Dynasty Player News

Releasing Anderson will save the Broncos $4.5 million against the salary cap. They'll presumably move forward with a combination of Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson at running back. However, savvy dynasty owners won't lift a finger until the draft rolls around and we see what other plans Denver may have for the position. It's unlikely Saquon Barkely will be available for them but it's a possibility. As for Anderson, he shouldn't have a hard time finding work after performing fairly admirably for Denver over the past five years. Unfortunately, he may need to wait until after the draft comes and goes to find a new home.

The writing was on the wall and there's little shock in the news other than Bryant has been a member of the Cowboys from 2010 as a rookie. The lack of surprise comes in the fact that Bryant hasn't surpassed 1,000 yards since his 1,320 yards and, career-best, 16 touchdowns in 2014 and is a shadow of the player he once was. The Cowboys clear $8.5M in cap space in the move and now look poised to select a receiver in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft. It's a downgrade for Dak Prescott as well though he and Bryant never appeared to have a great connection.

Him and everyone else. Callaway didn't log a play in 2017 and has a long list of transgressions including rumor of new 'flags' yet to be reported. Still, with "explosive" ability and 4.41 speed, some team will call his name before day three is in the books. Some scouts have sworn that he can't be drafted and will be too much of a headache but expect to hear his name in round four or five as talent vs. trouble eventually becomes too much for one head coach to bear. Callaway will be on a short leash in the NFL but talent always provides enough intrigue to provide a couple more strikes. On DLF's Dynasty Rookie receiver rankings, Antonio Callaway is an embattled WR10. In rookie drafts, add him to your round-three prospect list if you are a competitive team looking to knock it out of the part with a high-risk, high reward, selection

Reuter compares Miller to Seattle's Doug Baldwin due to his ability to put on a show with the ball in his hands after the catch. Reuter believes Miller will be a late-second or third-round selection due to the 'buzz' heard during the off-season. Miller carries similar size to the aforementioned Baldwin and Antonio Brown but receivers of this size must capitalize on a good drafted situation with solid quarterback play, rather than possessing dominant size. At the Memphis Pro Day, Miller jumped 39" in the vertical and ran between a 4.46 and 4.52 in the 40 before his day ended early due to cramps. On DLF's Dynasty Rookie receiver rankings, Miller can be found as the WR10. It will be safe to upgrade him should he fall to a drafted situation with a noteworthy quarterback. Keep an eye on Green Bay and Pittsburgh, two teams with a long history of rookie receiver success.

Inconsistency and hands are of concern for the overrated prospect if you listen to Reuter and there would seem to be some fire below the smoke. Gesicki was a quick riser at the tight end position to end the season and carried that momentum into the NFL Combine where he jumped out of the building with a 41.5" vertical and a 129" broad jump. With a 4.54 official 40 time, there is no questioning his athleticism. Reuter believes that Gesicki has fallen out of first-round contention and will fall to the late second round at the earliest. It stands to reason with Hayden Hurst and Dallas Goedert picking up positive momentum as we close in on the NFL Draft. On DLF's Dynasty Rookie rankings, Gesicki is the TE2. Rookie tight ends have a notoriously long integration time into the NFL and raw prospects such as Gesicki often never make the transition.

Should Johnson be drafted in the second round, it would still be quite a leap from initial prospects. Jeremiah has been "on" Johnson from last November when he tweeted out his love based upon Johnson's instincts and patience as a runner. At 6'0/212 lbs. Johnson carries the size to be an every down back if he's able to win such a role. Johnson did display athleticism during the NFL Combine where he turned in a 40" vertical jump and a 126" broad jump. At Auburn's Pro Day, he clocked an unofficial 4.54 40 while some attendees had him in the 4.4s. Either time is fast enough to provide for an increase in value based on other skills. Game tape shows a runner with an NFL skill-set possessing a fine level of patience and burst while, on the negative side, he shows relatively stiff hips and a tendency to run very high. On DLF's Dynasty Rookie running back rankings, Johnson is found as the RB7 after Ronald Jones and before Royce Freeman. In dynasty rookie drafts, look to pick Johnson up early in the second round for a fantastic value-based upside selection. Due to rising value, you may see him selected late in the first round.

