Dynasty Analysis
Week 8 gave us a team that won without completing a pass. The Buccaneers beat the Falcons 16-0 on the ground, Joe Burrow did something no QB had done in 75 years, Lamar Jackson lasted one snap, and the Chargers are somehow 0-7. Points are PPR, with tight ends in TE-premium (1.5).
Arizona Cardinals: Tyler Allgeier entered Week 8 averaging 2.9 yards per carry, then ran for 147 yards on 11 carries against Dallas. He added five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, and his 96 rushing yards over expected were the most by a Cardinal in a game since at least 2018.
Takeaway: With Jeremiyah Love on IR and Bam Knight dealing with a concussion, Allgeier is the last man standing, and one 63-yard run did a lot of the heavy lifting. Michael Wilson is the other name to know. He saw 15 of Arizona’s 41 targets, and Gardner Minshew is now the starter after throwing three touchdowns in relief.
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix threw one interception in his first five games. On Sunday, he threw four, three of them in the first 18 minutes, and finished 8-of-24 for 125 yards. The Falcons had averaged 31 points per game with Penix starting, and they scored ZERO.
Takeaway: Heavy rain and a 16-0 loss don’t erase what Penix did from Weeks 5-7, but Drake London had six targets and turned them into one catch for eight yards. The Falcons play in Madrid next, so here’s hoping the rain doesn’t follow them to Spain.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson lasted one snap before a thumb injury that requires surgery, and he’s likely out for the season. Including the playoffs, the Ravens are 10-17 without Jackson during his career, so they traded for Jacoby Brissett to help mitigate the loss. Zay Flowers went from 8 for 137 and a TD in Week 7 to zero catches on five targets, while running back Justice Hill led the team with eight targets.
Takeaway: Buffalo blitzed on 64.5% of dropbacks, the highest rate Ravens QBs have faced this season, which helps explain why the ball kept finding the running back. No matter who’s under center, Hill’s role in the passing game and Flowers’ target count are the numbers to watch.
Buffalo Bills: Back in Week 5, I said picking a Bills receiver was a guessing game, and I wondered if D.J. Moore’s return would help. In his first game back, Moore had seven targets, four catches, 82 yards, and a touchdown, and Dalton Kincaid added 86 yards and a score of his own. Meanwhile, Khalil Shakir has quietly put together four straight games of double-digit scoring.
Takeaway: Josh Allen threw 34 passes, above his 29.3 per-game average, and James Cook saw just three targets. Between Moore’s return, Shakir’s rise, and Kincaid’s upside, this offense could reach another level. All it took was adding a passing game!
Carolina Panthers: Chuba Hubbard handled 30 touches on Thursday night, and eight of them were targets. He now has 26 targets this season, so nearly a third came in one game. Bryce Young attempted 41 passes and finished with under 210 passing yards for the second straight week, and he’s been sacked 11 times in the last two weeks combined. Not to mention, it’s rumored Young is dealing with a knee injury, and the offensive line’s poor play isn’t helping.
Takeaway: When a QB is under that much pressure, the running back becomes a safety valve. Young is averaging 38.4 attempts per game, and Hubbard’s target count is worth watching if the protection doesn’t improve, especially with OT Taylor Moton out.
Chicago Bears: With Kyle Monangai out the last four games, D’Andre Swift has scored in all four, and seven of his 10 touchdowns have come in that span. That includes three on Monday night, when he averaged 2.6 yards per carry, because apparently yards are optional when you only need to go five.
Takeaway: Since returning from his hamstring injury, Caleb Williams has 860 passing yards, four touchdowns, and ZERO interceptions, and the Bears have scored 31, 30, and 34 points. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden each saw nine targets on Monday, so the passing volume isn’t going to just one guy.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns, then ran in the game-winner in overtime, making him just the second QB in NFL history with 450+ passing yards, 5+ passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in the same game. The other is Norm Van Brocklin, who did it in 1951. Burrow also has four or more passing touchdowns in three straight games. Tee Higgins has back-to-back 100-yard games (148 and 155 yards), and Ja’Marr Chase saw 16 targets for 141 yards.
Takeaway: Chase and Higgins accounted for 27 of Burrow’s 47 targets, and Burrow is averaging 38.1 attempts per game, so this passing game has been feeding both of them. And then there’s Mike Gesicki, who has now scored a touchdown in five straight games. All he does is score touchdowns, and he’s done it on just 17 targets in that span.
