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
Jimmy Garoppolo – We have a big enough sample size to determine Garoppolo is not a great NFL quarterback, much less a viable fantasy option. This was our opinion before the injury Sunday. Sure, his top play-makers are out, but this was his chance to shine as his team needed top quarterback play. Even before the Garoppolo injury, we thought there was a solid chance Nick Mullins would start games this season. He is now a player to roster in deeper SuperFlex leagues. He has a non-zero chance of keeping the job.
Carson Wentz – I have finally stopped making excuses for Wentz. His offensive line is bad. I get it. The Eagles receivers are banged up. I had Wentz as a top-7 fantasy passer and just cannot justify the ranking any further with other quarterbacks playing much better. Even Greg Cosell is on board, saying, “His ball placement is not precise. He misses too many layups.” I just do not see “fantasy superstar”. Local media personality Adam Caplan tweeted Sunday afternoon, “ … 11s issues with mechanics (feet need to be closer together), how he needs to be coached …” He will be lucky to have late-career Eli Manning fantasy numbers. Even Dan Orlovsky said on “Get Up” Monday morning, “The Eagles don't have a quarterback problem, but their quarterback's play is problematic.” Ouch!
McNamara
Carson Wentz – Wentz has had a bad start to the season, and I have always been concerned about his profile. He has a history of high-end fantasy production which is a good indication of future success at the position, but it has been very tenuous. His 2020 season has been bad as he ranks in the bottom five in catchable passes and bottom three in completion percentage over expectation, which has produced a putrid 6.02 yards per attempt. Combine this performance with the growth of Josh Allen, a resurgence of Aaron Rodgers, and rebound of Jared Goff, and Wentz is a faller. I also like what I've seen out of Cam Newton who could pass Wentz in my next update if these trends continue.
Grant
Daniel Jones – Jones may be the starting quarterback in New York, but he continues to struggle. He continues to have issues holding onto the ball and fumbles about once every 45 snaps. With Saquon Barkley gone for the season, the Giants are going nowhere, and Jones is going to have to throw a lot to stay competitive. If the turnovers continue, expect the Giants to be looking for another quarterback next year.
Kirk Cousins – All expectations that Kirk Cousins would lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl should be put to rest by now. With four interceptions in his first two games this season, Cousins has the Vikings off to an 0-2 start in a division they should easily finish second in given their talent. If the flame-out continues, expect Cousins to fall to the bottom of the fantasy quarterback ladder and be replaced in the next season or two.
Justin Herbert – A surprise start this week; Herbert didn’t look like a rookie against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs and nearly pulled off the upset win. He made a couple of rookie mistakes and will need to go through some growing pains but based on his initial start against a tough team – Herbert performed very well.
Cam Newton – The Patriots may just be 1-1, but Cam Newton looks like he’s going to be an excellent alternative to Tom Brady in New England. With several designed run and some decent passing, Newton already has 4 rushing touchdowns this season to complement his 550 yards passing and 150 yards rushing. If he can stay healthy, Newton is going to be a huge fantasy value this season.
Running Back
Grant
Joe Mixon – Mixon took a hit last season but he looks to have bounced back and is good for a solid 20 touches a game. The Bengals are going to struggle this season but should improve as Joe Burrows gets more experience. Mixon is an excellent safety blanket for him and will be a solid fantasy back in any format.
Nick Chubb – Anyone who watched the one-two punch of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt knows that the Browns are going to feed the ball a lot to the duo this year. Chubb is still the A1 back with Hunt giving him a breather, giving the Browns one of the best backfields in the league. Chubb is the star and will easily post top-10 fantasy numbers this season and for years to come.
Cam Akers – Akers is off to a slow start this season, and the rib injury he sustained this week will set him back even further. With Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson seeing more touches so far this year, Akers won’t have much fantasy relevance without a major injury in front of him this season.
David Johnson – Johnson looked solid in the season opener for the Texans but looked very average this week against a tough Raven defense. His volume makes him a solid fantasy option, but his long-term viability remains questionable. If he can stay healthy for a few more weeks, he will deserve a bump back up in rankings.
McNamara
Jonathan Taylor - The injury to Marlon Mack is a major development for Jonathan Taylor. With an elite offensive line and underrated pass-catching profile, Taylor has top-5 startup ADP upside. His rise in my rankings corresponds with slow starts from Miles Sanders and Joe Mixon, and a Nick Chubb timeshare with Kareem Hunt.
Tefertiller
Jonathan Taylor – Taylor was slated to share duties with Marlon Mack before Mack went down to with a torn Achilles in Week 1. The Mack injury pushes Taylor up the rankings and Mack way down. This type of injury has been difficult for many tailbacks to regain top form.
