2016 Dynasty Football RankingsDynasty FootballGeneral

The Top 250 Dynasty Football Rankings – Week 9 Refresh

This week’s #Dynasty250 refresh features a shake up of the top ten. We’re half way through the NFL season and it’s time to acknowledge that DeAndre Hopkins is not quarterback proof. Taking his place inside the top five are the next waive of stud wide receivers, Mike Evans and Amari Cooper, who have solidified themselves as bonafide WR 1’s.

Meanwhile, we have more clarity about the progression (and lack thereof) of young quarterback prospects such as Mariota, Carr, Winston and Bortles. There’s a perpetual deficit of worthy quarterbacks, particularly pocket passers, which is why I’m keen on buying up shares of Bortles. The masses seem to have labeled him “officially bad” as if all quarterbacks are graded on a binary scale of worthy or unworthy around week nine of their third NFL season. I’m still confident that he’s a long-term starter somewhere, plus he is #GarbageTimeKing for fantasy purposes.

In all, the 2016 draft class is shaping up to be quite poor. Many rookies that I had ranked aggressively like Tyler Boyd, (who I still like long term), deserve to be faded in favor of older, more productive players. His previous aggressive rankings factored in the possibility that he’d break out and provide some present value. Overall, this year is a win for dynasty  owners who like to play it safe. We’ve seen productive first halves from aging-but-not-old wide receivers like Michael Crabtree and disappointing seasons from shiny new toys such as Kevin White, Breshad Perriman, Davante Parker… so basically every highly drafted sophomore wideout besides Cooper.

In this iteration I am slightly closer to consensus on the elite young running backs, but seriously folks…  how many times do we have to see inexpensive backups turn into RB1’s or high-end RB2’s before the dynasty community stops paying full retail for the “proven, reliable, job-secure” workhorse back? You know the type, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, CJ Anderson, Thomas Rawls, etc. I get that going #ZeroRB in dynasty requires speculation, some luck and comfort with the unknown, but if you invest enough roster spots you’re all but guaranteed to have worthy starters without the risk of investing in a workhorse.

As always, this list is designed for 2QB and superflex leagues, so make sure you fade the crap out of the quarterbacks if you play in a single quarterback league.

Happy rankings. Questions, comments and criticisms are welcome. Please point out obvious omissions (e.g. I left off Meredith last time!).