Week 9 is on the horizon. The fantasy football landscape is changing by the hour. Injuries continue to pile up. Bye weeks are in full effect. And we have the trade deadline fast approaching.
In this series, I’ll spotlight the standout performances from the 2026 rookie class and highlight both promising and concerning trends. Let’s dive into how these rookies fared in Week 8.
Quarterback
Stock Up
Fernando Mendoza: Did not play in Week 8. If you need a quarterback and you are rebuilding, I would check with the team that has Fernando. They might be tired of waiting.
Jalon Daniels: Did not play in Week 8. A capable handcuff if Baker sustains another injury that forces him to miss time.
Joe Fagnano: Played for an injured Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. He completed just ten passes out of his 21 attempts for 91 yards. He also rushed three times for three yards. He is starting Thursday night, and we will see how he does with more practice with the first team.
Stock Down
Athan Kaliakmanis: Did not play in Week 8. Droppable in Dynasty formats.
Jack Strand: No new playing time since Week 1. Likely a hold in Dynasty, but a potential drop, with Penix playing well and Tua as the QB2.
Running Back
A few trends are worth noting regarding running backs after Week 8.
Stock Up (Above 40% of team carries)
Jonah Coleman: In Week 8, he had 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also added four catches for 63 yards. He led the team in carries again and is clearly the top RB in that room. I hope the Broncos do not trade for another running back like Jonathan Taylor or Tony Pollard. I would be trying to buy as a rebuilder for Alec Pierce or RJ Harvey, but his buy window will be closing soon.
Kaelon Black: In Week 7, he had 12 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Christian McCaffrey left but did return from an injury. Week 8 was his bye week. He is the clear backup and handcuff to CMC, and I would roster him immediately in Redraft leagues. He should already be owned in Dynasty leagues.
Mike Washington: In Week 8, he had 25 carries for 83 yards. He had more rushing yards than Ashton Jeanty last week but is currently the clear backup and handcuff. He dominated the carries in Week 8. Was the coaching staff annoyed at Ashton Jeanty, or will this continue in Week 9?
Jadarian Price: He played for the first time since Week 3 after recovering from his injury. In Week 8, he had 10 carries for 29 yards and added 2 catches for 8 yards. A good first game back after a month off.
Seth McGowan: In Week 8, he had 5 carries for 29 yards, with 26% of the team’s carries. Should the Colts trade Jonathan Taylor, Seth would be the lead back. I would be stashing him now.
Sione Vaki (RB – DET)
We’re getting to the point in the fantasy season where fantasy managers need to stop worrying about middling depth. Instead, they should be adding high-upside handcuffs to the back end of their rosters whenever they can.
Sione Vaki is one of those handcuffs.
The third-year pro had just 74 career rushing yards entering Week 8. Against a relentless and punishing Minnesota defense, Vaki rushed for a career-high 65 yards on 11 carries. He averaged an impressive 5.9 yards per carry, picked up three first downs, and forced five missed tackles in Detroit’s 19-15 win over the Vikings.
Not a bad day at the office, especially when you consider Jahmyr Gibbs had 153 yards and a score on 23 carries. Gibbs was a beast, but Vaki helped to close out the game, too, racking up 39 total yards in the fourth quarter.
On the afternoon, 44 of Vaki’s 65 rushing yards came after contact. He chewed up yardage and made defenders pay in a noteworthy performance. Perhaps this outing will convince the Lions to give him a few extra touches each week, as he’s shown he can be an impactful change-of-pace option.
More importantly, though, he seems to be the clear backup to Gibbs, who now has 191 touches through seven games. That’s a 17-game pace of 464 touches. Can the 5-foot-9, 202-pound Gibbs handle that much workload? Obviously, we don’t want anything to happen to the fantasy RB1, but if Gibbs misses a game or two, Vaki would be the next man up.
If you have the roster space, I suggest adding the former fourth-round pick. If Vaki ever gets the chance to start in this offense, he’d be an immediate plug-and-play RB2. There aren’t many players — if any — sitting on dynasty waiver wires with that kind of contingent upside.
