- Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers had another efficient day, going 18 of 27 for 217 yards and two touchdowns with zero turnovers. Rivers had a resurgence this season thanks to the hiring of coach Mike McCoy and should be a QB2 in dynasty leagues as long as McCoy is around.
- Broncos tight end Julius Thomas led the Broncos in receiving yards with 76 to go along with six catches and seven targets. Thomas had a break-out season and will be a top five dynasty tight end as long as Peyton Manning is around.
- Chargers rookie receiver Keenan Allen led the Chargers in targets (9), catches (6), yards (142) and had two touchdowns. Allen established himself as the lead guy in San Diego and should flirt with WR1 status in dynasty leagues next year.
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Dynasty Recap – Divisional Playoff – 49ers take care of Panthers, 23-10
- 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had an efficient day, going 15 of 28 for 196 yards and a touchdown. Kaepernick might not light the fantasy world on fire but he’ll play well enough to be a low-end QB1 in dynasty leagues.
- 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin had a team-high eight catches for 136 yards. Boldin will be a free agent this year and already 33 so he might not be as effective next year.
- Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly filled the stat sheet with 10 tackles, a sack, and a pass defended. A disappointing end to the season but he’ll continue to be a LB1 for many years to come in dynasty leagues.
- 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman has officially passed Patrick Willis as the best linebacker in San Francisco and possibly football. He had 11 tackles and a sack and will be a high-end LB1 as well next year in dynasty circles.
Dynasty Recap – Divisional Playoff – Patriots blow out Colts, 43-23
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had an interesting night, going 20 of 41 for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. This game aside, Luck has progressed this season and should only get better. He’ll get receiver Reggie Wayne back along with tight end Dwayne Allen. Couple that with the progress T.Y. Hilton made in the slot and luck is still a top five prospect in dynasty leagues.
- Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount had a career day with 166 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Blount will be a free agent this year and is getting hot at the right time. However, one game does not a dynasty prospect make. Don’t overpay for Blount in the off-season as he’s still a one-dimensional back with an uncertain future.
- Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton was held, mostly, in check with four catches for 103 yards. Even with the Patriots focusing on Hilton he still made things happen. He’ll be an interesting WR2 for next year in dynasty leagues.
- Patriots receiver Julian Edelman led the team in targets (9), catches (6) and yards (84). Edelman easily became Tom Brady’s favorite target down the stretch and will be interesting to see if the’s re-signed. If so, he’ll be a low-end WR1 in PPR dynasty leagues.
Dynasty Recap – Divisional Playoffs – Seahawks beat Saints, 23-15
- Saints quarterback Drew Brees wasn’t quite as efficient as he usually is during the regular season. Brees went 24 of 43 for 309 yards and one touchdown. The low completion percentage further enhances the perception that Brees isn’t a fantasy stud outside a domed environment. Luckily, he has at least nine games a year in a dome between his eight home games and a road game at Atlanta. He’s still a top three dynasty quarterback for the foreseeable future.
- Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch ran wild, going off for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Lynch is signed for at least two more years in Seattle and should be a RB1 in that timeframe.
- Saints receiver Marques Colston had a big day with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Colston will never be a sexy pick, and certainly shouldn’t be relied on as your WR1 or even WR2. But as the second option in the pass-heavy Saints offense, you could do much worse as your WR3.
- The Seahawks safety duo of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas had a combined 25 tackles and four passes defended. Both are DB1’s heading in to 2014 dynasty seasons.
Updated Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings – January 2014
Be sure to check out the updated dynasty wide receiver rankings here.
- Top five stays the same with Calvin, AJ, Dez, Demaryius, and Julio in order.
- A couple of NFC North receivers make big leaps with Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery moving up to 15th from 22nd. Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson moved up to 21st from 26th. Fellow rookie receiver Keenan Allen also moved up five spots from 29th to 24th.
- Dropping this month is Ravens receiver Torrey Smith drops from 12th to 16th. Bigger drops include Broncos receiver Wes Welker dropping from 23rd to 27th and Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace from 24th to 30th. Welker has been dealing with a concussion this season while Wallace has been toiling away in Miami. The hiring of a new offensive coordinator could help.
Q & A: Should I hang on to Giovani Bernard?
Question: Is Gio Bernard going to be as good as everyone says? I’ve been offered a lot for him but I want to hang on to him. Thanks. – Anthony S.
