Tyler Shough

Hammer's Hammer

Hammer’s DFS Hammers for NFL Week 1

All Access, Strategy Content / By /

My last name is Hammer. I’m not going to pretend this article’s name is an accident. This isn’t a weekly column, because most weeks I won’t have enough to say. I write these when a slate actually lines up – when the numbers, the narratives, the beat reports from practice, the under-the-radar role changes, and the injury report all point in the same direction towards players. Week 1 is one of those weeks. Prices were locked in earlier this summer, and a lot of what we’re betting on now is how guys finished the 2025 season, plus whether camp backed it up. That’s a real edge if you’re paying attention. I’ve got five names this week. They aren’t on the same team, and they don’t have the same role. What they share is that the close of 2025 still looks better than their price, their summer backed up what we saw last year, and Sunday’s matchup gives them a reason to eat. That’s the swing. Let’s get into it.

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baker

One Question For EVERY NFL Team: NFC South Edition

Dynasty / By /

Welcome back to my “One Question” series, and thank you to everyone who read last week’s AFC South edition — are you buying Cam Ward’s redemption story? Let’s stay in the South, but make our way to the NFC. The NFC South has no shortage of playmakers — guys like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, and Jonathan Brooks have fantasy players in a frenzy to add them to their teams. The only real question with this division is: what will their quarterbacks do this year? Can Baker earn another payday with Tampa Bay, or will his contract situation linger into the season? Can Bryce Young take the next step, or is he who we think he is? Will either QB in Atlanta be good enough to elevate their skill players? And is Tyler Shough the real deal, or was 2025 just a flash in the pan?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like the team to beat in the NFC South, but was last year’s brutal Week 18 loss to division rival Carolina Panthers the beginning of the end? Tampa Bay has been active this offseason, bringing in new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and signing running back Kenneth Gainwell. But there’s been no shortage of drama, as Baker Mayfield (QB – TB) goes into the season without a new deal and has been vocal about his displeasure. Two-time Pro Bowler Vita Vea (DT – TB) requested a trade after not getting a new deal — thankfully, that got reconciled quickly with a one-year contract. Between the new OC, the loss of Mike Evans (WR – SF), Emeka Egbuka’s (WR – TB) toe injury, and a disgruntled quarterback, a lot is riding on 2026 in Tampa. And it starts with figuring out Mayfield’s future.

My question for the Buccaneers is: Should Tampa Bay re-sign Baker Mayfield?

After a promising start in Cleveland, things went south for Baker out of nowhere. After winning their first playoff game in 26 years, he suffered an injury the following season, played through it rather than have surgery, and it likely cost him his job. Things got worse when the Browns pursued Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE) while Baker was still on the roster. Cleveland traded for Watson, dealt Baker to Carolina, and the rest is history.

Baker joined former first-round pick Sam Darnold (QB – SEA) in what looked like a fresh start. It didn’t last. He won the job over Darnold in the preseason, suffered another injury, and played through it again. The Panthers went a dismal 1-5 in games he started. He requested a release, and the Rams picked him up — and that’s when things turned around.

Baker landed with a Rams team, the defending Super Bowl champions, desperate at quarterback of their own. It only took 48 hours for him to make his presence felt. Starter John Wolford, playing through a neck injury, went three-and-out on the Rams’ first series, and the coaching staff pulled him to protect him. Baker took over and led the Rams back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit, capped by a 98-yard drive with no timeouts to steal the win.

Baker’s Rams stint ended at 2-3, highlighted by a Christmas Day 51-14 win. His next opportunity wasn’t far behind. In 2023, he was part of another QB battle, this time in Tampa Bay, on a one-year “prove-it” deal against Kyle Trask (QB – TB). He won the job, helped the Buccaneers win the division and a playoff game, and earned a three-year, $100 million extension the following offseason.

But as resilient as Baker is…can he win when it matters? In five playoff appearances, he’s 2-3, and his teams held fourth-quarter leads in two of those three losses. In the divisional round against Washington, a bad exchange with Jalen McMillan (WR – TB) led to a fumble and a short-field touchdown. His playoff woes go back to Oklahoma too, where he lost both of his playoff games.

But does that mean he’s not a franchise quarterback? Not so fast! Let’s look at Baker’s resume: the first walk-on player in college football history to win the Heisman, led Oklahoma to two playoff appearances, was the number one overall pick, guided Cleveland to their first playoff victory in 26 years, won a QB battle, won two playoff games, and won two division titles after taking over for Tom Brady.

My question for Tampa Bay: Should they re-sign Baker Mayfield?

My answer: If they don’t, someone else will — and he’ll make you regret it.

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loveland

Building My Dynasty: A Full Startup Draft Breakdown

Dynasty / By /

In today’s article, I’m breaking down my most recent dynasty startup draft, covering everything from my draft strategy to player values and roster construction. The goal is to leave you with a few ideas you can take into your own startup drafts this offseason. In this particular draft, I was able to construct a team I believe can compete in Year 1 while being built for long-term dominance. With the help of the DFF Dynasty Control Room, I was able to maximize value by reviewing consensus big boards and checking “top players available” with every pick. According to DFF consensus, it paid off, as I finished with the best draft class in the league.

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young

QBs on the Chopping Block: Planning for the 2027 Class

Dynasty / By /

There was an interesting question posed by a subscriber in our DFF Discord this past weekend, following this tweet being posted:  Seeing the potential that the 2027 draft class has at the quarterback position, Josh asked this:  It’s an excellent question, and one we need to be asking ourselves for dynasty purposes. Obviously, a good number of guys from McShay’s list above either won’t pan out as first-round talents or will elect to stay in college for the 2027 season if they have remaining eligibility. But there are additional guys not on this list who could end up being first-round selections. Josh Hoover. John Mateer. Maybe DJ Lagway finally has that breakout season everyone’s been waiting for. Maybe Drew Mestemaker’s G5 dominance carries over into the P4, and he emerges as a top pick. It’s hard to project any of this so far out, but for the sake of this exercise, let’s take McShay at his word and treat the 2027 QB class as the “historic” one he’s calling it. Who will these quarterbacks be taking over for? Let’s take a look at the guys whose jobs may not be as secure as we think. These names may be good sell candidates in dynasty for you, especially on a team that’s rebuilding or retooling.  The Top “Cut” Candidates I’ll kick off my list by covering the quarterbacks I feel have the most to prove this coming season and will likely be out of a starting job by 2027 or sooner.  Geno Smith (NYJ) – Geno is the most obvious quarterback […]

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Devy Breakout Player of the Week

Devy / By /

In devy leagues, we are all looking for not only the generational talents at the collegiate level that will be NFL stars when they go pro, but we are also looking for the hidden gems that go under the radar but will be league winners someday. While the generational talents like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Ja’Marr Chase are all well known in the fantasy community this article will try to determine breakout players who can be attained in future devy drafts based on their on-field play and analytical profiles.

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