Welcome back, Dynasty Football managers! Throughout the season, it’s essential to continually evaluate rosters to determine which players to trade for or cut ties with. With that, it’s time for Volume 3 of Dynasty Vet Values for 2026. In this series, I’ll be analyzing veteran players who are excellent targets for your contending teams based on current Dynasty market value. We all know youth and longevity are essential to remain competitive in Dynasty. But the ultimate goal is to win fantasy championships, and sometimes that means acquiring that “win-now” asset.
It is time for you to be real with your roster. Are you a top-four team with a legit chance to win? Are you a middle-of-the-road team that has been hit with the injury bug? If not, you should be selling. Do not get stuck with aging Dynasty assets if you are not a contender. With that, let’s dive right into my top four “buys” and “sells” from a dynasty.
Buys
Jared Goff, QB, Lions
Very consistent. Always finishes in the top ten.
The Lions have a great offense and a bad defense, so he plays in a lot of high-scoring games.
Undervalued in superflex because of his age (31) and lack of rushing upside.
I’d try to buy him for Derrick Henry, Quinshon Judkins, or Isaiah Likely.
Ollie Gordon, RB, Dolphins
Has been featured back and done well with it.
Favorable schedule for running backs coming up.
Cheap low-end RB1 upside for the rest of the season.
I’d try to buy him for Davante Adams, Kyle Monangai, or Kyler Murray.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Commanders
Elite target share playing without Terry McLaurin now.
Elite quarterback with Jayden Daniels.
Great playoff schedule for wide receivers.
Very efficient and can be had at a discount because he is 32 years old.
I would try to buy him for Juwan Johnson, Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Vikings
Very efficient with his targets
Trusted target of Kyler Murray
Discounted upside since he is 29.
I would be trying to buy him for Kirk Cousins, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, or David Montgomery.
Catch up on all the recent content from our DFF creators in this week’s edition of The Assembly Line, your go-to Dynasty Newsletter.
Week 7 started with a bang: the Bears and Patriots’ 54-point bonanza, and the Cowboys finished it off with a 38-point get-right game against Philly. In between, Joe Burrow led all scorers with 37 points, thanks to a four-touchdown, 35-point second half against division rival Baltimore. Week 7 was the week of rivals, but with 10 more games to go, who is separating themselves from the pack, and who is on the verge of being left behind?
ARIZONA CARDINALS
In TE-premium leagues, Trey McBride has scored double-digit points in every single game this year, is top 5 in points among all positions, and has outscored TE2 Isaiah Likely by 28 points. Averaging almost 23 PPG, McBride is proving that last year’s TE1 overall season was no fluke.
Takeaway: McBride has outscored EVERY WR not named Jaxon Smith-Njigba, EVERY RB not named Jahmyr Gibbs, and EVERY QB not named Brock Purdy, Josh Allen, or Kirk Cousins.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Among all QBs from Weeks 5-7, Michael Penix is 5th in points (57.9), 12th in yards (678), and 4th in touchdowns (7).
Takeaway: In just five games played, Michael Penix already has as many touchdowns (9) as he did in nine games last year, and he is currently averaging 20 PPG.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
In three games without Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews hasn’t scored a touchdown, scored more than seven fantasy points, or had more than 30 receiving yards in any single game. In the four games with Lamar, Andrews scored 10 or more points in every game but one, scored a touchdown, and had multiple games of 40 or more receiving yards.
Takeaway: I don’t believe Andrews is “cooked,” as the kids say, but Zay Flowers’s ascension has limited Andrews more than it has helped him so far this season.
BUFFALO BILLS
Josh Allen has 8 rushing touchdowns this season, the most of any QB and tied for the NFL lead with Jonathan Taylor, Javonte Williams, and Christian McCaffrey. He’s QB1 at 27.6 PPG.
Takeaway: Allen’s legs give him a weekly floor no other QB has. Even on a quiet passing day, he can save your week at the goal line, and that’s how he sits more than five points per game clear of QB2.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Bryce Young had his worst game of the year, with more turnovers (3) than touchdowns (1) and a season-low 6.42 fantasy points.
Takeaway: The Panthers had been cruising heading into Week 7. Division games are always weird, and even at home, Carolina ran into a Buccaneers team rejuvenated by Baker Mayfield’s return.
CHICAGO BEARS
D’Andre Swift has three straight games with a touchdown, 17 or more fantasy points, and four receptions, but he’s still waiting for his first receiving touchdown. In three games without Kyle Monangai, Swift is averaging 19.7 points per game.