Chase Edmonds - I was already higher on Edmonds – and lower on Kenyan Drake – than consensus, but the first two weeks have shown this to be true. Expect Edmonds to see his role increase as the season progresses.
Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt – I had both Browns backs ranked highly, but each moved up more this week. The showing against the lowly Bengals on Thursday night illustrated why. Hunt continues to be underappreciated by the fantasy community.
Wide Receiver
McNamara
Stefon Diggs - I was concerned about how Stefon Diggs would fit into the Buffalo offense because of both John Brown and the quality of Josh Allen. Brown is outstanding, but Josh Allen has been fantastic, leaving room for both wide receivers in the offense. Allen can exploit the intermediate range of the field, where Diggs has been terrific so far this year. His first two weeks have forced me to move Diggs significantly up my board.
Tefertiller
CeeDee Lamb – Lamb has been spectacular and should continue to only get better. The other quality receivers for Dallas will help the youngster face weak cornerbacks most every game. He is a great player in a great position to succeed.
A.J. Green – The veteran receiver is toast. What we witnessed Thursday night was a past-their-prime alpha receiver unable to separate or make plays after the catch. The torch will soon be passed to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Only a great game in the coming weeks will allow a decent opportunity to sell.
Grant
Mike Evans -With Chris Godwin out this week, the Mike Evans of old returned – hauling in 7 receptions for over 100 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. Tom Brady has never had a ‘favorite’ receiver, so Evans won’t be a stud when Godwin returns – but his skills remain solid and he can easily post top 20 numbers from a fantasy perspective – especially in PPR formats.
D.J. Moore – The Panthers are going to struggle this season, and with Christian McCaffery now out for the next few weeks – that means more passing and more opportunities for Moore. He and Robby Anderson will have plenty of opportunities, but Moore is the better long-term option and deserves strong consideration as a WR2 or flex in most fantasy leagues.
Calvin Ridley – Julio Jones may have the talent, but Calvin Ridley always seems to cut into his fantasy stats. Both are seeing more than 10 targets a game, but Ridley is a lot more effective and has four receiving touchdowns so far this season. While I’m not quite ready to say Ridley is the better receiver to have from a fantasy perspective, much like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – you can’t go wrong with Ridley and Jones in your lineup.
Tight End
Tefertiller
Dallas Goedert – I have had Goedert ranked ahead of Ertz for a year now, and inside the top five at the position, but it is time to move him ahead of Kelce due to the steep age difference. Goedert should continue his ascension through the fantasy rankings. As the Philadelphia offense improves, so will Goedert’s numbers.
Blake Jarwin – Jarwin’s ACL injury in Week 1 should temper expectations for 2020. He just signed a new contract and should be a key cog in the Dallas offense next year. Making fantasy players even more frustrated was Dalton Schultz having a monster game Sunday, the game after Jarwin’s injury. Against Atlanta, Schultz hauled in 9 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Grant
Mark Andrews – Andrews had a solid performance week 1 against the Browns but struggled last week against Houston. He jumped up the fantasy ranks in redraft and dynasty this year and will probably finish in the top 5 when it comes to stats. His long-term potential is solid as well, making him a great fantasy tight end to build your team around.
Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz - DAL – Jarwin has put up some solid games, but his week 1 injury will sideline him for the season. Since he doesn’t have a long track record to stand on, and Dalton Schultz looks solid as his replacement, Jarwin gets a bump down Schultz gets a bump up. With so much attention on the trio of receivers in Dallas, whoever starts at tight end is going to do well. Schultz had nine receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown starting in place of Jarwin this week and he could be a great waiver wire pickup now for the rest of the season and beyond.
Jonnu Smith – Although Derrick Henry is still carrying the ball 25 times a game, the Titans are passing the ball more this season and Jonnu Smith got a big bump through the first two games. He has three receiving touchdowns so far this season and looks to be a good red-zone alternative to Henry when the Titans need to score. Don’t expect a score every week, but Smith definitely gets a big bump this week and could be an interesting prospect by the middle of the season if this trend continues.
McNamara
Noah Fant - I was worried about Noah Fant coming into the season. Fant had a promising rookie year, but Denver did not settle, selecting Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft and signing Melvin Gordon in free agency. With the injury to Cortland Sutton, Fant finds himself as the most established receiving threat in the offense. I have concerns about Denver's record this year and if Drew Lock does not return quickly from injury and play well, they could find themselves in contention for a top pick in the draft and a quarterback upgrade. Despite these concerns, Fant is in the top five in points so far this season and playing well. I'm optimistic about his future even if Denver disappoints this year.
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