Tue Sep 16th 2025

Week Two Dynasty Takes

Dynasty News

Monster Week

• As you may know, I am a pastor of a church in Austin. My job causes me to miss the start of the first games, but I am usually home by about 12:20 CST, so I don't miss much. I have notifications on my phone, so as I finish my workday on Sundays and start my drive home, I know which players have scored touchdowns early in games. This week, my work kept me a little longer than usual, and I could feel my phone buzzing like crazy as teams score fast and often in the nine early games. That's the kind of fantasy day it was on Sunday. It was an offensive explosion, especially compared to last week. In one of my leagues, we award $5 to the highest-scoring team each week. Last week, the highest-scoring team scored 119 points. That was the lowest high score since we started the $5 payouts. Not so this week. This week was a monster week, making following the games even more fun. Four quarterbacks scored more than 30 points, four running backs more than 25, and six receivers more than 25. The early games ended with the ridiculous Cowboys win in overtime as the clock expired, giving dynasty managers a full ten more minutes of fantasy goodness, and the highest scoring fourth quarter in Giants-Cowboys game history.  This was an excellent week to watch football and cheer on our dynasty teams. And so many of the studs who had mediocre games last week went wild this week. The monster week of scoring and the frantic nine early games at once is what I'll remember most about this week, and there are still two more games to go on Monday night!

Ben Johnson Bowl

• The monster game that stood out the most was what I will call the Ben Johnson Bowl. The Lions were aiming to prove that they didn't need their old offensive coordinator to humiliate teams and make their entire offense fantasy-relevant, as they had for years when led by Johnson. Well, they certainly proved their point. Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown were the top two scorers at their positions this week and connected on three touchdowns together.  They didn't leave anyone out, because Jahmyr Gibbs, David Mongomery, and Jameson Williams also scored touchdowns. After getting embarrassed in Green Bay last week and the offense looking anemic, the Lions proved that they can still blow teams away without Ben Johnson. I still have concerns about Goff's indoor games compared to outdoor games, but the Lions' offense will still be one of the most productive and reliable this season when indoors. Dynasty managers need not worry about their Lions. Doubt crept in after last week, but they've proved we have nothing to fear.

More Injuries

• Austin Ekeler
  • Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon and will now miss the rest of the season and likely never return to the NFL. He was not a major player on dynasty rosters, but would have been startable in deep PPR leagues once bye weeks started, so he's still a loss to dynasty managers. His injury gives the already rising dynasty value of Jacory Croskey-Merrit yet another boost. He played terribly on Thursday night, but also didn't receive many touches. Now the Commanders will need him even more. Chris Rodriguez will no longer be a healthy scratch. They will need him to join JCM in the backfield now, too, alongside Jeremy McNichols, who will assume the Ekeler role. Bill, as he likes to be called, has had everything break his way to start his rookie season. If he can't take advantage now, he never will.
• Jayden Reed
  • Reed broke his clavicle Thursday night and will miss many weeks on IR as a result. Much to the chagrin of Matthew Golden managers, the Packers have continued to spread the ball around to their many receivers, as they have done in recent years. The Reed injury may give Golden the opportunity to become their clear WR-1. Romeo Doubs is the always-overlooked receiver in Green Bay, though he always leads the team in wide receiver snaps. His opportunities will increase, too. Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks will need more over the next few weeks, as well. All dynasty managers want is someone to emerge as the top target in the offense. It may be Tucker Kraft instead, but more on him later.
• Joe Burrow
  • The worst thing that can happen in fantasy football is when starting quarterbacks go down, as it affects all of the teams' skill players. Losing Burrow for three months after learning he had two injuries that needed surgery was a massive blow to Ja'Maar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown. Jake Browning has moved the offense pretty well when he has taken the starting role, but more on him in the waivers segment below. He kept the offense afloat this week and can do a decent job, just like Mac Jones did for the 49ers this week. However, there's no way Burrow's absence for three months doesn't negatively impact all dynasty teams relying on Bengals players. I hate when quarterbacks get injured, whether I have them on my team or not.