Rank Name Position Comments
1 Andrew Luck QB We’ll never doubt you again.
2 Odell Beckham WR
3 Mike Evans WR
4 Amari Cooper WR  I had a nice comment about how the lack of touchdowns were flukey and then he goes off and finds the end zone. So now you’ll just have to trust me that I was a genius.
5 Julio Jones WR
6 Aaron Rodgers QB
7 Cam Newton QB
8 Derek Carr QB
9 Russell Wilson QB Wilson’s injuries are giving owners a look at what he might look like when he no longer runs. I’d expect a bounceback year with better health in ’17.
10 DeAndre Hopkins WR Dynasty owners can take solace in the fact that Hopkins can’t possibly have worse quarterback play to work with in future seasons.
11 Brandin Cooks WR
12 Jameis Winston QB
13 Rob Gronkowski TE
14 Marcus Mariota QB
15 Allen Robinson WR
16 Antonio Brown WR
17 A.J. Green WR
18 Carson Wentz QB The fantasy stardom isn’t here yet, but here you’re paying for a long-term starter to lock down the position with some upside.
19 Ezekiel Elliott RB I know I’m a broken record, but I’d rather sell for a stud WR and fish for the next free Jacquizz Rodgers.
20 Le’Veon Bell RB See Elliott, Ezekiel.
21 David Johnson RB See Elliott, Ezekiel.
22 Dez Bryant WR
23 Alshon Jeffery WR
24 Jarvis Landry WR
25 Donte Moncrief WR
26 Stefon Diggs WR
27 Todd Gurley RB Hard to put a positive spin on his sophomore slump, but still has every down back skills (pass catching and blocking) to continue to get high usage indefinitely even if he’s merely good-not-great.
28 Dak Prescott QB Small sample comes with plenty of risk that he regresses, but you can’t win dynasty leagues without taking some chances.
29 Matthew Stafford QB Enjoying a career year at an age in which quarterbacks often peak.
30 Matt Ryan QB
31 Corey Coleman WR
32 Sammy Watkins WR In the offseason he will likely return to the top 20.
33 Lamar Miller RB
34 T.Y. Hilton WR
35 Blake Bortles QB Bortles is QB12 on the year with the 10th highest per game average. People seem to think he’s a joke, but tools and fantasy production remain strong.
36 Tom Brady QB
37 Will Fuller WR
38 Keenan Allen WR 2016’s top dynasty buy opportunity for rebuilding teams; don’t eff this one up.
39 Michael Thomas WR
40 Kelvin Benjamin WR
41 Marvin Jones WR Marvin’s opportunity is currently greater than his talent, which in my book makes him a sell, particularly given his health history. Figures to lose value in the offseason.
42 Ben Roethlisberger QB
43 Randall Cobb WR Rodgers to Cobb is heating back up, folks.
44 Jordan Reed TE Reed has publicly scoffed at the prospect of an early retirement due to the concussions.
45 Doug Baldwin WR He’s so efficient and good, but alas maybe the Seabags never air it out enough for him to be more than a WR2.
46 Andy Dalton QB
47 Philip Rivers QB
48 Drew Brees QB
49 Martavis Bryant WR Without his… issues… he’d be a top 25 asset in my opinion.
50 Terrelle Pryor WR
51 Jordan Matthews WR
52 Sterling Shepard WR
53 Willie Snead WR
54 DeVante Parker WR
55 Devonta Freeman RB
56 Demaryius Thomas WR
57 Melvin Gordon RB Gordon has excelled as a receiver and in pass blocking, but has once again struggled as a runner. His opportunity currently outpaces his talent, which makes him a big, fat “sell.”
58 Jay Ajayi RB If you own him and you’re not shopping him to see if someone is willing to overreact then we can’t be dynasty friends.
59 LeSean McCoy RB
60 Josh Doctson WR
61 Kirk Cousins QB
62 Tyrod Taylor QB The question entering the season for me was whether he could prove he’s good enough to start in the next couple of years. I think the answer is now most likely yes, so he’s arrow up.
63 Ryan Tannehill QB Do not confuse mediocre (Tanny) with bad (Osweiler).
64 Jared Goff QB
65 Eli Manning QB The track record, durability and weapons make me inclined to chill out, but maybe this is what the beginning of the decline phase looks like. The yards per attempt still healthy.
66 Paxton Lynch QB
67 Hunter Henry TE If you’re in a shallow league that starts one TE, I suppose you should fade, but looks like the next generation of differentiated studs.
