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
Simpkins
Case Keenum - Keenum’s value is trending slightly upward, simply because Denver has no other options at this point. Chad Kelly was poised to take over in the near future, but a run-in with the law caused the team to dismiss Kelly. The Broncos may be in the market for a quarterback come draft time. However, for this season, Keenum doesn’t appear to have any challengers on the roster. Their offense is viable enough that Keenum remains a serviceable option, especially in leagues that do not penalize heavily for interceptions.
Hicks
Andrew Luck - After a few shaky moments to start the season, there is little doubt that Andrew Luck is back with a vengeance. 23 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in half a season are phenomenal numbers, especially considering the lack of a strong supporting cast. There isn’t a stud runner and T.Y. Hilton has only been a bit player for the last 4 weeks. At only 29 years of age, Luck can safely return to his role as a top three dynasty quarterback. If only the Colts would help him out with some quality.
Jameis Winston - Any optimism one had in the future prospects of Jameis Winston becoming the man the Buccaneers need him to be were dispelled in an insipid performance against the Bengals. One touchdown versus 6 interceptions in the last two weeks are numbers that will see the team move on from him and the coach shortly. He may be given another chance or two, but his next two opponents in Carolina and Washington would be salivating at the prospects of facing the turnover-prone Winston.
Hindery
Mitchell Trubisky - While Trubisky has been inconsistent as a passer, he is proving his fantasy upside in a major way. In fact, Trubisky is putting up Cam Newton-like numbers as a runner of late. He has rushed for 53, 47, 81, and 51 yards over the last four games. Including his rushing score, that is good for over 7 fantasy points per game just with his legs. He hasn’t been a slouch as a passer either, averaging over 300 passing yards and 3.25 passing touchdowns over the same four-game stretch. In this improved Bears offense, Trubisky’s rushing ability makes him a fantasy QB1 and top-10 dynasty asset at the quarterback position.
Jameis Winston - After yet another game of inexplicable mistakes leading to devastating turnovers, Winston no longer looks like a franchise quarterback. With all of the turnovers, he is playing like a young Blake Bortles. At this point, his fantasy value is minimal (QB28) and it is worth wondering if he is even a starting caliber NFL player.
Matthew Stafford - Stafford hasn’t been playing poorly but it is clear the direction the new coaching staff wants to go involves a much more balanced offensive approach. In back-to-back wins over the Packers and Dolphins, Stafford averaged just 24 passing attempts and the Lions committed heavily to establishing the run. The new winning formula for Detroit isn’t a positive for Stafford’s fantasy prospects, however. He looks like a fantasy QB2 moving forward.
Running Back
Hicks
Josh Adams - With Jay Ajayi on injured reserve and Corey Clement struggling to run the ball, the opportunity for further playing time is presenting itself to undrafted rookie Josh Adams. The big back from Notre Dame is limited but will find a hole if it is presented, as was demonstrated in runs of 17 yards and 21 against the Jaguars. I wouldn’t go crazy at his long-term prospects, but backs that approach or exceed 10 carries a game don’t fall from the sky.
Phillip Lindsay - One of the biggest, if not the biggest surprise of the season is Denver rookie Phillip Lindsay. He is on pace for a 1000 yard rushing season and his additional bonus as a receiver out of the backfield means he has to be considered a starting running back moving forward. The much more fancied Royce Freeman hasn’t had a bad rookie season but has been outplayed significantly by the undrafted Lindsay. He is no fluke, with at least 12 carries in six of his eight games and looks like a threat every time he touches the ball.
Joe Mixon - Joe Mixon looks to be the back that the Bengals have been searching for years. Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill had short-term success, but Mixon looks to be a highly capable all-around back. At times last year, he looked like Le’Veon Bell and looked awful in others. This year he has looked more consistent and finding the end zone on a more consistent basis moves him much closer to the elite backs in the league. By the end of the year, he could find himself nestling amongst the very best.
Gus Edwards - Opportunity is everything in the NFL and Gus Edwards is so close to seeing significant action in the Baltimore backfield. He has seen 14 carries in the last three weeks, compared to Javorius Allen’s four and with Allen almost exclusively a third-down runner the backup role to Alex Collins is important for any dynasty manager to consider. Collins is averaging 3.65 yards a carry at the moment and doesn’t look to be a long-term consideration for the team. If you have space, add Edwards to see how he does in the next few weeks.
