Dynasty Analysis
I love writing these storyline pieces. I will go through some of the games and discuss one dynasty-relevant storyline per team that I’m excited to see. I won’t cover every game, as I don’t feel like there’s necessarily an exciting storyline to discuss for every team. However, I’ll bring you my best insights from the games I select each week.
Congratulations! I hope this applies to a lot of y’all, as I believe my readers are educated and smart fantasy players who have made it to the finals of their leagues. My overall percentage of teams in the playoffs is down compared to normal, but 2020 has been nothing but normal right? Like last week, we had several big-time rookie performances in Week 15. Jalen Hurts was the top-scoring player across all positions, and Justin Herbert was QB6. D’Andre Swift was RB10, Jonathan Taylor was RB15, Brandon Aiyuk was WR6, CeeDee Lamb WR11, and Justin Jefferson WR16. So if you rostered and played these rookies, you’re happy you did! Like the past two weeks, in addition to the normal stuff I cover here, I will be adding a Week 16 Playoff Spin for each rookie I touch on today. Let’s get into it!
Congratulations on making it to your league championship! Take a moment to bask in the glory of your accomplishment… alright, that’s enough. It’s time to get down to business and lock in those championship-winning lineups. In this article, I’ll be covering a handful of players at each position that I believe will either lead you to the promised land or down a path of misery and despair. Let’s dive in!
I’ve brought so much weekly content to the table this season for DFF. I’ve had streamers, divisional nuggets, risers and fallers, one week ahead, and storylines, among other pieces. Now, we’ve reached Week 16, fantasy championship week for almost all leagues. As a side note, if your league plays into Week 17, stop that. Many NFL teams play their backups in the last week of the season, and you don’t want your title decided by backups. With that PSA out of the way, let’s move into why I’m writing this column. I want to discuss the meaning of fantasy football. If you’re playing for a championship this week, I’m curious what motivates you to go out and win the title. Is it money, pride, or something else?
In this weekly piece, I will bring you some risers and fallers from a dynasty lens. Whether it’s injuries, performance, or value, I want to discuss how players have moved around. Based on the week’s events, I’ll give some advice on how to act on the market’s movement, whether it’s buying, selling, or holding.
I won’t limit myself to talking about any specific players or teams because I want to have the freedom to discuss whatever is most relevant. Also, of course, there are more risers and fallers than those I’m listing. However, it’s impossible to cover every single one of them, as dynasty values change weekly for many players. With that said, let’s jump into the risers first, followed by the fallers.
In lieu of a standard opening this week, we’d just like to say one last thank you for reading our work all year. We hope we’ve helped you make championships, or at least enjoy fantasy football a little more. It’s an incredibly fun and emotionally-taxing game we play. If we’ve helped you have even a tiny bit more fun, we’re quite grateful. Zach and I will raise a glass to you, dear readers, and wish you much luck in this all-important championship week.
Most leagues are coming down to this week, and to those that have made the championship this year, I wish you all the best. For those that are continuing the roster-building grind, I am back again with another dynasty sleeper for you. Week 15 is in the books, and this week’s sleeper was a guy I have had an eye on for a while. He is currently owned in 33% of leagues according to MyFantasyLeagues. I had written a short blurb on this guy in the offseason when I looked at RFAs to target in the offseason. I am going back to the well with David Moore, wide receiver of the Seattle Seahawks.
Ryan Tannehill had an excellent game. He completed 21/27 of his passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns, and he also added three carries for 21 yards and two rushing touchdowns. I currently rank Tannehill as my dynasty QB11. He’s locked into his current situation through 2022, and I don’t see him slowing down. I’m perfectly comfortable with Tannehill as my QB1 in a 1QB league and my QB2 in Superflex leagues.
All of the receivers of relevance are on contract for next season, but it’s more of a question of who will be throwing to them? Michael Thomas has practically taken this year off, and I am sure we will see him emerge during the playoffs to remind people of his talent. Sanders has not been able to really step up in Thomas’s absence and the others have been injured as well off and on. Hope for a rebound with a better passer at QB next year, but if you can get a good return for Thomas I would consider it after this disappointing season.
Let’s start things off with a little Christmas Day action, shall we?
The Saints are one of the most complete teams in the NFC, while the Minnesota Vikings have made Teddy Bridgewater, Mike Glennon, and even Mitchell Trubisky look like franchise quarterbacks in recent weeks. Drew Brees may have started off slow in his return from injury, but he ultimately finished with three passing touchdowns against the Chiefs. Look for the Saints to roll.
This weekly article is focused on identifying players who are owned in less than 40% of redraft leagues. These players are going to help your team win this week and every week to come! We are looking for guys you should be able to plug into your starting lineup without hesitation.
Raheem Morris has reported Todd Gurley will no longer be the starting running back for the Atlanta Falcons and Ito Smith will take over as the lead back. This is some pretty wild news heading into fantasy championship weekend. Finding a starting running back this late in the year on waivers is virtually unheard of. But, this is 2020, when Ito Smith can assume a lead role in Week 16.
This has been by far the most challenging season of sit/start decisions I’ve encountered in my years of fantasy football. Those of you in championship games and toilet bowls alike should take a moment to reflect on a challenging season, pat yourself on the back for your grit, and know that lessons learned this year will prepare you well for in-season roster management next year and beyond. If you’ve decided best-ball is your jam for 2021, I fully support you!
