Tue Dec 9th 2025

Week Fourteen Dynasty Takes

Week Fourteen Dynasty Takes

Quarterback Surprises

• What stood out most to me this week was the surprising play of three first-year starters who each had their best fantasy and NFL games of the year. I’m talking about Shedeur Sanders, J.J. McCarthy, and Tyler Shough, who each finished among the top twelve quarterbacks this week while scoring their most fantasy points of the season. Sanders scored 40 fantasy points after throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns, and he added another touchdown on the ground. His yardage stats are inflated because so many of the yards came after the catch on short passes, but he still looked far better than he has all season. Two of his touchdown passes were perfectly placed to David Njoku and Harold Fannin in the red zone. They were difficult throws, but placed exactly where only his big tight ends could get them. Sanders has earned the right to start the rest of the Browns' games this season, and the Browns and dynasty managers will have a few weeks to see if they found a future starter in the late rounds. McCarthy was protected well by the Vikings’ run-first game plan, especially since they shut out the Commanders. Still, he made the most of his attempts and threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns, all three to tight ends. His footwork and timing were much better than in his previous starts, giving the Vikings and his dynasty managers hope again. He'll get the rest of the teams’ starts this season while the Vikings and his dynasty managers try to determine if he is a first-round bust or a future starter. Tyler Shough has improved with each of his rookie-year starts. This week, he led the Saints to an upset road win over the Buccaneers. The crazy part was that he did it mostly with his legs, not his arm. He had touchdown runs from 34 and 13 yards out and 55 yards rushing on the day. The game was played in a driving rainstorm, so both passing games were ineffective, but Shough willed his team to a win with a go-ahead touchdown run. After his great game and improved play since being named the starter in week eight, the Saints and his dynasty managers can be more hopeful that he’s the team’s future starter. What great performances by these first-year starters. These are the types of games that give dynasty managers hope that they can become starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

Right and Wrong

• Right On Blake Corum
  • Corum had the best day of his NFL career on Sunday, scoring 28 fantasy points. The Rams smashed the Cardinals, which meant they gave Corum more touches than they did in competitive games. He made the most of his opportunities and proved he can be a top-12 running back if he ever had the job to himself. Corum is one of my most rostered players because I was much higher on him in his rookie class. I drafted him a lot. While I was confident that Kyren Williams would re-sign with the Rams this offseason, I was still pleased to have him on my roster because of the boom he could bring to my teams if Williams were ever injured. I was not threatened by the Rams drafting Jarquez Hunter this year, as many dynasty managers were. I was confident that Corum could hold him off, and he has all season, even making Hunter inactive most weeks. If Williams and Corum split the backfield in the coming years, both could become startable players in dynasty rosters.
• Wrong On Woody Marks
  • I never expected Marks to climb the depth chart in Houston. I expected him to be a good passing-downs back, but never to carry the load for an NFL team. He’s proven me wrong. He had a ridiculous 28-carry workload in the game Sunday night against the Chiefs and served as their power back to run out the clock for the win against the Chiefs' stout run defense.  I was lower on Marks than most dynasty managers, so I never drafted him, but now I wish I had.  He’s a much more complete back than I gave him credit for, and he's earned a starting role with the Texans this season.

Week One Injury Report

• Daniel Jones
  • Jones tore his Achilles tendon on Sunday, bringing an end to his incredible comeback season. He was visibly upset because he knows, like his dynasty managers know, that he’s on a one-year contract and his injury will linger far into next season. With Anthony Richardson on IR, the Colts now turn to rookie Riley Leonard to help get them into the playoffs. Leonard did not look terrible, though, in his first game. He kept the Colts in the game on Sunday and kept his teammates productive, at least from a fantasy perspective. Hopefully, he can do even better after a week of practice as the starter.  Still, dynasty managers relying on Colts players in the fantasy playoffs are in a much tougher spot now they they have to also rely on Leonard.
• Tyrod Taylor
  • Taylor left the game super early with a groin injury. He had become a reliable starter for dynasty managers in superflex leagues, but now may miss some time. Brady Cook came in the game, and the Jets’ offense crumbled with him. They have no hope if Taylor or Fields cannot come back to finish the season. It's not that dynasty managers were starting many, if any, Jets players in the playoffs, but they certainly cannot if Cook is their starter.
• Zach Ertz
  • Ertz likely tore his ACL on Sunday after yet another great season for such an old player. He was visibly upset, so I am certain his season is finished, and the injury could end his career, at least as a starter in fantasy lineups. Somehow, John Bates is ahead of Ben Sinnott on the Commanders’ depth chart, so I don’t think this will lead to the long-awaited breakout for Sinnott. The Commanders’ entire offense is in shambles to end the season, unfortunately. Jayden Daniels was injured, too, but could have come back into the game. I would not be surprised if the Commanders sit him for the rest of the season.

