Dynasty Player News

The article doesn't specifically mention that he's certain to take over the role but, instead, that he's working hard and giving Miller competition for slot duties. Miller is entering his third year and hasn't played more than 11 games in two previous seasons. He should definitely be feeling the heat should Coutee show any dynamic. Miller, himself, has also earned praise this off-season for his attitude and level of competition. The two players look nothing alike with Coutee appearing as the more prototypical small-slot receiver at 5'10/180 lbs. while Miller checks in at 6'2/215 lbs. Keep an eye on this battle into the pre-season. Coutee appears as DLF's WR87 while Miller is found almost off the list entirely as the WR113.

Falcons' head coach also says that Ridley "came in a little bit ahead of the curve" due to Alabama's pro-style offense which also uses some of the same terminology. Ridley has been praised for his work ethic and his attention to detail in during the short off-season program, traits he's carried over from his collegiate years. Playing across from super-star Julio Jones, Ridley should get his fair share of targets, especially in routes that allow him to come across the field into space to get the ball into his hands and to showcase his run-after-catch ability. All arrow are pointed up for the 2018 first-round rookie. Ridley is found as DLF's WR31 and the WR3 among his fellow rookie receivers.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Hurns is the new top target in the Cowboys' passing attack given the departure of Dez Bryant. Fellow veteran Terrance Williams has never shown the ability to be a WR1 and few other options exist on the depth chart outside of rookie receiver Michael Gallup, who can't be expected to perform at a high level in his first year. Hurns hasn't logged a full season of games since his rookie season in 2014 and he has only one 1,000 yard season to his credit, in his sophomore year (2015). In his previous two campaigns, Hurns hasn't eclipsed 500 receiving yards nor 40 receptions. When healthy, he looks the part of an upside WR2 but until he proves he can remain on the field, Allen Hurns will continue to be an intriguing risk-on play at best. On DLF's receiver rankings, you can find Hurns as the WR70. He's best selected after a full complement of starting receivers has been assembled and you are searching for bye-week upside.

It's the last thing fantasy owners want to hear, especially from such a prolific offense as the Green Bay Packers. But, McCarthy also left the possibility for one of the backs to step up as a "full-time" guy. What this all boils down to is confidence in all three runners: Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery. All three backs battled injury in 2018 and all three have some level of three-down ability so it's anyone's guess as to which back is best to own. In 2017. usage of Montgomery did fade into week 10 when he last saw the field and the Packers seem to favor him more as a receiver. Jones, too, struggled with injury and lost work to Williams who largely worked as the bell-cow beginning in week 10. You spin the wheel, you take your chances. DLF's rankings for Jones, Williams and Montgomery are RB28, RB41 and RB44 respectively. A handcuff of Jones and Williams makes the most sense for dynasty leaguers.

Samuels can play four different positions if needed: Running Back, Wide Receiver, Full Back or Tight End. It's just that versatility that led Mike Tomlin to select him in the fifth round. In his own words, Samuels believes he has a nose for the end zone and, with 28 rushing career touchdowns at NC State, it's hard to argue with him. In his college career, he actually received more touches in the passing game (201) than he did rushing (182). At 6'/225 lbs., Samuels has hybrid size and it will be up to the Steelers to figure out how to use his skill-set. In dynasty, Swiss army knife players often struggle to find material fantasy production but Bell's contract status, he will be a free agent in 2019, changes the narrative enough to provide some real intrigue to the Samuels forward-looking value. As DLF's RB81, Samuels is a sneaky acquisition prior to more news emerging about his usage but should only be considered for teams with roster space to spare and is not suited for a risk-averse coach.

The article goes on to say that the Colts are going to put a lot on Ebron's plate but they fully believe he's up to the challenge. Fantasy owners should be immediately thinking "What about Jack Doyle?" Doyle reeled in 80 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns in 2017 and finished as the TE7 in PPR leagues. That's no small feat for a player who was largely ignored until mid-way through the 2016 season. How the Colts plan to use Ebron is very much up in the air and Lions' fans know all to well about the tight end's promise before the season starts, only to be disappointed by his ultimate production. Now with Ebron in town, it seems likely both Doyle and Ebron will be negatively impacted by the signing. Eric Ebron is found as the TE14 on DLF's tight end rankings while Jack Doyle currently sits as the TE17. It's a situation to steer clear of if at all possible, allowing another coach to flip the coin as to which player to own in 2018.

He's also reported to have struggled with "contested catches" but the Bengals are doing what they can to feature him in routes designed to create space for the speedster. Ross' lone touch of 2017 came on a rushing attempt, ending with a fumble. He's struggled physically and mentally in returning from his 2017 injury, but he's working on his confidence and is trending up. Ross is currently the WR76 on DLF's receiver rankings, showing that he's off the radar. With an ADP of 134, he can be had in the 11th round and presents a fantastic risk-reward play for a creative coach with an already-established receiving corps. The Bengals haven't proven they can yet use a slot-specialist to the best of his abilities, but Ross has the dynamic to be a productive sleeper in 2018.

