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DFF Redraft League: Drafting From the Fourteen Spot

For this NFL season, a collection of 14 DFF analysts took their talents to a new Redraft league. As the analyst with the 14th pick, I knew it would be an uphill climb to add value. Despite this being a redraft league, I decided to go with my favorite dynasty strategy, the zero-RB. Knowing that this is a 14-team league, we had to adjust compared to the standard 12-team leagues in which elite positional players hold even more of a premium.

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Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down: AFC North

Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series. We have just two divisions remaining, and this week’s coverage will focus on the AFC North. Check out the breakdowns for the: NFC West, AFC East, NFC East, AFC South, NFC South, and the AFC West divisions here at DFF as well, with the NFC North to follow soon. Keep in mind, there will be a player whose stock is up and a player whose stock is down from each team in this division.

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Startup Strategies: Drafting to Reload, Not Rebuild

Rookie drafts are wrapping up and startups are the only thing getting dynasty owners through the off-season. If you’re a true dynasty degenerate, at least set yourself up for success from the draft. We’re not going to just set ourselves up for success now, but build a sustainable roster for the future to create a true “dynasty.” You don’t have to go all-in on big-name vets, nor do you need to only draft players under 26. Mix a little of both strategically.

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Devy Dive: High Upside High School Prospects To Watch From the 2022 Class

To explain the methodology of this process I have broken down many of the top recruits into three cohorts. First, we have the #TeamPedigree. These are highly rated players who retain value in devy leagues based on their recruiting hype alone and will be projected for high NFL Draft capital even if they do not succeed in achieving an early collegiate breakout. Secondly, we will look at the #TeamPotenial cohort. These are prospects that in the right situation, and if given opportunities early in their college career, can skyrocket to the top of the 2025 Draft class. Finally, we have my favorite type of players in the #TeamFun cohort., players who have unparalleled potential as NFL prospects but need several events to unfold for that potential to be realized and also offer dynasty league-changing upside.

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2021 Projections: Baltimore Ravens

In this coming series, I will be 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.

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It’s Rayne-ing Dollars in Dallas

The Rayne Dakota Prescott contract saga in Dallas is finally over. After months of “will they, won’t they?”, sanity has prevailed and Prescott has signed a four-year contract to remain the franchise quarterback of America’s Team. Adam Schefter announced the details of the contract which includes $126million in guaranteed money and Dak will earn an eye-watering $75M in his first year which includes a record-breaking $66M (!) signing bonus.

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The (R)evolution of the Rushing Quarterback on Late Round QB Strategy

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling the Twitter timeline and saw several tweets about the value of rushing quarterbacks, and how the “Late Round QB” (LRQB) strategy in fantasy football (popularised by JJ Zachariason) was on the wane. Seemingly, the consensus was that capturing the upside that rushing quarterbacks bring to your lineup, was worth the opportunity cost of selecting one in the early to middle rounds of your draft. As a fervent proponent of the LRQB theory, my immediate thought was to dismiss it, but my curiosity got the better of me – so I went to the data to see what I could find.

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1 QB Dynasty Startup First Round Part 2

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. I don’t see a Saquon Barkley-type prospect that could crack the first round of startups this year, at least not without a perfect landing spot and draft capital.  I covered the first six players in a previous article, and now it’s time to cover the second six players here. I wanted to give each player enough space, and I didn’t want to squeeze all 12 into one article. Here’s a quick reminder of the full top-12. Let’s jump back in! The Top 12 Rank   Player Position   Team 1 Christian McCaffrey   RB Carolina Panthers 2 Jonathan Taylor RB Indianapolis Colts 3 Justin Jefferson WR Minnesota Vikings 4 Saquon Barkley RB New York Giants 5 D.K. Metcalf WR Seattle Seahawks 6 A.J. Brown WR Tennessee Titans 7 Tyreek Hill WR Kansas City Chiefs 8 Alvin Kamara RB New Orleans Saints   9 Dalvin Cook RB Minnesota Vikings 10 Davante Adams WR Green Bay Packers 11 D’Andre Swift RB Detroit Lions 12 J.K. Dobbins RB Baltimore Ravens Tyreek Hill I don’t think I need to go too much into why I like Tyreek Hill. He’s the fastest receiver in the NFL, and he plays with the best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. In 2020, Hill recorded 87 receptions on 135

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Navigating your Rookie Draft: 2021 Quarterbacks

There has been a meteoric rise in the number of dynasty leagues that are either starting up as Superflex leagues or transitioning to Superflex leagues, it is the way to go. Now there will always be a nostalgic place for one quarterback leagues for fantasy football players, but devaluing the most important position in football, arguably in all of sports does not hold much value anymore.

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Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 11

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 11

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.

