Throughout the season, Jonathan Fuller and Sam Wallace will be breaking down the latest trends across the dynasty landscape to help you stay a step ahead of your league mates—both rebuilders and those in win-now mode.

Malik Nabers - WR, Giants

Jonathan

The only question here is just how high should Malik Nabers be in dynasty ranks? He's easily a top-8 dynasty WR and top-10 overall (excluding QBs in superflex) and probably a decent bit higher than that. His career is off to a truly historic start as the only player in NFL history to record 20+ receptions and three TDs in his first three games.

The only WRs I would definitely have above him at this point are Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb, and that isn't even because I think he is less talented than those guys; he looks more and more like he is in that tier every week. The only concern I have for Nabers' long-term value is his situation. Chase and Lamb are tied to good QBs for the foreseeable future and Jefferson plays in one of the best offensive systems in the league that has Sam Darnold looking like an MVP candidate.

I'm not as confident that the duo of Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll is going to be as fantasy-friendly of an environment as those other WRs are blessed with. Jones has looked better this year, but we have a large enough sample size to say he is unlikely to be someone who truly elevates an offense. That being said, I think the floor and ceiling are both incredibly high for a player who can make defenders look this silly.

For me, Nabers is in that second tier of WRs with Marvin Harrison, Nico Collins, Rashee Rice, and Garrett Wilson. I think you can make arguments for any of those guys, but I would have Nabers toward the top of that group and quickly closing the gap on the top three WRs I mentioned earlier.

Sam

My goodness, is there a player that's as fun to watch as Malik Nabers right now? There certainly can't be many. Let's hope he recovers quickly from his concussion.

If you've watched any of his games, you know he passes the eye test, but his underlying metrics are a thing of beauty as well.

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You've got to be kidding me.

  • 94% route participation
  • 34% TPRR
  • 39% target share

These are elite metrics. I guess we know that talent can overcome a subpar landing spot. The biggest question right now is this…how high should we be ranking Nabers in dynasty leagues?

I'm going to have to agree with Jonathan on this one. The only players I can firmly rank ahead of Nabers are (in no particular order) Lamb, Jefferson, and Chase. I could certainly make a case for Marvin Harrison Jr. and maybe even Amon-Ra St. Brown, but I cannot see a world in which Nabers is not a top-6 dynasty WR.

If you're feeling extra spicy, the crowd-sourced site KTC has Nabers as the dynasty WR2. Believe it or not, I actually don't hate it.

We'll see what happens with his HC/QB combo this offseason, but Nabers is a locked-and-loaded, set-it-and-forget-it WR1 in all formats moving forward.

Brock Bowers - TE, Raiders

Jonathan

The TE position is a wasteland, but Brock Bowers is the light at the end of the tunnel giving us hope that we may have a truly elite young TE emerging before our eyes. It may seem like a hot take to some, but I already have Bowers as my dynasty TE1, and that is coming from someone who is a really big Trey McBride fan. 

A lot of this ranking has to do with how great of a prospect Bowers was. It's hard to overstate just how incredible of a prospect profile he had, checking all the boxes in the Fantasy Life rookie TE model. Of course, we've been wrong about elite prospects before, but Bowers has stepped on an NFL field and looked the part. He has commanded targets and is currently the TE2 on the season, something that rookie TEs aren't supposed to be able to do. 

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Similar to Nabers, the only real concern with Bowers' long-term value is his situation. The Raiders need to find a franchise QB, and it would be ideal if they brought in a more offensive-minded coach at some point, but unlike the WR position there just aren't many players that have the ceiling Bowers does. Sam LaPorta and McBride are the closest, and both are in better situations, but neither looks like a potentially dominant fantasy asset the way Bowers does. I've seen enough to say there are no other TEs I would prefer to have over him in dynasty.

Sam

In a year where TE has been even more brutal than normal, Bowers has looked the part of a high-end dynasty asset only four games into his career. He's averaging five receptions and 54 receiving yards per game and has yet to find the end zone, but his metrics look good.

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Bowers has the traits on paper to be a successful NFL and fantasy player. Coming into the league, only Kyle Pitts and T.J. Hockenson can claim a higher model score in our Rookie TE Model database, which goes back to 2018.

Like Nabers, and the next player, the biggest question that dynasty managers need to ask themselves is this: how high should Bowers be ranked?

Right now, only McBride and LaPorta can be firmly ahead of him, and it's honestly hard to find anyone else to put into that top group. Bowers is firmly a top-three TE dynasty option no matter how you look at it, and you could argue he's still a buy-low based on his last few performances. Don't be afraid to aggressively send a future late first-round pick or maybe even a touch more.

Jayden Daniels - QB, Commanders

Jonathan

Jayden Daniels has been one of the most electric playmakers at the QB position to start this season. He definitely still has room to grow, but he's shown that his rushing ability and deep passing are translating to the NFL level and that is what matters most for fantasy football. 

I was very high on Daniels' value for this season because of that rushing ability, but I'm wary of his long-term viability due to the amount of big hits that he takes. This Johnny Knoxville comp really stuck with me from scouting season, and we've seen Daniels take some big hits early in his NFL career too. 

Of these three rookies, Daniels is the one I'm lowest on relative to consensus as he doesn't crack my top-12 dynasty QBs. I do think he'll have some huge fantasy performances, but I would still prefer fellow rookie Caleb Williams over him for my rosters. I drafted Daniels in two dynasty leagues, and I'm happy to have him for now, but he is someone I will always be open to offers for. 

Sam

Is it possible that by the end of this season, or the start of next season, Nabers, Bowers, and Daniels could all be the No. 1 ranked player in dynasty at their respective positions?

It's certainly within the realm of possibility, and it makes me even more excited for this class and the rest of the season.

I have to admit, I might be too high on Daniels. While I try not to be a prisoner of the moment, when a player shows us who he really is and gives us a glimpse of his upside, I can't help but extrapolate way too far down the road. Jonathan mentions preferring Williams over Daniels in dynasty formats. I'll gladly buck that trend and take Daniels straight up.

The Dan Quinn/Kliff Kingsbury combo, coupled with a stifling defense and enough playmakers on offense, has led to an exciting start to the season for the Commanders. Normally I wouldn't say this, but when compared to the Chicago Bears, I have more faith in the current Washington regime to NOT screw up their franchise-hopeful QB.

Give me all the Daniels in fantasyland. Let's have some fun.