As we linger in the dead season of the NFL, there’s always time to marvel at the bounty that dynasty football provides. All year long, we desperately plug into any piece of news, tinkering at the fringes of our squads. This down time is a good time to take a new look at the player pool. Today I’m going to dig into three players I think are undervalued assets in dynasty football.
Undervalued Assets in Dynasty Football
Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots
Let’s make this clear. The former 2021 first-round pick was destined for a bad 2022 before the season started. Not having an offensive coordinator or a clear No. 1 option at WR was never going to be a recipe for success. While Mac has hurt his reputation with his, erm, more public outbursts, the frustration he displayed was not without cause.
Money talks, and with Jakobi Meyers’ new contract at $11M/yr with the Raiders, that tells you what the league thought of the Patriots’ WR1 last year. This makes Meyers the 25th highest-paid receiver in the league, which… is less than stellar. It also says nothing of how he compares to undervalued young receivers waiting for their paydays like CeeDee Lamb or Justin Jefferson.
It’s not to say Mac didn’t make his fair share of on-field mistakes. After posting a respectable 22:13 TD:INT ratio in his rookie year, he regressed to 14:11. His YPA also slid a bit from 7.3 to 6.8.
But he remains, at just 24 years old, the strongest candidate to be the Patriots’ long-term answer at QB which, even with his lack of legs, would present considerable value to any dynasty manager for the next decade as a serviceable QB2 or a really strong swing QB to take advantage of great matchups and fill in your bye weeks (especially if the schedule flips to two byes a season).
And who knows? In that time, the Patriots just might hit on an offensive coordinator or a couple of receivers that can vault Mac Jones similar to his former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa which could lead to a special season or two.
The hesitation in dynasty leagues boils down to two things. It is fear of Bailey Zappe, even though most QBs in this range have a competitor or two lurking. Or, it is the belief that the lack of a No.1 option like, say, DeAndre Hopkins, wasn’t part of the equation for Mac’s sophomore slump, driving his price down. I say, with long-term quarterbacks in dynasty leagues so regularly undervalued, take the discount.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
I love Zach Charbonnet. I am in total agreement with the community that the skillset he presents is one that is of the three-down variety with great contact balance, viability as a blocker, and receiving chops. He could end up being the primary option out in Seattle, potentially even by year’s end.
But KW3 just had a special season. Coming off 1,050 yards rushing and 9 TDs that came in only 10 games in which he received more than 3 carries. All while he is still only 22 years old. This certainly looks like the mark of a surefire top-5 dynasty RB asset.
The fear of competition has, with good reason, dropped his price considerably. But situations change quickly in the NFL RB landscape. Walker’s age has to be a prime selling point here while he plays under Pete Carroll’s run-heavy system. Saquon Barkley and Travis Etienne are backs regularly going ahead Walker in dynasty football startups. Even as good as they’ve been, both of their glasses are closer to half empty than KW3’s nearly brimming cup.
This might be the time to check in with your fellow dynasty managers and see how much the situation scares them. They could be undervaluing KW3 even as he easily could be the next Nick Chubb. Only a few years ago, the addition of the versatile Kareem Hunt was thought to be poison to Chubb. Just like KW3, fantasy managers were undervaluing Chubb as he only increased his fantasy points per game, cementing his status as a top asset over these past three seasons.
It is scary to see a new face in town, but understand that KW3 certainly still has room to be exceptional even without factoring in attrition rates at the position. There’s also just no guarantee that Charbonnet will translate to the next level.
In another constantly chaotic RB room, I’ve certainly loved Zack Moss as well. I even had a little crush on James Cook last year.
There’s no reason to trust that the backfields you see today will be the ones you see tomorrow. Barkley, Ettienne, CMC, and even Breece Hall could end up sharing a room next year. In fact, with Fournette, Elliott, and Cook now available, don’t be surprised if one of them ends up sharing this year. The only certainty is that all of these players have talent, and they’re in the right spots. KW3 has talent. Seattle is the right spot. Make the offer.
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Quentin Johnston emerged as the X-receiver option in a draft devoid of quality pass-catchers fitting the archetype. Being a recent first-round pick, you would expect him to be a much stronger talent than Pickens, a second-round pick in 2022.
Draft status is certainly a starting point in any discussion about player quality. Front offices of the NFL have more information than the home offices of the average fantasy analyst. However, there are always environmental factors at play when considering draft capital.
We all know Johnston showcases fantastic size and athleticism to pair with Justin Herbert’s cannon of an arm. Still, he looks to be over-drafted. Johnston is inconsistent, tallying six games under 50 yards. He didn’t show that he could make contested catches with regularity, or beat double coverage.
Because this is a George Pickens hype piece and not a QJ hit piece, I ask the much-belated question. Why exactly is Johnston going well ahead of Pickens?
Both stand 6’3”, and they are similar specimens with Pickens running a 4.7 at the NFL Combine, QJ a 4.9 at his Pro Day. The edge does go to Johnston however with bigger hands and more explosive testing in the other drills. But if Pickens were in this draft rather than 2022 with an absolute glut at the WR position, I have no doubt he would have gone in the 2023 first-round run on receivers.
That goes before seeing highlight reel catches and several double-digit fantasy performances in his age-21 rookie season. The only thing holding Pickens back is Kenny Pickett. But Andy Dalton was plenty for A.J. Green. Derek Carr successfully fed Davante Adams. You don’t have to be a superstar to get superstar stats for your best receivers.
This isn’t a small discrepancy either. You can regularly see Pickens rated nearly 10 WR spots behind QJ in most dynasty rankings. He’s sometimes even behind Zay Flowers. Not buying that Jackson is suddenly going to start airing it out in Baltimore with Flowers as a big beneficiary? I don’t blame you. After a strong rookie showing, Pickens is classically undervalued because people love shiny new objects.
But if Pickett can’t feed a peak Pickens the puck, *eh hem* I mean ball, then Pickett won’t be the pick in Pittsburgh for long anyway. Consider me a believer in Pickens when compared to the much older Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, and Terry McLaurin going ahead of him.
For more great rankings and analysis, make sure to check out our 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
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— Lisa Ann (@thereallisaann) May 6, 2023