- The Eagles re-signed Riley Cooper, thereby salvaging any dynasty value he had. However, he didn’t clear 50 catches or 900 yards so temper your expectations.
- Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was cut by the Browns, freeing him to sign with any team. Jackson is coming off a season with 139 tackles and seven passes defended so he can still bring it wherever he ends up.
- The Vikings were not looking at tight ends at the recent combine so Kyle Rudolph should have a clear path to breakout status in 2014. He also has Norv Turner as his offensive coordinator after Turner turned Jordan Cameron into an All-Pro in Cleveland last season.
- Expect Jamaal Charles to get less carries next year but still be at the top of dynasty rankings. Acquiring Knile Davis, especially if you’re a Charles owner, isn’t a bad idea.
- Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant is expected to get the ‘Megatron’ treatment under new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. Expect Bryant to challenge Johnson for top dynasty receiver in 2014.
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Daily Dynasty Update – February 26th
- The Saints could release running back Pierre Thomas to make room for Jimmy Graham. If that happens, it’ll be a big boost for Khiry Robinson’s dynasty prospects and buy Mark Ingram one more year in New Orleans.
- Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley is seeing a good amount of interest in his services. He could be moving on from Green Bay after all, leaving Brandon Bostick as a breakout candidate.
- 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore should be good to go for training camp in April. The 49ers will need to scale Frank Gore’s workload back and Lattimore was one of the top running back prospects before shredding his knee. He’s another breakout candidate.
- Free agent running back Rashard Mendenhall wrote a post that strongly resembles a retirement speech. His dynasty prospects are done.
- Eagles running back Chris Polk is expected to have a bigger role next year than even Bryce Brown. There’s even hints of the Eagles trying to trade Brown. It’s quite a fall for Brown who was a hot commodity last year but Polk is the backup to have in Philly in 2014.
Daily Dynasty Update – February 25th
- Free agent quarterback Michael Vick might find a home with the Jets in 2014. Vick is the top free agent quarterback available and should be starting somewhere next year, salving some dynasty value for Vick owners.
- The only quarterback left standing in Cleveland is Brian Hoyer. The Browns are widely expected to draft a quarterback but, for now, Hoyer is the starter. You’d be wise to pick him up in 12, or 14-team dynasty leagues.
- The DeMarcus Ware cap casualty rumors are picking up steam. From a business perspective it makes sense: cutting Ware would save $7 million or roughly 1/3 of how much over the cap the Cowboys currently stand. But it would be another downgrade on talent as Dallas continues to pay it forward.
Daily Dynasty Update – February 24th
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians confirmed that Andre Ellington will have an expanded role this year which is music to Ellington dynasty owners. Arizona went against conventional wisdom and held Ellington back last year but it looks like its full steam ahead for 2014.
- Colts receiver Reggie Wayne should be ready to go for Colts camp. While not a long-term dynasty prospect, you could do worse with Wayne as your WR3.
- The Packers are expected to let James Jones walk in free agency this year. Unless Jones ends up in a pass happy offense like Denver or New England, his dynasty stock will plummet.
- The Jets may explore Ben Tate or Donald Brown in free agency. If either signs with New York, it’ll seriously hamper their dynasty value as at least Tate was expected to sign on as a starter somewhere. Tate dynasty owners assuming big things in 2014 may have to reel in their expectations.
- Expect Tampa to go after a quarterback whether it’s free agency or the draft. Obviously, this continues the downward trend of Mike Glennon’s stock as he’s had no votes of confidence from the new regime.
Your dynasty questions answered, Part VIII
We roll on with your questions. Be sure to get yours in at dynastyfantasyfootballcentral(at)gmail(dot)com. Peter writes:
I’m in a PPR keeper league. I can only keep 7 on offense. I’m wondering if I could get some input on who would be best to keep. My team is:
QB: Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, Jay Cutler
RB: LeSean McCoy, DeMarco Murray, Trent Richardson, Stevan Ridley
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kendall Wright, Danny Amendola, Jacoby Jones, Emmanuel Sanders
TE: Julius Thomas
DEF: RavensI have made some picks, I would just like to have your thoughts on my players. Thank you.
I would say that’s a solid team so far. You also have some depth but not enough to make these decisions difficult. Let’s dive in.
