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
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Teddy Bridgewater - Bridgewater leads a collection of backups moving up the ranks thanks to significant injuries to long-time starters. The Saints paid Bridgewater handsomely for this exact situation, and in turn, it provides the Saints an opportunity to continue to push for a playoff spot in Drew Brees’ absence. It’s been a long time since Bridgewater played meaningful football, and while there’s little risk he can manage the Saints in real life, there are far greater questions about his fantasy viability. For now, he jumps into the bottom tier of starting quarterbacks.
Daniel Jones - Jones didn’t have to wait long for his shot, and Giants fans are overjoyed with the early returns. In two starts, Jones is completing nearly 70% of passes, throwing downfield, and using his legs to avoid the pass rush and gain first downs. It’s too early to say the Giants got the pick right, but it’s hard not to be impressed. The Giants offense has new life, despite Saquon Barkley’s injury, and Jones could be on the verge of cementing himself as a fantasy-caliber quarterback for years to come.
Lamar Jackson - It’s time. Jackson has been a steady riser in the last few months and is now squarely in the upper tier of dynasty quarterbacks. We all knew he was an effective runner, but Jackson has been a terrific passer, too. He’s completing 65% of his passes and has ten touchdowns against two interceptions through four games. He’s also not putting himself in undue harm and is diligently sliding or getting out of bounds to avoid pressure when appropriate.
Tom Brady - Brady vaulted up the rankings a few weeks ago when it looked like Antonio Brown was joining the team. But the Brown saga lasted one week, and although the Patriots are undefeated, the offense looks more like the good-not-great version we foresaw in the preseason. Brady is 42 years old, and that must factor into his dynasty value even if he’s playing like a fringe fantasy starter this season.
Kirk Cousins - This summer many people worried the Vikings passing attack would stumble under new offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. I pushed back against the narrative and was wrong. The worst fears are coming true, as the Vikings passing attack looks inept. The talent is there – Cousins has been a top-10 fantasy quarterback every season of his starting career – but a month into the season is long enough to worry the status quo is problematic. Cousins can vault back up the rankings with a change in play-callers.
Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger’s season-ending injury could also be the end of his career. The future Hall of Famer has hinted at retirement previously, and one must wonder whether he has the drive to fight back for the 2020 season. Either way, his age is a concern – he does not take care of his body like Tom Brady and Drew Brees do – as is the declining talent pool in Pittsburgh.
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Mitchell Trubisky – Yes, Trubisky is injured, but if you have followed the Bears at all this season, you spent most of the Minnesota game thinking ‘Trubisky couldn’t make that throw’ as you watched Chase Daniel game-manage the Bears to victory. Chicago won’t replace their franchise quarterback with a guy like Daniel, but don’t be surprised if they do give Trubisky plenty of time to get back to 100%. When you look at how Patrick Mahomes II and Deshaun Watson perform compared to Mitch, you can’t help wondering how much longer Chicago will give him to develop.
Jameis Winston – Winston had over 750 yards passing and seven touchdowns against just two interceptions over the last two weeks. Tampa Bay isn’t as bad as people originally thought and Winston is looking good after a rough start to the season. As Chris Godwin becomes a solid #2 option opposite Mike Evans, Winston’s stock will continue to rise.
Dak Prescott – It pains me to knock Prescott down a couple of pegs, but the Cowboys kept the Saints out of the end zone this week and Prescott failed to move the offense. After three great games against three poor opponents, Prescott came up empty in a game the Cowboys could have easily won. If he struggles this week against Green Bay, you might want to consider selling Prescott before the bottom falls out. He’s not going to face Miami every week.
Running Back
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Melvin Gordon – Gordon didn’t play this week but expect the Chargers to use the heck out of him for the rest of the season. He’s playing for a new contract – either with the Chargers or another team next season. His motivation will never be higher.
Kerryon Johnson – With the release of C.J. Anderson, Johnson became the unquestionable starting running back for the Lions for the rest of the season. Despite the loss, Detroit played tough and Johnson had almost 30 touches for more than 150 yards from scrimmage this week. Expect the Lions to continue to feed him the ball going forward.
Adrian Peterson – The Washington offense is a joke and Adrian Peterson is fading fast. He’s averaging well under three yards per carry this season, and it’s hard to see what value he will have once the season is over. He’ll play, but he won’t be anyone you can count on going forward.
