- Eagles quarterback Michael Vick will probably be somewhere else next year if he wants to start. Vick’s ceiling is as a QB2 for only 1-2 more years. It does enhance Matt Barkley’s value for 2014 and beyond.
- In other quarterback news, it looks like the Texans are committed to taking one with the first overall pick according to a Houston report. Whoever it is will be one of the top two quarterbacks taken in dynasty drafts with above average talent surrounding him.
- The Jaguars have had no discussions with running back Maurice Jones-Drew about a new contract. If Jones-Drew is looking for significant dollars, it won’t be in Jacksonville. Expect Jordan Todman or Denard Robinson’s value to increase between now and dynasty drafts.
- Look for Wes Welker to stick around for at least another year. For dynasty owners, it might be a good time to trade him for value immediately.
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Daily Dynasty Update – January 30th
- Big news from Denver as the Broncos are not expected to re-sign running back Knowshon Moreno. Montee Ball dynasty owners need to plan accordingly. Ball came on strong down the stretch and proved he can handle the load. With at least one year in a Peyton Manning offense, Ball could flirt with RB1 status in 2014.
- Lions running back Joique Bell claims there’s interest on both sides for a long-term deal. Bell came on strong in place of an injured Reggie Bush throughout the season with over 50 catches and over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. A deal would be good news for Bell but would significantly hinder Reggie Bush’s dynasty value going forward.
- New Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay loves his new tight end Jordan Reed. This will only enhance Reed’s value heading in to 2014. As a sufferer of a severe concussion last year, Reed’s health needs to be monitored especially playing such a busy position.
- A crowded backfield in Philadelphia could mean someone is on the way out, according to a Philadelphia blog. Additionally, with both Chris Polk and Bryce Brown being on the roster before Chip Kelly’s tenure started, the same blog suggests he could find one better suited to his offense in the draft or free agency. Stay tuned as this looks like it might be a fluid situation.
- Bears defensive lineman Shea McClellin is being converted to a strong-side linebacker. Maybe this will salvage some value out of McClellin who has been a huge disappointment as a lineman his first two years.
- Ravens running back Bernard Pierce had rotator cuff surgery and will miss the next 4-5 months. The recovery will impede his ability to get acclimated to new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system. Pierce was one of the bigger disappointments after averaging 2.9 YPC last year after a terrific rookie season. If the Texans offense is any indicator, Pierce would play the Ben Tate role to Ray Rice’s Arian Foster – if he can stay healthy.
Your dynasty question answered!
Here at DFFC, we try to answer any and all questions we get about your dynasty roster – trades, drafts and more! Be sure to email us at dynastyfantasyfootballcentral (at) gmail.com to get yours answered. Today we have a question from Shawn. Shawn asks,
I have to keep four of the following: Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Josh Gordon, Aaron Rodgers, Julius Thomas, and Giovani Bernard. Is it dumb to keep Rodgers and all 3 WR? Keeper league (keep 4), 10 teams. Non-PPR with 6 points for any kind of TD. Starting roster is 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE/WR, 1 TE, DEF, K.
First off, how you managed to get all those guys is incredible and in a 10-league team no less. Kudos to you.
Secondly, I don’t think that’s dumb considering your starting roster requirements. However, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Let’s break this down:
- Giovani Bernard will be a good running back but the position is one of extreme turnover. Additionally, with your league being a non-PPR, Bernard’s best asset (pass catching) is neutered. Not keeping him is an easy call.
- Next, let’s look at the three receiver set you accumulated. Every dynasty ranking will have Bryant, Gordon, and Thomas as top five wide receivers. Using any two of those three will give you an advantage over every other team in your league. All three are young (26 or younger) and are the focal points of their respective offenses. Bryant and Thomas play with elite quarterbacks and Gordon did amazing things with some of the least production at the position in the entire league. Unless someone managed to get Calvin Johnson and AJ Green together, you’ll always have the advantage. Furthermore, by process of elimination, that third receiver will be better than any flex option a team may have after filling their own WR and TE requirements. Those three simply can’t beat.
- Which brings us to decision time: Aaron Rodgers or Julius Thomas. For man years, Aaron Rodgers has been the top quarterback in dynasty leagues. However, with the emergence of Eddie Lacy after Rodgers’ collar bone injury, it’s fair to wonder if the Packers might shift more towards the run. They will never be a run-first team but might want to utilize Lacy in order to lessen the load on Rodgers. For dynasty owners, this means less production than they’re used to from the Packers quarterback. Meanwhile, Julius Thomas could make a case for the 3rd best tight end in dynasty leagues. He plays on a top-rated offense with an elite quarterback with one of the receivers he shares targets with (Eric Decker) possibly leaving via free agency. Also consider the depth at each position. The differences in the best quarterback and the 10th (approximately 150 points in my own league) compared to the differences between the best tight end and 10th tight end (nearly 200 points) show that it would be a lot easier finding a replacement for Rodgers over Thomas especially considering your league only starts one quarterback.
So there you have it. While you certainly can’t go wrong with your original strategy of Rodgers, Bryant, Thomas, and Gordon, you might also consider keeping Julius Thomas. Hope this helps and keep the questions coming!
Daily Dynasty Update – January 29th
- Apparently the Patriots were interested in trading for Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald last year and, presumably, would still be interested. It was shoot Fitz’s dynasty value back up after falling for a few years now. The biggest obstacle is his $18 million cap number. Stay tuned.