Quarterback – Assuming it’s not a two quarterback league, Matt Ryan would be the choice. Wilson is good, and young, but is not in an offense that requires him to throw the ball a lot. He averaged only 210 yards per game while throwing for 26 touchdowns. Now, he did add over 500 yards per game on the ground but no quarterback in NFL history has kept that rushing pace throughout their career. Meanwhile, Ryan had his worst year since 2010 but was still fantasy’s 11th ranked quarterback, throwing for 282 yards per game and the same 26 touchdowns as Russell Wilson. He didn’t have Julio Jones or Roddy White for good chunks of the year. He’s getting them back plus the Falcons figure to add some talent on the offensive line. Until Matty Ice puts together two years of the kind of performance he did in 2013, you have to assume it was an anomaly.
Running Back – LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray are the only choices here. Trent Richardson will have every chance to win the starting job in Indianapolis this year but has not looked good in the NFL. He’s averaged a paltry 3.3 YPC over two seasons and was badly outplayed by Donald Brown towards the end of the season. There’s just nothing there to indicate he’ll be a valuable commodity in dynasty leagues. With Stevan Ridley, I just don’t trust any running back in New England and probably never will as long as Bill Belichick is coach. Ridley’s already been in the dog house with Belichick and it remains to be seen if he’ll return to a big role in 2014. It’s just too unreliable for me.
Wide Receiver – The two easy choices are Demaryius Thomas and Cordarrelle Patterson. Thomas is a top five dynasty receiver as long as Peyton Manning’s around while Patterson will have the benefit of Norv Turner as offensive coordinator. The same Turner who got 1,600 yards out of Josh Gordon with three different quarterbacks. Patterson, arguably, has the same raw talent and athleticism as Gordon but needs to convert that into being a productive receiver. With Turner in town and, presumably, a new quarterback, the expectations are high. The third receiver I’d take would be Kendall Wright. Wright managed to make almost 100 catches in an offense ranked only 21st in the league. He’s only 24 and is also looking to have an upgrade at quarterback in the near future. He could be the next great slot weapon in dynasty leagues. The only receiver I’d even consider keeping would be Amendola, especially in a PPR league. The most games he started was eight in one season and has shown no ability to be able to hold up over a whole season. He might not even be the top slot option in New England’s offense if Julian Edelman is re-signed. It’s just too much risk. As for Jones and Sanders, both are easily replaceable options at receiver, especially with the upcoming rookie draft.
Tight End – This one’s easy. Julius Thomas will be a top five dynasty option for at least a few years.
There you have it. On offense I’d go Ryan, McCoy, Murray, D. Thomas, Patterson, Wright, J. Thomas. A well-rounded team of young guys that could produce for your fantasy team for a while.
Be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments below and always remember to send your questions in to dynastyfantasyfootballcentral(at)gmail(dot)com today!
Your dynasty questions answered, Part VII
With the combine in full swing, we take more of your questions. If you have a dynasty questions, be sure to email us at dynastyfantasyfootballcentral(at)gmail(dot)com.
Anthony writes:
Would you grade Le’Veon Bell for Victor Cruz and the 6th overall pick this year?
In our latest running back rankings, we have Bell checking in #11. Bell started his rookie season injured but ended up playing 13 games. He was highly productive in the passing game with 45 catches for 400 yards and a 8.9 YPC average. However, the running game was a little less productive, gaining just 3.5 YPC on 244 attempts. Now, that could be due to a 24th ranked offensive line in run blocking or Bell’s inability to find the gap but either way, it wasn’t good. Now, Bell is only 22 and has talent around him to draw defensive attention away and will still be a productive back. But I think there’s more value on the other side.
Victor Cruz is currently ranked #15 in our dynasty rankings and is trending downwards. However, there’s a lot of reasons to be excited about Cruz heading in to 2014 and beyond. Cruz is now the primary weapon in the Giants offense now that Hakeem Nicks isn’t expected back. His contract dispute behind him, Cruz will be ready to at the beginning of training camp and will be just 27 heading in to the season.
But what really makes this trade for Anthony is the sixth pick in the upcoming draft, a draft Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said was the deepest in 30 years. With 2-3 elite tight end prospects, 3-4 elite receiver prospects and a handful of quarterback and running back prospects, you’re guaranteed to get a difference maker with that 6th pick. Not looking at the rest of your roster, adding Cruz plus that pick is a good return for a player at the most replaceable position in dynasty football. I say do it.