68 Michael Crabtree WR If you can get a 2017 1st I’d cash out and thank Crabtree for his service.
69 Emmanuel Sanders WR
70 Tevin Coleman RB Doing three down back things in Atlanta, but alas, plays with another three down back.
71 Theo Riddick RB
72 Tyler Eifert TE Well, look who decided to rejoin the party!
73 Travis Kelce TE
74 Greg Olsen TE
75 DeMarco Murray RB Still time to cash out for a 2017 1st while he’s hot and healthy. Maybe you can get more.
76 Spencer Ware RB I don’t care who it is, but in five years when the Chiefs find a replacement for Ware, pay everything you have for them because this is getting scary (Holmes, Johnson, Charles and now Ware).
77 Jordan Howard RB Jack-of-all-trades reminds my Bears’ fan friend of Frank Gore and I like the comparison; three down skills.
78 Giovani Bernard RB
79 Kevin White WR He will creep back up this list if/when he gets healthy. I don’t recommend playing it safe in dynasty; buy shares if you’re not a contender.
80 Laquon Treadwell WR
81 Tyler Boyd WR
82 Duke Johnson RB I’m a sucker for his profile as a high-floor back with upside for more.
83 Derrick Henry RB I’m a fan of what he’s done in limited looks and see a potential three down back more than I did preseason, when he looked strictly like an early-down guy.
84 Devontae Booker RB How many Booker’s, Ware’s, Howard’s and Ajayi’s must pop up before dynasty owners scale back their pricing on “proven” lead backs?
85 Tyrell Williams WR I like him and he’s young, but with Keenan  Allen returning next year he has more present value than future value in my opinion.
86 Ty Montgomery WR Not sure what his position is, but Jordy is old, Adams’ rookie deal expires after next season and he has diverse skills to stay on the field in multiple situations and with different personnel.
87 Jamison Crowder WR
88 Brandon Marshall WR
89 Jordy Nelson WR Cash out after his next big game and thank him for his services.
90 Larry Fitzgerald WR
91 Carlos Hyde RB
92 Mark Ingram RB
93 Christine Michael RB I’m selling in part because I think his usage has peaked and because he’s struggled as a receiver.
94 Doug Martin RB Sell after his next big game.
95 Allen Hurns WR The touchdowns aren’t there and the efficiency has dropped, but Hurns is trending towards a respectable season. Doesn’t have prospect pedigree to fall back on in times of doubt.
96 Quincy Enunwa WR
97 Julian Edelman WR
98 Eric Ebron TE
99 Joe Flacco QB
100 Sam Bradford QB
101 Alex Smith QB
102 Teddy Bridgewater QB People hate this guy, but there was plenty to like. Has youth on his side.
103 John Brown WR
104 Travis Benjamin WR
105 Jeremy Maclin WR
106 Matt Forte RB
107 Ameer Abdullah RB
108 Latavius Murray RB
109 Carson Palmer QB
110 Jimmy Graham TE Because there’s no time like the present.
111 Eric Decker WR
112 Isaiah Crowell RB
113 Eddie Lacy RB
114 Delanie Walker TE
115 Martellus Bennett TE
116 Kenneth Dixon RB (Still) excited about his chances to be a second half league winner the way Booker could be in Denver.
117 Jerick McKinnon RB
118 Sammie Coates WR We saw the good (deep ball speed and athleticism) and the bad (dropped the easiest TD catch ever) on Sunday, but can’t deny he’s a massive value gainer.
119 Breshad Perriman WR Flashing just enough to keep me optimistic. The depth chart could clear up in a hurry as the Ravens have a lot of old / generic WR’s.
120 Davante Adams WR
121 C.J. Prosise RB Has been productive as a pass catcher. One of my favorite pre-season RB prospects is ripe for the buying.
122 Jeremy Hill RB
123 Tyler Lockett WR
124 Cameron Meredith WR Meredith befuddled me as he came out of
125 Jamaal Charles RB Talk of a second knee surgery is no bueno, but I couldn’t resist but to buy low for next year in one of my leagues.
126 Adrian Peterson RB
127 Zach Ertz TE After three straight years of steady improvement, Ertz has been bad this year but makes for a nice buy low.
128 Tony Romo QB
129 DeSean Jackson WR
130 Tavon Austin WR
131 Cole Beasley WR
132 Golden Tate WR
133 Dion Lewis RB
134 T.J. Yeldon RB High draft pick has not done much to distinguish himself this year.
