Welcome to the first edition of Vet Values for the 2023 season. Today, I am bringing you some guys who will get you fantasy points despite their cheaper price tag. In Dynasty Fantasy Football, we value youth, as we should. However, this sometimes creates an inefficiency in the market. These are the guys that won’t make your roster look good when you show your friends on Twitter. These are the guys that score you fantasy points and win you championships.
Quarterback:
Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
Everyone loves to make fun of Kirk Cousins. Right now, he is on a 6,000-plus yard, 50-plus touchdown pace. He is currently ranked QB1 on a PPG basis. The defense he plays with could not stop a nosebleed, so he will be chucking the ball all over the field. He also has the benefit of having the best WR in football in Justin Jefferson. There is a lot of noise in the media trying to tie him to the Jets, but I think that is unlikely. Even if it does happen, the Jets also have a special guy at WR1.
Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)
This is a move you should make post-Thursday Night Football. The Giants are taking on a very stout 49ers defense that should give Jones a lot of problems, especially with Saquon Barkley likely not playing. There are some question marks about his long-term future with the team amongst football fans, but if you need a guy to score you some fantasy points, Danny Dimes can make that happen. Those same question marks allow him to be had for a much cheaper price tag.
Running Back:
Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)
Long live the King. Age and miles have slowly eaten away at Henry’s value in Dynasty. There is a risk that his situation could be completely different next season, but as the months get colder, expect a ton of volume for King Henry. The influence of Tyjae Spears is very real but could also make someone like Henry much easier to acquire than he normally would be. I am okay with the loss in value that is likely to come in the offseason to have someone with this much upside.
James Conner (RB – ARI)
You will most likely get caught holding the bag when you acquire Conner, but the Cardinals have had a bit more punch this year than many of us expected. He also has very little to threaten him for touches at this stage in the Arizona backfield. While you hope he is not your RB1, he makes a fine depth piece to help get through bye weeks and injuries. Perhaps you rostered Nick Chubb and are scrambling to find a guy to fill in.
Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF)
Instead of paying for a guy like Jerome Ford after an injury when he is expensive, get ahead of the game. I am not trying to suggest that Christian McCaffrey will miss time, but grabbing handcuff running backs before the injury is significantly cheaper than after. If CMC were to miss any time, Elijah Mitchell would instantly become a “set it and forget it” starter every week. The best way to acquire guys like this is to get him as a throw-in on a deal you want to make already.
Wide Receiver:
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
Stefon Diggs has slowly crept down in ADP as he has gotten older. The reports of offseason discontent certainly helped aid in that drop-off. Despite all of this, we are now in season, and he is averaging ten targets a game to start the year. While he is likely to only reduce in value with each offseason, he gives you a high floor and a high ceiling on any given week. I love this move for a team struggling without Cooper Kupp.
Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)
This is one that you should have acquired over the offseason. I even told everyone to buy Keenan Allen back in February when it appeared he could be out of LA. Under Joe Lombardi, Allen was used almost exclusively underneath. Kellen Moore has opened up the usage for Keenan Allen in a significant way. Allen now has much more big play and touchdown upside than ever before. He may be expensive now, but he is by far my favorite player to buy of the ones we are discussing today.
Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA)
Tyler Lockett’s Dynasty value took a massive hit on the day the Seahawks drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Previously, the Seahawks had lined up in a lot of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR). This year, they have lined up more in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR), meaning that Lockett will still be on the field even when JSN starts to gain more playing time. We saw last week that he still had the upside to have those huge games that he has had in the past.
Marquise Brown (WR – ARI)
This is my second time listing a Cardinal on this list, but it feels appropriate. Joshua Dobbs has shown to be a capable NFL passer, albeit an unexciting one. There are not many options in the passing game, and despite their overperforming so far, they are still likely to be trailing most of the season. While not a player I want as my WR2/3, he’s a good option for a FLEX play or a guy that can fill in on bye weeks.
Tight End:
Hunter Henry (TE – NE)
The tight end position is so gross right now. Hunter Henry is currently sitting at TE2 on a PPG basis. If your trade partner tries to get too much on that fact, then perhaps he will be too pricey. If not, there is a chance that the Henry owner in your league has wanted to move him for a long time, and you can easily acquire him cheaply. He has had 6-plus targets in each game this season and has managed to find the end zone in each. While touchdown regression is possible and even likely, the floor of targets is an excellent place to start.
All of these players carry some amount of risk. If they didn’t, they would be far more expensive. Where there are questions about age and future, there is a discount given. While you may be down some long-term assets from these exchanges, it is worth it if it gives you what you need to win a championship. Championship windows are not always guaranteed to last, so seize the moment and grab these guys to win it all.
Thanks so much for reading, If you want to discuss more reach me on Twitter, find me @DougHarrelson on there. Also don’t forget to sign up for our Dynasty Football Factory Membership to get all things Dynasty, Redraft, DFS, Sports Betting, Devy, and IDP. Annual Subscribers also get access to our discord server where you can get access to our entire staff!
