Week 8 Dynasty Stock Watch: Tyquan Thornton, James Cook, Brock Purdy
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A week ago in the Dynasty Stock Watch, I highlighted a handful of big-time players to consider selling high on if your team is in the process of a rebuild. This was admittedly an easy exercise. There aren't that many truly great veterans that command lots of draft capital in return. My examples were Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp, Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb.
On the flip side, targeting buy-low candidates isn’t as easy. This shouldn’t come as a shock but there is a plethora of underwhelming NFL players and very few of them are worth acquiring, even if they’re at a discount. Sure, with a deep enough bench, you can fill your roster to the brim with “gems” who just need a some time, some experience and more playing time.
But the majority of players don't pan out, so this week's attempt to find players to trade for if you are rebuilding will be more difficult. The rationale needs to be more airtight and for players who have yet to prove themselves, making an argument in their favor will be like walking a tightrope. That's why SI pays me the big bucks, though. Let's sift through the $5 DVD bargain bin and try to find some of those aforementioned gems. I will not include any players I believe to be in the top 50 of dynasty leagues (top 5 QB, top 20 RB, top 20 WR, top 5 TE).
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QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
With the acquisition of Christian McCaffrey, many touted the 49ers as now having the best offense in the NFL ahead of Week 7. Then, the Niners got thumped by the Chiefs and that narrative is gone. There is still potential for a very good offense and Trey Lance remains the projected 2023 starter.
Lance won't be cheap, particularly in superflex formats. Jalen Hurts has reinforced the value of a scrambling quarterback who can pick his spots to run and manage the game as a passer. We didn’t see much of Lance this season and the little we saw wasn’t impressive. I worry about his footwork and timing. The speed and arm talent are evident, so there is a template for Kyle Shanahan to build upon.
Even if Lance is ready to go in Week 1 next year with no issues, we still may not see much development until well in to the 2023 season and beyond. Lance will be 23 next year and this bet on rookie Brock Purdy is a hail mary dynasty acquisition. The wiser move may be to try to buy-low on Lance and for the right price, I wouldn't knock it. Going for Purdy is an 4D chess, 1000 IQ sort of move where you're zigging when everyone else zags. Since I'm not willing to pay the price for Lance in a trade, I'm taking a chance on the rookie. Purdy is an afterthought, even now. All the YouTube highlight clips in the world can't justify really believing Purdy is something special. For now, Purdy is the backup behind Jimmy Garoppolo, who has again proven he isn’t the right fit for what the 49ers need.
Jimmy G will be a free agent next year and this bet on Purdy is a “you never know” move that should cost next to nothing. If your roster is deep enough, it makes perfect sense if you have Lance. At a minimum, with Mac Jones getting benched for Bailey Zappe on Monday Night Football, we see how acquiring Purdy could at least give us a shot at an emerging quarterback if Lance doesn't pan out.
RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills
I was looking at some of the trades made for Cook in August and there are some whoppers. On Aug. 24, someone traded Nick Chubb for Cook. On Sept. 6, someone traded Dalvin Cook for James Cook. Comical. The hype has clearly died down. Through six games, Cook has just 23 touches. But to his credit, two of his 19 rushes have gone for 20-plus yards. Of his 97 yards, 77 are after contact. He’s forced four missed tackles. The sample size is small, but the pros heavily outweigh the cons.
Even if Cook doesn’t become the starter or gain a larger role this season, Devin Singletary is a free agent this offseason. Zack Moss is a free agent in 2024.
The one knock on Cook is he is still raw. He runs too instinctually and shows a lack of anticipation in reading his blocks. This can come with reps, but it's like a secret sauce for running backs. Some have it, some don't. Cook's athleticism is off the charts and we're looking to buy a young back in a favorable situation at a discount. He ticks the right boxes for me. Like most backs, he's one injury ahead of him on the depth chart away from being the next big thing. So even though we haven't seen much yet, I'm happy to test the trade waters.
WR Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots
Even if Tyquan Thornton never pans out, he is a prime candidate for acquisition. His price tag is creeping up because he’s playing more but the ceiling could still go way up. First off, we have a team in New England with quarterback uncertainty. There is a good, but not great WR1 in Jakobi Meyers, but it took him four years to get to this point. Thornton’s potential ceiling dwarfs Meyers. Zappe has been hit-or-miss in just a few games, but I can get on board with the illusion of potential.
The bottom line, as it was after the NFL Combine, is Thornton's speed. And while he is slight, he's not undersized like Tyreek Hill. He’s a lanky 6’2” with plenty of room to add to his frame. He just turned 22. Even if you believe he is more track star than football player, you’ll be hard-pressed to find these measurables ranked so low at such a young age: 4.28 40 (100th percentile), 110.6 speed score (93rd) , 131 burst score (90th), 10.2 catch radius (85th). Well worth the flier trade cost and an ideal tack-on player if you need to add a little more to make the values add up.
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