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Stock Up

RJ Harvey

• Harvey had a slow start to his first few games as a starter after JK Dobbins was injured, but the last two games have been the best of his rookie season by far. Last week, Harvey’s production was bolstered by two touchdowns, though he did not look great on the field.  This week, it was different, though. He looked decisive and tough as a runner and  broke a ton of tackles. He has his highest number of carries (17) and highest number of catches (6) in his true breakout game. He’s now a true lead back, so his stock is on the rise. I wish I had more shares of Harvey, but I just have one.  He’s finally looking like the real deal.

Christian Watson 

• The Green Bay target distribution is still frustrating for dynasty managers with their pass catchers on their rosters, but there’s no doubt that Watson is their best big-play receiver, and he deserves a greater role. He only had four targets on Sunday, but he caught them and scored two touchdowns of 23 and 42 yards.  His average yards per catch says it all. He's averaging  18.1 yards per catch this season in his return from knee surgery. He’s shown no lingering effects from the surgery. In fact, he looks the best he ever has in his young career. Now we see why the Packers got ahead of his contract situation and signed him to a new deal this season, even before he came back from his injury. He’s their best playmaker and should become their most targeted player if coach LaFleur allows it.

Harold Fannin

• If Fannin is having a monster rookie season on a terrible team with another productive tight end on the team, imagine how productive he will be in the coming years with a better offense and without David Njoku on the team. Fannin had the best game of his already fantastic season on Sunday, scoring 27.8 fantasy points, making him the highest-scoring tight end of the week.  He had a season high in targets (11), catches (8), and yards (114). I thought for sure that he’d sit behind Njoku this season and take a few years to break out, but he’s been a reliable playmaker from game number one. He got nine targets in his first game of the season, and he averaged 6.5 targets per game. He will be a building block for the Browns’ future and on dynasty teams.

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Stock Down

David Njoku

• Njoku also had a touchdown on Sunday, but even so, his stock is down simply because Fannin has passed him by on the depth chart and in dynasty rankings. Njoku is in the final year of his contract, so he’s likely to join another team in free agency, at which time his dynasty stock could rise again depending on the team and situation, but his days of being a startable tight end in dynasty rosters have passed. I have him on two rosters and have not started him since week one or two, when it became clear that Fannin would out-produce him.  Fannin has 114 points on the season while Njoku has just 69.

Emeka Egbuka

• After such an incredible start to the season, Egbuka has more than trailed off. He’s been terrible and a detriment to dynasty rosters. I know I drafted him in two leagues, and he was such a fun boost to my rosters since he came out of the gates so strong. Now I still start him every week, but I have given up expecting much from him. I’ll even have to consider benching him in those leagues in the playoffs because I have other viable players who aren’t as fun to see in a lineup but have outproduced him consistently in recent weeks. He had just two catches on nine targets on Sunday, and his touchdown drop this week was infuriating for dynasty managers who really ought to consider starting other players ahead of him in the playoffs. I’m still bullish on his future, but his dynasty stock rose too fast at the start of the season. My expectations have sadly dropped like the balls that hit his hands.

Geno Smith

• It’s not that Smith’s dynasty stock was high to begin with, but I at least expected him to be a starter for the Raiders for the next two to three years. After his terrible play this season, I am concerned he may not start another game in the NFL. The Raiders will be in a great position to draft a quarterback in the draft, and I think they must. He left the game this week with an injury, but it does not appear to be serious. Even if he can return next week, I think the Raiders would serve themselves well to let Kenny Pickett play.  Starting Pickett will either give them a surprise reclamation project or help them tank for a quarterback in the draft.  I’m afraid that dynasty managers relying on Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty in the playoffs are in for some disappointment.

