austin ekeler

2021 Projections: LA Chargers

Dynasty / By /

In this series, I am diving into each NFL team and putting forth my predictions on what I think they will do in the 2021 season. I think having a set of reasonable or expected projections can help us during our drafts. They can help differentiate between closely ranked players, not only by comparing floor but also by comparing potential upside. I will be showing a set of realistic or expected projections and telling you if I think anyone is being under or overvalued in best ball/redraft drafts right now. These can also be used in a dynasty mindset, especially if you are a contending team. But, even if you are in a rebuild these projections could outline a young, cheap player who may get more work than a lot of people think. Let’s dig in.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

2021 Projections: LA Chargers Read More »

Post-Rookie Draft Waiver Targets

Rookie / By /

Each season in dynasty leagues there are post-rookie draft waiver targets that provide a tremendous value for owners who were savvy or lucky enough to find them on their roster. Some provide an immediate “home-run” return like James Robinson did last season. Others make great taxi squad stashes that provide value later and might be tradeable for better assets (think Boston Scott, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Preston Williams, Collin Johnson, etc.). The majority will fall flat as expected.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Post-Rookie Draft Waiver Targets Read More »

Cam Akers: 2021 Dynasty Profile

Dynasty / By /

During his three seasons at Florida State, Cam Akers rushed for 2,875 yards and 27 TDs, adding 69 receptions for 486 yards and seven TDs through the air. Akers was the focal point of his college offense. As a junior, he accounted for 39.8% (90th percentile) of his team’s yards and TDs while commanding a 10.4% target share (78th percentile). Akers did average a pedestrian 5.0 YPC across his college career, but most attribute this to abysmal offensive line play.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Cam Akers: 2021 Dynasty Profile Read More »

Dominating Your Rookie Draft: Rookie Pick Value and Tiers

Dynasty, Rookie / By /

There is no time when a draft pick is more valuable than when it is on the clock in your rookie draft. You have the power to select your favorite rookie prospect, but you also have the opportunity to trade the rights to the pick for what you view as more value to a league mate. By the time rookie drafts roll around, the ADP is more or less settled and we are targeting our favorite prospects within their given tier. Being right on one player versus another player is very important, but being in the situation to control your draft is even more crucial to success in your fantasy leagues.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Dominating Your Rookie Draft: Rookie Pick Value and Tiers Read More »

Joe Mixon: 2021 Dynasty Profile

Dynasty / By /

Joe Mixon played college football at the University of Oklahoma from 2014-2016. As a redshirt sophomore, Mixon racked up over 1,800 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 TDs. After his strong 2016 season, Mixon declared for the 2017 NFL Draft. During the pre-draft process, he measured in at 6’ 1”, 226 lbs. and registered an impressive 92nd-percentile speed score with his 4.50 40-yard dash. Under different circumstances, Mixon could’ve easily been a first-round pick. Due to character concerns and an incredible RB class that included Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffrey, Mixon slipped into the second round where he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Joe Mixon: 2021 Dynasty Profile Read More »

new coaching hires

New NFL Coaching Hires: Where The Dust Settled (Part 2)

Dynasty / By /

Your author covered the first three coaching hires in a previous article, so it’s time to cover the remaining four new head coaches here. Each team needed enough time and attention and a fair rundown of where their franchise currently stands. Let’s continue the break down! 

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

New NFL Coaching Hires: Where The Dust Settled (Part 2) Read More »

1 QB Dynasty Startup First Round Part 2

Dynasty / By /

Intro With the dynasty offseason in full swing, I wanted to give everyone a quick look into my dynasty startup first-round. I know the top players aren’t usually controversial, but I believe it’s essential to understand why particular players carry such a high dynasty value. Also, I won’t include any 2021 rookie players or picks.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

1 QB Dynasty Startup First Round Part 2 Read More »

Buy Sell: Championship Week

Dynasty / By /

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.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Buy Sell: Championship Week Read More »

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 14

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 14

Dynasty / By /

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.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 14 Read More »

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 13

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 13

Dynasty / By /

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.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 13 Read More »

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 11

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 11

Dynasty / By /

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.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 11 Read More »

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 8

Dynasty Risers and Fallers: Week 8

Dynasty / By /

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.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Dynasty Risers and Fallers: Week 8 Read More »

