Welcome to the Dynasty Three & Out, where each week we’ll focus on three players gaining value and three others losing dynasty value based on the latest news and performances on the field.
Note: Any dynasty ADP or dynasty trades referenced in this article can be found at dynastyleaguefootball.com
Risers:
Matt Breida, RB SF
Dynasty players were interested in 49ers second-year RB Matt Breida all offseason, even after the team signed free-agent RB Jerick McKinnon to a big money deal. Despite McKinnon’s season-ending injury, Breida’s value seemed largely unchanged, with an ADP placing him outside of the top 50 dynasty backs. Breida’s season got off to an understandably slow start in Week One against the Vikings, but Breida then feasted on the Lions defense in Week Two and now leads the league in rushing. In the Detroit game, Breida, still sharing the backfield with veteran RB Alfred Morris, played just 40% of the snaps but led all running backs in fantasy points per snap.
Kenny Golladay, WR DET
In the Lions season-opener, a Monday Night Football matchup with the Jets, second-year WR Kenny Golladay, aka Babytron, enjoyed a breakout game. Golladay caught seven balls for 114 yards, both career-high marks. Potentially more important was Golladay’s usage. That has been the concern since the Lions have relied on veteran WRs Golden Tate and http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/859/Marvin-JonesMarvin Jones over the past couple of years. Would there be room for Kenny G? We got a definitive yes and we got it quickly. Golladay not only led the Lions in snaps but his 52 routes run was good for second in the entire league among wideouts. After weekly fantasy ranks of WR21 and WR13 (pending MNF), Golladay currently sits as the WR11 in the very short season. His dynasty ADP has not caught up to this early breakout as he was being drafted as the WR48 earlier this month. Expect that number to drastically change very soon.
Phillip Lindsay, RB DEN
Possibly the biggest surprise of the first two games this season has been the play of undrafted rookie RB Phillip Lindsay. After splitting carries with fellow rookie RB Royce Freeman in Week One, Lindsay out-touched his more-hyped teammate 15-8 in Week Two and easily outproduced him. Lindsay became the first UDFA ever to produce over 100 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two games. Lindsay might be taking the lead, but he is still part of a timeshare. He played just 42% of the snaps against Oakland in Week Two but carried the ball on half of his snaps. This was a surprise for those who pegged him as the pass-catching RB in this offense. Lindsay is such a recent breakout that he doesn’t have a dynasty ADP but expect that to change the next time the data is collected. Few players have seen the value change Lindsay has enjoyed the first two weeks of the season.
Fallers:
LeSean McCoy, RB BUF
Things just aren’t going right for the Bills. Through two weeks, they look like the worst team in the league. In some ways, we saw this coming with the moves they made this offseason, including the expensive trade up for rookie QB http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/9995/Josh-AllenJosh Allen, along with their losses on the offensive line. Regardless of what you thought about Buffalo’s chances this season, RB LeSean McCoy seemed like a safe bet to produce. That hasn’t been the case yet though. After gaining just 21 total yards in Week One, McCoy improved to gain 68 yards in Week Tow, but also suffered a rib injury that put him on the sidelines. Dynasty owners should also factor in his off-field concerns as well as his age. All of this combines for a drastic value loss for McCoy. The RB40 through two games, but still holding steady as the RB31 per dynasty ADP. McCoy might be a case of “take what you can get” in dynasty leagues.
Derrick Henry, RB TEN
Dynasty players keep hoping it is time for bruising RB Derrick Henry to produce, but the Titans continue to have other plans. They drafted Henry soon after signing veteran RB DeMarco Murray years ago and proceeded to ride Murray until the wheels fell off. Then, it looked like it was Henry’s turn to take over the full-time role. Instead, Tennessee signed former Patriots RB Dion Lewis to muddy the situation even more. Through two games, Lewis has shown flashes, including over 100 total yards in Week One. Henry, on the other hand, has been a disappointment. He’s finished as RB57 and RB40 through two weeks, combining for an RB53 rank overall. Surprisingly, Henry has retained his dynasty value, ranking as a top 20 option according to ADP for the majority of his career. As part of a running back timeshare on a poor offense, Henry is a player to avoid in all formats.
Jamison Crowder, WR WAS
After the Redskins traded for veteran QB http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/3147/Alex-SmithAlex Smith, effectively ending the Washington tenure of QB Kirk Cousins, WR Jamison Crowder was viewed as the biggest beneficiary. The Redskins had a solid collection of pass-catchers, including Crowder, WR Josh Doctson, TE Jordan Reed and RB http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/2852/Chris-Thompsonhttp://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/12944/Chris-ThompsonChris Thompson and they would go on to add WR Paul Richardson as well. Of these, it was Crowder who was the most popular choice to get the “Smith bump” as the veteran signal caller was known more for playing it safe with shorter routes. Through two weeks, Crowder has been a non-factor, totaling five receptions for 40 yards on just eight targets. Crowder has been out-produced by both Doctson and Richardson and that’s not saying much. While dynasty ADP still ranks Crowder as the WR30, he’s finished as WR63 and WR73 through two games. It will be difficult to rely on Crowder moving forward and he was already viewed as a “boring” dynasty asset with a low-ceiling.