Carlos Hyde - Carlos Hyde looked to be having a very nice year in Cleveland and with five touchdowns was on track to be a steal for anyone who took a chance considering the competition in the Browns backfield. The trade to Jacksonville has to be a devastating blow to anyone hoping Hyde would continue doing well all season. Hyde will just be keeping a seat warm until Leonard Fournette is fit and with T.J. Yeldon in the backfield as well, Hyde will struggle to make his presence felt. His first game of six carries for 11 yards is an expected outcome in the situation and it is hard to see this train getting back on the tracks soon. A big drop in his long-term ranking has to occur.
Simpkins
Adrian Peterson - Peterson was left for dead in dynasty leagues after a disappointing end to last year’s season, but has rebounded this year in a sizeable way. The Derrius Guice injury opened the door for Peterson to take a feature back role with Washington and he has thrived, especially in the touchdown department. While he’s not someone we want to build teams around for the future, he’s a perfect example of a stopgap option for contending teams that have lost one of their starters to injury.
Hindery
Marlon Mack - No runner has seen his stock increase more than Mack over the last couple weeks. Finally healthy, he has put together back-to-back games of 147 or more total yards and scored 4 times. Indianapolis looks like one of the league’s best offenses with Andrew Luck back to full health and a rebuilt offensive line dominating the trenches.
James Conner - As LeVeon Bell and his agent continue to make awful choices, Conner has further cemented himself as the present and future of the Steelers backfield with back-to-back monster fantasy outings. Conner is a top-10 dynasty running back.
Royce Freeman - Freeman hasn’t been bad and his injury doesn’t hurt him long term. However, it is clear that Phillip Lindsay has staying power and this is going to be an RBBC in Denver for the foreseeable future. In this mediocre Broncos offense, Freeman looks like a low-end RB2 or even flex play moving forward.
Wide Receiver
Hindery
Adam Thielen - It feels like Thielen has been included as a riser for me every time I update my rankings. But why not? He is now on pace for 148 catches and 1,850 yards at the halfway point of the season. In addition to putting up overall WR1 numbers, Thielen is also two years younger than Antonio Brown and locked into a fantastic situation in Minnesota long term. Thielen is a slam dunk top-5 dynasty wide receiver and depending upon if your team is a current contender, perhaps even the most valuable dynasty wide receiver overall.
Jarvis Landry - Landry is a faller as it is clear Baker Mayfield is not going to be an instant savior for this Browns passing offense. In Mayfield’s five starts, he has peppered Landry with targets (at least 10 in each game) but the production still hasn’t been there. Despite the huge share of targets, Landry has topped 70 yards in just one of Mayfield’s starts (against the lowly Buccaneers defense). Landry is still a starting fantasy wide receiver but you aren’t nearly as excited about him as you were early in the month.
Will Fuller - It is awful that Fuller is again facing a season-ending injury when he was playing so well. While I hate labeling players as injury prone, Fuller has shown to have a really tough time staying healthy. Plus, it doesn’t feel particularly fluky. He is simply not built like most NFL players, with a frail frame that would seem to make him more susceptible to these issues than more sturdily built pass catchers. His dynasty value takes a hit not only because of the short-term impact of his injury but also because it makes it hard to trust his health in future years as well.
D.J. Moore - After a slow start, we are starting to see some signs of Moore making good on his first-round draft status, which gives a much-needed boost to his dynasty value. He looked explosive in putting up 129 total yards against an elite Ravens defense on Sunday. With Torrey Smith out, Moore has a real opportunity to establish himself as one of Cam Newton’s go-to targets and end his rookie season on a high note.
Courtland Sutton - Sutton put up a career-high 78 yards on Sunday but his continued rise up the dynasty ranks is as much about the eye test as it is his statistical production. Sutton seems to make an eye-popping grab nearly every week and looks like a potentially elite playmaker moving forward.
Hicks
Tyler Boyd - Tyler Boyd only had 17 catches for 134 yards all last year, until his five catches for 91 yards in the meaningless finale. This year he is keeping pace with one of the best and most reliable receivers of the last ten years in his teammate A.J. Green. Being a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, he had the pedigree to succeed, but that second season was woeful. Boyd is on pace to become a WR1, which is totally unexpected. At only 23 years of age, you can expect him to improve further and with Green now over 30, the elder Bengal could slip to the WR2 role in the next few seasons. A massive jump in rankings has to happen for Boyd now.