Burfict, who was suspended for the first three games to begin the 2017 season, will sit this time due to a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. In 2016, Burfict sat three games to start the season for player-safety violations. Despite six missed games in 2017, Burfict still managed to be the LB69 in some IDP scoring systems and a full year of performance could yield top-10 status. That said, Burfict hasn't logged a full 16 games since his sophomore season (2013) in the NFL. Still only 27 years old, there's still plenty of time for Vontaze Burfict to recover his career and be a consistent impact player. On DLF's Dynasty IDP Linebacker rankings, Burfict is found as the LB24.

It's now fully possible, likely even, that six rookie quarterbacks will be selected, quite possibly before pick 20 in the NFL Draft. Jackson has been the primary benefactor of pre-draft hype and has quickly risen to DLF's second ranked rookie quarterback behind only Josh Rosen. The 2018 field continues to hold no single marquee name but multiple names that carry a good level of intrigue. With a large number of quarterback-needy teams picking highly, the rookies hurlers are expected to fly off the board. In dynasty rookie drafts, aside from 2QB leagues, quarterbacks usually fall to the mid-second round and this seems to be the in the cards again in 2018. Expect more than one of the top names to fall in the fantasy third round.

Wow. The contract makes Landry the fifth highest paid receiver in the NFL and includes a whopping $47 million guaranteed. That's a ton of money to pay for a chain mover and volume dependent pass catcher. Still, no receiver in NFL history can match the number of catches Landry has amassed at the beginning of his career and he should be a great safety net for the next quarterback to take the helm of the Browns. Landry should be treated as a low-end WR1 in PPR leagues but there is risk here as he now finds himself in an environment with an unproven quarterback and brand new offense.

The Bears were apparently concerned about having two well-paid receivers coming off ACL tears after signing Allen Robinson early on in free agency. Meredith will slide right in with Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn to conceivably form one of the best receiving trios in football. There is still obvious concern over his post-inury comeback but Meredith should do just fine with New Orleans and Drew Brees. While he won't be a roster lock each week, Meredith should score within the range from a nice flex player all the way up to a low-end WR2.

That time is plenty fast enough given his game film while also noting that Jones reports his hamstring is only 85% but that he wanted to run for the scouts. He also weighed in at 208 pounds which will help his draft stock. Jones' game film shows a dynamic play-maker with the ball in his hands but his size left many to believe he's more of a 'tweener' back in the NFL. At 208 lbs., he'll now shed a good amount of that concern as he's certain to add additional strength at the next level. Jones pulled up lame during his first 40 attempt at the NFL Combine so it's good to see him participate in drills at USC's Pro Day. He'll begin moving up the rookie board now with blue sky from now until the NFL Draft. In DLF's Rookie running back rankings, Jones is found as the RB5 and the R5 overall on DLF's Top 50 Rookie rankings list.

The "restricted" status gives the Bears five days to match the offer or they'll lose him to New Orleans. The Bears should have plenty of remaining cap room to retain Meredith, who is projected to be the WR2 behind the recently signed Allen Robinson who is also returning from a torn ACL. For dynasty purposes, a pairing with Drew Brees would likely rally Meredith's stock over that of a rebuilding Chicago club. That said, unless the Bears have other designs, they can ill-afford to lose Meredith with little below on the depth chart. Both Meredith and Robinson carry post-ACL injury flags but should be ready to go for the 2018 campaign. In DLF's Dynasty receiver rankings, Meredith is found as the WR56 and his ADP (130) should be on the upswing as a returning risk-reward play. Still only 25 years of age, there's plenty of time left for Meredith to make an impact.

There's been no indication that Bryant is willing to take a pay-cut to stay with the Cowboys nor are we expecting one as the front office continues to express disappointment in Bryant's performance, most recently suggesting he's not working hard enough to retool his game to match his age. Still only 29 years of age, there's every reason to believe Bryant could still perform as a WR2, though he's struggled to find consistency with quarterback Dak Prescott. Frustrated dynasty owners may be looking to move on from the embattled receiver and his acquisition price has never been lower, perhaps providing for an intriguing risk-reward play. In DLF"s Dynasty receiver rankings, Bryant sits as the WR26 and his ADP (56) is just off a career low. Bryant's future is brighter without the star on his helmet and it's best to acquire him just before he is released and his new team is known. If you are currently holding Bryant, continue hold for a good offer or wait until the situation plays out to fully understand his potential for 2018 and beyond.

