Jalen Hurts Has A Lot Of Upside
By: Christopher Krause
To round out my segment on Dynasty Buys and Values, I’m going to combine quarterbacks and tight ends, due to their more limited supply. Without further ado, here are three quarterbacks and three tight ends you should be buying for Dynasty right now.
Let’s start with our quarterbacks.
Jalen Hurts
As I’m writing this, Carson Wentz has yet to be traded. BUT where there is this much smoke there will likely soon be fire. This is one of the rare occasions where I would be more aggressive in a one-quarterback league versus a two-quarterback or Superflex league. Now let me explain. Hurts has a very high ceiling, as we saw in the few starting weeks last year. His peak score was 37.82 fantasy points in Week 15 versus the Arizona Cardinals. The flip side is he has yet to have a single game over 57% completion percentage. So, his floor is low as can be as a passer. In a single quarterback league, all I care about is ceiling. But, in a two-quarterback league, the floor is more important. Although I still say he is worth pursuing, I would not break the bank. Even with a Wentz trade, Hurts will still be outside my Top 12 Quarterbacks.
Jameis Winston
This former first overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft has really taken a fall from grace. BUT I think his year sitting behind Drew Brees will bring a resurgence. As of right now, Drew Brees has yet to retire, though it is highly speculated and probable. Regardless, Jameis most likely will find a home where he will be a starter, as he is only one year removed from a 5000 passing yard and 33 touchdown season. With his price on the upswing but not reaching full peak, I think now is the time to scoop up Jameis. If you are the Jameis owner, now is the time to hold because if/when he gets a starting position, he is automatically a Top 12 Quarterback. He will also most likely be a Top 15 Dynasty Quarterback, contract depending.
Marcus Mariota
The player that is forever tied to Jameis Winson. A second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mariota has also seen himself replaced and sent out of his drafted team. In 2020, he was the highest paid back-up in the NFL, sitting behind Derrick Carr in Las Vegas. Week 15 was Mariota’s only playing time all season, but he definitely showed there is still something there, scoring over 25 fantasy points in relief duty when Carr got injured. I think one of two things will happen with Mariota: (1) Carr gets traded and Mariota takes over; or, more likely (2) Las Vegas cuts ties with him because he is owed over 10.7 million with zero dollars guaranteed. There is no way we see both Carr and Mariota in Las Vegas in 2021. But, I think if the cut happens, Mariota will get picked up and get the opportunity to play a starting gig. For somebody you can currently get as a throw-in, it’s a low-risk high-reward player to target.
Now for the tight ends.
Mike Gesicki
Outside of the big three (Kelce/Kittle/Waller), Mike Gesicki is one of my most targeted players. Now a lot of us have been calling for this since this athletic freak has come into the NFL, but I believe with the current regime we will see the true Gesicki breakout come in 2021. Gesicki saw an increase in both targets and yards per game once Tua took over, and I believe both players will grow together with a full off-season.
Irv Smith Jr.
Irv definitely started showing up the second half of the season, scoring five touchdowns after Week 8. The biggest thing here will most likely be addition by subtraction. I do not expect the Minnesota Vikings to keep the Red Zone Reindeer Kyle Rudolph, as they would save a little over 5 million dollars by cutting him. This would open up 37 tight end targets and five more potential red zone targets. Smith, who had an impressive 67% catch rate in the red zone in 2020, could certainly be a recipient.
Chris Herndon
Did you know Chris Herndon was a Top 10 Tight End in terms of fantasy points the last four weeks of the season and only trailed Darren Waller in fantasy points the last two? Now this was one player we may have just been a year off on. A big breakout candidate for 2020, Herndon literally did nothing in the Adam Gase offense this past year. The silver lining is that when Gase was fired, we saw Herndon’s usage significantly increase in the passing game. This is still a speculative add, but like Mariota, it is one you can most likely get for cheap most. So, this pick is low risk with a good potential reward, especially in a tight end premium league.
There you have it. Six more players I hope you can get at a discount that will most likely return or exceed the price you pay. As always, thank you for reading, and if you have any questions hit me up on twitter @KidFlashFF.
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