Takeaway: Ben Johnson has the Bears offense rolling, and any piece of it is worth having.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Tight end Mike Gesicki has scored a touchdown in four straight games, and yet somehow he is the TE20 on the season. In that four-game span, Gesicki has just 11 targets, eight receptions, and less than 90 receiving yards.
Takeaway: Even though he’s touchdown-dependent, Gesicki has the fifth-easiest strength of schedule for tight ends for the rest of the season.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
KC Concepcion had his best game of the year, and would you believe me if I told you he leads the Browns in targets (45) and receptions (30) on the season? Denzel Boston has had a tough stretch, but in his last three games, he has 20 targets compared to Concepcion’s 17.
Takeaway: If this passing game starts clicking, I believe Boston and Concepcion can be trusted in lineups week to week. The Browns have the 12th-easiest strength of schedule.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Prior to Week 7, Javonte Williams had 28 touches in Weeks 5 and 6 combined. In Week 7, he had 25 touches and 155 yards. In seven career games with 20 or more touches, Williams averages 19 PPG.
Takeaway: Last year, Javonte Williams averaged 19 touches per game and was the RB12. This year, he’s averaging 19 touches per game and is the RB7.
In this FREE article, @jim_DFF dives into his favorite DFS plays on DraftKings for Week 8 and creates his optimal lineup.
At this point of the season, you should have a fairly good understanding as to whether your dynasty team is contending or tanking. If you don’t, Week 8 will soon reveal its secrets and provide you with some clarity as to how you should approach the remainder of the season.
Week 8 gets underway with the Green Bay Packers playing host to the Carolina Panthers – and we will start there with this week’s biggest dynasty storylines.
Gonna be, Gonna be Golden
Matthew Golden was drafted as the WR4 in rookie drafts last season. 69 targets, 36 receptions, 540 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Not exactly the type of rookie stat line that inspires confidence heading into Year Two. Golden’s best game of his rookie season came in the playoff defeat to the Bears. He logged four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. An auspicious end to season fighting for targets with a deep receiver room.
Then the off-season came around. And the Packers unceremoniously sorted through their wide receiver room like I recently sorted through all the nonsense I have accumulated in my garage. 33% of last season’s targets were vacated – that was the third most in the league. A lot of targets were up for grabs – and, boy, has Golden stepped up.
Through seven weeks, Golden ranks:
10th in targets per game
10th in target share
11th in receiving yards per game
12th in TPRR
13th in air yards share
15th in fantasy points per game
In the off-season, Golden’s stock was pretty low. You could have got him for scraps. No wide receiver has seen their value grow year on year more than Golden. The price of the Gold is going up.
Rookie Wide Receiver Boom
Last week, I wrote about how this year’s rookie class has underwhelmed through the first six weeks of the season. Well, this week I will have to eat crow. Week 7 was a huge week for rookie wide receivers.
We had:
KC Concepcion: 10 targets, 8 receptions, and 129 receiving yards.
Omar Cooper Jr.: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 115 receiving yards, and one touchdown.
Caleb Douglas: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Makai Lemon: 8 targets, 7 receptions, 67 receiving yards and one touchdown.
All four players logged over 20 PPR points. While I certainly don’t expect this sort of production on a weekly basis, these are the green shoots of growth that make us feel warm and fuzzy about our dynasty investments. What’s more, there is a clear path for each of the aforementioned players to solidify consistent roles.
Realistically, Concepcion could lead the Browns in targets for the rest of the season, Cooper could emerge as the WR2 on the Jets, Douglas could continue to have some boom weeks, and Lemon could earn more targets in an offense that could be without Devonta Smith for a period of time.
With the 2026 fantasy season now halfway done, I wanted to switch things up this week. I hope you don’t mind that, loyal DFF readers. Instead of listing a few stashes, I’m going to give you a few players you can finally cut the cord on. Either these guys haven’t blossomed and probably aren’t going to, or they’ve aged out at this point. If you need the roster space, especially in shallower leagues, don’t be afraid to move on.
Check out the top analytical trends from a fantasy football lens in this week’s edition of Dynasty Data Trendz, courtesy of @force_fantasy.
@joshreedy5 dives into this Week 7 edition of the “Dynasty Rookie Round-Up” featuring risers and fallers from the 2026 Rookie Class.
