Lazard showed excellent ball skills while gaining the trust of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Starting in three games, he hauled in 35 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns. When Lazard was targeted in the passing game, Aaron Rodgers had a 115.6 passer rating, good for 12th in the NFL.
Allen Lazard: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
As the post-draft hype begins to fade and teams start looking for any asset on the waiver wire that they believe can help bolster their roster, everyone is looking for that next edge. In a recent argument on @TaleofTwoRivals, we bantered quickly about the value of UDFAs in a dynasty league but reached no real conclusion. I began to think of who can be this year’s Preston Williams. Who can take the mantle of Tony Romo, Arian Foster, and a few others and carry a team to the next level? Who can you buy low on? Who might be on the waiver wire? What follows is a case study of UDFAs who have finished in the top 24 of their position in a fantasy season, how their team responded to that success (were replaced via free agency, the draft, etc.) and what happened in the following year.
UDFA Unraveled: RBs Read More »
NFL teams represent personnel groupings with a two-number phrase. For example, you might have heard “11 personnel” mentioned in some of my articles. The first number refers to the number of running backs on the field, while the second number refers to the number of tight ends. Then, since there are five eligible receivers, if you subtract the sum of both numbers from five, you get the number of wide receivers. For example, an 11 personnel group denotes a one RB, one TE, and three WR formation, which is the standard base offense in today’s NFL. For dynasty owners, 11 and 12 personnel are the two main formations, and I’ll break down each in detail.
Player Personnel Groupings for Dynasty Read More »
Curtis Samuel is now entering this 4th year in the NFL after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Statistically, he has improved each season. While in the last year of his rookie contract with the Panthers, could he take another step forward? A lot of production and fantasy points were left on the table in 2019 and with some new pieces added to the puzzle in Carolina, dynasty owners wonder if his potential has been crushed or unlocked.
Curtis Samuel: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans have come to an agreement that will keep the bruising running back in town for years to come. First reported by Ian Rapaport, the deal got done just an hour before the 4:00 P.M EST deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players to long term deals. While the exact details have yet to be disclosed, we know via Adam Schefter that the deal is a 4-year, $50 million contract with $25.5 million guaranteed. This moves him up a spot from the fifth highest-paid running back by average annual value (AAV) in 2020 to the fourth, leapfrogging David Johnson. More importantly for Henry, it moves him up to fourth in total value, just behind Le’Veon Bell at $52.5 million. With the workhorse back staying in Tennessee, what does this mean for the Titans offense?
Derrick Henry Contract Extension: Rapid Reaction Read More »
Tyler Lockett finally stepped into the number one wideout role for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 and produced elite numbers when he was healthy. In 2019, Lockett played in over 90% of the offensive snaps in 8 of his first 9 games. After he was hospitalized during week 10 against the 49ers, he was only able to hit 90% of offensive snaps again one time the rest of the way. Prior to the injury, Lockett had amassed 767 yards and 6 scores through 9 weeks. In the 7 weeks after, and including the game he was injured in, he only gained 290 yards and 2 scores. In those first 9 weeks, Lockett was the third-best wide receiver in fantasy.
Tyler Lockett: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Preston Williams had a rocky career in college, playing two years as a bench player for Tennessee in 2015-2016 before transferring to Colorado State. After sitting out the 2017 season and having some off-field issues, Williams broke out in 2018. He recorded 96 receptions for 1,345 yards and 14 touchdowns, dominating the team’s passing game, far ahead of 2019 seventh-rounder Olabisi Johnson.
Preston Williams: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Cohen came into the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2017, where he profiled as the pass-catching complement to two-down grinder Jordan Howard. Throughout his three seasons, Cohen has played every game and has increased his receptions year over year. In 2018, Cohen shined as the Bears’ offense found success. He averaged an incredible 10.2 yards/reception and 8.0 yards/target.
Tarik Cohen: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
James Conner was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was quiet in his rookie season. But, when Le’Veon Bell held out in 2018, James Conner broke out in a big way. He finished as the RB6 with over 1,400 total yards, 55 receptions, and 13 TDs. Conner dealt with multiple injuries in 2019, appearing in just 10 games. His efficiency regressed as the Steelers offense crumbled in the absence of Ben Roethlisberger, but he still finished as the RB17 in PPR PPG.
James Conner: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Kenny Golladay is coming off of two straight 1,000 yard seasons and finished as a top 10 fantasy receiver in 2019 at just 26 years old. Golladay overcame playing half of the season with a backup quarterback to lead the league in receiving touchdowns last year with 11 total scores and was one of three with double-digit touchdowns, but the only to score 11. He was also second in the league in average depth of target (15.7) and yards per target (10.3) among players with at least 100 targets. The only two receivers ahead of him were Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. We know when the ball finds Golladay it’s going to be deep downfield.
Kenny Golladay: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Higbee is one of my favorite 2020 values at tight end, coming in at TE6 in my redraft rankings. He’s in the same tier as Hunter Henry and Evan Engram, but neither of those players has anywhere close to Higbee’s upside. The Rams’ offense should improve from 2019, as quarterback Jared Goff had almost the same yardage in 2018 and 2019 but threw 10 fewer touchdowns. I expect to have many Higbee shares in my 2020 redraft leagues, and I would love to have him on my dynasty team.
