Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series (preseason edition). Week 1 of the preseason is officially in the books. Positional battles are ramping up. And injuries are opening up opportunities for players looking to earn significant roles and/or roster spots. The time to be the most active in dynasty leagues is NOW. We are going to hear “hype” reports from beat reporters. And we are going to hear some reports that make us feel a little uneasy about our player investments. Us dynasty managers must constantly research ways to bolster our rosters. In this continuation series, we will dive deep into one player whose dynasty stock is increasing and one player whose dynasty stock is decreasing from each team in every division. Today, we will break down the AFC North. 

BENGALS

STOCK UP – CHRIS EVANS

Year	Team	Games Played	Carries	Yards	Yards/Carry	TDs	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2021	CIN	14	17	77	4.5	0	15	151	10.1	2

If you looked at the box score from the Bengals’ Week 1 preseason matchup against the Cardinals, you’d probably be scratching your head as to why Evans is in this spot. Sure, he received eight attempts and failed to produce positive yardage (-3 yards), but what you don’t see from the box score are his two superb runs that got called back. He had both a 60-yard run and a five-yard touchdown scamper wiped away from holding calls. Evans also returned a kick 41 yards and hauled in his lone target for nine yards. In Cincinnati’s first official depth chart, they have Evans listed third behind Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine, but you should expect an increase in production from the second-year pro this season. 

Evans is just 24 years old, and he did not receive a ton of touches last year. That means he’s fresh and ready for the future. Mixon is under contract until 2025, but he’s seen his fair share of injuries during the past few seasons, as he’s received a combined 1,104 carries and hauled in 171 receptions during his five-year career. Running backs don’t last long in this league, especially someone who’s been involved that much as a full-time starter. Then you take a look at Perine. Sure, he plays a vital role right now for this team, but he’s already 26 years old going into the last season on his current contract. If Evans takes advantage of his opportunities this season, he could all of a sudden be an every-week fantasy contributor sooner rather than later. He’s worth a look in dynasty leagues, and he could pay off at little cost if you decide to grab him now. 

Evans’ 2022 Prediction

Rushing: 54 carries, 226 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving: 21 receptions, 235 yards, 2 touchdowns

STOCK DOWN – TYLER BOYD

Year	Team	Games Played	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2016	CIN	16	81	54	603	11.2	1
2017	CIN	10	32	22	225	10.2	2
2018	CIN	14	108	76	1,028	13.5	7
2019	CIN	16	148	90	1,046	11.6	5
2020	CIN	15	110	79	841	10.6	4
2021	CIN	16	94	67	828	12.4	5

Boyd has been the epitome of a consistent slot receiver in this league during his six-year career. Just when you think he’s going to be irrelevant in fantasy, he slips away and hauls in that long ball that turns into double-digit fantasy points for the week. But you have to admit it, his dynasty value is slipping at this point. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are the obvious one-two punch for Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense. Add those two to a superb running game led by Mixon, and it’s too hard to see Boyd contributing as he has during his consistent career. You also have the hype rumors surrounding Hayden Hurst as this team’s breakout candidate, as he mans the TE1 spot on this team. 

Boyd’s contract is set to expire the same year Higgins and many key defensive players’ contracts are set to expire as well (Chidobe Awuzie, D.J. Reader, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, etc.). It’s hard to imagine this team paying both Higgins and Boyd without signing one or two of those key pieces on defense and planning for a future (massive) extension for Burrow (contracted until 2025). The time to trade Boyd away is now. If you want to string him along this season, you may not lose a ton of value, but dynasty managers will catch on and realize by the next offseason that his trade value has plummeted.  

Boyd’s 2022 Prediction

Receiving: 58 receptions, 679 yards, 4 touchdowns 

BROWNS

STOCK UP –  JEROME FORD

Year	School	Class	Games Played	Carries	Yards	TDs	Receptions	Yards	TDs
2018	Alabama	FR	4	7	37	0	0	0	0
2019	Alabama	FR	4	24	114	3	2	11	0
2020	Cincinnati	SO	10	73	483	8	8	51	0
2021	Cincinnati	JR	13	215	1,319	19	21	220	1

If you’re looking to stash someone on your taxi squad, who’s primed to have a great career after his first season, Ford is your guy. The Browns’ running back room is loaded with talent right now, but that could all change in one year. Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and D’Ernest Johnson all are ahead of Ford on the first official depth chart. But if you really think about the three backs ahead of him and analyze their future, it’s murky for all three at best. Both Hunt and Johnson have expiring contracts after this season. But it gets worse for those two. Hunt has been in search of more money and even requested a trade a few weeks ago. Surely, he’ll be on this team this season, but you can’t say the same for Johnson. 