Welcome back to the College Fantasy Football Control Room: Players to Watch series! In this series, I explore the players highlighted by our Campus Control Center beta app as either under-rostered or potentially breaking out.
As a reminder, I am Joe Memmolo Jr., Co-Owner and Director of Technology at Dynasty Football Factory. I’m best known for building the Control Room app you are currently using, not for writing articles. With over two decades of experience in fantasy sports and a career in business intelligence, I always seek out the data trends that matter. Now let’s get into it!
Campus Control Center: Week in Review
Joe Jackson, RB, Kansas State, 68% rostered
I mentioned last week that Joe Jackson could easily blow up in my face. Not only did it blow up, but it was probably the worst call of the season. I mentioned that Jackson was a player I wouldn’t normally be in on given the prior inconsistent usage, and it was the right thing to stick to. I’ll learn from this moving forward. 9 carries for 17 yards and a loss for Kansas State, unsurprisingly.
TJ Engleman, RB, East Carolina, 50% rostered
TCU’s starting quarterback Emory Williams got hurt early in this game, which changed the way both the TCU offense and Memphis defense played the game. There were a lot of runs up the middle, and it took Engleman 3+ quarters to finally break a long run. He finished with 16 points after finding the end zone and maintained his role as the leader in the backfield with over 50% of the touches (21 total). Not game-changing, but he didn’t cost you the week like Jackson!
Connor Lair, RB/TE, Missouri State, 3% rostered
Lair played last Tuesday before the article came out and finished the week as the RB20. The best part about it is that in managed lineup leagues, you’ll be able to slot that RB20 cozily into your TE spot! Hope you snagged him as I did!
Tyler Hughes, QB, WYO, 7% rostered
For those following me on Twitter, I mentioned a few extra players I was watching. Tyler Hughes was one of them, and at under 10% rostered, he was a true diamond in the rough find for the Control Room. The stats do the talking here. He blew up last week against NIU and followed it up with another impressive performance. Since taking over as the starter in Week 6, Hughes is looking more like a video game quarterback than an NFL one, but that’s perfectly fine for College Fantasy Football!
It is time for you to be real with your roster. Are you a top-four team with a legit chance to win? Are you a middle-of-the-road team that has been hit with the injury bug? If not, you should be selling. Do not get stuck with aging Dynasty assets if you are not a contender. With that, let’s dive right into my top four “buys” and “sells” from a Dynasty.
Looking to secure the rookie 1.01 in your dynasty league? @force_fantasy gives you the full breakdown on how to tank and complete a rebuild.
Week 6 had plenty of drama. The Texans beat the Jaguars in London on a last-second field goal, the Broncos were outgained 353 to 168 and still beat the Seahawks in overtime, Jalen Hurts landed on IR, J.J. McCarthy took Jameis Winston’s job with the Giants, Terry McLaurin was lost for the season, and the Chargers are somehow 0-6.
Same format as last week: I dig through the numbers, snap counts, and news from all 32 teams so you don’t have to, and pull out the stat, trend, or storyline from each one that deserves your attention. Some of it points to a clear move. Some of it is food for thought.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Jeremiyah Love missed his first game in Week 6, and despite a difficult division matchup with the Rams, the Cardinals running backs had a combined 37 touches. Love is averaging 16 touches per game and has 81 total this season.
Takeaway: With Brissett’s up-and-down play week to week, the Cardinals rely heavily on the run game. Love is in for a big workload, despite being in a committee backfield. The Cardinals’ rest-of-season strength of schedule for running backs is second easiest.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Jahan Dotson has started taking over the WR2 role in Atlanta. He’s scored a touchdown in two of the last three games, has more than 50 receiving yards in every game over his last three, and has double-digit points in two of his last three games.
Takeaway: Dotson is a nice waiver-wire add to help combat injuries and bye weeks. Penix has 30 or more pass attempts the last two weeks, and Dotson is averaging four targets per game over the last three weeks.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
For the first time this season, Derrick Henry failed to score a touchdown or reach 15 points in a game.
Takeaway: In a game where the Ravens offense only mustered 235 total yards against a divisional opponent, this is a one-off type of performance for Henry.
BUFFALO BILLS
Despite not having his alpha receiver in D.J. Moore, Josh Allen has two or more touchdowns in every game and is on pace for 51 touchdowns this season.