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Stock Up

Tucker Kraft

• Kraft led the team in targets, catches, and yards in their Thursday night win against the Commanders. He's scored a touchdown in consecutive weeks, too. He's the fastest-rising tight end in my rankings and is moving firmly into the small second tier. I'm not the only one who predicted a year-three breakout for Tucker. Many fantasy analysts expected the same, and the Packers' coaching staff had predicted it leading into this season as well. I traded Mark Andrews for Tucker Kraft early last season. While Tucker took time to grow and Andrews looked like himself again by the end of last season, I could not be happier with the trade now.  In my most recent start-up draft in a superflex tight-end premium league, I drafted him at the end of the seventh round to be my leading tight end. I couldn't believe he fell that far for me. His 31-point game in that league started my week off right and helped me move to 2-0, becoming the highest-scoring team in the league. Kraft has a chance to join Brock Bowers and Trey McBride as the lead target-getters on their teams this season. If so, he'll join their tier. He's already not far behind them.

James Cook

• If I humble-brag when I'm right with a guy like Kraft, I also need to eat crow when I am wrong about a guy like Cook. I predicted that Ray Davis would overtake him this year and that he would not sign a new contract with the Bills. I was wrong on both counts, as Cook is far and away the better back and the back of the future for the Bills' high-scoring offense. He looked electric on his 44-yard touchdown, and he scored twice this week after scoring once last week. I thought his incredible 16-touchdown season last year was unrepeatable, but he's proved me wrong there, too. The coaching staff trusts him to do it all, and he can do it all. Now that he and the Bills are committed to one another and he plays like he did this week, he needs to move significantly up my dynasty rankings. I will correct my mistake about him.

Trevor Etienne

• The other big news that broke late last week was that Tank Bigsby was traded to the Eagles. After seeing how well Etienne played in week one, the Jaguars were pleased to ship Bigsby away and trust their backfield to Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten. Both men scored touchdowns in the passing game on Sunday, but Etienne was the clear leading back again. I couldn't explain his significant drop-off last season, but he appears to have returned to his 2023 form and has successfully defended his leading role against all competition. I predicted that he would win the job, especially as dynasty managers drafted Tuten way too early in rookie drafts. I was proven right in predicting Etienne to win the starting job, but now that Bigsby is out of the picture, I am higher on Tuten than I have ever been. He will earn a role with the team and may become their starter for the future, but for this year at least, Etienne will hold him off, as he already has.

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Stock Down

Colston Loveland

• It pains me to say, but Loveland's stock is down after a goose egg this week. I thought for sure that Coach Johnson would get the ball into the hands of his first-ever draft pick early and often this season, but he hasn't. Loveland will forever be compared to Tyler Warren, who was also drafted in the first round this year, but has made an immediate impact already in his first two games of his career. Loveland was drafted ahead of Warren in almost every one of my rookie drafts this season, including three times by me. I'm already regretting it. I'm not burying Loveland in my rankings because I still have confidence that he will become a big part of their offense in the years to come, if not by midseason. However, I have to move him down in my rankings as Warren and Kraft move ahead of him. 

Tyrone Tracy

• Cam Skattebo was one of my most drafted players in this year's rookie drafts. I predicted that he would take over the short-yardage role for the Giants immediately and, in time, take over the entire backfield. Well, he got his first goal-line touchdown on Sunday and played more snaps and got more touches than Tracy in the second game of his rookie year.  I thought the Giants would not trust him in pass protection early in the season, but he took a lot of snaps during the Giants' frantic rally from behind. I want to give it a few more weeks to chart the snap counts between Tracy and Skattebo, but judging by week two, Skattebo is already taking over.  If the trend continues, Tracy will fall even further down my dynasty rankings. Managers who hoped he could keep his leading role should be disappointed by what they saw already in week two.

