Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers continues to impress with 288 yards passing and three touchdowns. He has the look of a low-end QB1 in dynasty leagues.
Chargers running back Braden Oliver came on to spell an injured Donald Brown and lit up the Jets for 114 yards rushing plus 68 yards receiving on four catches and two total touchdowns.
A bright spot for the Jets was linebacker David Harris with 10 tackles. It was the best game of the season for Harris who should continue to be a LB3 in dynasty formats.
Don’t expect running back Chris Johnson back in Tennessee next year. His dynasty stock will be determined by his landing spot but, for now, Shonn Greene appears to be the starter. However, don’t be surprised if the Titans spend a day two or three pick on a running back.
The Packers are expected to run more this season which is great news for Eddie Lacy going forward. It may ding Aaron Rodgers value a little bit but he’ll still be a top-tier option for dynasty quarterbacks.
In a surprising move, the Chargers signed running back Donald Brown and, effectively, downgraded the entire San Diego backfield for fantasy/dynasty purposes. Brown played like a starter down the stretch in Indy and will now take snaps from both Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead.
Another head-scratcher was the Saints signing safety Jairus Byrd. Byrd was, arguably, the best safety available but to commit that much money ($28 million guaranteed) is odd. Either way, Byrd is a top safety in IDP leagues and inserting him in one of the league’s most aggressive defenses should be good times.
The Bengals re-signed receiver Andrew Hawkins after he received an offer from division rival Cleveland. Hawkins was hurt most of last year but did show some promise as a dynamic option in the slot. He’s worth a stash in deep, PPR dynasty leagues.
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.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had another uneven day, going 19 of 32 for only 180 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. While Luck has cut down on the turnovers, he’s not exactly lighting the world on fire. If anything, it might be time to buy-low.
Texans running back Ben Tate had a decent day gaining 72 yards on 16 carries for a 4.5 YPC. He added three catches for 20 yards. Houston fell behind early which eliminated the running game. Tate should sign somewhere else next year where he’ll finally have the opportunity to carry the load.
With Colts incumbent running back Donald Brown got injured, Trent Richardson was forced back in. He had 64 carries on 19 carries for a very Trent Richardson-esque 3.4 YPC. He did add 38 yards on four catches but Richardson is what he is.
Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton busted out (a little) with eight catches for 78 yards on 12 targets. The talk before the game was of Da’Rick Rogers but all Rogers did was open up the secondary for Hilton. Hilton is the long-term solution.
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.