Takeaway: Last week I said picking a Bills receiver was a guessing game. In Week 6, Keon Coleman played 85% of the snaps and scored, while Khalil Shakir played about 60%. D.J. Moore was inactive again with his shoulder injury, and the Bills are on bye in Week 7.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Jalen Coker was a warm welcome back to the Panthers offense. For the second time in the four games Coker and Tetairoa McMillan have played together, Coker has outscored him.
Takeaway: Bryce Young is averaging 40 pass attempts a game, and in Week 6 Coker saw 13 targets to McMillan’s 9. With that much volume, the Panthers passing game has room for both receivers.
CHICAGO BEARS
After a tumultuous start to the season, Luther Burden has found a way to be a top-24 receiver: 20th in receiving yards, 13th in receptions, and 21st in total points.
Takeaway: With the return of Caleb Williams, Luther Burden caught all eight of his targets for 95 yards, and Colston Loveland added six catches and a touchdown. Rome Odunze didn’t put up the fantasy numbers on four targets, but he played 96% of the snaps, his second most all season.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Despite ranking 20th in the NFL in red zone possessions and scoring only seven touchdowns in the red zone, the Bengals offense was averaging over 25 PPG heading into their bye week, ranking ninth in the NFL.
Takeaway: The Bengals have played one fewer game than most teams, so their 20th-place red zone ranking is partly a product of the bye. Chase Brown has 14 red zone touches this season, and they face the Ravens in Week 7.
Welcome back to C2C Control Room: Players to Watch, Part 2! I hope you enjoyed the first article in this series, where I explored the players highlighted by our Campus Control Center beta app during the first half of the season. In this installment, I will review the previous week’s notable players, discuss some early-season hits and misses, and identify three more players for you to keep an eye on.
As a reminder, my name is Joe Memmolo Jr., and I am a Co-Owner and Director of Technology at Dynasty Football Factory. I am primarily known for my work on building the Control Room app, which you are currently using, rather than for writing articles. With over two decades of experience in fantasy sports and a career in business intelligence, I always seek out the data trends that matter. My goal is to provide you with a tool that simplifies the process. Now, let’s dive back in!
Campus Control Center: Week in Review
Dominic Knicely, RB, Coastal Carolina (18% rostered)
I was extremely excited to watch Knicely play last week and was absolutely devastated as soon as I checked the box score in the second quarter. Apparently, some linebacker was leading the team with nine carries! Luckily, this was just an error, and it was Knicely all along. Now, despite leading the team with 18 carries, 60% of the total rushes, Knicely only finished with 90 yards on the ground to go along with one catch for 5 yards. I love the workload, but was disappointed with the outcome overall. However, 12 points as a floor play for someone rostered in only 18% of leagues (up 2% week over week) isn’t bad. Now we just need to hope the ceiling is still there, and with 19 touches, I believe it is. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until after the bye to see Knicely take the field against Georgia State in week 10.
Dominic Kelley, RB, Nevada (29%)
I mentioned last week that Kelley had a tough matchup against NDSU, but what I didn’t expect was the absolutely wild sequence that took place near halftime. There was a kick-six at half, a two-point conversion attempt returned for a safety, and then an absolutely unreal touchdown catch all within a 10-minute span. Through the chaos, Nevada found themselves trailing the entire second half against a team that was already tough to run against. What I didn’t expect to see was Kelley getting targeted six times. That was an extremely pleasant surprise that turned a bad situation into a potential fantasy goldmine. Of course, five catches on six targets for 33 yards isn’t anything stellar, but that potential in the receiving game, plus a good day on the ground leading Nevada once again with 11 carries (52% of the team’s share) for 60 yards, got him to 14 points. San Jose State is up next and should be much easier to run against, so there might be some delayed satisfaction with Kelley, but I’m expecting over 20 points this week, so if you’re in any of the 71% of leagues that haven’t caught wind, grab him before it’s too late.
Josiah Freeman, WR, Fresno State (27%)
Freeman had the targets but could not get anything going with them. This was definitely one of those gambles where you’re hoping that the inefficiency returns to the mean at some point, but once again, despite leading the team in targets with 7 (33% of the team’s total), Freeman failed to catch even 50% of them for the second game in a row and finished with only 49 yards and no touchdowns. He’s the clear leader in the clubhouse at Fresno State, but I’m starting to become concerned with his efficiency. He has a bye next week, so I wouldn’t blame anyone for dropping him, but his schedule does look fantastic to end the year if you want to wait until after Halloween when they play Oregon State.
