Week 8, where if you started Will Levis, Gus Edwards, Jamison Crowder and Trey McBride you can outscore your opponent by over three times if they started Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker, Cooper Kupp and Travis Kelce. Here is a look at last week’s dynasty buys and sells. As for buys and sells for dynasty heading into Week 9, well you will have to keep reading.
BUY THIS
Embed from Getty ImagesDiontae Johnson (WR-Pittsburgh Steelers)
WHY: Healthy & Immediately Back To High Targets
After a stint on the Injured Reserve, Johnson is back to his target-hog ways. In his first week back, Week 7, he was getting ramped up with six targets and in Week 8 he more than doubled his targets to 14. Dynasty managers have become accustomed to Johnson’s limited receiving yardage and TD upside; however, this is precisely the reason to buy!
The Steelers’ offense has been disappointing on both sides of the ball. As evidenced by, ranking in the bottom-third of the NFL in rushing yardage, rushing TDs, receiving yardage and receiving TDs. This leaves few viable fantasy options.
Johnson is in the first year of a modest two-year contract extension of which the Steelers have an out with $10MM in cap savings if he were to be released after the 2023 season. As recently as 2021, Johnson finished as the WR-8 in fantasy which was largely fueled by his 169 targets. A PPR machine, Johnson is.
What has limited Johnson the past two years has been the Steelers offense; however, his target share still offers dynasty managers a flex-worthy floor. I am willing to roll the dice on Johnson maintaining modest production and quite possibly finding a more explosive offense to join at the earliest 2024.
Kirk Cousins (QB-Minnesota Vikings)
WHY: Uncertainty Regarding Team In 2024 & Beyond
Two Achilles tendon tears to productive veteran QBs in the first half of the 2023 season. The difference in the injury between Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers is that Cousins will be 36-years-old and Rodgers will be 40-years-old. While Rodgers has the security of being under contract in 2024, it is expected that Cousins has more playable years ahead of him.
The uncertainty with Cousins going forward, outside of recovery, is whether or not the Vikings resign him. And if not then what does the offense look like that he does join? Skeptics will point to Cousins being buoyed by having superstar Justin Jefferson as his go-to weapon. While noteworthy, look at what Cousins has done since Jefferson has been out.
In two of the three games since Jefferson’s injury, Cousins has finished as the QB-6 and QB-12. So if Cousins somehow is resigned by the Vikings, dynasty managers can feel comfortable with his production. And if Cousins finds himself in a new jersey come 2024, there is a puncher’s chance that he remains at worst a viable top-24 QB. For Superflex dynasty leagues, QB depth is paramount so go to the Cousins manager and see what you can do.
More Buys: Nico Collins (WR-Houston Texans) & Ezekiel Elliott (RB-New England Patriots)
SELL THAT
Embed from Getty ImagesDak Prescott (QB-Dallas Cowboys)
WHY: Not The Cowboys We Used To Know
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Prescott finishes Week 8 with his second consecutive top-3 QB finish. In Week 6, Prescott was an efficient passer but peppered in a healthy dose of fantasy production on the ground. In Week 8, Prescott let it fly for four passing TDs. Where does that leave dynasty managers who did not see him finish inside the top-15 for the first five weeks of the season?
I do view Prescott as a viable second or third QB on a dynasty roster, but his past two performances may cloud the judgement of a fellow dynasty manager. With a number of QB injuries across the dynasty landscape, try to take advantage by selling Dak Prescott as a viable top-10 dynasty QB. While your league may not be as optimistic about the Cowboys’ QB, sending out offers never hurts. Okay, maybe a decline stings a little bit.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB-Detroit Lions)
WHY: Detroit Showed Us The RB Split They Want
What has Detroit told us about their RB room? They want to split the work despite the draft capital spent to get Jahmyr Gibbs. Remember, David Montgomery also get a hefty investment via Detroit by way of free agency.
Montgomery has nearly 19 rushing attempts per game and has missed Weeks 3, 7 and 8. Week 9 has the Lions resting up until facing the Chargers in Week 10. This is the time that the Lions evaluate Gibbs’ productivity in Montgomery’s absence, as the former rushed for 5.9 yards per attempt and caught 14 passes for 95 yards in Weeks 7 and 8.
Should the Lions get Gibbs more involved? The answer is a unanimous YES! But will they? I am not convinced. Montgomery is the punishing presence that this Lions regime has shown a devotion to utilizing. Regardless of how efficient and explosive Gibbs is, funneling rushing attempts to Montgomery saves Gibbs to be better-utilized in space and as a pass-catcher. Gibbs still has value, no doubt, but this two-game stretch without a healthy Montgomery could fool another dynasty manager that Gibbs will become the bell-cow back in Detroit and pay a king’s ransom.
More Sells: Gabriel Davis (WR-Buffalo Bills) & Javonte Williams (RB-Denver Broncos)
Thanks for stopping by and I will be posting weekly buys and sells throughout the 2023 NFL season. If you have any questions on buys and sells or weekly roster decisions please feel free to reach out on Twitter (X).
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