Kyren Williams

• Over the last two years, Sean McVay has drafted a complementary back to back up Kyren Williams.  I loved Blake Corum in two years ago and made him one of my most highly drafted rookies. This year, McVay drafted Jarquez Hunter, and dynasty managers went crazy for him, thinking he would be Williams's top backup or the Rams' future starter. In the case of Hunter, I was much lower on him than other dynasty managers, and I only drafted him once. When Williams signed his new contract, Corum and Hunter's dynasty stock took a hit, as they were relegated to handcuffs at best. So, why am I including Williams in the stock-down segment? It's because Corum played more snaps in this competitive game than he did last year, and McVay said after the game that this is the plan going forward. Corum looked great on his carries, and he scored the rushing touchdown this week, not Williams.  Hunter has been a healthy scratch, leaving him a distant third or fourth on the depth chart while Corum and Williams carry the load on a high-scoring team. If Corum continues to split carries as he did with Williams on Sunday, Williams' dynasty stock must come down.

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Young Guns

Rome Odunze

• Odunze is the clear top target in the Bears' offense.  He did not live up to expectations in his rookie year, but he's hit the ground running in year two. He's scored in both games this season, including two touchdowns on Sunday. His 31-point fantasy day was the best since his third game of last season. He's among the top two or three players I most want a share of, but have none. I love his character and work ethic, and was sure that he could become a top-twenty type of dynasty wide receiver. He's not there yet, but if he keeps playing like this and Caleb Williams can develop into a more accurate passer, he could get there quickly. The sky is the limit for Odunze. He'll be almost impossible to trade for after his stellar performance this week, but he's the player I will target most in trades this week.

Tetairoa McMillan

• Odunze may have needed a year before truly breaking out, but McMillan does not. He's looked incredible in his first two games and had his first 100-yard receiving game this week. He's so good at positioning his body to make catches and ward off defenders. Many times, I saw Travis Hunter drafted ahead of McMillan this year in rookie drafts. That already looks like a huge mistake. I would never have done that. McMillan is the man, and he's immediately become the WR-1 in Carolina, with Bryce Young's top target. The young and struggling Carolina offense is the only thing holding him back. T-Mac's dynasty managers desperately need Young to improve this year.

Troy Franklin

• Franklin did next to nothing in his rookie season, but he earned a starting role in his second year and led the Broncos in targets and receptions this week, recording his best game of his young career. He was the first read of many of Bo Nix's passes and ended the day with eight receptions, 89 yards receiving, and a touchdown. It's only one game, but he looked so good that the Broncos have to target him more this season and work him into their game plans. Franklin has gone from a very-end-of-the-bench player to one to consider starting in deep leagues. Believe it or not, I picked up Franklin off the waiver wire in one shallow league last week. I can't believe a manager was foolish enough to drop him when we hit our final cut day. I also added him to the back end of a trade last season on a rebuilding team, where I gave up a veteran for Franklin and a future pick. He was in my starting lineup this week and helped me win, even though I'd rather lose in that league this year.

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Old-Man Strength

Jonathan Taylor

• Taylor looked like his younger self on Sunday with powerful runs and big gains. The Colts aren't messing around this year with his snaps and touches, either. The only reason they pulled him last week was because they jumped out to such a huge lead. Before that, he played almost every single snap, no matter the down and distance. This week, they gave him 25 carries, which he turned into 165 yards. Best of all, he had two catches for 50 yards, and one went for a touchdown. He may have lost a step because he did get run down and tackled on one breakaway run, but he still had plenty of long runs. Now, if only they would stop calling quarterback sneaks on the goal line!

J.K. Dobbins

• Dobbins has firm control of the Denver backfield and has scored in each of the last two weeks. He has endured so much over his career and has come back from numerous injuries. It's a joy to see him start the season so well, like he did last year before getting injured again. He's a thorn in the side of R.J. Harvey's dynasty managers, but a massive surprise to dynasty managers who have kept him on their rosters through all his ups and downs. The Broncos trust him in pass protection and use him as their goal-line back. That will keep Harvey off the field and Dobbins continuing to produce using his old-man strength. May this be the season that he finally stays healthy!

Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz

• I had to double-dip on the two old men who keep scoring all the touchdowns for the Commanders. Ertz does what he does - catch touchdowns. Deebo does what he does - run and catch touchdowns. Ertz has been a security blanket to every quarterback he has played with, and he's the same for Jayden Daniels again this year, much to the chagrin of Ben Sinnott's dynasty managers. He's still a tight end worth starting in every league. I started Mark Andrews ahead of him in one league this week, and I will never do that again. At least Ertz gives me a safe floor. Deebo resembles the player he was in his one incredible breakout year in San Francisco. The Commanders' coaching staff knows how to utilize him and design plays that suit him. For the time being, he's become the WR-1 for the Commanders. I expect McLaurin to reclaim that role after he and Daniels get back on the same page following his holdout, but it's also possible that I'm wrong and Deebo is the new top dog in Washington.

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Waiver Watch

Jake Browning

• Most of my superflex leagues are extremely deep, and almost every backup quarterback is on a roster; however, I have a few more shallow leagues where Browning is still available. He averaged more than 20 points per game when stepping in for Burrow last year, and he did it again this year. He's by far the top player to add this week in superflex leagues.

Hunter Renfrow

• Renfrow had a two-touchdown game on Sunday and has stepped in well for Jalen Coker while he's on IR. I don't expect Renfrow to hold off Coker after he returns, so I do not consider Renfrow a fantastic addition off the waiver wire for dynasty purposes. However, in deep leagues, he could be a depth piece for a few weeks, especially if Xavier Legette continues to play so poorly.  

Elijah Higgins

• I'm only interested in adding Higgins in very deep leagues, tight-end premium leagues, or leagues with Trey McBride on my roster. He was an active part of the Cardinals' passing game on Sunday, even with McBride on the field. He had the second-most receiving yards on the team, just behind McBride. He was a super sleeper in rookie drafts a few years ago, and my friends who play in college and devy leagues loved him and drafted him a lot. Add him to your watch list at the very least.

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Dynasty Trades

Kenneth Walker <=======> DeVonta Smith

Kenneth Walker <=======> Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason

• I wanted to mention these two trades together since they both illustrate where dynasty managers are placing their bets on Kenneth Walker. After his terrible week-one outing, it appeared that Charbonnet would take over a leading role this season, causing his dynasty managers to move him. Other managers believed his week-one performance was just a blip on the screen and placed their bets on him. They looked a lot smarter after his week-two performance. Charbonnet did get more snaps than Walker, but this week, he was the one who looked terrible. There's no doubt that Walker is more explosive and can make bigger plays, as he proved this week. Still, his snap counts are a concern. Both of these trades are pretty even. In one, the other manager got back an every-week starting wide receiver in Smith. In the other case, the manager acquired the Vikings' backfield, which also appears to be in a 50/50 split. However, at least he has both players in case one gets injured, as Jones did this week. It's fun to see dynasty managers overreact to a bad week one and others try to take advantage of it. No one got taken advantage of in these trades. They seem fair to me. If I have a slight lean, it would be towards having the DaVonte Smith side of these trades. He's the best dynasty piece to have, even though he's an inconsistent performer, too.

J.K. Dobbins <=======> 2026 2nd round pick

• A manager with a decent but aging roster put a lot of his veteran players on the trading block last week, asking for picks in return. He found a taker in the team with the top-scoring team in the league after week one. The price is right in this trade. Dobbins is worth a late second-round pick. If he stays healthy and holds off R.J. Harvey as he has been, however, he'll be worth a lot more. The Dobbins vs. Harvey battle is a major factor in this trade and will determine the winner or loser. So far, Dobbins has a firm grip on the leading role for Denver, making him an every-week starter in a league like this, giving the contending team in this trade one more startable weapon. I drafted Harvey in this league, so I am still hoping he can take over. I started him this week, but it will be the last time I start him until he earns a bigger role, if he does at all.

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