David Moore - David Moore isn’t there yet, but the direction in which he is traveling indicates it won’t be too long before he gets there. Four touchdowns in the last three games and the yardage and target totals rising, Moore is in a perfect position to take advantage in the lack of quality targets in Seattle. Doug Baldwin is now over 30 and while his leadership skills are important, Russell Wilson needs people who can make big plays. David Moore is coming along nicely.
DeVante Parker - If anyone is going to be a number one receiver in Miami, it has to be DeVante Parker. He has the size and skill to be the main target, but his attitude has been called into question by numerous people. Six catches for 134-yard performance tends to shut critics up, but he needs to do this regularly and play when he has niggling injuries. Injuries are the main thing that has held him up and the critique is that most other receivers play through the ones he doesn’t. For any manager that has him on their roster, it is best he stays with the Dolphins just to see where he sits for the remainder of the season. The annoying thing is that we’ve seen how good he can be on occasions.
Keelan Cole - It was hard not to gush following the week two performance of Keelan Cole against the Patriots. Seven catches for 116 yards, a touchdown and a contender for catch of the year have been followed by mediocrity. In the six weeks following his game against New England, he ranks outside the top 60 wide receivers, despite playing every game unlike a lot of guys ahead of him, which means he is droppable in a lot of dynasty leagues. It is hard to keep him on your roster if you don’t have depth and he warrants a massive drop in rankings.
Will Fuller - Unfortunately, a torn ACL means that the long-term future of Will Fuller has to be re-examined. For a player that has been injured often in his time in the league, a long-term one has to be devastating for any of his managers. He has an undeniable chemistry with Deshaun Watson and game-breaking ability. As is often said, the number one ability is availability and Fuller is once again going to be lacking in that key quality. Some managers will need to move on and that is understandable, but for those hanging on, he can still be a big-time player in this league. You just need the roster space to hold onto him while he is missing.
Simpkins
D.J. Moore - Moore’s snap counts and workload continue to increase in this offense, and the results have been everything that dynasty owners have wanted to see out of an asset they likely took in the first round of rookie drafts. Moore could very well be a rookie that earns fantasy starter status before year’s end and helps owners win leagues.
Tight End
Simpkins
Evan Engram - Count this year a lost one for Engram, but don’t buy the false narrative that volume was the only thing that made Evan Engram a good player last year. A knee injury and a poor offense have put a damper on Engram’s value this year. The Giants are likely to be in a great position to take a quarterback next year and we know that many rookies tend to lean heavily on their pass-catching tight ends. If your league mates are down on Engram, now is a great time to buy while his value is heavily depressed.
Hindery
George Kittle - In a year where most of the hyped young tight ends have failed to live up to expectations, Kittle is one of the few exceptions. He has become to the go-to offensive weapon for the 49ers and is on pace for over 1,100 receiving yards in his second season.
Eric Ebron - The window to sell high on Ebron is closing fast. While his value is up overall compared to where he started the season, the hype will likely die down quickly now that Jack Doyle is back. Ebron still had a good fantasy day in Oakland with a 3-37-1 line. However, in watching the game, it was clear Doyle was Luck’s preferred target (especially in crunch time). If Ebron does indeed end up settling in as the Colts’ No. 2 tight end, it will be tough to trust him as a weekly fantasy starter.
Hicks
Ed Dickson - Two catches is hardly an exciting game for someone looking for help at Tight End, especially for a 31-year-old who has never been more than a backup. That said there are worse players than Ed Dickson at this position and he was expected to be a significant part of this offense when he was signed to replace Jimmy Graham. He will be easily droppable if he doesn’t do much in future weeks, but he is a better receiver than Nick Vannett.
Chris Herndon - There was a vacancy sign on the Jets tight end position coming into the season and Chris Herndon is definitely applying to fill that need. A fourth-round selection in this year’s draft, he wasn’t expected to do much except develop. A touchdown in each of his last three games indicates he is fast-tracking into an important role in this offense. Seven catches in the last three weeks is a concern if you need to start him now, but he looks to be a player worth holding onto if you have the depth.