135 Ryan Mathews RB
136 Kenyan Drake RB
137 Tyler Ervin RB
138 Kyle Rudolph TE
139 Ladarius Green TE
140 Jonathan Stewart RB
141 Jay Cutler QB No guarantees, but in QB-starved league it seems more likely than not that he gets more chances to start.
142 Cody Kessler QB Showed some modest promise.
143 C.J. Fiedorowicz TE I swear I didn’t mean to double up on C.J.’s (and yes, I’m buying this C.J.).
144 C.J. Anderson RB Should make for a sweet #ZeroRB next year assuming the price comes down to here.
145 Dorial Green-Beckham WR
146 Coby Fleener TE
147 Austin Hooper TE
148 Mike Wallace WR
149 Gary Barnidge TE
150 Chris Hogan WR
151 Brock Osweiler QB
152 Trevor Siemian QB Performed admirably, but more suited for a backup role.
153 Colin Kaepernick QB A high-end QB stream option; he’s likely at peak value.
154 Matt Jones RB
155 Terrance West RB
156 Tyreek Hill WR
157 Julius Thomas TE
158 Thomas Rawls RB
159 LeGarrette Blount RB Worth a look for your championship runs.
160 Jimmy Garoppolo QB Patience required and I likely overranked him previously. He will trend up, but very unlikely to help until 2018, if ever.
161 DeAndre Washington RB
162 Leonte Carroo WR
163 Nelson Agholor WR
164 Phillip Dorsett WR
165 Frank Gore RB
166 Chris Conley WR
167 Malcolm Mitchell WR
168 Mike Glennon QB My favorite QB spec add for 2017.
169 Brett Hundley QB My favorite QB spec add for… 2019.
170 Wendell Smallwood RB If you’re looking for the next Booker and Dixon is unavailable it could be Smallwood or even Paul Perkins.
171 Paul Perkins RB
172 Kenny britt WR
173 J.J. Nelson WR
174 Zach Miller TE
175 Jack Doyle TE Nice receiving chops as a tight end.
176 Charles Sims RB Totally blew his chance this year, but should return as a useful #ZeroRB.
177 Clive Walford TE Has not gotten in on the Derek Carr level up party.
178 Dwayne Allen TE
179 Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE
180 Rishard Matthews WR
181 Pharoh Cooper WR
182 Bilal Powell RB
183 Tajae Sharpe WR
184 Dwayne Washington RB
185 Alfred Morris RB
186 Jalen Richard RB
187 Rob Kelley RB
188 Jeremy Langford RB Has gone from a do-not-touch in preseason to a trade target of mine for owners that believe he’s now worthless.
189 Jacquizz Rodgers RB
190 Mike Gillislee RB
191 Zach Zenner RB
192 Chris Thompson RB
193 DeAngelo Williams RB
194 Chris Ivory RB
195 Steve Smith WR
196 Darren Sproles RB
197 Braxton Miller WR
198 Mohamed Sanu WR
199 Brandon Lafell WR
200 Cordarrelle Patterson WR
201 Pierre Garcon WR
202 Ryan Fitzpatrick QB Should be demoted to high-end NFL backup any week now.
203 Bryce Petty QB Should get his chance any week now.
204 James White RB
205 Josh McCown QB
206 Virgil Green TE
207 Marqise Lee WR
208 Charles Clay TE
209 Dennis Pitta TE
210 Adam Thielen WR
211 Jesse James TE
212 Adam Humphries WR
213 Kadeem Carey RB
214 Peyton Barber RB
215 Rashad Jennings RB
216 James Starks RB
217 Kenny Stills WR
218 Torrey Smith WR
219 Matt Asiata RB
220 Jaelen Strong WR
221 Devin Funchess WR
222 Jeff Janis WR
223 Maxx Williams TE
224 Tyler Higbee TE
225 AJ McCarron QB A free agent after the 2017 season, McCarron is an interesting free stash to potentially luck into a starting quarterback down the road.
226 Shane Vereen RB
227 Case Keenum QB
228 Danny Woodhead RB A sneaky stash in PPR leagues.
229 Andre Ellington RB Hoping for that David Johnson injury to hit.
230 Kapri Bibbs RB
231 Jonathan Williams RB
232 Fozzy Whitaker RB
233 Terrell Watson RB
234 Antonio Gates TE Historically there’s a decline among tight ends at 31 and then a crater at 37. Gates is 36.
235 Robert Griffin III QB
236 Seth Roberts WR
237 Mike Davis RB
238 Vance McDonald TE
239 Victor Cruz WR
240 Terrance Williams WR
241 Cardale Jones QB
242 Lance Dunbar RB Has struggled in his return from injury, but I’m intrigued by him as a pass-catching back still since he’s a 2017 FA.
243 Tim Hightower RB
244 Will Tye TE
245 Larry Donnell TE
246 Jason Witten TE
247 Josh Gordon WR
248 Antone Smith RB
249 Brian Hoyer QB Could stick around in the Ryan Fitzpatrick mold as an interim starter for another year or two.
250 Kevin Hogan QB