The NFL season rolls on into Week 7 and kicks off with a huge game in Chicago. More on that later. Believe it or not, Week 7 will mark the halfway point of those leagues that start their playoffs in Week 15. I know. I know. Nothing like the fantasy football season to remind us all of the unforgiving and relentless passage of time. But anyway, I will cut the morbidity. We have a great slate this week, starting with a great contest between two of the league’s brightest and best. Let’s get into it.
Treylon Burks (WR – WAS)
Treylon Burks was so close to being a hero for the Commanders on Monday night against the 49ers. The former first-round pick had the potential game-winning touchdown in his hands, but couldn’t survive the ground while being tackled on a jump ball at the goal line. Ball comes loose. Commanders lose.
It was a sour way to end the night for Burks, who otherwise played well. He stepped up and took on a larger role after Terry McLaurin was carted off early in the game with a season-ending knee injury. In McLaurin’s absence, Burks earned six targets, reeling in four of them for 66 yards. It wasn’t a monster game, but the numbers did give him a WR3 finish for the week.
Provided Washington doesn’t make a move for a receiver — which seems unlikely since they are 1-4-1 and not really competing — Burks could have some FLEX appeal going forward. His targets have increased every week this season, and he should be on the field a ton with Stefon Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams rounding out the top three receivers.
Washington has a bye this week, so Burks will likely fly under the radar in most dynasty leagues. He also got banged up on the dropped touchdown at the end of the game, but was able to walk to the locker room. Just keep an eye out for any potential injury updates.
Still, Burks is only rostered in roughly 16% of Sleeper dynasty leagues and has a clear path to playing time coming out of the bye.
I know some dynasty managers still have PTSD from Burks. I get it. The guy never lived up to the hype. A lot of that has to do with the fact that he was a direct replacement for A.J. Brown in Tennessee, but he dealt with a multitude of injuries and just didn’t produce.
Still only 26, he’s worth a stash, though. With more than 10 fantasy points in two of his last three games, Burks could help you down the stretch if his role expands.
Tommy Tremble (TE – CAR)
I kid you not, I had Tommy Tremble as a potential player for this article last week. Ultimately, I decided to scrap him for Efton Chism, who had been playing well. I wish I had gone with my gut, though, because Tremble’s two-touchdown spike week would’ve made me look like a genius.
Oh well, you win some, and you lose some.
Back to Tremble. He’s starting to see the field more than Darren Waller, and it’s showing up on the stat sheet. Last week, he played a season-high 68% of the snaps and earned four targets for the third straight game. Tremble turned those into four receptions for 46 yards and two scores, giving him the first multi-score game of his six-year career.
It was a great outing for Tremble, who finished as the TE3 last week. He’s now up to an 88.2% catch rate on the season, seventh-best among qualifying tight ends. He also ranks eighth in missed tackles forced per reception, with a mark of 0.20, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.
Ideally, the slider moves towards more targets going forward. Tremble is currently averaging just 3.4 targets per game with an 8.4% target share. That’s not playable for fantasy. But if those numbers pump up to around five targets and a 15% target share, then Tremble could be used as an occasional FLEX in TE-premium formats.
Available in roughly 90% of Sleeper dynasty leagues, you shouldn’t have much of an issue scooping up Tremble even after his breakout performance. Stash him for now and see if he starts to get more playing time and opportunities.
In this series,@joshreedy5 spotlights the standout performances from the “2026 Rookie Class” and highlights both promising and concerning trends. Let’s dive into how these rookies fared in Week 6.
Week 7 gave us several interesting players to attack on the C2C waiver wire. We have a running back producing as both a runner and receiver, a quarterback creating opportunities with his legs, and a couple of tight ends becoming reliable campus options. The approach stays the same. Win the campus side first, then look at C2C appreciation, youth, and ceiling. Every recommendation assumes a $100 C2C FAAB budget.
Malachi Toney Takes Over the Rivalry
Toney caught 11 passes for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns, added 31 rushing yards on 2 carries, and threw the winning 2-point conversion as Miami beat Florida State 43 to 35 in double overtime. That is 13 touches for 185 scrimmage yards in the biggest moment of the night.