- We now have some insight as to why Broncos rookie running back Montee Ball didn’t start immediately – it was simply overwhelming. As Ball alluded to, it’s a big leap to go from a college playbook to a Peyton Manning playbook. But as any Ball dynasty owners know, Ball was handed more responsibility as the year went on and could possibly be a starter in 2014 with Knowshon Moreno becoming a free agent. Either way, Ball is in for a bigger 2014.
- The Cardinals are making tackle Breanden Albert their biggest priority this season. If they land him, every Cardinals offensive player will get a slight bump up, especially in the running game.
- Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o had foot surgery to clean up the injury that plagued him early in the season. Hopefully, Te’o can head into 2014 healthier than last year and prove the Chargers were right in drafting him in the second round.
Ask your dynasty questions here!
If you’ve found your way to this site you’re already in 2014 mode and we are too! Ask your specific questions about a team, a player, rankings or anything else. Hit us up at dynastyfantasyfootballcentral@gmail.com so we can post your answer. It’s never too early to start so fire away!
Updated Dynasty Linebacker Rankings – January 2014
Click here for the latest dynasty linebacker rankings.
- The top of the rankings stay mostly the same with Luke Kuechly, NaVorro Bowman, and Lavonte David making up the top three. Bowman’s status will be closely monitored after destroying his knee in the NFC Championship game.
- The big risers this month include the Eagles Mychal Kendricks, Buffalo’s Kiko Alonso and the Bengals Vontaze Burfict. All are coming off strong seasons and will enter 2014 under the age of 24. They will be heading in to the top ten soon.
- Drops this month include the 49ers Patrick Willis (age/injury) and the Cowboys Bruce Carter (pass protection) and Tampa’s Mason Foster (new scheme). These are guys you should look at trading to see what you get.
Daily Dynasty Update – January 28th
- New Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak expects tight end Dennis Pitta to be a big part of the offense in 2014. Any hope you had of getting Pitta on the cheap is now probably gone.
- Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett had 8.5 sacks this season despite playing in a rotational basis and just 711 snaps. He’s playing on a one year deal and has earned the chance to test free agency again. Unless the market dries up like last year, an unlikely scenario now that Bennett has a good track record, chances are Bennett gets a bigger opportunity somewhere else. He’ll make an intriguing DL1/2 pick in 2014 dynasty leagues.
- Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley heads into the off-season as the probable backup to Nick Foles. It’s some good news for folks that drafted Barkley with hopes in dynasty rookie drafts last year.
- Saints running back Pierre Thomas is the most likely running back to be cut in New Orleans this off-season. It’s good and bad for Thomas since he could get the opportunity for more touches but also will miss being in one of the more explosive offenses in the league. Expect impressive second-year back Khiry Robinson to get more carries.
Daily Dynasty Update – January 27th
- Titans running back Chris Johnson will have surgery to have a meniscus tear repaired. Johnson tore it early in the season and played hobbled. Hopefully he can return to 100% in 2014 and bounce back. Whether that’s in Tennessee is another question. He’s low on dynasty radars.
- (Former) Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez swears this is it for him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to take him with your last pick in dynasty drafts, juuuuuust in case.
- Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola could be cut this off-season, clearing the way for Julian Edelman to stick around. In PPR leagues, Edelman borders on WR1 status but only in New England. Stay tuned.
- The Browns will pay a roster bonus to Brian Hoyer in March, making it more likely he’s on the team to start the season. Hoyer could be in-line for a surprise season if he’s given the chance to start, whether the Browns pick a quarterback early or not.
Dynasty Recap – Senior Bowl – South beats North, 20-10
- San Jose State quarterback David Fales had the best game of any signal caller, going six of seven for 104 yards and a touchdown with his lone incompletion resulting in an interception. Fales performance will help his chances of breaking in the second tier of quarterbacks in the 2014 draft, both NFL and dynasty.
- Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr didn’t do anything to drop his ranking, going 7/11 for 45 yards and a touchdown. Currently Carr looks like the fourth quarterback taken in the draft.
- Colorado State tight end Crockett Gillmore led all receivers with five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. Currently Gillmore is slated to be picked in the fourth round or later thanks to a deep tight end class.
- Auburn defensive end Dee Ford had another great outing with two more sacks. Ford’s stock has shot up in recent weeks thanks to a dominating performance in the national championship game and should be considered a first round pick in the 2014 NF draft.
Daily Dynasty Update – January 25th
- Giants receiver Victor Cruz is recovering nicely from knee surgery which bodes well for a bounce back year in 2014. With new offense coordinator Ben McAdoo from the Packers, all Giants offensive players will get a bump up in dynasty leagues.
- Colts receiver Da’Rick Rogers should be good to go in 2014 after having to prove his past issues were behind him. Good thing for dynasty leaguers as Rogers projects to man one of the outside spots with Reggie Wayne while T.Y. Hilton does damage in the slot.
- Looks like any scenario where the Rams draft a quarterback with the second pick are out. It’s not a bad idea with Sam Bradford costing a fortune and still has not proven that he’s the long-term solution. The #2 pick is in major flux.
- Expect Heath Miller to stick around Pittsburgh as he is expected to sign a cap-friendlier extension. Miller’s certainly not a flashy option at tight end but he plays a ton of snaps and is a favorite target of Ben Roethlisberger.
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