There are rumors surrounding the fact that Johnson may get cut before the season starts, and his preseason performance last week didn’t help his case. He carried the ball three times for no yards and coughed up a fumble. Ford coughed one up himself, but he turned in 10 carries for 57 yards and hauled in four receptions for 45 yards and a score as well. Then when you look at Chubb’s future outlook, it’s a bit murky as well. He’s dealt with constant injuries throughout his career, as he’s been used as a bell-cow for Cleveland’s offense. He’s missed seven games during the last two seasons while also carrying a heavy workload. His time as a dominant pure rusher will come to an end within the next few seasons. That opens the door for Ford’s future opportunities. Even if he never becomes an RB1 for this team, he’ll surely turn into a fantasy contributor in the near future. 

Ford’s 2022 Prediction

Rushing: 21 carries, 88 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving: 2 receptions, 17 yards

STOCK DOWN – ANTHONY SCHWARTZ

Year	Team	Games Played	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2021	CLE	14	23	10	135	13.5	1

After a shaky rookie season, Schwartz finds himself on the outside looking in. Both Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are no longer on this team but in comes Amari Cooper, David Bell, and Michael Woods II. Add those three to a promising Donovan Peoples-Jones, and there is simply no room for Schwartz to become fantasy relevant in this group. You also have to keep in mind that this is a run-first team that uses two tight end sets the majority of the time. Sure, Deshaun Watson will eventually line up under center once he’s finished serving his 11-game suspension, but Kevin Stefanski will overwork Chubb and Hunt on the ground.

Both David Njoku and Harrison Bryant will demand targets. Hunt and Demetric Felton will contribute in the receiving game out of the backfield as well. The future looked a lot more promising for Schwartz going into last season after he was drafted in the third round in last year’s NFL Draft. But it isn’t encouraging when the team brings in a clear-cut WR1 in Cooper and drafts Bell in the third and Woods II in the sixth in this year’s draft. Schwartz may not have much value in dynasty leagues right now, but he surely will have less value if he puts together another quiet season.  

Schwartz’s 2022 Prediction

Receiving: 18 receptions, 232 yards, 1 touchdown

RAVENS

STOCK UP –  DEVIN DUVERNAY

Year	Team	Games Played	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2020	BAL	16	26	20	201	10.1	0
2021	BAL	16	47	33	272	8.2	2

Already an All-Pro return specialist, Duvernay will put together his best Jacoby Jones impersonation, as he’s getting a shot to prove himself as one of the premier wide receivers for the Ravens this season. The expectation, for now, is that he’s got the edge over James Proche II and Tylan Wallace as the team’s WR2 behind Rashod Bateman. This receiving group as a whole comes into the season young and inexperienced. The good news is that Bateman isn’t even the clear-cut WR1 for this team. His yards per route run (1.26) numbers last season were abysmal, but that may have to do with Baltimore’s style of play. The past few seasons have featured the reliable Mark Andrews manning the TE1 spot and Marquise ‘Holywood’ Brown serving as the only reliable pass-catching wide receiver. Now that he’s out of town, a speedster needs to step up. Why not Duvernay? 

He lines up on the outside with blazing speed, as he ran a 4.39 40 time at the 2020 NFL combine. That’s what Lamar Jackson is comfortable with when he targets one of his top receivers. On top of that, camp highlights have shown the connection between these two. They’re connecting on deep seam routes and even staying after practice to work on their timing. Sure, Proche II and Wallace are receiving love in the dynasty community right now, but Duvernay is the one listed as the starter right now. He was also a third-round selection in 2020. Whereas Proche II was selected in the sixth that same year and Wallace went in the fourth last year. Draft capital does matter when the same regime drafts these same players. It also helps that Duvernay brings the most receiving experience amongst the three. He’s hauled in 34 more receptions and 234 more receiving yards than Proche II and Wallace have combined in their careers. 

Duvernay’s 2022 Prediction

Receiving: 41 receptions, 476 yards, 3 touchdowns

STOCK DOWN – GUS EDWARDS

Year	Team	Games Played	Carries	Yards	Yards/Carry	TDs	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2018	BAL	11	137	718	5.2	2	2	20	10.0	0
2019	BAL	16	133	711	5.3	2	7	45	6.4	0
2020	BAL	16	144	723	5.0	6	9	129	14.3	0

It may be time to start thinking about shipping Gus Edwards away. You may even be a season late to do so. First of all, if you are handcuffing Edwards to J.K. Dobbins on your dynasty roster, this doesn’t apply to you as much. But if you are holding onto him because you think he can replicate what he did during his first three years, you may want to think again. The 27-year-old bruiser has yet to return to action after missing the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL. These injuries occur all the time, but modern-day players usually recover quicker than Edwards has. Baltimore clearly sees this as an issue, and that is why they decided to sign veteran Mike Davis and draft Tyler Badie in this year’s draft. 

