- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck looked like the dynasty franchise quarterback we all expected him to be, going 29 of 46 for 326 yards for a 7.1 YPA and four touchdowns with zero turnovers. Let’s hope this kind of play continues.
- Bengals running back Giovani Bernard had another solid outing with 99 yards rushing on just 12 attempts, for an 8.3 YPC, to go along with four catches for 49 yards. Bernard is only scratching the surface of his production and with BenJarvus Green-Ellis only under contract for one more year at most, he should be even better next year.
- Colts rookie receiver Da’Rick Rogers went off for six catches, gaining 107 yards and two touchdowns. Only playing due to injuries on the team, Rogers made the most of it and lived up to the pre-season hype he had in Buffalo…at least for today. It’ll be interesting to see if his quarterback keeps looking his way down the stretch.
- Colts safety Antoine Bethea had a team-high 17 tackles. It’s his first double-digit tackle game since week one of a disappointing season. Bethea will be 30 heading in to next season and is surely on the decline of his career with his tackle numbers and passes defended numbers going down again. Avoid in dynasty leagues.
Tag Archives: andrew luck
Dynasty Recap – Week 13 – Colts beat Titans, 22-14
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck looked bad, going 17 of 32 for 200 yards and a pick. There’s no doubt Luck’s numbers have regressed in yardage and touchdowns but you have to wonder if it’s due to the new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. Now may be a good time to buy-low heading in to 2014.
- The running game for Indianapolis didn’t look much better. New starter Donald Brown ran for 54 yards on 14 carries for about a 4.0 YPC. Benched starter ran for 19 yards on five carries.
- Titans receiver Kendall Wright dominated the Titans passing game with 11 targets, six catches and 77 yards. Wright’s performed admirably without a steady hand at quarterback. Just imagine what he could do with somebody competent.
- Titans linebacker Zach Brown had another solid outing with eight tackles and a sack. The 23-year old started off slow but has come on strong lately. He’ll be a strong LB2/3 candidate next year.
Dynasty Recap – Week 13 – Panthers shred Buccaneers, 27-6
- Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had a good game, for the most part. He went 18 of 29 for 263 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and tacked on 68 yards rushing and another touchdown. Newton has pulled ahead of Andrew Luck in recent weeks as far as dynasty ranks.
- Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart failed to run with the running back job (no pun intended) running for just 39 yards on 14 carries. There’s literally no running back in Carolina worth a long-term look in dynasty leagues right now.
- Panthers tight end Greg Olsen tied for the team-lead in targets with seven and hauled in five of them for 85 yards. You always know what you’re getting with Olsen – nothing too flashy but a higher floor than most.
- Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David continues to be a LB1 with nine tackles and an interception. There’s very few linebackers I’d rather have in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty Quarterback Rankings – Tier I
When drafting or building a dynasty team, it’s not unusual to adopt the same strategy as a real NFL team – draft a franchise quarterback and build around him. Think about it – how many quarterbacks last 10 years as opposed to running backs or receivers? Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady all of whom have been around for a decade or more and are still viable fantasy options. If you can snag a franchise quarterback now, you do it. The following are the best of the best according to our dynasty rankings.
- Aaron Rodgers (GB)
- Cam Newton (CAR)
- Andrew Luck (IND)
Most Likely to Improve: Andrew Luck. Taken 1st overall in 2012, Luck is the heir to Peyton Manning in Indy and should be a top-tier quarterback for many years to come. He ranked 7th in passing yards (4,374) his rookie year despite finishing next to last in completion percentage (54.1%) and being sacked the 4th most times in the league (41).
First, the offensive line. While grading out poorly last year (via Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders), this year’s edition should be much better. They’ve added Gosder Cherius at tackle and Donald Thomas at guard in free agency which should immediately boost Luck’s protection. Anything to improve that 41 number.
His completion percentage should improve as well with shorter drops and more dump offs to the running backs. With Dwayne Allen, Colby Fleener, and TY Hilton no longer rookies, less rookie mistakes, inherently, should be made. Luck, at just 23, has several productive fantasy years ahead of him and if this is his floor then watch out.
Most Likely to Drop: Aaron Rodgers. I know, I know. It’s sacrilegious. NFL MVP. Super Bowl MVP. Maybe the only quarterback in the world that could have made Green Bay forget about Brett Favre.
But while Rodgers had his best season in 2011, it just means last year, and future years, are slated to be regressions to the mean. He had his worst Y/A (7.8) since his first full year as a starter. His offensive line has never been better than league average at allowing sacks (%+ 82 out of 100 – less than 100 is bad) and that was before Bryan Bulaga went down with a knee injury. They did nothing to upgrade that sore spot but did move things around in the hopes that a change would do them good.
Then there’s the running game. Oh the running game, where Cedric Benson was signed off the street and immediately made the starter in 2012. He was so bad he hasn’t even caught on with another team yet. But the Packers did much to improve that department in drafting Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin. Of course, with a bruiser like Lacy, the goal-line slants that Green Bay executed so well might be needed less this year and in the future. It’ll definitely prolong Rodgers health but will cut into his touchdowns.
Bottom line: Rodgers is still the safest pick. He’s only 30 and there’s been nothing to indicate he’ll drop off dramatically while still being one of the best in the league. But there are a few things that could knock him down just enough. Andrew Luck, at just 23, may be one of the best and able to give you 5-7 more years of high-end productivity. His yards, improved line, and just another year of experience should solidify this position. If this were a re-draft league, there’d be no contest. But this is dynasty.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Central 