With big shoes to fill following the departure of Dez Bryant, any positive news for the 2018 third round selection is welcome. This bit of news comes from a "mailbag" article and lacks any substance, but the author does mention Gallup finding ways to "generate space" and he has "been reliable catching the ball". The Colorado St. propsect was a fast-riser in fantasy circles into the NFL Draft and he's found his way into the back end of some 12-team rookie drafts. It's a tall order for the 6'1/205 lb. rookie but Gallup possesses the size and dynamic, when combined with a long runway for production, to be an intriguing risk-reward selection, especially near the top of the second round of rookie drafts. On DLF's overall receiver rankings, Gallup sits as the WR44 and the WR5 on the rookie receiver rankings. His rising ADP (90) suggests high expectations near the seventh round in new start-up drafts. His value is elevated due to the expectation of Gallup being a starter from day-one.

It's no surprise as Mayfield, like most all rookie quarterbacks, would be best served by holding a clipboard for the first year until the game slows down for him. The Browns should be in no hurry to reproduce past failures as they look to secure a new face of the franchise. Taylor, acquired by the Browns in exchanged for the 65th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, brings veteran leadership and mobility to the position and should provide a spark to the recently retooled offense. Soon to be 29, Taylor will have a year to prove his worth but all expectations find the Browns handing the reins to the first overall selection (Mayfield) in the 2018 NFL Draft no later than 2019 and, in all likelihood, at any point the Browns fall from playoff contention. Tyrod Taylor is listed as DLF's QB27 while Baker Mayfield is found as the QB18. Taylor can be used as a QB3 and, perhaps, a QB2 for coaches willing to address the position via other means beyond 2018.

In the "5 takeaways" article, Giants.com reporter John Schmeelk said: "Barkley dropped only one or two passes throughout all of spring practice and ran every route you want a running back to run. He caught passes in the flat, over the middle on circle routes, and deep down the field on wheel routes. Linebackers have absolutely no shot of covering him. We’ve also seen a lot of empty sets from the Giants offense, with Barkley (and other running backs) split out wide." It's just another indication of the special talent that Barkley is. He's the complete package of raw power, agility, speed, intelligence wrapped into a humble, hard-working, package. While he's the easy choice as the top rookie off the board in rookie drafts, Barkley is also currently RB2 overall on DLF's running back rankings and his ADP (6), believe it or not, is still climbing. Barkley is a generational talent who is good enough to be selected highly as a cornerstone piece even without having played a snap yet in the NFL.

It's a story well understood for dynasty leaguers as Isaiah Crowell was traded to the Jets, Hyde came to town and the Browns followed up with a second-round selection of rookie runner Nick Chubb in the 2018 NFL Draft. We'll have to wait for the end of training camp to find out how this situations plays out the only certain role is that of Duke Johnson, who has a very disparate skill set to that of Hyde and Chubb. The Browns moved Johnson around the formation and will again, meaning that one of the other two will be on the outside looking in, at least in 2018. It would be a surprise if the established veteran, Hyde, were to see Chubb start ahead of him, but Chubb is an accomplished runner and looked fantastic to end his career in Georgia. Hyde, for his part, has always flashed ability but never achieved the consistency to be an RB1 in fantasy. It's a situation sure to dog the values of all involved until more clarity is found. Unsurprisingly, Nick Chubb is found as DLF's RB15 due to youth while Carlos Hyde sits as the RB31. Duke Johnson is not far behind at RB34, especially valuable in PPR formats.

It's far too soon for that prediction to be made but it is noteworthy. Kirk has had a "solid" camp and is competing for the role with J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams and Brice Butler. The Cardinals also signed Greg Little most recently though it's hard to project him sticking on the roster. With Larry Fitzgerald fully expected to retire following this season, the Cardinals badly need the young receivers to step up and Kirk was drafted to do just that. Kirk is found as DLF's WR32 and his ADP (67) shows that he's not flying under the radar.

While there has been no official word as of this update, another failed test would likely result in a suspension of no less than a year after missing all of 2016 due to repeated violations. It would be a significant blow to Bryant's fantasy stock following his trade to the Oakland Raiders. Still only 26, and with an ultra-high ceiling and game-changing receiving ability, we hope this isn't the case but won't be shocked when the official news finally does break. Bryant tallied 603 yards and three touchdowns in part-time duty with the Steelers in 2017 following their selection of rookie JuJu Smitch-Schuster. Drama ensued and the Steelers elected to move on trading him to the Raiders for a 2018 third-round selecton. Clearly, Bryant's past and mediocre production has effected his draft stock as he appears as DLF's WR52 while hs ADP (103) has been in a slow slide following a resurgence in 2017.

