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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Kyle Allen - The young starter has navigated Cam Newton’s absence with aplomb, and the Panthers are undefeated with Allen under center. Although Allen doesn’t have the physical tools to match Cam Newton in his prime, his steady play and ability to stretch the field has unlocked the skill set of the supporting cast in a way a banged-up Newton has not in recent years. Although Newton may regain his role and render Allen moot, there is a building case Allen should take over the Panthers' job permanently. That kind of upside optionality warrants a significant dynasty upgrade.
Ryan Finley - The Bengals are now 0-7, and rational decision-makers have to turn their attention to a complete rebuild. The Bengals should trade away A.J. Green and anyone else of value that has a hefty veteran contract. Andy Dalton may thrive in a new destination in 2020 and beyond, but the Bengals should allow Finley to play out the 2019 season before they have to decide on the franchise’s direction next year in the draft.
Jacoby Brissett - When the Colts signed Brissett to an extension before the season, many wondered if it was a desperation move following Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement. The extension now appears to be the latest in a long line of brilliant decisions by GM Ryan Grigson, as Brissett has been an above-average quarterback and has the Colts in contention for a division title and playoff spot.
Marcus Mariota - Mariota lost his job to Ryan Tannehill, and whether Tannehill is the long-term answer in Tennessee (he’s not) is beside the point. Tennessee has moved on from Mariota, and he’ll now have to find a new home in 2020 and, at best, compete for a starting role. More likely, he’ll land on a contending team as a backup. Either way, the chances Mariota returns fantasy value in the coming years has dwindled further, and that warrants yet another downgrade.
Cam Newton - Father Time is undefeated, and Newton is suffering from a litany of big hits after years of MVP-caliber play. While it’s entirely possible he’ll regain his form and have a successful second arc to his career; it’s looking more likely his best days are behind him.
Carson Wentz - Wentz remains a top-tier dynasty piece, but he moves lower on the run of elite dynasty prospects thanks to the strong play of those leaping ahead of him, including Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson. The Eagles have questions along the offensive line and at receiver, and Wentz can regain his previous Top 3 ranking if GM Howie Roseman rebuilds the supporting cast.
Hicks
Jacoby Brissett - A good offensive line can make a good player great or a great player elite. I’m not sure which camp Jacoby Brissett is in right now, but the Colts clearly do not need to go back to the draft to find their next Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning. Brissett is making superb decisions, which is all the more remarkable considering the turnover at wide receiver. It is safe to consider Brissett a starting fantasy quarterback option moving forward.
Andy Dalton - Three rushing touchdowns are fooling the overall fantasy picture regarding Andy Dalton. He is a risk week to week and pretty soon, the Bengals will be turning to next man up Ryan Finley. There is a chance that you could trade Dalton for some value and if so, do it. Dalton is likely to begin his journeyman adventures next season and that may involve a stint as a backup. Location is everything so on deeper rosters he could be worth a stash.
Ryan Tannehill - For the 2017 season, it was predicted that Ryan Tannehill would finally make that jump into becoming a good NFL quarterback. The knee injury ruined that. The 2018 season in Miami was a mess and only punched his ticket out of there. In Tennessee, he has clearly demonstrated that he is a better option than Marcus Mariota. Whether he can add consistency to the highs remains to be seen. He does, however, deserve a better evaluation than he’s been getting.
Parsons
Mitchell Trubisky - Trubisky feels, much like Marcus Mariota, like a quarterback who is closer to being benched than turning things around. The Bears are a playoff-caliber team...outside of quarterback play. Putting the risk of Trubisky being benched and heading down that road lowers his dynasty value a good chunk. Finally, beyond being benched, Trubisky is a middling producer despite being a mobile option which is the fantasy fast-track to mid-QB2 or better production.
Jacoby Brissett - Brissett is a top-10 fantasy quarterback per-game this season with an unreal 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. Brissett adds enough rushing to not be a liability in the category and has supported T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron, and Jack Doyle to various levels. Brissett has minimal respect for dynasty valuations from myself including until recently but his long-term outlook is far improved to keep the job and thrive compared to this past offseason with the sample size growing.
Running Back
Hicks
Mark Walton - With the Dolphins trying to ship Kenyan Drake, Mark Walton is likely to get an extended run at whatever production Miami can get at running back. Kalen Ballage and his 1.7 yards a carry average is not going to threaten him. The only thing that will is if Drake stays. Walton is doing very well to at least give you flex consideration and more if Miami remains competitive in games. There is a chance he is available in some leagues or can be traded for cheaply. A good 2019 only consideration.
Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic - Depending on the severity of Kerryon Johnson's knee injury, the backups in Detroit could see an extended run. Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic aren’t going to carry you to a championship but will give those desperate at running back an option to consider. Moving forward they have to be on rosters as they are not going to give you some production and opportunity can be everything at the running back position.
Leonard Fournette - Leonard Fournette is on track for a massive 2019 season. He already is averaging over 100 yards a game rushing and is on pace to smash his previous efforts as a receiver. He could get 2000 yards combined as a rusher and receiver this year. Quite amazing considering his horrible 2018 season and perceived attitude issues. He clearly moves towards the elite, with a careful eye on any further showings of immaturity or issues.
