Each week, Footballguys staff members will share the big movers in their respective Dynasty Rankings. Since the contributors will rotate, please check in weekly. The focus of this article will be on the “why” more than the movement itself. Dynasty Rankings are fluid and we hope that sharing the rationale will help you in your quest to create dynasties with all your teams. The diversity of rankings will result in a variety of opinions weekly.
Quarterbacks
Tefertiller
Cam Newton – Newton’s foot is not healing as expected, necessitating a visit to a specialist. This should result in Kyle Allen starting the remainder of the season. While difficult to imagine, there is a real possibility Newton has played his last football game.
Baker Mayfield – Mayfield has underperformed this season relative to expectations. The Browns need their young passer to step up his game the last part of the season. He is difficult to recommend in fantasyland.
Marcus Mariota was benched for Ryan Tannehill a couple of weeks ago and the Titans offense looks much better. It is not as though Tannehill is awesome, we know better, but it illustrates how poorly Mariota has played.
Parsons
Russell Wilson - Wilson has long been an efficiency quarterback, but 2019 is taking things to another level as he leads the NFL in touchdown passes, touchdown rate, interception rate, QB rating and has a career-high completion rate, yards per game, and career-low sack rate. Wilson also has boosted his weapons with D.K. Metcalf offering a Year 1 impact and Seattle took a flyer this week on Josh Gordon (TBD on that offering positive value). All while the DNA of the team is the run game and Will Dissly for a second straight season misses a good chunk of the year. Wilson is having a career year, which is saying plenty for an already elite quarterback.
Baker Mayfield - This may end up being a blip on the big-picture career view of Mayfield in a few years, but it has been a jarring sophomore slump for Mayfield and the Browns passing game in general. Mayfield has nearly double the interceptions as touchdowns and has zero games with multiple passing touchdowns. This while having Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, plus Nick Chubb in the backfield. With strong matchups against Miami, Cincinnati, and Arizona left on the schedule, those three games may tell us just how bad this season is for the former No.1 overall pick.
Hicks
Jimmy Garoppolo - Jimmy Garoppolo is quietly gaining more and more confidence as the 49ers defense is doing the heavy lifting for the team. The day will come soon where the team will need to rely on Tom Brady’s former understudy and by the looks of the performance against the Cardinals, he can be dependable. As the wide receiving group gains more experience and trading for Emmanuel Sanders was a brilliant move to speed up the process, Garoppolo will vault toward becoming a starting fantasy option. Worth a significant rise in rankings
Sam Darnold - After a superb performance against the Cowboys, Sam Darnold has been average at best and poor at worst. Maybe he needs more time or maybe he needs a better coaching group, but his expected rise to the top is on hold right now and he must drop significantly down dynasty rankings. The fact he couldn’t lift his team over one of the poorest franchises seen in years is an indictment on the coaching staff, the team, and the quarterback.
Derek Carr - Derek Carr is on track to go close to his best year to date, the 2016 season where he looked like a future star. Carr has been efficient and with one of the poorest receiving groups in the NFL, lifted the team with his game managing style behind Josh Jacobs. The Raiders have had and lost Amari Cooper and Antonio Brown in his time there, but if they can get an elite receiver to work with him, he will move up to become a borderline fantasy quarterback. Carr has many good years ahead of him and he seems to be coexisting with Jon Gruden much better than in 2018.
Baker Mayfield - There is no getting around it, preseason expectations in Baker Mayfield have crumbled in a heap. The coaching group has been amateurish in their play-calling, the attitude of players has been poor and with such a soft schedule remaining it beggar’s belief that they don’t get this train back on the tracks. That said there is no chemistry on display and Mayfield has been front and center of all the issues. Has to drop significantly.
Running Back
Hicks
Kenyan Drake - One game does not make a career, but Kenyan Drake looked like the back Miami fans have been waiting to see for three years. The fact he could do that with less than a week's preparation against, arguably, the best defense in the NFL defies belief. Of course, David Johnson and eventually Chase Edmonds will return soon, ruining any perceived long term run at the job, but Drake surely rises in value if not for the rest of 2019, but as a free agent heading into 2020.