It's a one year deal for Matthews who will look to get his career back on track following two injury plagued seasons. Matthews, drafted in 2014, put together back to back eight-touchdown seasons and nearly (997) surpassed 1,000 yards in 2015 and was riding high heading into the 2016 season. What followed was two years of declining performance, drops and injury resulting in Matthews nearly falling completely off the dynasty radar. Following knee and ankle surgeries in December 2017, Matthews is said to be healthy and will have a year of receiving passes from Tom Brady to prove it. In Dynasty, Matthews couldn't have landed in a better situation as the Patriots could well use his size both inside in the slot or on the outside. On DLF's Dynasty receiver rankings, Matthews is found as the WR58 and his current ADP (159) is at a career low. Add Matthews as an upside WR5+ for the potential he possesses at still only 25 years of age.

It's a somewhat shocking move on the surface following the acquisition of Cooks in 2017. Looking deeper, however, it speaks more to the Patriots' potential difficulty in signing Cooks in 2019. The trade now finds New England with two first round selections, 23 & 31. Some may wonder whether possessing two first round selections puts them in the running for an acquisition of Odell Beckham but such a move flies in the face of everything the Patriots are and are not. While not out of the realm of possibility, the Patriots are always the last team to acquire high-priced talent. Combine that high-price with an enigmatic and brooding personality and Beckham in New England isn't a scenario we'd put money on. In L.A., Cooks will fill the vacancy left by Sammy Watkins and will join Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods atop the depth chart. Coming off his third 1,000 yard season, Cooks appears as the WR11 in DLF's Dynasty receiver rankings and his ADP (24) will likely be pressured in the months prior to kick-off of the 2018 season.

It's far from headline news but Brice Butler has shown signs of being a capable receiver on occasion with stints in Oakland and Dallas. With great size (6'3/220) and still only 28 years of age, there's plenty of upside here as a Cardinal if Butler can find a role on a depth chart needing production. John Brown has moved on as has Jaron Brown and Larry Fitzgerald will be 35 when the 2018 season kicks off. Butler has only eclipsed 300 yards receiving once (2017) and has caught three touchdowns each of his last two years. Again, it's not a marquee signing here but it's a situation to monitor as we get into training camp. Brice Butler isn't listed on DLF's Dynasty receiver rankings at this time.

The 2017 NFL first-round selection speedster is healthy and has received full support from Marvin Lewis. By Lewis' account, nothing has changed from when they made the selection last year. Ross never got it together in 2017 and only received a single touch, ending in a fumble. But 2018 is a new year and you can't give up on a first round selection in a player's sophomore year. Ross seemingly has a role in the Bengals' offense which could produce results if he can establish himself in camp. He'll have plenty of runway ahead of him should he maintain a starting role as the slot-receiver, a role which could provide great sleeper value come draft day. In DLF's Dynasty receiver rankings, Ross currently sits a the WR52 and his ADP (146) is at a low. Keep Ross on your sleeper list and consider him in the later rounds of start-up drafts or as a throw-in player for acquisition in trades.

McKinnon is the obvious starter and sophomore runner Matt Breida has shown enough to retain the RB2 role, leaving Williams as a distant third on the depth chart. Before being placed on IR in training camp last year with a minor ankle injury, the rookie Williams didn't flash and was underwhelming. Coach Shanahan has spoken with Williams in an attempt to get him to increase his "urgency" which was met with acknowledgement from the player. Williams has ideal size and lower body strength for the position but questions about his commitment remain. After being a sound third round rookie selection in dynasty rookie drafts last year, Williams is now flirting with the waiver wire and is a late round stash on deeper rosters. On DLF's Dynasty running back rankings, Williams is the RB73 and his ADP (229) is at a career (albeit short) low.

Kessler replaces Chad Henne, who signed with Kansas City earlier this off-season. For his career, Kessler has posted 1,506 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in two seasons with the Browns. He is very much a game managing type of quarterback and that's likely inflated his 64% career completion percentage. However, his name is one to put away as the Jaguars have yet to see long-term consistent excellence from Blake Bortles so far in his career. Kessler certainly doesn't warrant a waiver pickup at the moment but should be someone on your radar should Bortles struggle early on in the season.

Oh boy. It really isn't really the off-season without some hot OBJ talk and this certainly qualifies. A disturbing video surfaced last week and that's been followed now by the Giants saying he's not "untouchable" in trade talks and this declaration by Beckham, himself. It's curious timing by Beckham but that's really never stopped him before. This story is bound to have a few more chapters in it before it's over and it looks like we may be headed for a serious standoff. The Giants may simply determine OBJ isn't worth the headaches he causes and trades him sometime before or during the NFL Draft, He remains a hold in dynasty leagues moving forward but the risk associated with having him simply continues to grow.