Ito Smith – Devonta Freeman is averaging well under three yards per carry this season and was pulled near the goal line for Ito Smith now that Smith is healthy again. Freeman may still contribute in the short passing game, but Smith should factor into the Falcon offense as long as he’s healthy and will continue to push for more time.
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Darrel Williams - Williams is the third-string running back in Kansas City and was viewed as the fourth-stringer during draft season. Yet, he’s coming off a two-touchdown performance as Damien Williams succumbs to the injury fears that weighed against his draft stock. Darrel Williams isn’t particularly talented, but any healthy, aggressive running back in the Chiefs system has fantasy value. LeSean McCoy is firmly ahead of Williams, and rookie Darwin Thompson the more enticing long-term prospect, but opportunity is the No. 1 asset among running backs, and Williams has it.
Wayne Gallman - I’m not enamored with Gallman’s skill set, but the Giants offense has sprung to life with Daniel Jones under center. If the offensive line plays as well as it did in Week 4, Gallman can be a serviceable No. 2 or No. 3 fantasy running back in all scoring formats until Saquon Barkley returns. In today’s NFL, there is such a shortage of backs who get heavy workloads, Gallman deserves a significant bump up from his previous tier which categorized him as end-of-roster fodder.
Leonard Fournette - Fournette is moving back up the dynasty rankings for several reasons. One, he’s healthy. Two, he’s running hard and producing in a way we haven’t seen since his rookie season. Three, the Jaguars are using him in the passing game. Fournette’s talent was never in question, but his maturity and durability were. With each passing week, it gets harder to buy low. Strike while the iron still hasn’t fully heated up.
Duke Johnson Jr - Duke Johnson Jr, we hardly knew you. Johnson’s preseason couldn’t have gone better. He went from underutilized third-stringer to prized trade acquisition stepping in for a workhorse who tore his ACL in Lamar Miller. He was a can’t-miss fantasy asset. Except we all missed that whatever turned Johnson off to the Browns coaches appears to have infected Bill O’Brien and the Texans staff. Johnson is stuck in an ineffective committee with Carlos Hyde, and if not now, when will he live up to the hype?
James Conner - The Steelers aren’t executing well in any facet, and the end of an era may be here with Ben Roethlisberger’s season-ending injury. Unless Pittsburgh turns the season around quickly, this has the makings of a complete tear-down and rebuild. Conner excelled as a high-touch cog in a racing-car wheel, but he doesn’t have the underlying skill set to flourish in suboptimal game scripts.
Devonta Freeman - Any hope Freeman would shed his two years of injuries and look like the elite runner we saw in 2016 have been dashed. The Falcons offensive line changes have not improved the unit, and Freeman looks a step slow and indecisive. Matt Ryan and the passing attack are as good as it gets, which means Freeman will continue seeing advantageous defensive fronts, but until we see him produce, it’s time to discount his long-term value.
Wide Receiver
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Cooper Kupp - The Rams offense isn’t clicking on all cylinders, but Cooper Kupp has been fantastic. He’s clearly healthy and has picked back up as Jared Goff’s most trusted receiver. Kupp was the cheapest of the Rams receiving trio in drafts this summer, and that was a mistake. Kupp is younger than Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks and is playing better. He is now on the fringe of the WR1 tier.
Sterling Shepard - The Giants have a long way back to respectability, but the early returns for Daniel Jones are impressive. More importantly, Jones has zeroed in on Shepard, and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue for years to come if both stay healthy. Shepard isn’t a game-breaker, but he runs crisp routes and is sure-handed. He was way too low in my prior rankings, and there’s room for further upward revision if his September metrics sustain into October.
Demarcus Robinson - Robinson has broken out in Tyreek Hill’s stead, further fueling the narrative any receiver in Kansas City has fantasy value. As long as Patrick Mahomes II continues to redefine the quarterback position, even the team’s No. 3 receiver is a strong fantasy option in most weeks. Robinson’s future isn’t secure, particularly with Mecole Hardman on the roster, but it’s not impossible Robinson will vault into the No. 2 role if the Chiefs must let Sammy Watkins go to pay higher-priority players including Mahomes.
Tyrell Williams - Williams isn’t putting up eye-popping numbers as the Raiders new No. 1; he’s on pace for 68 receptions for 864 yards. But he’s scored four touchdowns and is Derek Carr’s most reliable target outside of tight end Darren Waller. Williams is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver on a high-volume passing offense yet costs much less in most dynasty leagues. Take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity.