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Week 10 Buy/Sell

You know who’s fun? Kyler Murray. He’s just amazing to watch. I have no idea how his legs move so quickly. He’s also smart. He gets slides to avoid hits better than any NFL player I’ve ever seen. What a fun player to watch. You know who is also fun? DeAndre Hopkins. Zach and I have friends who are Texans’ fans and it’s just ridiculously fun to dunk on the trade that sent Hopkins to Arizona. Nuk is an absolute baller and that trade was a travesty. Now… you know what’s not fun? When Kyler threw up what is now being called the Hail Murray to Hopkins to win on Sunday. Why was it not fun? Because it allowed Zach to beat me by six points. Yeah… not fun. So let’s talk about something that is fun. How about some trade targets!

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Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 10

Dynasty Risers and Fallers Week 10

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.

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Start/Sit Week 9

Each and every week, 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 9. Sterling Shepard immediately became Daniel Jones’ favorite target when he returned to the lineup in Week 7. In the past two weeks, he’s been targeted 8 and 10 times, respectively, for 133 yards and a TD. Shepard will be a flex-worthy option in all PPR formats for as long as he can maintain this volume.

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Week 8 Early Game Storylines

I love writing these storyline pieces. I will go through the games and discuss one dynasty-relevant storyline per team that I’m excited to see. Usually, I’ll split the games into two sets, covering the early games in one story and the later games in another. Also, I’ll do a special spotlight on the Thursday night game from time to time, as that’s a midweek contest. I like to go into more detail for that game, just for a change of pace.

This piece will give you something specific to look for in each contest, which I hope helps you enjoy the games even more. We all play fantasy football to enhance our enjoyment of football, and I’m trying to add to that sense of happiness here. Fun is the most essential part of this hobby for all of us, including me.

I’ve listed the home team first for each game to keep things organized. I won’t waste any more time, so let’s jump straight in!

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NFL Player Props: Week 6

Welcome to part two of my weekly publication! As always, part one of 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!

In a similar vein to last week’s Roethlisberger bet, I’m also taking the under on the Eagles’ Week 6 opponent. I won’t rehash my entire spiel but, basically, the Eagles have not let up many passing yards to their opponents this year. Moreover, Jackson hasn’t cleared this total since Week 1, and hasn’t thrown for over 200 passing yards since Week 2.

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Week 3 Buy/Sell

Week three is when you know. If a guy has been bad for the first two weeks, it can be easy to chalk it up to small sample size. If a guy is bad for three straight games, you can’t pretend anymore. The story is the same with breakout players. Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf, and James Robinson? Yeah, they’re for real. Joe Mixon and Carson Wentz? Time to move on. Now that you know, the next move is to adjust your expectations. Let go of whatever pre-draft notions you have and take an honest look at the players on your team. And then… get to dealing!

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@DynastyDiagnos1 DFF Redraft Championship Draft

As expected, McCaffrey was the first overall selection, leaving me facing down the barrel of the next best dual-threat running back in Saquon Barkley. Barkley surpassed 1,000-yards rushing in 2019 despite missing time and is the most talented pass-catcher on the roster. By the time the 2.11 pick came around 16 running backs and 6 wide receivers had been selected. Choosing between Jonathan Taylor, Allen Robinson, and Travis Kelce at the top of their respective positions I decided that Kelce offered the best value over a replacement player at his position. At the 3.02 turn with Kittle having been selected it was far too tantalizing to pass up the opportunity to stack Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Referencing the above tweet from Scott Barrett, the plan was to go all on stacking the RB1, TE1, and QB1 and hope for the best when it comes to depth.

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The Guide: A Round-by-Round Roadmap to Acing Your 2020 Fantasy Draft

I get the same email every year. It usually comes in the first couple of days in September. It’s from a friend who I used to work with. This person is extremely competitive; the kind of person who hates losing more than loves winning. The email is a call for help. My friend knows almost nothing about fantasy football, but wants to crush the people in the fantasy league she was invited to a few years back. I love writing the reply because it allows me to finalize my draft strategy after months of mock drafts and research. This year, I’m happy to make that strategy public. Here it is… the guide!

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2nd Year Breakout Wide Receivers: Part 2

The consensus used to be that it took wide receivers three years to breakout into fantasy relevance. But, the NFL is turning more pass-happy and players are being utilized in various ways. So, it isn’t out of the question that there are a few second-year breakouts that can boost production for your dynasty team. Similar to last year, if your teams had Courtland Sutton, DJ Chark, or D.J. Moore on your roster before the start of the season, you more than likely felt comfortable with your team’s outlook. In this 3-part series of articles, I’ll look at six wide receivers that need to be considered.  If you didn’t draft some of these second-year wideouts, it’ll be almost impossible for you to acquire them going forward. But, if you’re given the chance, don’t be afraid to overpay.

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