McGuire is expected to be the third-down back which is noteworthy. Mitchell's full quote was: “Eli looks fantastic to be perfectly honest. I’ll tell you who I see Eli as — and he’s in the Hall of Fame. Eli has the skill set to be a LaDainian Tomlinson if he was given that opportunity. That’s not what presents itself to him at this particular point in time. But skill set, he can do it all. He can catch. He can run. He can run routes as a receiver." McGuire looks like he's added muscle in the off-season and with Bilal Powell still on the roster and, newcomer, Isaiah Crowell now in town, there will be competition for the role, but in the NFL, anything is possible. In his rookie year, McGuire ran for 315 yards on 88 carries (3.6 ypc.) with a single touchdown and also tallied 17 receptions with another touchdown. As DLF's RB68, there looks to be upside present while all eyes remain on Powell and Crowell. Still only 24 years of age, he's worth acquiring now on the cheap.

We mentioned Bourne recently in that he and Jimmy Garoppolo have been hooking up consistently in camp. The 49ers have arguably one of the weakest receiver groups in the NFL and the 2017 undrafted free agent Bourne showed well to end the year. He's continued that momentum in camp while still being an unknown in fantasy. There's no reason to rush out and add Bourne unless you have an open roster spot but an unknown player who consistently receives positive press in camp from a weak roster is always a deep sleeper target. He's a way-off-the-radar receiver appearing as DLF's WR107.

The Chargers working Williams back in slowly and not allowing him to do too much but Williams is focused and aggressively working on his route running. The second-year player had a forgettable rookie season but wasn't healthy all year due to a back ailment. Now, fully healthy and getting up to speed, he's finding himself all over the formation and being used in multiple receiving roles. As the seventh overall selection in the 2017 NFL Rookie Draft, the 6'4 220 lb. receiver has a lot to prove and seems poised to do just that. His lost season has dropped his stock value materially and Williams is found as DLF's WR34 while his ADP (84) rests at a career low. But at only 23 years of age, there's plenty of runway for the sophomore player and his value has never been better. He's an intriguing buy-low prospect for a rebuilding dynasty team.

It's early in camp and any number of events could be a catalyst for the fifth round selection to receive first-team snaps, but it's good news regardless for a rookie in a somewhat unsettled backfield. Fellow rookie Nyheim Hines projects as a special teams return specialist while sophomore runner Marlon Mack should present the most three-down ability though will likely split duties with veteran Robert Turbin. At 6'1/216 lbs., WIlkins carries intriguing size on a depth chart lacking it, but as a somewhat single-dimensional fifth round rookie, it's tough to project material carries in 2018. In his favor, the path to meaningful snaps would seem to be a short one which could provide a valuable opportunity early in his career, which is a best-case scenario for dynasty owners willing to take the plunge with a late-round pick. Wilkins is DLF's RB85 and he's well-below the radar, meaning he could be an intriguing training camp addition in deeper leagues.

Whether this is typical Jon Gruden hyperbole or a noteworthy comment for dynasty owners to take note of will be seen in time. What we know of Cook is that he's, at best, a 600 yard tight end with minimal touchdown production with little upside from those numbers. That all said, should the 31-year-old Cook command a large number of snaps in the offense, he could be a sleeper at the position given other receiving options. As DLF's TE31, little is expected of the underwhelming Cook and he remains a desperation or bye-week fill-in play until he proves otherwise.

It's good news for Ajayi owners after he was traded away from Miami in 2017. Hopes were dashed following the trade as Ajayi became a low-carry rotational option for the Eagles on his way to 873 yards and one rushing touchdown, his only two 100 yards games coming as a member of the Dolphins. Of course, Darren Sproles is returning, second year runner Corey Clement has looked solid while Wendell Smallwood is still lurking about. On the positive side, LeGarrette Blount took his talents to Detroit and Ajayi's 4.2 ypc. season average, 5.8 in his final seven regular season games, begs to be fed early and often. It would certainly seem that Ajayi is in prime position to score well as an upside RB3 for dynasty owners. On DLF's running back rankings, you'll find Ajayi as the RB22 with his ADP (68) fading slightly. At only 24 years of age, there may be enough fire below the smoke here to acquire Ajayi if he can be had at a reasonable cost.

Williams came out strong in the pre-season, rushing for 130 yards and 5.2 yards per carry. He then suffered a minor foot injury and was shut down for the season, mostly due to lack of consistency, fumbling issues and being outplayed by fellow rookie Matt Breida. It appears as though the light is on for Williams and he's making the most of his opportunities to stick on a roster that may not have the flexibility to carry him as a fourth back in the rotation. Williams has great NFL size and an NFL skill-set but Shanahan has gone out of his way to mention ball control concerns on numerous occasions. Williams would do well to ensure that phrase is left in his rookie year. As DLF's RB86, he's flirting with being unranked entirely and he'll struggle to move up unless he can beat out Breida for the RB2 honors behind off-season acquisition Jerick McKinnon. Williams is a deep roster add at best but is still only 24 years of age.