week 10, prior to Monday Night Football), providing a solid floor and reasonable ceiling. During this stretch he’s accomplished this by achieving either 98+ receiving yards or a score each week, showing a versatility in his compilation. Now up to a status as the PPR WR6 on the season, he is making good on a summer ADP that saw him as the WR43 in August.
The downside, of course, is that McLaurin is 29 years old. But he’s clearly passing the eye test, suggesting that he’s not in danger of running out of gas in the near future. Still, this renders him a better buy for contending teams, who can likely get a deal done for a future downstream first round pick.