This is my final real week of streaming coverage. I’ve loved bringing you this article each week for two straight seasons, and it’s sad that the 2020 version will end soon. I’ll probably throw something together for Week 17 as bonus coverage, but we should all move to Week 16 championships. Deciding your fantasy title in Week 17 is silly. With that said, let’s jump into the streamers!
This week and every week going forward we’ll bring you several recommendations for players you should add to your dynasty rosters. We’ll mainly be targeting lower-owned guys who should be available in all but the deepest leagues.
Someone will need to explain to me why Chad Hansen is still on the waiver wire in any dynasty leagues. Not because he’s going to break out and become an every-week starter going forward but because there hasn’t been a single game he’s played in which he didn’t score 10+ fantasy points. The Houston receiving corps is decimated by injuries and Hansen is feasting on the opportunities. You should own him to sell him to the highest bidder if nothing else.
I love writing these storyline pieces. I will go through some of the games and discuss one dynasty-relevant storyline per team that I’m excited to see. I won’t cover every game, as I don’t feel like there’s necessarily an exciting storyline to discuss for every team. However, I’ll bring you my best insights from the games I select each week.
Only a few contenders are left in leagues vying for the championship, but regardless of the position your dynasty team is in, the constant drive to improve your team should never end even if the season is coming to a close. Each year, in each league some players stop paying attention as soon as they miss the playoffs, and they wonder why they lose year after year. The NFL doesn’t stop just because you didn’t make it to your fantasy football playoffs.
This publication is my weekly picks against the spread, with a deep dive into three picks that I feel will provide a nice payout to bettors. In part two, I look at three player props that I feel have a strong chance of paying out. This article will run the gamut and will include bets such as ‘passing yard totals’, ‘first player to score’, and even ‘total tackles’ for those who love defense.
In addition, I will also make one “Longshot Pick of the Week”. This pick will always feature a more difficult bet that has a greater than 2:1 payout. The odds may be tougher, but if you’re into some fun player props take a peek!
Sticking with our recent format, I’ll be focusing on my favorite games for the Week 15 main slate that I believe offer the best game environments and stacking opportunities. As you read, please note that the player names in bold are what I consider my “core” players or guys that I’m sliding into a large percentage of my lineups.
In this weekly article, I’m going to look ahead to the following week. I’ll point out a few players below 40% owned on ESPN who have strong matchups next week that you can pick up ahead of time to beat the waiver run. With added IR spots in most leagues, you can also shift injured players there, opening up a roster spot for these options. At this point, we’re playing a weekly game. Don’t drop anyone you need to use this week in the playoffs to prepare for a possible Week 16 matchup. If you don’t win this week, you won’t have a next week. But, if you have a first-round bye, this column is essential for you. Start preparing for Week 16 now, while your league mates focus on the first round of the playoffs.
Holy Smokes, this week was a fun one for the Washington Football Team defense. Playing at the displaced defending NFC champion 49ers, the Football Team produced four sacks, two fumbles, an interception, and two touchdowns to help secure the victory. Since Week 11, Washington has given up a total of 57 points (fewer than 15 per game), while scoring three touchdowns and registering 12 sacks in that timeframe. Players that made IDP waves this week include Chase Young, Kamren Curl, and Montez Sweat.
The first week of the fantasy football playoffs is now behind, and I hope you still have a horse in the race. There were lots of rookies in Week 14 that performed well and could have really helped your teams. One top-five QB in Tua, two top 10 WRs in KJ Hamler and Brandon Aiyuk, two top 10 RBs in Jonathan Taylor and Cam Akers, and plenty of others like Lynn Bowden, and J.K. Dobbins who could have been worthy Flex plays. I will not dive into all of these players, but like last week I will be giving you a quick Week 15 playoff spin on the players I do touch on this week. 3,2,1… it’s go time!
In this weekly piece, I will bring you some risers and fallers from a dynasty lens. Whether it’s injuries, performance, or value, I want to discuss how players have moved around. Based on the week’s events, I’ll give some advice on how to act on the market’s movement, whether it’s buying, selling, or holding.
I won’t limit myself to talking about any specific players or teams because I want to have the freedom to discuss whatever is most relevant. Also, of course, there are more risers and fallers than those I’m listing. However, it’s impossible to cover every single one of them, as dynasty values change weekly for many players. With that said, let’s jump into the risers first, followed by the fallers.
In the fantasy playoffs, each start/sit decision becomes more crucial. In this article, I’ll be covering a handful of players that I believe will either exceed expectations or let your team down in a major way. Here’s who you should be looking at for Week 15.
Hockenson is TE3 on the year in half-point PPR and has been a consistent fantasy asset all season. Hockenson’s floor is very high and he has an average ceiling as well. Week 15 brings a matchup against a very mediocre Titans defense. The Titans’ offense, on the other hand, is elite. I envision this game getting a bit ugly early which could lead to even more junk time points for Hockenson. You are never not starting Hockenson, but week 15 projects as a potential monster week for him in your lineup. Additionally, if you play dynasty, Hockenson projects as at worst a top-five option at the position moving forward. He is an elite option both in the 2020 fantasy playoffs and moving forward.
Week 14 has come to a close, and hopefully, everyone is still chugging along in the playoffs. Whether or not you are, you can keep an eye on this week’s sleeper of the week as you get primed for years to come. This week’s sleeper is definitely in the “stash and wait” category, as his 2020 usage isn’t going to wow anyone. He is paired with a good young quarterback in Justin Herbert. If you haven’t guessed it yet, our sleeper is Donald Parham, the young 6’8 athletic tight end that set the XFL on fire. Let’s take a look at Parham’s road to fantasy relevance.