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 of your teams. The diversity of rankings will result in a variety of opinions weekly.
Quarterback
Cummings
Ryan Mallett - Mallett wasn’t spectacular in his first start, but if he continues that level of play for the rest of the year he’s likely going to be the Texans starter heading into 2015. He has a good set of weapons to work with and there’s a legitimate chance he improves as he gets more game experience.
Josh McCown - I’d dropped McCown pretty low early in my year because I couldn’t imagine Lovie Smith going back to him. The fact that Smith brought McCown in then went back to him with the season lost makes me think McCown may not just be a one year placeholder. If the Bucs win a couple more games they won’t have a shot at an elite prospect next year anyway.
Drew Stanton - I’m not extremely confident in Carson Palmer’s ability to return to form after his latest knee injury. What Stanton has done under Bruce Arians in Arizona gives you reason to believe he may have a future there. With Michael Floyd and John Brown, 2015 looks anything but bleak for whoever is under center.
Parsons
Matthew Stafford - He continues to fall out of favor in my rankings, whether contending or rebuilding. Stafford is inconsistent from snap to snap, let alone game to game. Value works in the short-term, but at some point Stafford is a younger, equally-frustrating version of Jay Cutler.
Russell Wilson - I continue to like what I see from Wilson. He is one of, if not the, smartest scramblers in the entire NFL and there is nothing around him in terms of weapons or stable passing volume. Over the next few seasons that will change and Wilson will be one of the best core assets at quarterback in dynasty.
Running Back
Parsons
Charles Sims - Sims has quickly ramped up in terms of volume in his first two NFL games and one thing is clear: Tampa Bay has little on the depth chart to challenge Sims for touches down the stretch. Sims' value will rise into the offseason.
Montee Ball - Ball is now out for another stretch of groin injury recovery, opening the door for C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman to surpass anything Ball has done in the NFL since his second round drafting in 2013. Then a murky offseason for Ball's tenuous dynasty value.
Cummings
Tre Mason - I had a lot of faith in Mason’s ability entering the year and it’s finally starting to pay off on the field. Jeff Fisher will feed a talented back (or even an average back as he showed with Zac Stacy last year). St. Louis has a young talented offensive line and Mason has the skills to be a RB1 in the right situation.
Bishop Sankey - Sometimes it just takes a rookie a little while to figure things out. After an extremely slow start to his rookie campaign, Sankey is starting to make the Titans investment look a little bit smarter. I’m still not sold on him as an elite running back prospect and I’m less sold on the situation in Tennessee.
Jonas Gray - Gray’s performance against the Colts was about as Belichick as it gets. For that reason, you can’t put too much stock into his monster game. At the same time, Gray has now shown the ability to post elite production, and he needs to be ranked as someone that at least has that potential.
Wide Receiver
Cummings
Mike Evans- I already had Evans pretty high, but after what he’s done the last few weeks it wasn’t high enough. Just remember, he’s posting these numbers with Mike Glennon and Josh McCown as his quarterbacks. There are only 6 receivers that have scored more fantasy points per game than Evans this year. Two of them play with Aaron Rodgers and two of them play with Peyton Manning.
Jordy Nelson- I’m not so sure that Nelson shouldn’t be #1 right now. I made the argument before the season that Nelson was the most underrated elite wide receiver and he’s done nothing to change my mind. The reason I’ve moved him up is that he’s validated that thinking and has more stability in his offense and quarterback situation than any other receiver in the top five.
Parsons
Mike Evans - It goes without saying that Evans has exceeded expectations as a rookie. What his recent 200-yard game has done is initiate the conversation of Evans within, or atop, the highest tiers of the dynasty wide receivers. Evans surpassed Vincent Jackson as the lead receiver in Tampa Bay with relative ease. Randy Moss is the only wide receiver to have even 1,200 yards in a season at 21 years old in NFL history. Evans is on pace for more than 1,400 and easily double-digit touchdowns.
Cordarrelle Patterson - Even as a staunch supporter of the speed-demon, I am concerned. Patterson is not progressing in his second season and has lost a ton of value in the process. His intoxicating upside is looking far less likely than back in August and his dynasty ranking on board (outside the top-25 at a crowded position) reflects those reduced odds.
Tight End
Parsons
Coby Fleener - My eyes could not process who I was watching against New England this week in the Fleener jersey. He was making plays all over field and performing like one would expect considering his draft status. Was that a sign of things to come or a flash in the pan of randomness? While I have pause to vault Fleener back into the top-20 tight ends, it was a promising start to resurrecting his near-worthless dynasty value.
Cummings
Larry Donnell - I’ve held off on moving Donnell up my rankings because I wasn’t sure he wasn’t just a product of his offense. He’s made a couple of plays the last few weeks that have made me wonder if I was underrating him as a pass catcher, so I’m moving him up. The fact is, there are a lot of question marks from TE6-7 down, and none of those guys are playing better than Donnell right now.
Chase Coffman - Coffman was a late addition that made some really nice plays on Monday Night Football against the Steelers. This is a kid that’s been passed over more than once in the league, but he’s athletic and has worked hard to stay in the league. Monday night’s performance will open up some eyes and made provide a bigger opportunity in 2015.
The Footballguys.com staffers have a dynasty-centric Google Hangout each Thursday (it will be on Wednesday night this week). Here is a link to watch.