PAST PRODUCTION
Michael Gallup’s dynasty profile is an interesting story. He was drafted out of Colorado State in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. A JUCO transfer from Butler Community college, Gallup played his junior and senior seasons at the FBS Division I level. Here he featured as a key piece of his team’s offense, earning a 97th percentile target share and 74th percentile dominator rating.
Gallup had a fairly underwhelming NFL rookie season, but in his second year of professional football, Gallup broke out for 1,100 yards and six scores for 66 receptions from 113 targets.
He was efficient too. He ranked 12th out of all receivers in yards per target, and 15th in yards per route run (per Playerprofiler).This combination of production and efficiency led to a WR22 finish in just 14 games, and WR16 on a point per game basis. Amari Cooper is perceived as the true alpha receiver in the offense, but in the 13 games both receivers were healthy, their production was almost identical:
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Amari Cooper | 102 | 67 | 1,050 | 6 |
| Michael Gallup | 106 | 62 | 1,059 | 6 |
2020 OUTLOOK
Gallup has the opportunity to once again be a key part of the Dallas Cowboys’ offense. It was one of the best offenses in football last year, finishing 5th in points per game and 4th in adjusted DVOA in spite of Jason Garrett’s best efforts. Gallup was a key contributor to this success, but his 2019 output should be his floor in 2020.
To take the leap to the next level of production, Gallup needs to clean up his drop rate – he led the NFL with 11 drops, and ranked 8th worst with an ugly 9.8% drop rate.
As long as he spends some time with the JUGS machine, and keeps his concentration levels up when making simpler receptions, Gallup should iron out these drops moving forwards. Combine this with the pass heavy offense Mike McCarthy is expected to call, and Gallup will have every opportunity to finish as a high-end WR2 with upside in 2020.
DYNASTY ANALYSIS
At just 24 years old, and heading into his 3rd season, Gallup has the opportunity to establish himself as a true 1B receiver on the team. He has two years remaining on his rookie deal, which interestingly aligns with the guaranteed money remaining on Amari Cooper’s contract:
Given the front loaded nature of the deal, Dallas has flexibility to move on from Cooper if his production does not meet his cap hit – especially if Gallup continues to match his production for a fraction of the price. My expectation is that Gallup will earn his second contract in Dallas and be a key target for Prescott in years to come. Even with the team’s investment in CeeDee Lamb, I am actively trying to roster Gallup as he is by far the cheapest of the relevant Dallas receivers to acquire!
In his latest top 240 dynasty player rankings, ESPN’s Mike Clay has Gallup ranked as the WR31, Lamb as the WR23, and Cooper as the WR12. I am buying Gallup all day at that price. If he posts another finish inside the top 20, his ADP should settle inside the top 24 at the wide receiver position following the 2020 season. Buy him now before his price increases, and enjoy the benefit of the fantasy points he will score for you this season.
Thanks for reading my profile on Michael Gallup. If you want to discuss him in a trade you are considering, you can reach out to me on Twitter @FF_DownUnder!
Be sure to check out the rest of our Dynasty Profile series!
