Dynasty Rankings Movement, Week 17

Photo: USA Today Sports

Week 16 is complete, and dynasty movement continues. Injuries have created new opportunities or raised long-term questions about players. Elsewhere young players are solidifying their opportunity for playing time and fantasy production. Weekly the Footballguys staff will share their thoughts on the dynasty ranking movement and answer a critical question you may face.

Who is your top buy-low target for the 2023 offseason?

Christian Williams

Jameson Williams, Detroit - Williams is the easiest buy-low target this offseason. After an injury-ridden rookie year and a slow introduction to the offense, many managers will question if Williams will become a viable fantasy target. Williams managers may hesitate on his future, opening the door for a prime buy-low opportunity, especially for a rebuilding roster.

Kevin Coleman

John Metchie, Houston - As a deep stash, the player that makes the most sense as a buy-low target is Houston wide receiver John Metchie. The former second-round pick missed the 2022 season while battling Leukemia, and all signs are pointing to him being able to play in 2023. Assuming he plays, he’s a great player to add for cheap right now. The Texans will be drafting their quarterback of the future in the 2023 draft, and the passing offense should take a significant step forward. He should step into the slot role and be a great asset in PPR leagues. Do it if you can get him as a throw-in on any deal this offseason.

Jeff Bell

James Cook, Buffalo - Since Week 11, Cook has been on a pace for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage despite two contests where he only totaled 33 yards. With Devin Singletary headed towards free agency, it is easy to see an opportunity for offseason narratives to spiral Cook’s value. Cook came in as an older prospect and had a view as a bit of a change of pace back. But his performance against New England in Week 13 deserves highlighting. The Bills utilized him as a primary ball carrier in a grind-it-out game plan, giving him 20 touches in the contest. Cook’s 5.8 ypa leads all running backs with at least 80 touches, showing his ability to grab chunk yardage. Overall, Cook can lead a backfield in an elite fantasy offense and is positioned for significant narrative value gains.

Quarterback

Jeff Bell

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami - Tagovailoa is quickly becoming the dividing line on dynasty quarterback value. Everyone above him, you feel comfortable long term as a starting option. Everyone below him faces question marks on age or performance. Tagovailoa has averaged just over five rushing yards per game, and even that may stop as he looks to maintain his health after yet another concussion. Much of his value is tied to system and talent, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle one of the best receiver tandems in the NFL. But as Miami has continued to slide to the edge of the playoff picture, Tagovailoa’s long-term standing has to come into question. Availability concerns aside, he is a player who could see the ground shift much quicker than is acknowledged.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants - Jones came into the season with essential questions about his future and has performed decidedly average. An improvement in his previous standing. He has posted career highs in passer rating (90.7), yardage (3,028), and QBR (56.8), all good enough to make him QB10 on the season in total points and QB15 in points per game. This progress despite the Giants cycling through receivers as the season progressed. In a league desperate for quarterback answers, Jones has solidified himself enough to get another chance with the Giants or elsewhere. Given he is only 25 and Brian Daboll’s history with quarterback development, he must be reassessed in dynasty rankings.

Kevin Coleman

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville - Since week nine, Lawrence has been a top-six quarterback in fantasy and has solidified himself as a legitimate QB1. After a lackluster rookie season and a slow start this season, we have seen him start to live up to the hype. He’s averaging over 22 fantasy points per game in the second half of the year and looks comfortable in Doug Pederson’s scheme. Next year he’ll also play with Calvin Ridley, which should positively impact his fantasy outlook.

Christian Williams

Derek Carr, Las Vegas - With Derek Carr's reported benching for the last two weeks of the regular season, it's fair to assume the Raiders plan to move on from the veteran quarterback before the 2023 season. His play in 2022 suggests that it isn't crazy to move in a different direction, and the ambiguity surrounding his immediate NFL future is enough to be skeptical about his ranking as a mid-tier QB2 in dynasty formats.