Down and Dynasty
Surprise, surprise, surprise
Dynasty places a premium on the young as there is nothing quite like potential in this great game. In re-draft, if you draft an older player who doesn’t produce, they are gone at the end of the season. But we dynasty players have to figure out a way to get trade value out of an aging and unproductive veteran. This column is about youth though. We have spent the off-season evaluating and drafting rookies, watching them make their teams and hoping they get an opportunity get on the field and score some fantasy points. We are five games into the fantasy season, let’s take a look at who surprised us by exceeding our expectations and also by falling short of our expectations.
Let’s start off with some rookies who have exceeded our expectations and made surprising fantasy contributions.
Nyheim Hines, RB 13 — Hines didn’t make my Top 12 PPR rookie backs heading into the season, but Marlon Mack’s injury status opened the door for Hines and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. Hines is averaging 14.7 points per game and has carved out a role that he should be able to maintain.
Phillip Lindsay, RB 20 — The undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado came to camp and went to work. Lindsay has been taking advantage of every opportunity and has forced his way into the touch leader in a three headed backfield. If Lindsay can hold up physically he should be able to stay on his 11.9 point per game pace.
Calvin Ridley, WR 18 — There was some question about Ridley’s athleticism after the combine, but plays are not made in the gym. Likely to be behind Mohamed Sanu for the rest of 2018, the Atlanta offense has picked up the pace in the second year under coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Ridley has been efficient with his opportunities and flashed the playmaking ability we expected to see in 2019.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling, WR 87 — Green Bay drafted three wide receivers in 2018, Scantling was the first of those picks. With Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison missing time this season Scantling has stepped up to show he can be counted on when given the opportunity.
Will Dissly, TE 19 — “New ball, who Dissly?” Dissly came into the league with the reputation as a block first guy. A big game one put him on the map, but an injury in Week 4 has ended his season. When he returns next year, he will have an opportunity to grab a large role in what is a weak position.
Not every player meets the pre-season expectations. Some have had high draft capital invested in them, others looked like they had a clear path to playing time. Here are a few who surprised, and not in a good way.
Royce Freeman, RB 30 — The bruising back out of Oregon has shown well, the trouble is he needs volume to wear down opposing defenses. The combination of being in a timeshare and Broncos falling behind have limited Freeman’s usage. Still, Freeman leads the Broncos in rushing touchdowns and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
Rashaad Penny, RB 64 — Drafted in the first round and hailed by Pete Carroll as a work horse back, Penny has not been able to get on track through five games. Penny flashed a glimmer of hope in Week 4 with 9/49/0 game only to not receive a touch in Week 5.
DJ Moore, WR 89 — The highly touted first round pick was expected to slide into the starting line up across from Devin Funchess, but to date Moore has not been able to beat out Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright. It often takes two to three years for wide receivers and tight ends to emerge. Moore does have a 75 percent catch rate going for him.
Michael Gallup, WR 108 — No rookie wide receiver had a clearer path to playing time than Gallup. The Cowboys receiver’s corps are a cast of has beens and never was by NFL standards, but Gallup has just six receptions through five games. Gallup has made a few plays that show the promise of his third-round draft status, but the Cowboys passing game has struggled holding up his progress.
Mike Gesicki, TE 45 — Tight end, one of the most difficult skill positions to transition to the NFL. Tight ends must learn blocking skills to protect their quarterback and the complex pass routes that support the offense. Gesecki is a very athletic tight end with good size that was expected to adapt quickly to the NFL.
There you have it, some upside surprises and some downside surprises. Next week we will look at the rookie quarterbacks and see how they have fared versus expectations.
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