Photo: Mitchell Layton, USA Today Sports

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

Parsons
Robert Griffin III III - It is tough to have Griffin 'too low' in the rankings at this point. Greg Cosell has been overt in his analysis of Griffin and his deficiencies to run an NFL passing game at this point. Two coaches have now benched Griffin in successive seasons and the once-elite athlete is a shell of his former self. Can Griffin refine his passing chops to survive in the NFL without his former speed and elusiveness? That is his only chance to remain fantasy relevant even 12 months from now.

Ryan Tannehill - I was a big fan of Ryan Tannehill prior to this season, but I am quickly becoming one of his 'fanboys' in the industry. His refinement as a passer and added bonus as a runner (he is a former college wide receiver) are the perfect combination in today's NFL. Having Tannehill in the top-5/6 of the dynasty quarteback rankings is not unreasonable.

Cummings
Robert Griffin III III/Colt McCoy - Griffin has seemingly gotten worse throughout his NFL career. In a lot of ways that isn’t surprising. A new offense and so much time missed with injury makes it very easy for a young quarterback to look lost. I still believe he has a chance to be a good NFL quarterback but his future is a complete unknown. As for McCoy, he moves up into the serviceable backup tier. He’ll get a chance the last 4 weeks to see if he can be even more.

Derek Carr - I was a bigger believer than most in Carr early in the year. Sometime in the last three weeks he’s went from young talented quarterback with no help at all to a part of the problem. This doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around, but as of right now his environment is rubbing off on him instead of the other way around.

Tefertiller
Robert Griffin III III – As though the injuries were not bad enough, Griffin is now benched in favor of Colt McCoy.  Let that seep in for a moment.  The player who cost Washington three first round picks, plus a second rounder, yields to Colt McCoy.  That speaks volumes about where Griffin is in his development as a NFL quarterback.

Running Back

Cummings
Trent Richardson/Daniel Herron - Herron joins a long list of running backs that have looked better than Richardson in Indianapolis. It’s enough to make you think that if someone could get a full workload with the Colts they could be a de facto RB1. I don’t believe Herron will be that guy, but you have to at least account for the low percentage chance.

C.J. Anderson/Ronnie Hillman/Montee Ball - Hillman and Ball have neither played for a couple of weeks, but the excellent work of Anderson has made both of their situations murkier in the future. From the little we’ve seen of Anderson he looks like the best runner of the three and we already knew he was good catching the ball out of the backfield. My biggest concern is for Hillman moving forward.

Tefertiller
Christine Michael – Hopes were sky high for Michael coming into the season.  Many hoped Marshawn Lynch would be sent packing after the season.  Once thought a certainty that the veteran was gone, the odds are now in favor of Lynch staying in Seattle, even with the talk of retirement this past weekend.  Taking this a step further.  Even if Lynch leaves, Michael may not be the prime beneficiary.  He has been outplayed by Robert Turbin.

Trent Richardson – When Dan Herron started over Trent Richardson for the second consecutive week, it was time to move Richardson down the rankings.  The Colts are looking for answers at the tailback position, after the injury to Ahmad Bradshaw, and are not considering Richardson a candidate for a larger role.  It will be difficult for Richardson be in a better situation, yet he is unable to emerge.

Parsons
Reggie Bush - Reggie Bush continues to lose value on my dynasty board. Theo Riddick looks primed to take his pass-catching job at any moment, regardless of Bush's health, and Bush turns 30 for the 2015 season meaning that any production drain or injury is a dynasty value death knell in terms of market value.

Tre Mason - More than the big game against Oakland this week with the flashy long touchdown run all over ESPN, Mason has impressed this entire season. He dispatched Zac Stacy with ease and was the best athlete among the first five drafted running backs in 2014 despite being the fifth-drafted one. Mason has some work to do in the passing game, but is already a better option than an Alfred Morris type in that regard. For rebuilding owners, Mason is a sure-fire top-10 running back prior to the 2015 rookies being added to the dynasty mix.