Currently, Gio is ranked #5 in our dynasty running back rankings. I would say five might be a little high but not by much. One reason is his age as Bernard will still be just 22 entering the 2014 season. Of the running backs to score more points this year (in PPR leagues), the next youngest was Eddie Lacy who is almost a year and a half older.
Production-wise, Bernard had a very good season finishing as a top-15 running back in PPR dynasty leagues. Bernard was in a time-share with incumbent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis with Green-Ellis getting 56% of the carries as opposed to Bernard’s 44%. Despite that, Bernard gained 695 yards and a respectable 4.1 YPC. However, he did most of his damage in the passing game, where he was second among all rookies with 56 catches. He turned that into 514 yards and a 9.2 yards per average.
Going forward, things seem to be falling in to place for Bernard to be extremely productive. BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ contract is up after the 2014 season which will move Bernard into the lead role. Furthermore, with Jay Gruden being named the new head coach in Washington, Hue Jackson will take over the offensive coordinator duties in Cincinnati. In his last stint as offensive coordinator, Jackson managed to squeeze 1,157 rushing yards (5.2 YPC) out of the oft-injured Darren McFadden plus 507 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns. He should be able to do the same for Bernard.
Physically, Bernard has the build of Ray Rice (Bernard is 5′ 9″/ 208 lbs; Rice is 5′ 8″ / 212 lbs) which should alleviate any fears you may have of his body holding up. Rice had four very productive years with at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage before suffering a drop-off this year (it remains to be seen if he’ll return to form).
Overall, it’s very difficult to get a running back you can consistently rely on in dynasty football. Bernard has that potential, and should be treated, as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2 for at least the next 3-4 years which, in running back years, is a lifetime.
But, I’m a big believer in every player has a price and running backs, of all positions in fantasy football, are the most replaceable. If you were to trade Bernard, be sure to get at least one good, young player (i.e. Keenan Allen) along with picks in your upcoming drafts.
If you have a question for DFFC, be sure to email us at dynastyfantasyfootballcentral[at]gmail.com.
Daily Dynasty Update – January 10th
- Broncos linebacker Von Miller had ACL surgery today and will be recovering for a while. It’s unknown whether he’ll be ready for the start of next season and is another disappointing development for the LB1. He could be a decent buy-low candidate.
- With James Jones future in Green Bay in doubt, receiver Randall Cobb could move out of the slot to the outside. You have to assume that would sap some of his opportunities to make plays but it depends on the other personnel. Cobb is a WR2 only because of the crowded receiving corps in Green Bay.
- Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III got a vote of confidence from new coach Jay Gruden. There goes the Cousins in DC theory.
- Giants running back David Wilson will undergo neck surgery. Hopefully, Wilson can get healthy and back to being a productive running back. Meanwhile, it leaves Andre Brown as the front-runner for the Giants running back job in 2014.
Updated Dynasty Tight End Rankings – January 2014
Click here to see the latest dynasty tight end rankings heading into 2014.
- Colts tight end Dwayne Allen jumped up a bit. I’m guessing it has more to do with fellow Colts tight end Colby Fleener‘s ability to take the starting job after Allen’s injury and run with it. Allen has more upside.
- Dolphins tight end Charles Clay continues to move up as he was one of the few bright spots on the Dolphins offense this year. That team has many holes but Clay gives them some stability at the position.
- Two rookies enter the rankings – Oakland’s Mychal Rivera and Seattle’s Luke Willson. Both played sparingly this year but showed flashes of ability. They’ll be playing for starting jobs in 2014 so now is the time to snag them.
- Meanwhile, Seattle’s incumbent tight end, Zach Miller, continues to drop, likely because of the small chance he has of coming back to Seattle. Miller appears to be at the end of the line.
- Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez continues to drop but until those retirement papers are filed, I’m expecting Gonzalez back next year.
Updated Dynasty Quarterback Rankings – January 2014
Click here for our updated dynasty quarterback rankings for January 2014
- No major changes in the first dozen. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Andrew Luck still make up the top three.
- The big riser continues to be Nick Foles who is now up to #13. Looking at the 12 ahead of him, it makes sense. Jay Cutler also moves up a bit thanks to his new contract which insures he’ll be surrounded by top-notch talent for a bit.
- The drops continue for Eli Manning who will have a new offensive coordinator next year. Keep an eye out for that one. Terrelle Pryor also drops thanks to the likelihood that Oakland drafts a quarterback with their first pick.
Got a question?
Just because fantasy football is done for the year doesn’t mean it is in dynasty leagues. If you’ve found your way to this site you’re already thinking about 2014. We are too! If you have a specific question about your 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!
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