Breakdowns
12/8/21
3 min read
Dynasty Stock Watch Week 13: Dialed In on Danny Dimes
With Week 13 of the 2021 NFL season in the books, dynasty leagues are on the precipice of elimination games, and trade deadlines come to a close this week. With managers scrambling to make last-minute moves to flip veterans or stock up on depth for the playoffs, trades are happening at a rapid pace. Let’s take a look at two players that have seen their dynasty stocks take a recent hit and what the best course of action is for each of them.
Stock Down
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Daniel Jones’ overall QB6 performance from Weeks 1-4 feels like a distant memory as he’s passed for more than one touchdown just once in his past seven-game and hasn’t managed to hit 250 games in any of them. While rampant injuries among New York’s receiving core haven’t helped, Jones ranks poorly in traditional stats (25th in yards per attempt and QBR) & in advanced stats (26th in ANY/A). The Giants currently reside in the NFC East cellar at 4-8, coming off a 20-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins which Jones missed with a neck injury. Likely to be absent in Week 14 as well, if Jones returned in Week 15 for the fantasy playoffs, his schedule of the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Chicago Bears would make him a useful piece in Superflex & 2QB leagues.
Jones is currently under contract through next season with the Giants having until May of 2022 to decide on his fifth-year option. Barring dramatic strides in 2022, it seems unlikely Jones has much of a future in the Big Apple. Because of his end-of-season schedule and the fact that he is under contract, he still possesses value as a shaky QB2 in Superflex leagues. I would jump at the opportunity to move Jones for any early draft capital and would accept an early to mid-second-round rookie pick for him. While the general rule of thumb in trading away a quarterback in Superflex dynasty leagues is to receive one back, I would be okay making an exception if I can move a quarterback with shorter-term value such as Jones for a piece with higher upside such as Michael Gallup or Noah Fant.
TE Noah Fant, Denver Broncos
Entering his third season in 2022 at just 23 years old, Fant was a popular player in dynasty leagues before the season began. He got off to a decent start and ranked as the TE7 through the first four weeks of the season but has struggled since. Fant hasn’t found the end zone until Week 6 and has topped 65 receiving yards just once all season. His struggles have been amplified the past two weeks as he’s caught seven passes for a meager 45 yards and let fantasy managers down at a crucial time.
Despite being an upgrade over Drew Lock, new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has had a difficult time lately and is dragging down Denver’s skill weapons. Fant remains a tantalizing athlete and still has plenty of runways. With the tight end position being as shallow as it is, any player that flashes the upside Fant did in 2020 and at times this year is valuable. It’s not often buy windows for talented young players at a position of scarcity occur and you need to take advantage of that. I would be hesitant to move a first-round pick but would certainly move a second-round pick for him, especially as a rebuilding team. I would prefer Fant to similarly valued players including Dawson Knox, Mike Gesicki, or Dalton Schultz.