Tyler Higbee: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Rebuilding a dynasty team can be a ton of fun, mostly because rookie drafts make us feel like a kid on Christmas. We count up all our picks and wonder what shiny new toys the NFL draft will bring us this year. But I think there’s a bit of a fixation with rebuilding in the dynasty community that can distract from the true goal of playing dynasty and fantasy sports in general: winning championships.
Contender Clearance Rack: QBs Read More »
In his rookie campaign, Smith-Schuster had 58 receptions for 917 yards and seven TDs while playing behind Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Martavius Bryant. In his sophomore campaign with Bell holding out and Bryant no longer with the team, Smith-Schuster exploded for 111 receptions for 1,426-yards and seven TDs. Per playerprofiler, Smith-Schuster was top six in the NFL in percent targeted on routes run as well as red zone target rate. Smith-Schuster joined Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas as the only three players with 165+ receptions for 2,300+ yards, and 14+ TDs within their first two seasons in NFL history. 2020 was not kind to Smith-Schuster as Roethlisberger played only two games as Devlin “Duck” Hodges and Mason Rudolph showed terrible quarterback play in his absence.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
In this piece, I’m going to dig in the dumpster for two undervalued wide receivers that you should buy in dynasty formats. Dynasty owners have left each of these players for dead, and that’s a big mistake. I might look at some more established players in a second part, but I wanted to begin with two second-year players that missed in Year 1. While both of these players failed to meet expectations at first, they still have some promise. As always, we’re looking for the next D.J. Chark, a second-round receiver that breaks out in Year 2 after doing nothing in Year 1. Hitting on that type of player is one of the quickest ways to inject value into your dynasty team.
Dynasty WR Buys: The Dumpster Dive Read More »
28-year-old Robert Woods is now coming off back to back to back 1,000+ yard seasons, establishing himself as a steady and dependable WR. Woods is a crafty route runner with a high football IQ, making him a trusted target of his QB Jared Goff. In 2018 Woods saw 131 targets (13th most in the league), he then followed that up with 140 targets in 2019 (8th most). In addition to being a target magnet, he adds value and fantasy points as a ball carrier. In 2018, Woods carried the ball 19 times for 157 yards and a touchdown bringing his total yards and touchdowns to 1376 and 7. This past season Robert Woods had 17 carries for 115 yards and one touchdown brought his total yards and touchdowns to 1249 and 3. This production equated to 261 PPR points (WR9) in 2018 and 212 PPR points (WR19) in 2019. Woods is a safe bet to be a WR2 in 2020, with the upside of mid-tier WR1 production.
Robert Woods: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
After joining the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Phillip Lindsay quickly wrestled the starting running back job away from fellow rookie Royce Freeman. Lindsay surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons while scoring 17 total TDs. In March, Phillip Lindsay’s hopes of rushing for 1,000 yards in a third straight season were effectively dashed when the Broncos signed Melvin Gordon to a 2 year, $16 million contract. Since entering the league in 2015, Melvin Gordon has functioned as an all-purpose workhorse, averaging over 16 carries per game and tallying at least 55 targets in four straight seasons. Assuming Gordon is given a similar role in Denver, the workload for Phillip Lindsay will be dramatically reduced.
Phillip Lindsay: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
As the post-draft hype begins to fade and teams start looking for any asset on the waiver wire that they believe can help bolster their roster, everyone is looking for that next edge. In a recent argument on @TaleofTwoRivals, we bantered quickly about the value of UDFAs in a dynasty league but reached no real conclusion. I began to think of who can be this year’s, Preston Williams. Who can take the mantle of Tony Romo, Arian Foster, and a few others and carry a team to the next level? Who can you buy low on? Who might be on the waiver wire? What follows is a case study of UDFAs who have finished in the top 24 of their position in a fantasy season, how their team responded to that success (were replaced via free agency, the draft, etc.) and what happened in the following year.
UDFA Unraveled: QBs Read More »
Golden Tate finished five straight seasons with over 100 targets prior to being traded to the Giants in 2019 and dealing with a fading Eli Manning and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. From 2014-2017 Tate had four straight seasons of 90+ catches and was a top 25 receiver each year. He’s also one of five players since 2013 with over 20% target share ever year, below are the others.
Golden Tate: 2020 Dynasty Profile Read More »
Given AJ Dillon’s massive frame, penchant for stiff arms, and his ability to break tackles and find space against stacked boxes, he seems like the ideal candidate for a massive workload in the coming seasons. He is the exact running back type that the Packers want to pound the rock during the winter months at the Frozen Tundra.
DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 5: AJ Dillon Read More »
After recently releasing my rookie rankings, I wanted to open up the floor to constructive criticism. I also wanted to see where I was not aligned with other DFF analysts. So, we conducted a round table discussion. This discussion is now a 10-part series of informal articles. In these articles, analysts debate why some of their favorite rookie(s) should be moved up. And in one case, moved down!
DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 4: Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa Read More »