Remember to send your questions in to dynastyfantasyfootballcentral(at)gmail(dot)com. Enjoy the combine!
Updated Dynasty Quarterback Rankings – February 2014, 2.0
Click here for complete dynasty quarterback rankings.
- The top five remains unchanged with Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and Matt Stafford.
- Biggest drop was Matt Ryan but that’s more to do with the rise of Peyton Manning, Colin Kaepernick, and Nick Foles. The Falcons will be a hot pick for bounce back team of the year.
- The biggest riser was Ryan Mallett of the Patriots. Tom Brady is a year older and Mallett is still there. It only figures that he’s the quarterback of the future.
Daily Dynasty Update – February 22nd
- The Broncos have confirmed that receiver Eric Decker will hit the market which will significantly decrease his dynasty value, even if he signs on as a #1 receiver somewhere else.
- Texans running back Arian Foster is looking good coming off another surgery. Reports are he should be good to go for training camp, making him a potential buy-low candidate for those teams tired of his injury history. While not banking on Foster as a RB1, he’d be an ideal RB2.
- Packers coach Mike McCarthy is hopeful that tight end Jermichael Finley will be back. Ironically, Finley’s injury could increase his chances of coming back on a ‘prove it’ deal with Green Bay. It also decreases Brandon Bostick’s dynasty stock.
- Rams running back Isaiah Pead is nothing more than a special teamer according to GM Les Snead. His dynasty value is through.
- The Cardinals are hoping to retain linebacker Karlos Dansby which would be a boost for them and Dansby’s dynasty value. Dansby was a top five linebacker in most IDP leagues so anything that would allow him to repeat that success, like staying with the team in which he achieved it, would be ideal.
- In other linebacker news, Thomas Davis’ option has been picked up by the Panthers, insuring he’ll continue his comeback with Carolina. He filled up the stat sheet with 120-plus tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions. He still has LB1 productivity.
- Lions running back Mikel Leshoure will have a clean slate with new coach Jim Caldwell even if he ended up fourth on the depth chart at the end of the year behind Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, and Theo Riddick. Leshoure is a long shot to be a contributor this year but could be a decent taxi squad prospect.
Daily Dynasty Update – February 21st
- Bears linebacker Jon Bostic will play primarily in the middle next year which is just the next step in, hopefully, a productive career.
- The Cardinals are expected to use multiple backs even though Andre Ellington is, clearly, the superior talent. Either way, Ellington is a must-own in dynasty leagues whether he’s a starter or compliment.
- It’s becoming more obvious that Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will not be back in Pittsburgh which is great news for Markus Wheaton dynasty owners. As for Sanders, he’s an average producer.
- The Bucs might be drafting a quarterback at #7 in the upcoming draft. Obviously, this drops Mike Glennon’s stock a bit but could be a decent buy-low candidate. It’s hard to determine if a top-tier quarterback will even be available.
- 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman is looking at coming back halfway through next season after recovering from a catastrophic knee injury in the NFC Championship game. Bowman was, arguably, the top linebacker in dynasty before the injury and, hopefully, can rebound.
Daily Dynasty Update – February 20th
- Seahawks running back Christine Michael is expected to have a bigger role in 2014. Michael was a popular choice in rookie dynasty drafts last year but totaled only 18 carries his rookie year. That should change which will only enhance Michael’s value.
- Free agent receiver Danario Alexander is dealing with major complications from knee surgery. It’s a shame for the 25-year old as he was high on a lot of dynasty lists even heading in to last year. It’s safe to drop Alexander for the time being.
- The NFL suspended free agent tight end Fred Davis indefinitely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s very possible Davis has reached the end of the line which means it’s safe to drop him from your dynasty rankings.
- Look for the Jets to draft a receiver thanks to their belief that physical freak Stephen Hill can’t contribute in the NFL. Hill’s upside has always vastly outweighed his production.
- 49ers receiver Quinton Patton is expected to be a starter with the team by the time his rookie contract runs out in 2016. With several mock drafts pegging the 49ers to take a receiver, it’s hard to see where Patton would fit in but if you have a taxi squad, Patton is ideal.
- The Steelers are expected to re-sign Jerricho Cotchery but not Emmanuel Sanders, meaning 2013 draft pick Markus Wheaton should step in to a starting role. Wheaton’s rookie season didn’t start off well after suffering an injury but with Sanders likely moving on, 2014 could be a break out year.
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