Antonio Brown - What a roller coaster ride. Brown is now a free agent facing civil, and possibly criminal, liability. But he’s also one of the most talented players of his generation. Ranking him is akin to risk tolerance. If he can settle his current off-the-field issues quickly, there will be teams lining up to give Brown yet another shot. But there’s risk, of course, his problems could be career-ending. We just don’t know.
Dede Westbrook - The Dede Westbrook love affair was torrid but short. A strong preseason hasn’t amounted to much, and D.J. Chark has vaulted past Westbrook on the Jaguars pecking order. The Jaguars passing game isn’t voluminous enough to get excited by second- and third-stringers, which makes Westbrook an end-of-roster option in dynasty formats going forward.
Anthony Miller - Remember when Anthony Miller was the toast of Chicago? Me, neither. The young receiver has vanished and is being out-snapped by a litany of other Bears. Dynasty roster configuration is about balancing current-year producers with league-winning lottery tickets on your bench. Miller doesn’t appear to fit either category anymore.
Mike Williams - The table was set for Williams to break out this year, and it hasn’t happened. Hunter Henry is on the shelf, Tyrell Williams in Oakland, and Melvin Gordon had been missing in action until a few days ago. Yet, Williams couldn’t capitalize on the increased target share; and that was before he got hurt again.
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Chris Godwin – for years, fantasy owners have tried to guess who will be the #2 wide receiver in Tampa behind Mike Evans. Godwin moved into that role last season and may actually finish the season with better stats than Evans this season.
Geronimo Allison – When the season began. it looked like Marquez Valdes-Scantling would emerge as Green Bay’s #2 wide receiver this season. While Scantling is seeing more targets, Allison has better stats. With Davante Adams out for the next several weeks, Allison will have plenty of opportunities to move into the secondary slot.
Julio Jones – Jones has been a stud so far this season, but the Falcons are struggling offensively and if Matt Ryan doesn’t have time to throw the ball, Jones’s stats are going to suffer. He’s too talented to bench in any format, but based on how Atlanta is playing, you might want to listen to any offers that come in for a trade.
Paul Richardson Jr – The Washington offense is firmly in the ‘hard pass’ category now. Richardson was an interesting pick in PPR formats, especially when Terry McLaurin was announced as inactive against a weak Giant’s team. Instead of having a decent game, Richardson disappeared as well, making anyone from this offense a big risk and Richardson a guy you can pass on, even in a PPR league.
Tight End
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Will Dissly – Another week – another receiving touchdown on top of seven receptions for 57 yards against the Cardinals this week. Dissly is a starting quality fantasy tight end now and at this pace, he’ll finish as one of the top fantasy tight ends this season.
O.J. Howard – Howard’s value continues to fall, and despite Tampa putting 55 points on the board this week, Cameron Brate posted better stats and hauled in the touchdown. Howard is on the field a lot, but Tampa isn’t using him. He isn’t a fantasy starter at this point and is quickly becoming irrelevant as a fantasy tight end.
Darren Waller – He still hasn’t found the end zone this season, but Waller turned in another game with seven receptions. Waller is seeing starting fantasy tight end action and is a must-start in any PPR format.
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Darren Waller - I was early on the Waller hype train, but he’s exceeded even my optimistic outlook. Waller is producing every week, regardless of the Raiders’ game script. His age and history with substance abuse make him riskier than other elite tight ends, but he’s playing too well to discount anymore.
Will Dissly - Dissly isn’t a fluid athlete, nor can he take the top off a defense in the way Travis Kelce or George Kittle can. However, Dissly has been too good, too consistently, to ignore. Russell Wilson trusts the young two-way tight end, particularly in the red zone. It doesn’t take a lot of red-zone targets to warrant a top-10 fantasy ranking, and Dissly belongs in the discussion.
O.J. Howard - Bruce Arians’ Cardinals offenses didn’t make use of the tight end position, but most chalked that up to a talent issue. Surely, Arians’ schemes would feature O.J. Howard – who is infinitely more talented than anyone from those Cardinals teams – right? Yet, a month into the season and Howard is a complete non-factor. If you can’t finish as a top fantasy asset in a 55-point offensive explosion, as the Buccaneers had in Week 4, it’s safe to worry it’ll never happen.
Kyle Rudolph - When Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs aren’t seeing enough volume to help fantasy teams, Kyle Rudolph has literally no value. The veteran has been a top-10 fantasy tight end in multiple seasons, but unless the Vikings completely rethink their run-pass balance, he’s barely worth a roster spot in redraft leagues much less dynasty rosters.
If you would like to review our most recent Dynasty rankings, here is a link.