Parsons
Melvin Gordon - Melvin Gordon has been an 'empty carries' back since returning to the Chargers. Gordon has been limited by the superior Austin Ekeler in the passing game and Gordon's volume has centered around 'between the 20s' and non-optimized for fantasy purposes. Add to this ambiguity for his short-term impact Gordon's age (creeping up to age 27) and his situation being up in the air for 2020 and his previously high dynasty appeal has been cut down like a tree in the harvest zone.
Leonard Fournette - One of my go-to lines with discussing frequently injured players in dynasty is "what happens when they are not injured?" The point being we focus on a player being injured so much at times we lose track of a key question - are they a good player? If not, then yes, the injury aspect, the 'availability' to play is a deal-breaker. Because they are situationally valued only and being unavailable for said situation makes if, well, tough. With Fournette, he has missed plenty of time thus far in his career. But the likely outcome if he was playing and healthy was a workhorse back in terms of volume in an RBBC NFL world. As a result, his ceiling (and floor) are high. The result we are getting in 2019 is a view into Fournette's 'if healthy' world as a top-10 fantasy back and this is with a crazy one touchdown on more than 170 touches. With some regression to the norm for that volume, Fournette is a top-3/4 back production-wise.
Wood
Chase Edmonds - Edmonds is fresh off a 150-yard, three-touchdown explosion and looked more effective and explosive than David Johnson has in years. While Johnson’s contract and veteran status may relegate Edmonds to a backup role again soon, Edmonds’ proved he has the talent and fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s system to thrive. Don’t be surprised if the Cardinals move on from Johnson after the 2019 season, or perhaps transition him to receiver. Either path opens the door for Edmonds to leap up the fantasy rankings.
Leonard Fournette - Fournette was on my risers list three weeks ago but warrants yet another upgrade. He’s a workhorse and is making plays on the ground and as a receiver. Any worries about Fournette’s role with Jacksonville this year or beyond has been put to bed. As long as he stays healthy this season, there are few tailbacks with as much dynasty value.
Tevin Coleman - The 49ers are undefeated, and Kyle Shanahan’s running-back friendly system is a significant factor in the team’s early success. Coleman returned from an early-season injury and looks like the best of a talented bunch. Even if he only gets 50% of the snaps, that’s enough to be a weekly starter in every league.
Austin Ekeler - A modest downtick for Ekeler, but still notable as Melvin Gordon returned to the fold. The Chargers are a mess right now, and Gordon’s return has rendered both backs as fringe fantasy starters. Before Gordon’s return, Ekeler was among the best fantasy backs in any scoring format.
Alvin Kamara - Kamara remains a top-8 running back but drops a few spots because of slight fear the workload is starting to impact his long-term viability. This is not a panic move, but a modest shifting lower in the elite tier.
Wide Receiver
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Amari Cooper - Cooper has been a highly-debated dynasty player and asset over the years. His situation has stabilized with his trade to Dallas and his production in kind has also stabilized. Cooper is uncheckable with his route-running acumen and he has a good enough WR2 (Michael Gallup) to draw some coverage but not too good to challenge his WR1 role or upside. Cooper is arguably the WR1 in dynasty considering his combination of age, pedigree, production, and a steady situation with offense level and quarterback compared to the other debatable options for the No.1 spot.
D.J. Moore - Moore is one of my favorite buy recommendations in dynasty with his combination of metric profile, pedigree, and Year 1/2 production. Moore is a touchdown regression candidate with his single touchdown on 33 receptions this year and dominates after the catch and on intermediate routes. Carolina has plenty of competition for targets, but Moore will rise eventually to a requisite level to turn his efficiency into higher raw numbers to match. Moore is miring in the WR3 zone of per-game production this year, largely due to his lack of touchdowns.
Wood
Diontae Johnson - Ben Roethlisberger’s potentially career-ending injury notwithstanding, rookie Diontae Johnson has already leapfrogged Donte Moncrief and James Washington for the starting role opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster. To ascend into the starting role so quickly speaks volumes about Johnson’s long-term future, presuming the Steelers can find a suitable signal-caller in 2020 and beyond.
D.J. Chark - Questions abounded in the preseason as the Jaguars were ushering in the Nick Foles era, and the receiving corps was full of intriguing but largely unproven contributors. To the surprise of many, Chark has broken from the pack and become the go-to receiver, at least under Gardner Minshew’s watch. There’s the chance Nick Foles prefers another receiver, but Chark has passed the eyeball test week after week.
Courtland Sutton - Sutton would be due a more significant bump if the Broncos’ quarterback situation was encouraging. With Joe Flacco at the helm, Sutton instead gets a modest upgrade in recognition of his improved route-running and aggressive play against opposing defensive backs.
Robby Anderson - Anderson’s abysmal start was hard to ignore, even though it came with Luke Falk under center. Sam Darnold’s return re-ignited the Jets passing attack and turned Anderson into the big-play deep threat we all expected him to be during the preseason.