Even if Edwards makes a full recovery soon, the Ravens are loaded at the running back position. Dobbins looks to be almost back to full health. Davis and Badie are receiving their shots to make the team. And veteran Justice Hill is also back healthy looking to carve out a role this season. Both Dobbins and Edwards are set to hit free agency in 2024. By then, Edwards will be 29 and Badie will still be on his rookie contract. If you’re thinking long-term, which you should be, stashing Edwards on your bench doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. He’s coming off his first serious injury. He’s getting up there in age for a back in this league. And he isn’t the future for this team. Trade him now while his value is still decent. Go out and find that dynasty manager who has Dobbins on his or her roster, and get a decent return. 

Edwards’ 2022 Prediction

Rushing: 107 carries, 471 yards, 3 touchdowns

Receiving: 7 receptions, 76 yards

STEELERS

STOCK UP – GEORGE PICKENS

Year	School	Class	Games Played	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2019	Georgia	FR	12	49	727	14.8	8
2020	Georgia	SO	8	36	513	14.3	6
2021	Georgia	JR	4	5	107	21.4	0

I don’t know if there is a rookie receiver with more dynasty hype spreading around the fantasy community than Pickens right now. There were questions surrounding his health coming into the season. He looks healthy now. There were questions surrounding the other pass-catchers on this team demanding too much volume, causing Pickens to stay quiet. He’s headlining camp, Diontae Johnson is praising him, Anthony Miller is out for the season, and Calvin Austin III is struggling mightily. Sure, Pickens may not come out and top 1,000 yards in his rookie season. He may not look like the best rookie receiver when you check his stats at the end of the year. But his future is bright, and many dynasty managers have taken him over names like Skyy Moore, Jameson Williams, Treylon Burks, etc. as of late. That wouldn’t have even been a thought two months ago. 

Mitchell Trubisky is expected to serve as the starter come Week 1. It’s ensuring that the first snap he takes as a Pittsburgh Steeler turns into a nine-yard completion to Pickens. Johnson is the expected WR1 this season, and Chase Claypool is thought of (for now) as the WR2 slightly ahead of Pickens. But his contract is set to expire in 2024 and considering Johnson just received a hefty extension, it’s not likely that Claypool sees the same. The Steelers have a history of not paying starting receivers and letting them walk in free agency (Mike Wallace, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Emmanuel Sanders, etc.). You also have to keep in mind that there was a reason why Pittsburgh decided to draft two receivers in the first four rounds of this year’s draft. Teams don’t typically do that when they plan to extend their top-two receivers already on their team. Don’t be surprised if Pickens ends up becoming this team’s WR2 this season and WR1 in a few years from now. 

Pickens’ 2022 Prediction

Receiving: 56 receptions, 711 yards, 4 touchdowns

STOCK DOWN – CALVIN AUSTIN III

Year	School	Class	Games Played	Receptions	Yards	Yards/Catch	TDs
2018	Memphis	FR	4	2	24	12.0	0
2019	Memphis	SO	9	17	315	18.5	3
2020	Memphis	JR	11	63	1,053	16.7	11
2021	Memphis	SR	12	74	1,149	15.5	8

As mentioned above, Austin III was the second receiver drafted this year by the Steelers. The fourth-round selection has had a tough start to camp, and his future outlook took a hit once Johnson signed his extension a few weeks ago. In Pittsburgh’s first depth chart this offseason, the rookie out of Memphis found himself behind Johnson, Claypool, Pickens, Miller (out for the season), Cody White, Myles Boykin, Steven Sims, and Gunner Olszewski. To make matters worse for Austin III, he was held out of the first preseason game and then spotted walking in a boot on the sidelines. Mike Tomlin did confirm that he suffered a foot injury in practice but didn’t go into details on how serious this injury is.

Even if he is able to play Week 1, the rookie receiver will have missed valuable time to showcase why he belongs on the field early and often. Let’s say he finds himself healthy and playing the majority of the games this season; he’s going to have a tough time finding opportunities in this run-first offense. Johnson, Claypool, and Pickens will surely outperform him. But you also have to keep in mind that Pat Freiermuth is an up-in-coming star tight end in this league. He’s going to demand a ton of volume as well. And the quarterback situation could get a little messy throughout the season. This team hasn’t had a ton of turnover at the position in the last 20 years. Austin III isn’t a name to go out and trade for, but if you have any shares, his stock may be the highest it’s ever going to get right now. You might as well capitalize on his current value. 

Austin III’s 2022 Prediction

Receiving: 17 receptions, 228 yards, 1 touchdown

Other Divisional Breakdowns: NFC North

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