Wide Receiver

Tefertiller
Mike Evans – The rookie continues to climb the rankings while putting up big fantasy numbers.  Even in a bad situation (poor quarterback play, veteran Vincent Jackson starting on other side, etc), Mike Evans continues to shine like the sun.  There is no questioning his talent.  While the price will be high, there is a chance that Evans' dynasty price will never be this low again.  An upgrade at quarterback could be enough to push Evans above the game's top pass catchers.

DeAndre Hopkins –  As the Texans quarterbacks have been horrific, the second-year receiver has played well.  We expect him to take a big leap going into year three, the 2015 season.  Even the huge outing against Tennessee will not be enough for many to consider him a Top 10 receiver going forward.

Parsons
Odell Beckham Jr- More than the one-handed 'catch heard around the world' on primetime recently, Beckham impresses with his route-running and separation ability. The game comes so easily for Beckham even as an NFL rookie with limited practice heading into his mid-season debut. Since, Beckham has boatraced Rueben Randle as the lead receiver, been a no-question fantasy difference-maker, and ran circles around Richard Sherman, one of the most lauded cornerbacks in the NFL...as a 21-year-old rookie. Whether ranked at WR1 or WR5 in the dynasty realm, Beckham is a top-shelf talent with his entire career ahead of him.

Donte Moncrief - Yet another 2014 rookie wide receiver making his impact known in year one. Moncrief's speed is evident and the upside of Hakeem Nicks and Reggie Wayne not in the 2015 Colts plans is beyond alluring. My advice since the start of the season to Donte Moncrief owners has been 'have a vice grip on Moncrief outside of a windfall of value, the upside of an athletic talent like Moncrief paired with Andrew Luck is too great to deal.' Moncrief is the ideal wide receiver stash that was available in the second round of rookie draft during the summer.

Cummings
DeAndre Hopkins - Hopkins put up a game for the ages in Week 12 and is now WR10 in standard scoring leagues. You have to figure his quarterback play I only going to improve over the next few years, so the sky is the limit. Hopkins still has a ways to go in his understanding of the route tree, but he’s making progress and that’s good enough for me.

Davante Adams - Adams has seen at least 8 targets in 3 games this year. In those three games he has 19 catches for 273 yards. In other words, all he needs in opportunity. The only problem with Adams is he’ll likely be an inconsistent WR3 at best for as long as he, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are all in Green Bay.

Jarvis Landry - Landry has essentially been the Dolphins WR1 since Week 9. Over the last 5 weeks he leads the team in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns. Heading into next year he should be the #1 target in Miami with Mike Wallace playing the complementary deep role that he’s more comfortable with.

Tight End

Parsons
Julius Thomas - Will Thomas be back in Denver next year? He has been situationally-valued to-date and his role has been minimized through an injury-filled 2014 season. The downside of going elsewhere is enough to decrease his value as any other landing spot is a downgrade (maybe Atlanta would be a best case scenario off-hand). Thomas was once in a strong second tier to Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski's top tier in dynasty, but now is fading back to the next tier more than cementing his top status going forward.

Coby Fleener - Fleener has been up-and-down this season from highlight reel sideline catches to running away from defensive backs in the open field to dropping routine passes with running room in front of him. While a TE1-level performer of late, Fleener is still very much a boom-bust mid-TE2 on my overall dynasty board. At their respective prices, give me Dwayne Allen of the two Colts tight ends heading into the offseason.

Cummings
Vernon Davis - The problem in San Francisco isn’t that they aren’t involving Vernon Davis. The problem is that they’re trying really hard to get him involved and it just isn’t working. If I believed he’s really as bad as he’s been this year, he wouldn’t be in my top 20. He’s not that low, but he’s creeping that direction.

Coby Fleener - If Dwayne Allen and Fleener can ever get healthy and stay healthy for an entire year the Colts may have the best tight end combination since Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Fleener has great rapport with Andrew Luck that’s only been enhanced by Allen’s absence.

Tefertiller
Delanie Walker – Delanie Walker has played very well this season.  Many now forget that Walker played second fiddle behind Vernon Davis in San Francisco early in his career.  Walker moves up the rankings to the TE1 level.  Still just 30 years of age, Walker makes a great bridge for dynasty owners looking to transition from an aging tight end like Antonio Gates or Jason Witten.  Better quarterback play can only help his fantasy viability.

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