Dynasty Trending Observations: Jerry Jeudy, Garrett Wilson, and Brock Bowers
We’re inching closer to playoff time and social media is ablaze with fantasy developments. Below are just a few of them for you to monitor for this season or next.
Between Brock and a Hard Place
Brock Bowers is really in a tier of his own man
Here’s his 17 Game Pace:
➖119 Receptions
➖1,252 Yards
➖6 TD’sThe most receptions by a rookie TE?
Sam LaPorta: 86
The most receptions by a TE?
Zach Ertz: 116
We thought LaPorta was unreal last year
Bowers is generational pic.twitter.com/jk0OjQoJUk
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) November 30, 2024
Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers has been filling the stat sheet all season but Week 13 might have been his best. He caught 10 passes for a career-high 140 yards and a touchdown on Black Friday which most of the country could watch, albeit in a losing effort. Bowers has been one of the few bright spots for the Las Vegas Raiders who are now 2-10 and in line to draft a quarterback with a very high pick in 2025.
The fact Bowers has been so good in a season that has been so bad for the Raiders can be confusing. Is he padding his stats because the Raiders are behind a lot? Maybe, but don’t forget that record-setters Sam LaPorta and Puka Nacua, who set the rookie receptions record for tight end and receiver respectively, did so while making the playoffs last season and not just playing behind all the time. No, Bowers is just the top target on a pass-heavy team and is not shying away from the responsibility. Bowers’ 113 targets are 27 more than the second-most on the team (Jakobi Myers) and 56 more than the third-most (Tre Tucker). 43 of Bowers’ receptions have led to first downs, also good for most on the team.
Of course, being the best pass catcher on a team like the Raiders this season isn’t saying a lot. Is Bowers, in fact, the best tight end in fantasy and dynasty leagues?
Dynasty Impact: Despite Bowers’ impressive rookie season, remember that Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had one last year. LaPorta finished as the top fantasy tight end but his production has fallen off a cliff this season and is barely a top-10 fantasy tight end.
Bowers may be different for a few reasons. His draft capital as a top-13 pick is dozens of picks higher than LaPorta. Bowers also doesn’t have to fend off as many talented pass catchers (for now) as LaPorta does. Surely the Raiders will add to the receiving room in the off-season (along with a quarterback) but Bowers will still be at the top of the pecking order with his pass-catching ability. Then there’s his age.
Bowers is a whole two years younger than the next tight end when it comes to the top five dynasty assets, which happens to be LaPorta. And yet he’s setting all these records. You can safely put Bowers at the top of your dynasty tight ends rankings for this year and beyond.
Stranger Than Wilson
3rd straight year of wondering what could've been if Garrett Wilson had a real QB pic.twitter.com/JKFDzZJKyQ
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) December 1, 2024
The post above says it all. Jets receiver Garrett Wilson has shown flashes at various points of his brief, three-year career of being an elite fantasy and real-life receiver. As a rookie, he managed 1,100 receiving yards and four touchdowns despite having the triumvirate of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco. So when the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers before the 2023 season, hopes were high but then dashed in Week One when Rodgers went down with an injury. But surely, 2024 would be the year that Wilson would ascend from good to great. But he hasn’t. He’s averaging about 60-something receiving yards per game; his 10.5 YPC is a full yard below his career average; and now he’s taking a back seat to old Rodgers friend Davante Adams.
A Pro Bowl appearance, or two, was in the cards after that impressive rookie season but he’ll have none and the Jets will have to make a decision soon on even extending his contract. What should his dynasty managers do?
Dynasty Manager: There are undoubtedly dynasty managers out there who paid a fortune for Wilson after that rookie season. Whatever the price, they won’t be able to recoup those costs anytime soon as Wilson has shown no signs of a truly elite receiver. Plus, the market has a ton of options when it comes to receivers with potential which just means more supply and less demand.
The silver lining is his ADP has started to come down.
No longer is he a bona fide WR1 but rather on the WR2 line. That may be a little rich but it’s still much closer to what he is. Before this season, he never finished in the top 10 in fantasy scoring. And he’s technically there this season but no one expects that to last with Adams now there and Rodgers fading fast. The Jets will have, yet another quarterback next season which means we’ll continue to be in wait-and-see mode when it comes to Wilson becoming a WR1.
Call of Jeudy
Despite the loss, Jerry Jeudy put up a historic performance on Monday Night Football 👏
His 235 receiving yards are the most for an NFL player against his former team. pic.twitter.com/qtRPa2gLFQ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 3, 2024
Don’t look now but Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy has been a top-three fantasy receiver since Week Eight. Of course, his explosion on national TV in Week 13 helped but even before then, Jeudy had tallied at least 70 receiving yards in each of the previous four weeks as his rapport with quarterback Jameis Winston is approaching fantasy league-winner status.
To say Jeudy’s career up to this point has been a disappointment would be an understatement. Before this season, he’s finished inside the top 40 in fantasy scoring just once in his career and has yet to top 1,000 receiving yards.
So is this a fluke or has Jeudy finally figured it out? His dynasty managers will have to answer that question this off-season.
Dynasty Impact: Jeudy’s dynasty value will surely grow, even if he doesn’t keep up his torrid pace down the stretch. The Browns appeared to unlock the key to Jeudy’s success and will have him in a Browns uniform for at least two more seasons thanks to an extension he signed after being traded. Currently, the dynasty value for Jeudy stands at an early third, according to our DLF Trade Analyzer.
Be cautious about Jeudy’s prospects. His connection with Winston is undeniable, but it’s not a given that Winston will stick around next year. If that’s the case, then Cleveland must decide between DeShaun Watson or an as-of-yet-unknown player through the draft or free agency. Don’t pay WR1 prices for Jeudy next season but WR2 prices, especially at this rate, would be better.
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