Devin Singletary - Devin Singletary finally saw more than a handful of touches, while Frank Gore struggled with 15 yards off 11 carries. With the Browns and Dolphins the next two opponents on the agenda, expect Singletary to explode with a consistent week to week to week performance. Fully recovered from his hamstring issue, it is clear that this team's future is in the rookies' hands and now is the time to try and grab him before his next two games. Will rise in rankings now, with the expectation of much more soon.
Tarik Cohen - If you saw Tarik Cohen play in 2018 and then saw him play in 2019 you would think you are watching two different players. This year he has been easily tackled and kept in check by opposing defenses from making explosive plays. From 60 touches in 2019, only four of them have been for more than 10 yards, with only one over thirty yards (31). With Mitchell Trubisky struggling badly the play-calling has been all too predictable. Cohen can still be salvaged in dynasty leagues, but even his ultimate upside is limited. Has to move down rankings until we see some kind of consistent explosion again.
Ronald Jones - Ronald Jones finally looks like a complete NFL back. The only question is where his ultimate upside lies. It is unlikely he reaches the elite level of backs and may be stuck in RB2 at best territory or even worse, a career committee back. The next few weeks are vital for determining his ultimate upside, so if you have a gambling nature you may decide to roll the dice. Five of his next six games are against below-average run defenses.
Tefertiller
Kerryon Johnson – Another lost season for Johnson. With the Lions offense not missing a beat, it is possible that the team values Johnson less than fantasy players … especially given his inconsistent usage.
Aaron Jones – There have been few surprises this season equal to Jones. He has stepped up and emerged as the “go-to” player in the Packers offense while Adams had been sidelined with turf toe.
Parsons
LeSean McCoy - McCoy was already a tough-to-trust lineup decision and now Damien Williams has surged back to the lead role with McCoy being more bystander than a participant on the Chiefs offense. McCoy struggled to score touchdowns early in the season despite being on a high-level offense, but the volume was always tempted (season-high of 12 carries). At 31 years old, a substantial rebound looks ominous and even being a low-level streamer is off the table for now.
Ty Johnson - Johnson was the flashy pickup and/or streamer when Kerryon Johnson went down. However, Johnson was supplanted for carries by NFL retread Tra Carson in Week 8 and now J.D. McKissic was the PPR option to own in Week 9. Johnson lacks higher-level traits to create on his own or do much more than exploit a clear running lane with his speed. With 20 touches over two weeks, Johnson's dynasty flip window is shutting if not already shut in most leagues without taking advantage of Kerryon Johnson's absence.
Wide Receiver
Parsons
John Brown - John Brown has been an integral part of the Bills passing game and Brown is pushing towards a career season as a result. Brown is on pace for 80+ receptions and 1,200+ yards while the dynasty market sags behind in valuation. Brown is in the Brandin Cooks and T.Y. Hilton mold as a prospect but has never been held in a similar air, finally putting his upside together in 2019.
Larry Fitzgerald - Older players are a tough hold in dynasty if they are not lineup quality with their production. Fitzgerald surged in the opening weeks of the season with back-to-back 100-yard games and found the end zone against in Week 3. The past three weeks have been a disappearing act for Fitzgerald with 58 yards total and Arizona using the tight ends and ancillary receivers more and Fitzgerald rarely finding separation.
Hicks
Parris Campbell - Parris Campbell finally got his rookie season underway with a nice five-catch performance and promptly broke his hand. His value for 2020 is likely to be in the cellar, but as we have seen from D.J. Chark amongst others, an injury-interrupted or underperforming rookie season isn’t the end of the world. Stash Campbell away or trade for him if his current manager needs to make space on their roster. Watch for his development in training camp next year.
Emmanuel Sanders - Emmanuel Sanders may have seen his career and therefore fantasy value skyrocket with the move to the 49ers. He is age 32 but still should have a solid couple of years left depending on his destination for 2020. Mentoring an inexperienced group, while recording 100-yard games and consecutive touchdown games is the surest way to make yourself invaluable to your current team. Worth a significant bump in value.