The Author

Tom Trudeau

Tom Trudeau

5 Comments

  1. November 3, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    I might suggest a by-position ranking format, since clearly you have strong views on loving QB/WR and hating RB in dynasty. Since such view are highly league structure-dependent, it would be nice to see players ranked/grouped by position rather than overall.

  2. November 3, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    ” how many times do we have to see inexpensive backups turn into RB1’s or high-end RB2’s before the dynasty community stops paying full retail for the…”

    If you play in a deep-bench dynasty league, you might only see this happen to a fantasy FA a couple times a year.

    • November 3, 2016 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you for the feedback and checking out the rankings. The positional rankings can be inferred from the 250, so I’m not sure how useful an additional post would be breaking that out more explicitly. I thought about adding an additional column, but a fifth column squeezes the screen too much.

      Regarding my RB comment about acquiring cheap starters – I only play in deep dynasty leagues (13 – 14 teams, keep 28-30), so my frame of reference tends to be the deep leagues you’re referring to. The cheap adds may not necessarily happen on free agency. Last year just among rookies Duke Johnson, Ajayi and David Johnson were second round rookie picks, Jeremy Langford was a third round pick and Karlos Williams and Thomas Rawls were 4th round picks and/or undrafted. And then among non-FA’s Dion Lewis and Spencer Ware were waiver adds even in deep leagues, because people had Knile Davis and Chark West pegged as the handcuff to Charles.

      My strategy for dynasty is to beef up at non-RB positions, stash as many 2nd string RB’s as I can and then wait for the carnage, supplementing that with an occasional waiver add to get me through a week (like Antone Smith this week) or sometimes all season, like Ware last year.

      Meanwhile my opponents pay significant capital for starting RB’s, an advantage that is neutralized by my superior non-RB’s and neutered entirely when the injuries inevitably strike. It’s an effective strategy for redraft and it’s even more valuable in dynasty, because my advantage grows year over year as their high-priced RB’s depreciate in value. The moment my RB’s look like they’re “proven” workhorses, I trade them for a profit, rinse and repeat. (That’s how you end up with a WR core in a keep-30, 13 team league of DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Kelvin Benjamin, Allen Robinson, Donte Moncrief, Corey Coleman, Willie Snead and Martavis Bryant.)

      Sorry for the Russian novel response, but I hope that provides more clarity regarding how and why I rank the way I do.

  3. Kurt
    November 4, 2016 at 10:09 am

    On Ware and his eventual replacement – I think some Chiefs fan must have made a deal with the devil after watching Donnell Bennett and Tony Richardson lead their backfield for 3 years after Marcus Allen retired in ’97!

    Best guess as to who starts at QB in Cleveland (or at least starts game 1) in 2017? Draft pick, one of the Vikings QBs, Romo, other? Picked up Coleman and am hoping they do SOMETHING!

    Great work as always Tom!

    • November 4, 2016 at 10:12 am

      Kessler has played well and deserves to start the rest of the year and try to prove to Cleveland’s FO that they don’t need to take a QB at 1.1 or 2.1 next year, but I’d guess they’ll use a top pick on a quarterback regardless.

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