Dynasty Recap – Week 8 – Panthers down Bucs, 31-13

Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon just couldn’t get anything going last night. Down early, Glennon ended up with 51 pass attempts but only threw for 275 yards for an anemic 5.4 YPA. It’s quickly becoming apparent that the Bucs will be in need of a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
Fellow Bucs rookie Mike James didn’t fare much better. He only had 10 carries for 39 yards but did see five targets and pulled in four catches. for 25 yards. James did nothing to carve out more playing time when Doug Martin returns.
Meanwhile, the Panthers continue to run the ball well with Cam Newton, DeAngelo Williams, and Mike Tolbert each averaging over 4.5 YPC. Tolbert will probably be the one without a chair when Jonathan Stewart returns.
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David was bright spot on defense with 12 tackles, one sack and two tackles for a loss. David is one of the premier rushing linebackers in the league and would make a fine LB1/2 for many years.
On the other side of the field, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly continues his slow, but steady, pace with eight more tackles. Unless he goes on a run he won’t match last years tackle numbers but he’s still got as many interceptions as he did last year already. His stock may never be lower but it’s still higher than most.

Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Cardinals stun Bucs, 13-10

The debut of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon was uneventful for Tampa Bay. He went 24/43 for 193 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He should get better as the season progresses.
Bucs running back Doug Martin had a pedestrian day with 27 carries for only 45 yards. Martin’s had a very up and down year but should continue to be relied on with a rookie quarterback.
For Arizona, rookie running back Andre Ellington continues to provide a spark with a 7.3 YPC on the few carries he had. The better news is he was targeted six times and caught three of those. Ellington appears to be the running back in Arizona to hold in dynasty.
Arizona wide receiver Michael Floyd made some news with 10 targets and five catches for 87 yards. Those numbers should continue to improve throughout the season. Now, if Arizona could just get an offensive line…

The Patriot rookie receivers came alive with Aaron Dobson being targeted a team-high 10 times and pulling in seven while Kenbrell Thompkins caught the first two touchdowns of his career. Kudos to those that bought low or held on.
Meanwhile, running back LaGarrette Blount ended up leading the Patriots in rushes with 14 over Stevan Ridley‘s 11. It could be due to the blowout win but Ridley’s opportunities and performance have been up and down this year. Hopefully it stabilizes before dynasty fantasy owners are forced to look somewhere else.
Tom Brady continues to jell with the rookie receivers mentioned above and with Rob Gronkowski expected back any week now, now might be the time to buy on Brady.
On the other side of the field, Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin had another pedestrian day. Martin is also an excellent buy low candidate.

We’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of the season. Let’s see what’s happening down the final stretch.

It appears Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball are doing everything they can to NOT start at running back for Denver this year. Neither can pass protect and have had trouble holding on to the ball. Their stock should drop in dynasty drafts this week but Ball still makes a ton of sense long-term.
Rob Gronkowski is expected to play most, not all, of this season. However, at just 24, he’s still a top two tight end dynasty pick. The only hesitation would be his injury history, which is getting more frequent. It’d be ideal to draft Gronk’s current backup, rookie Zach Sudfeld for insurance.
Rookie Mike James is officially the #3 running back in Tampa. He’s got some talent but is only worth a taxi squad spot at this point, especially if you have Doug Martin.
Oakland appears to be moving on from Matt Flynn and giving Terrelle Pryor a shot at quarterback. Pryor has flashes but, ultimately, won’t be the long-term answer. We fully expect Oakland to be in the mix for the top pick in the NFL draft in 2014 and could take one then.

That’s all for now. One more pre-season game to go.