JuJu Smith-Schuster - Smith-Schuster remains a top-12 receiver, but barely after starting the season as a top-5 dynasty asset. Ben Roethlisberger’s injury casts a cloud on the Steelers future beyond 2019, and until we see Smith-Schuster dominate with another quarterback, there’s too much risk to rank him as a first-round value.
Tyler Boyd - Boyd sticks in the Top 20 but falls a few notches given the awful start to Zac Taylor’s tenure in Cincinnati. If this continues, the Bengals could be in for a total rebuild, and that could easily mean yet another offensive playbook. It almost certainly means a new quarterback. Boyd remains the Bengals top target, but players like Auden Tate and Alex Erickson have emerged and are a threat to Boyd’s weekly upside.
Sammy Watkins - Another year, another injury. What more can be said of Watkins other than his talent is never going to be fully realized because of his inability to stay on the field for 16 games.
Hicks
Kenny Stills - With Will Fuller out again for an extended period of time, Kenny Stills could move up from the number four guy to the number two and deep-ball threat. Stills has plenty of experience by now and Deshaun Watson has the arm. Stills could easily be sitting available in a lot of leagues and his use for the remainder of the season may turn into something more if he can stay on the field. Four missed games in seven years are in direct contrast to Fuller who has almost missed as many games as he has played
Zach Pascal - The breakout game from Zach Pascal is a shock, but it isn’t. With Devin Funchess injured and Parris Campbell struggling to get on the field, the number two position in Indianapolis is wide open. Pascal has seven games with at least seven targets in his short career and while the end result here is not likely to occur again, production counts. Pascal is highly likely to be available and should be an immediate add and see.
Marvin Jones - When Marvin Jones has a big game, he makes sure it is a monster. He has finished as high as the fifth-ranked fantasy receiver before, so his game and career aren’t a fluke. That said, the wisest decision to make would be to trade him while he is at his peak value. This could turn out to be his best season since 2017, but the boom/bust nature of his weekly output can be frustrating for most fantasy managers.
JuJu Smith-Schuster - The time has come to move JuJu Smith-Schuster down rankings. Long term he should be fine, but with a second and third-string quarterback under center and the offense as a whole struggling, expecting Smith-Schuster to carry the load is unrealistic. He is still only 22 years of age but with Roethlisberger, an imminent threat to stop playing and the replacements inexperienced, top tier fantasy production is a pipe dream.
Tight End
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Gerald Everett - The Rams offense hasn’t been as productive as most expected, but Everett has emerged as the first fantasy-worthy tight end of Sean McVay’s tenure. Everett’s volume isn’t high enough to push for high-end No. 1 value, but he’s doing enough with his modest target share to justify a low-end TE1 valuation.
Darren Waller - Waller was on the upgrade list three weeks ago and now he gets another bump. The Raiders signed him to a long-term extension, and he’s been the team’s best receiver at any position. Derek Carr trusts him, as do the coaches, and Waller is one of the few tight ends getting a target share high enough to ben an every-week impact starter.
Will Dissly - Dissly was on my risers list three weeks ago, but unfortunately the talented youngster suffered a season-ending injury again. Back-to-back season-ending injuries are an unfortunate harbinger for dynasty value.
C.J. Uzomah - Uzomah isn’t a needle mover, but I thought he could step into a key role for Zac Taylor’s spread offense and become no worse than third in the passing pecking order. He’s fallen well short of that goal and hasn’t even overtaken the oft-hobbled Tyler Eifert.
Hicks
Jeremy Sprinkle - With Jordan Reed gone for the year and possibly career with a concussion and almost 36 years old Vernon Davis suffering the same issue, third-year man Jeremy Sprinkle is getting an extended look. He has at least one catch in every game, sometimes two and while that is hard to rely on it may be the start of a career or he may simply not be good enough at this level. For a bargain price and given the team's use of the position, he is a cheap investment.
Dallas Goedert - With Dallas Goedert having five catches in total over the first five games, there was a real reason to be concerned, but nine catches, 117 yards, and a touchdown in the last two games have helped get his season back on track. He is still making crucial mistakes, but we must be careful to be too hard on young tight ends. Goedert is a long-term investment that you have to ride the ups and downs of.
Parsons
Darren Waller - Waller's recent extension is a shot in the arm in terms of confidence in his production to sustain beyond 2019. Foster Moreau has looked solid in his opening games as a rookie, but Waller is the centerpiece of the passing game for Oakland. Waller flamed out as a wide receiver prospect but has morphed, Madden-like, into a quality tight end as a result. I have moved Waller up a decent amount in recent weeks.
Zach Ertz - Ertz is a good but not elite talent and his uber-volume from 2018 is not repeating in 2019. As a result, Ertz's projection as a top-3 lock by some at the position has faded to TE9 through essentially half the fantasy regular season and that includes DeSean Jackson missing a chunk of the season and Miles Sanders just starting to get up to speed as a rookie. Dallas Goedert is a significant challenger to Ertz's upside the more time passes with both in Philadelphia and Ertz's dynasty value has taken a hit over the past two months as a result.
If you would like to review our most recent Dynasty rankings, here is a link.