Dynasty Trending Observations: Dalton Kincaid, James Cook and Will Levis

The temperature is dropping which means the standings (both real and in fantasy leagues) are tightening. We’re approaching the time when your dynasty team acquires a veteran to make a playoff push or unloads a veteran and starts looking ahead. Below are a few of the bigger developments that will alter those plans one way or the other.

Dalton of Eden

Dalton Kincaid in his last two games:

15 targets
13 receptions
140 yards
1 TD
100.0 rating when targeted pic.twitter.com/JOdCBvd6wE

— PFF (@PFF) October 27, 2023

It only took half the season but Bills first-round pick Dalton Kincaid is showing exactly why Buffalo traded up to take him. The only tight end selected in the first round, Kincaid had yet to top five receptions or 43 yards in any of his first five games and was in a true timeshare with veteran tight end Dawson Knox. But as the post above explains, he’s been on fire the last two weeks while Knox has been sidelined with an injury. Kincaid has been catching nearly everything thrown his way and scored his first touchdown in week eight. Already on the cusp of being a fantasy TE1 in the first half of the 2023 season, he’s set to become a top-five option in the second half and beyond.

Dynasty Impact: In terms of dynasty value, Kincaid was already an elite asset. He was climbing dynasty startup drafts before the actual draft and it’s only climbed higher since.

Despite the disappointment in recent first-round tight ends, being taken that high still means something. Add in that Kincaid landed on an offense that is pass-happy and has an elite (and young) quarterback option, and it would have been difficult for Kincaid to not be fantasy-relevant.

Now the question is how high will it go and is there still time to buy? If you’re in the middle of a playoff push and have him, you’re not moving him. If you’re already out of contention, it’s hard to move him since he’s just a rookie and hasn’t come close to hitting his prime yet. He’s also in a prime position to overtake Travis Kelce as the top dynasty tight end with the latter getting older and (eventually) slowing down. The best advice is to keep Kincaid and make him a cornerstone of your rebuild.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Watching Will Levis celebrate with his family after throwing 4 touchdowns in his first NFL start and winning is so wholesome. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT.

@AmandaGuerraCBS pic.twitter.com/ZkgVWJWgYb

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 29, 2023

Will Levis made quite the debut in week eight. The rookie quarterback was thrown in the deep end and came up swimming, throwing four touchdowns and 238 yards in leading the Titans to a win. The 2023 second-round pick wasn’t supposed to be this good, this early. He wasn’t even supposed to start if the Titans had their way but an injury to veteran Ryan Tannehill forced their hand and gave Levis his first game action. Now it’s hard to see Tennessee going back after Levis led the offense to a season-high 28 points. We know DeAndre Hopkins is a fan after Levis found him three times for his best game as a Titan.

Levis’s dynasty managers would surely like to see him keep playing. Typically drafted in the second round of rookie superflex drafts this off-season, Levis could end up being quite the steal.

Dynasty Impact: If you’re one of the lucky managers to draft Levis this year, chances are it was a luxury pick. No dynasty team in 1QB leagues would have had Levis penciled in as their starter. It’s possible a superflex team drafted him with the hopes that he’d start the season atop the Titans depth chart but after Tennessee named Tannehill the starter, those hopes were dashed.

This takes us to this week where Levis will surely start again on a short week. If you’re short-handed due to byes or injuries, Levis should start for you. However, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t play nearly as well against the Steelers in week nine. Instead of a Falcons team currently ranked 25th in defensive DVOA, Levis and the Titans match up against the Steelers and their seventh-ranked defense. All of this is to say that if you’re in dealing mode and Levis can be swapped for assets as part of a rebuild, it’s not a bad idea. But with a current DLF ranking of 29th and a tough matchup ahead, you may not have a choice but to hold on to him.

Cooked

BREAKING: Leonard Fournette tells me he’s in Buffalo and is planning to sign with the #Bills today, pending a physical.

"Playoff Lenny" had nearly 1,200 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 523 receiving yards, along with 6 TDs last season. @BleacherReport pic.twitter.com/OWkSmyEGrs

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 30, 2023

Bills running back James Cook was a name to watch this past off-season. After the Bills failed to find a big name through either the draft or free agency (Damien Harris doesn’t count), it was all systems go for Cook managers. The starting running back on a good-to-great offense always has a chance to perform and Cook was (pun intended) cooking. He was on pace for a 1,000-yard season on the ground and was a top-15 fantasy back through week eight.

Enter veteran Leonard Fournette, who reported his own signing, to help bolster the Buffalo backfield. The reason the Fournette signing stings for Cook managers is that Fournette still has something left in the tank after totaling over 500 receiving yards acting as a safety valve for Tom Brady just last season.

The last half of the 2023 season is not just about Buffalo making a playoff run but it also will portend what Cook managers can expect heading into 2024.

Dynasty Impact: The timing of the Fournette signing is the worst part for Cook manager. They had been riding him all season and his dynasty stock had been climbing thinking that he was further entrenched into the starting job, not just this year but beyond.

But with Fournette in the picture, not only will it hamper his value this season, but it shows you how the Bills value him as well. There are very few bell cow backs left but Cook was towards the top, ranked 16th in carries and seeing 2.5 times as many carries as the next Bills running back, Latavius Murray. If you’re a current Cook manager, you might as well hold and see where the rest of the season takes you.