Week 4 Buy/Sell

All Access / By /

Well, that was a weird week. Did we just have two Monday Night Football games and a week four bye? Why yes… yes we did. In all honesty, props to the NFL for getting that Chiefs vs. Patriots rescheduled for Monday night. That game certainly caused a good number of fantasy commissioners to scramble for backup plans and contingency scenarios. Now hopefully we will continue to get good news about the Titans containing the COVID outbreak that left us (read: me) without Derrick Henry last week. Regularly scheduled bye weeks are upon us, which means the pool of legitimate starting players is shrinking even more. Time to get to trading. Check out who we’re buying and selling after the first four weeks of the season.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Week 4 Buy/Sell Read More »

Austin Ekeler suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4

Austin Ekeler Injury Reaction

Dynasty / By /

Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler suffered a severe hamstring injury in their Week 4 game versus the Buccaneers. Ekeler had played well in 2020 before his injury, especially once the Chargers switched to rookie Justin Herbert at quarterback from Tyrod Taylor. In Week 3, Ekeler had 11 receptions on 11 targets for 84 yards, and he ran for 59 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Ekeler wasn’t quite the reliable PPR RB1 some had hoped for, but he was a reliable fantasy asset before his injury. Now, he will likely miss a minimum of four weeks. However, I have serious concerns that Ekeler could be gone even longer than that. The Chargers recently signed Ekeler to a 4-year, $24.5 million contract, so they will want to protect their investment in him for the long-term. They currently sit at 1-3, and losing Ekeler will severely hurt their offense.

Austin Ekeler Injury Reaction Read More »

Week 2 Buy/Sell

All Access / By /

Can we have a redo on week two? That was B-R-U-T-A-L! We lost Saquon and Courtland Sutton for the year, and CMC for weeks. Week one waiver wire darling Parris will miss time with a PCL injury. Will Fuller (of course) and Davante Adams are dealing with hamstring issues. Raheem Mostert took it 80 yards to the house with his first carry and then proceeded to sprain his MCL. Who did I miss? It seemed as if fantasy managers were taking one punch to the gut after another on Sunday. Whether or not you survived the injury onslaught in week two, your team could probably use some tinkering. Here are our favorite buys and sells of the week.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Week 2 Buy/Sell Read More »

Rapid OVERreaction with the Fantasy Football Counselor

All Access / By /

I do it, you do it, we all do it. As a professional school counselor, it’s a state of mind I am very familiar with, a state of mind that is as natural as breathing. And that’s overreacting. Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season was full of surprises, some of which left many scratching their heads and second-guessing their carefully crafted starting line up decisions. For every week that brings knee-jerk reactions to player success and failure, I’ll be here to provide sound, logical reasoning to either support your beliefs or encourage you to adopt a more objective narrative. Because, after all, that’s what a good counselor does. Let’s dive in:

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rapid OVERreaction with the Fantasy Football Counselor Read More »

Week 1 Buy/Sell

All Access / By /

In our weekly buy/sell piece, @DynastyWalrus and @DFF_Ztrain will break down multiple players that you should consider buying and selling to improve your roster. We will give you a breakdown of their usage on the field, and statistics to provide a unique outlook on the best moves for your team to make. Join us weekly as we help you wheel and deal your way to a fantasy championship! This week we’ll look at DJ Chark, Anthony Miller, Nick Chubb, James Conner, Joshua Kelley, and Sammy Watkins.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Week 1 Buy/Sell Read More »

#TomBomb: Los Angeles Chargers

Dynasty / By /

Is there a more underappreciated WR in the league than Keenan Allen? As far as Old Tom is concerned, that answer is a resounding no. Now, please understand, I’m not saying there aren’t other stud WRs who are also treated poorly, in the fantasy community. What I’m saying is that when you attempt to marry the disrespect with the stat-production, Mr. Keenan takes the cake, in Old Tom’s eyes. One reason, the main reason really, I believe Allen seems to have a tough time knocking off the negative vibes, stems from his year two regression and the following two injury-riddled campaigns. The final straw, unfortunately for many, was the torn ACL suffered in Week 1’s contest back in 2016. What that did was it gave Allen the all so important “injury-prone” tag, that found its justification in the reality of 25 missed games over the course of his team’s previous 34 contests. Ouch! (pun intended)

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

#TomBomb: Los Angeles Chargers Read More »

Looking Ahead to Week Two

Looking Ahead to Week Two

All Access / By /

In this weekly article, I’m going to look ahead to the following week. I’ll point out a few players below 50% owned on ESPN who have strong matchups next week that you can pick up ahead of time to beat the waiver run. I’ll also try and get ahead of breakouts that could happen in the current week, as predicting breakouts is the best way to save your FAAB budget.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Looking Ahead to Week Two Read More »