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Young Guns

Devin Neal

• Neal has played by far the most running back snaps since Alvin Kamara was injured, but even so, his carries were limited.  He had 7 and 14 carries the first two weeks without Kamara, but this week he had 19, and he made the most of them. He had a modest total of 70 yards, but he did get into the end zone to score his first NFL touchdown. Even though I was higher on Neal than most dynasty managers in this rookie class, I somehow only ended up with one share of Neal. I’m excited to see how he finishes off this season and if he can show enough to challenge Kamara and Kendre Miller next season. It was enjoyable to see him get his most opportunities yet.

Luther Burden

• Burden has his most yards receiving (67) since the Bears destroyed Dallas in week three. Rome Odunze was injured this week, so Burden received more chances, and he made the most of them. Though the Bears have tried to involve him in screens and even on running plays, he’s performed best when targeted downfield. He averaged 16.8 yards per catch this week, and he’s averaged 15 or more yards per catch four other times this season. But he’s also had six games this season in which he averaged less than 10 yards per catch. His role is still being defined, but it was nice to see him receive more opportunities this week, especially downfield ones.

Jack Bech

• As much as the Raiders stunk it up on Sunday, it was a relief for Bech’s dynasty managers to see him get the most looks of the season and to have a decent game once given more looks. He played a season high 82% of the snaps and had a season high in targets (6) and catches (6). They just amounted to 50 yards, but he proved enough to get more looks for the rest of the season. I was way higher on Bech than most dynasty managers, so I drafted him a lot and even traded up to get him twice. He’s had a terrible start, but I am still confident that he can become a solid WR-2 for the Raiders and a streamable depth piece on dynasty rosters. He’s not looked like it all year, but this week’s performance kept my hope alive.

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Old-Man Strength

DK Metcalf

• The way the Steelers have used Metcalf this season has been infuriating for dynasty managers. Aaron Rodgers’ unwillingness or inability to throw the ball downfield may be part of the season, but the Steelers have not targeted Metcalf enough, and they have not targeted him deep enough this season.  That changed this week for whatever reason when Metcalf had a season high in targets with 12 and yards with 148.  DK still his the size and speed to be targeted often and downfield. Dynasty managers have to hope that Rodgers and the Steelers realize that now, after Metcalf contributed to their must-win victory over their top rival, the Ravens. If so, Metcalf could be a surprise weapon for dynasty managers in the fantasy playoffs.

Tony Pollard

• Pollard's performance on Sunday was the biggest surprise of the week. The Cleveland defense dominated offenses all season, crushing the production of fantasy players facing them. The Browns' defense ranked number one to start this week because they were playing the Titans, who have the lowest scoring offense in the league.  Stats came out last week proving that Pollard had the lowest number of fantasy points per touch from a running back in history. He and the Titans must have heard the start and gotten ticked off by it, because, out of nowhere and against the toughest defense on the road, Pollard exploded for 28 fantasy points. There’s no way he was in dynasty lineups this week because there was no reason to start him. He scored as many points this week as he had in his last five games combined. At least he showed that he’s still physically capable of doing this. Maybe a new coaching staff in Tennessee can bring it out in him again next season.  

Michael Wilson

• Wilson’s end to the season is absolutely amazing. No one would have guessed that he and Jacoby Brissett would be the keys to getting dynasty teams into the playoffs this season, but that’s what they’ve done.  He scored a career high of 37 points this week and finished as the highest scoring receiver of the week. The Cardials are averaging 43.5 passes per game since Brissett took over as a starter, and he’s scored more than 21 fantasy points in every game. As long as Marvin Harrison remains out, Brissett will carry Michael Wilson and Trey McBride to fantasy victories. McBride did not get his as much this week because Wilson hogged it all. He's making a name for himself this season and creating even more doubt for Marvin Harrison, who should have been able to do the same but has never proven he can.  

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Waiver Watch

Riley Leonard

• Leonard is the next man up for the Colts, and as I wrote earlier, he did not look bad in his emergency debut.  He’s the best player to add in superflex leagues where he is not already rostered. Wise managers picked him up last week after the reports of Jones’s injured leg. If no one picked him up last week, now's your last chance to get him.

Colby Parkinson

• Parkinson played 69% of the snaps on Sunday, making him the starting tight end for the Rams, who have rotated tight ends all season. Tyler Higbee was placed on IR, so that one less person is in the rotation. He’s hard to trust, but on Sunday, he caught another touchdown, which is about all a tight end needs to finish among the top twelve in a week. He’s scored a touchdown in four of the last five games. He’s the player I’m trying to add the most this week, even though he’s not a great add from a long-term dynasty perspective.

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