Keelan Cole - Keelan Cole started 2018 with a bang, recording 15 catches for 210 yards and a touchdown for the first three games of the season and then went missing with nine catches for 110 yards over his final nine games of the year. That end of year form continued in 2019 with four catches for 33 yards over the first eight games. Then he has a five-catch, 80-yard game against the Texans. Now Cole is worth putting back on the radar, but his drop in production is one of the most mystifying things I’ve seen in recent years. Is he coming back, or will he fade away? At the moment he is worth keeping an eye on and if you have deep rosters may be worth an add.
Preston Williams - Preston Williams has been a great story. As an undrafted rookie, the odds were stacked against him making the team, let alone becoming the primary receiver. All that good news though has been shattered by a torn ACL. Undrafted free agents aren’t usually the most reliable guys for teams trying to develop talent and Williams could easily be lost in the shuffle for 2020, especially if he cannot be ready in time for training camp. Sell now if you can get any kind of price.
Mohamed Sanu - Mohamed Sanu has one year left on his contract and has quickly become a foil for Julian Edelman and the clear number two target already. Paying a second-round pick for his services showed the premium the teams places on his talent. As long as Tom Brady is in New England, Sanu will be of fantasy worth. Maybe as a WR3, which is more than he was worth with the Falcons or Bengals. He could be one of those guys that have their best fantasy season after the age of 30.
Tefertiller
Brandin Cooks – With his recent concussion, Cooks’ career is not in question. The strong play of Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett had limited Cooks’ week-to-week upside even before the injury.
Diontae Johnson – It took a few weeks, but Johnson has solidified the WR2 role in Pittsburgh. Now is the time to buy Steelers receivers as the production is lacking with Mason Rudolph replacing Ben Roethlisberger. The veteran quarterback will be back next season … and so will the passing volume.
D.J. Chark – Chark looks like the real deal. He has undeniable chemistry with quarterback Gardiner Minshew. We expect the young pass-catcher to continue to develop and become a borderline WR1 for several years.
Tight End
Tefertiller
Hunter Henry – Now healthy and producing, Henry moves into TE4. He has played well and is still improving. He is a top target for Rivers.
Darren Waller – Waller moves to TE5 as the top pass-catcher in Oakland. Even with the offseason buzz and new contract, the older-than-you-would-expect Waller has exceeded expectations.
Dallas Goedert – While it may be heresy to many to rank Goedert over teammate Zach Ertz, especially after Ertz’s big game, but the second-year tight end has looked great while the veteran has been good from week to week. The ranking has more to do with investing in a budding star than pushing down Ertz.
Parsons
Chris Herndon - Herndon has yet to play this season, but his upside moniker is wearing off considering the state of the Jets offense and namely the passing game. Sam Darnold is not a positive influence for the time being and Jets could even go back to the well with a high draft pick in 2020. At the core of his profile, Herndon is a decent, but non-elite prospect from the Day 3 ranks who is far from guaranteed the starting job for the Jets in 2019 or especially beyond this season.
Hunter Henry - Henry has played in five games this season, averaging nearly six catches and 80 yards per contest. For Henry, durability has been the watchword in his career, but even with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen healthy, Henry has been a fantasy force this season. While onside the subset of young rising tight ends to challenge for the elite production tier in 2019+ before the season, Henry is firmly in (or near the top) of the said group now at midseason.
Hicks
Irv Smith - This is the time of year where we see highly talented rookie Tight Ends show what they can do. It usually isn’t consistent and usually only appears for a few weeks. Such is the case with Irv Smith. He has looked like a future elite player at the position, but what the Vikings do at quarterback next year may ultimately determine how quickly he can rise to the top. If he can be snagged at a reasonable price and you need long term help at the position, it may well be worth a price paying.
Noah Fant - It is easy to think that Noah Fant had a great day thanks to one play where the Browns couldn’t figure out what tackling meant, but he had two other nice gains as well and is well on track to have a better than expected rookie season. What the Broncos ultimately do at the quarterback position may limit or advance his upside, but for now, if he can be obtained, do it.
If you would like to review our most recent Dynasty rankings, here is a link.