Javian Mallory Makes His Move
Mallory turned 13 carries into 108 yards and 2 touchdowns for Miami. The true freshman delivered in a competitive rivalry game, including the tying fourth-quarter touchdown, and is becoming more than a stash. This is a legitimate C2C/Devy move up.
Bryce Underwood Gets Benched
Underwood completed 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions, adding 11 yards on 3 carries before Michigan benched him at halftime. True freshman Tommy Carr completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards and added 36 rushing yards with a touchdown on 4 carries as Michigan rallied to beat Penn State 21 to 18. After that performance, Carr has made a strong case to keep the job.
Savion Hiter Shows the Burst
Hiter carried 11 times for 78 yards and caught 2 passes for 2 yards. His 41-yard fourth-quarter run accounted for 52.6% of his rushing total, leaving 10 carries for 37 yards without it. The true freshman flashed, but Jordan Marshall still handled 14 carries, and Michigan gave the goal line touchdowns to Marshall and Carr.
Arch Manning Comes Up Short Again
Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions, added 8 yards on 6 official rushing attempts, took 5 sacks, and lost the game-ending fumble in Texas’ 27 to 24 loss to Florida. His 62-yard completion came with Texas down 27 to 17 and supplied 35.8% of his passing yards. Remove it, and he was 13 of 19 for 111 yards. I’m not abandoning my favorite quarterback, but 2 straight losses with late turnovers mean I need to take another look at where I have him ranked.
Jadan Baugh Gets the Feature Work
Baugh carried 25 times for 91 yards and 1 touchdown, caught 2 passes for 13 yards, and finished with 27 touches for 104 scrimmage yards in Florida’s upset. The efficiency was ordinary, but the workload and fourth-quarter scoring opportunity were exactly what we needed after last week’s shutdown.
Jesse Legree’s Box Score Needs Context
Legree caught 8 passes for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns in Oregon State’s 48 to 30 win over Washington State. His 90 yard touchdown supplied 83.3% of the yardage. Without it, he had 7 catches for 18 yards, although he still caught a second touchdown from 5 yards out.
KJ Edwards Makes His Move
Edwards carried 13 times for 116 yards with a long of 34, no touchdowns, no receptions on 1 verified target, and no fumbles as Texas A&M beat The Citadel 41 to 0. Runs of 32 and 34 yards came after the Aggies led 28 to 0 and produced 56.9% of his total. Remove both, and he had 11 carries for 50 yards, so keep the true freshman in the pipeline without overreacting to late explosive work.
Dilin Jones Does Everything
Jones carried 18 times for 84 yards and caught 8 of 9 targets for 58 yards, giving him 26 touches and 142 scrimmage yards in LSU’s 31 to 0 win over Mississippi State. The receiving role is the important development because it strengthens both his campus floor and his potential NFL usage.
Welcome to my first series in about four years! The goal is to spotlight a few players each week I’m watching or adding to my C2C rosters who I think are buried deep in your Fantrax player pools. But first, a little about myself and why I think I’m the perfect person to find those diamonds in the rough.
My name is Joe Memmolo Jr and I’m a Co-Owner/Director of Technology at Dynasty Football Factory. I’m mostly known for no longer writing articles, but for building the Control Room, which should be exactly the app you’re reading right now! Now you’re asking yourself, why is this guy qualified to write about C2C diamonds in the rough? It’s a great question, and I’ve played C2C for only half a year at this point, so it’s extremely valid. But I bring a mind for data and trend analysis, plus a passion for winning. Everything I’m going to put into these articles is backed by real data and analysis that I’m using to test out a future capability for the Control Room: The Campus Control Center.
This also isn’t the first time I’ve used data analysis to back fantasy sports decision-making. I played fantasy basketball back in 2017-2019 and created macros in Excel to scrape data from ESPN and effectively build teams that became the best in specific category combinations and find the best values in the draft and free agency. To me, college football, even with all its week-to-week chaos, is no different. So with that, let’s talk about some of the players I’ve called out in the past and identify how the Control Room has helped me identify valuable players to this point.
It is time for you to be real with your roster. Are you a top-4 team with a legit chance to win? Are you a middle-of-the-road team that has been hit with the injury bug? If not, you should be selling. Do not get stuck with aging Dynasty assets if you are not a contender. With that, let’s dive into my top four “buys” and “sells” for Dynasty.
