Three Players to Monitor in Dynasty Fantasy Football
Each week, new information and data points can help dynasty fantasy football managers make more informed decisions about their roster
Throughout the season, Jonathan and Sam will be breaking down the latest trends across the dynasty landscape to help them stay a step ahead of their leaguemates--whether it be future-oriented or catered towards teams in win-now mode.
Dak Prescott, QB - Cowboys
In some ways, it's nice that Dak Prescott got his contract and is set to remain in Dallas for the long term.
At the same time, that also means he is tied to an organization that didn't maximize the value of having him on a relatively cheap contract. The Cowboys have failed to surround Dak with serious weapons outside of CeeDee Lamb and will be in a much more restrictive salary cap situation after paying several of their top players this year.
Unless Dallas hits on a rookie WR in the draft, I don't expect them to bring in the firepower needed for Dak to level up as a fantasy asset. He'll be solid, but I don't think we'll ever look back on him as a league winner.
I'm not totally out on Prescott for dynasty, but I wouldn't want to pay what it would take to get him on my roster. We've probably seen his ceiling in 2023 with 4,516 yards and 36 passing TDs, but he only finished as the QB5 in points per game.
Going forward, I think he'll be a low-end QB1 that slowly loses a little bit of value each year. He's fine to hold if you're competing for a championship, but in any other situation, I would want to capitalize on his peak value this year.
- Jonathan
Our long, arduous, Jerry Jones-induced nightmare is finally over. Prescott has a new contract and it's a doozy.
Four years, $240 million ($231 million guaranteed, and $80 million signing bonus).
First off, good on Prescott for getting the bag and forever securing his financial future. Despite the lack of playoff success, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more productive QB in recent years. In each of his last two fully healthy seasons (2021, 2023), he's hit the minimum thresholds:
- 590 attempts
- 410 completions
- 4,400 yards
- 36 TDs
That's pretty elite fantasy production.
In fact, only Josh Allen (22.9), Lamar Jackson (22.2), and Patrick Mahomes (21.8) have averaged more fantasy points per game than Prescott (20.2) among all QBs with at least 16 starts since 2019.
Now that he's contractually tied to Dallas for the foreseeable future, what's his dynasty outlook? Well, it all starts (and ends) with his top wideout, Lamb, who also got a massive extension (four years, $136 million). As long as Lamb is there and healthy, Prescott, who is still only 31 years old, will have no problem being a high-floor, high-ceiling option for dynasty managers.
- Sam
J.K. Dobbins, RB - Chargers
I badly want to believe in the J.K. Dobbins comeback story, and to some extent I do. As long as he's healthy, I think he can be the lead back for the Chargers in 2024, but I'm not confident he can stay healthy for multiple seasons, which is a problem for our dynasty leagues.
Before his injuries, Dobbins was one of the most dynamic runners in the league. Now, the vision and initial burst seem to have returned but he doesn't have the long speed to finish big runs as evidenced by this breakaway effort in Week 1.
I'm happy to roster Dobbins in my redraft leagues and bet on his short-term resurgence but I would be a seller in dynasty. I hope he proves me wrong, but betting against RBs with an injury history like his (see the chart in Sam's section below) is going to be the right move over time.
Anyone who rosters Dobbins shouldn't have been counting on him for production in 2024 which makes him the perfect player to flip for future draft capital. Be prepared to feel bad about that move at least a handful of times this season but by this time next year, I expect that to look like a steal of a trade.
- Jonathan
It's hard to believe that Dobbins, only 25 years old, looked as good as he did in Week 1. He ripped off 135 yards and a score on just 10 rushing attempts in his debut with the Chargers and their new-look offense under Jim Harbaugh.
I couldn't keep track of just how many injuries Dobbins has suffered in his career so I went back to take a closer look.
There's no getting around it; this is pretty brutal.
I'm happy for Dobbins the man and the player that he keeps finding ways to overcome the odds and return to the NFL field but I have to wonder how long it will last. He's certainly in an ideal situation that will maximize his skillset but I do believe his rushing attempts will be capped by the presence of Gus Edwards.
Edwards has been a quality tailback in his own right. He scored 13 TDs last season with the Ravens and has four seasons with 130+ rushing attempts. While our season-long projections do give the nod to Dobbins, Edwards is going to be right in the mix.
Hopefully, the Chargers play it smart and monitor Dobbins' workload to keep him as healthy as possible this season. While that's great for the player, it's not ideal for fantasy managers so I'm fine staying away or selling high off of his Week 1 performance.
- Sam
Jameson Williams, WR - Lions
I'll be the first to admit that Jameson Williams has had a tough start to his career, but all signs are pointing up for the third-year WR. After a summer full of rave reviews, Williams looks to be on track for a breakout season.
It's important to remember just how exciting of a prospect Williams was coming out of Alabama. As the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, there was a time when we had superstar dreams for the young wideout. Expectations are more tempered now, but the ceiling is still really high with a full-time role in this Detroit offense.
His Week 1 utilization was at a WR1 level which won't be the case every week but it hints at the weekly upside he offers. I want to be in on ascending, young players (he's still only 23) playing for good teams and he checks all of those boxes. It's probably going to be hard to trade for him if the current manager has held through the past couple of seasons, but if you have Williams on your roster I would demand a huge ransom to even consider trading him away.
- Jonathan
The Williams breakout game finally happened. The former first-round selection back in 2021 put together his most complete professional performance by leading the Lions in targets (9), receptions (5), yards (121), and scored the lone passing TD from Jared Goff in Week 1.
As happy as I am to see Williams show his true potential, it's important to keep the big picture in mind. I don't expect star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown to have the same disappointing performance again and the same goes for sophomore TE Sam LaPorta.
The Lions are at their best when they control the line of scrimmage with their elite offensive line and power-run the ball with both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. When the game was on the line in overtime, the Lions pounded the ball down the field with their rushing attack. That is when they are at their best.
Can Williams flip the field (and your fantasy matchup) on a single play? Absolutely, but I'll temper expectations a bit based on one good performance when history suggests the Lions will certainly lean on their other offensive weapons.
- Sam