Dynasty season never ends, but for the vast majority we’ve reached the point of the season where we are looking at 2021 in at least one league. Rookie picks will get all the attention this offseason, but if you were lucky enough to have filled the bottom of your roster with guys like Mike Davis or Logan Thomas in August, you know the impact overlooked guys can have due to ever changing depth charts. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some guys likely available in even deep dynasty leagues who could find themselves in very different roles next August.
Mason Rudolph, QB, Pittsburgh
2020 saw unprecedented movement in the QB market and due to age (Brees, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Brady) and poor performance (Wentz), we already look to have a similar offseason in store. Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston, Nick Foles, Marcus Mariotta are the big names with past performance or draft capital attached, but most of them are likely currently stashed by owners looking ahead. Rudolph is hovering well under the radar. He has the trust of the staff in Pittsburgh, his contract makes him a near-lock as the backup at least next season and with injuries mounting, there’s a chance we are seeing the final games of Big Ben’s career. Pittsburgh has a long-running history of ignoring free agency, allowing long time backups a real shot when a spot opens and replenishing through the draft. Given their draft position, there’s a non-zero chance if Roethlisberger retires, we see Rudolph as at least a bridge QB. Rudolph is a lottery ticket who could pay off as a nice trade chip next August for a QB desperate Superflex owner.
Embed from Getty ImagesJ.J. Taylor, RB, New England
New England running backs are a roller coaster, that is no secret. But they do have defined roles and the emergence of Damien Harris along with the impending contract status of James White and Rex Burkhead show a changing of the guard is occurring. The pass-catching back role has proven fruitful in the past in PPR and the lack of a pass-catching back in Tampa Bay may suggest James White has good odds of relocating to a warmer climate this spring. New England’s offense is transitioning as a whole, but the lack of success from the Cam Newton experiment may suggest a transition back to a past approach, with Taylor the last man standing.
Levante Bellamy, RB, Denver
Speaking of changing of the guards, Denver is another backfield that looks to be in transition. No progress on a new contract for Phillip Lindsay has looked to turn the relationship icy with the homegrown running back. Melvin Gordon has shown occasional flashes, but at his age 28 season, it’s safe to see where his future lies. Royce Freeman has never consistently shown the promise that secured his high draft capital. Bellamy drew major camp buzz but has been out of sight, out of mind this season spending most of the time on the protected practice squad. He’s shown the team enough to keep him around but not enough to earn gameday work. That could change.
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Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland
Wide netting it here, but DPJ has popped the last two weeks, which has likely caused a rush to be claimed. That rush is warranted. He was a big-time prospect out of high school, posted the second-highest SPARQ score in the draft but slipped through to the 6th round in a loaded draft class. Odell Beckham seems to be in a perpetual “on-again, off-again” with the franchise and while Rashard Higgins has also flashed, he hits 2021 as an unrestricted free agent. DPJ could find himself in an every-down role to start next season.
Donald Parham, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Hunter Henry is another proven fantasy commodity in a contract year and if the recent media flirtation with Bill Belichick is any indication, teams are going to line up to make him offers. Parham represents tantalizing talent and the Chargers have already shown a willingness to put him in high leverage situations, running a potential game-winning touchdown play for him in Week 9 and 5 red zone targets this season. This is another buzzy name, but if he’s available in your league he should be added immediately.
C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati
Uzomah flashed in a big way in week 2 (15 ppr points) before suffering a season-ending injury. The dynasty community took it as a changing of the guard to 2019 2nd round pick Drew Sample. Sample has disappointed when given the shot and has shown his true stripes as a blocking TE with little receiving upside. However, that may have created an “out of sight, out of mind” approach in Uzomah, given his age (27) and season-ending injury nature he may have been dropped by an owner who needed the roster spot. The Bengals have him signed to a moderate contract and have a notorious reputation for not moving on money, given the need for offensive line investment within the organization Uzomah can easily find himself back in the starting job where he flashed a connection with Burrow early this season.
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