Fantasy Football: Dynasty Keep, Trade, Drop Week One

A look back on the this weekend of NFL action and what you should be doing with your dynasty fantasy foot

Author:
Ryan Frederick
Updated:
Sep 14, 2021 10:49 AM EDT
Original:
Sep 14, 2021

Fantasy football is a funny game. You spend all summer listening to your favorite podcasts, reading your favorite writers about what player will breakout, which player you should stash on your roster or who your sleeper target should be late in a draft. You finally get to set your lineup for week one, and throughout the day on Sunday, you watch your favorite team and track your fantasy lineups.

You try not to lose your mind as after the first games of the week come to an end, and you started Brandon Aiyuk, and he scored zero points, but you know you have Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones stack starting their game in just a few minutes. The "60 Minutes" stopwatch starts to tick-tock through your T.V. speakers, and you have fully lost your head over your lineup, realizing you are now 0-1.

We have all been there, and the number one thing you can do is - to quote Aaron Rodgers, R.E.L.A.X.

Everyone has a week they do not live up to their standards, and a lot of the time, it isn't even their fault. Why is Aaron Jones only getting five carries? The run game was forced entirely out because of how much the Packers were down, and he did not play the fourth quarter. Ezekiel Elliott also only had 11 carries, which is slightly concerning to the Cowboys' offense. The Cowboys threw the ball 58 times because of how good the Buccaneers' run defense is, and the game plan seemed to be to exploit their secondary. Everyone will find their level. That being said, there are some early impressions and conclusions you can draw from prior history to use to your advantage because your league mates are going to panic too. So, who should you trade, keep and drop following week one?

TRADE: Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

Devin Singletary's value could be the highest it will ever be at for fantasy football.

By now, we know what the Buffalo Bills are with Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator and Josh Allen as the quarterback. It is high-powered passing, and the running game has been, essentially, only Josh Allen. Week one proved to be much of the same, with Josh Allen throwing 51 times and rushing for another nine times. However, Devin Singletary showed a little spark on his limited touches racking up 72 rushing yards, which he exceeded only twice last year. Zack Moss did not play in this game, and the Steelers' main focus was limiting Josh Allen. Use the perception of his great week one to your advantage because history has shown us that this is about his ceiling. Find a manager in a panic about their running back situation that just lost Raheem Mostert for the next eight weeks and sell him while his value is highest.

DROP: DeSean Jackson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Desean Jackson is droppable in fantasy football if there is a viable option on the waiver wire.

There was a lot of buzz around the Rams passing attack this offseason with Matthew Stafford being traded there. A lot was around Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, but there was a significant amount around the addition of DeSean Jackson. He was labeled the deep ball threat that would take the top off the defense and give Stafford a target to air out the deep ball. That did not prove true in week one, and it is safe to say it will not show true any time soon. Jackson was only targeted twice, which was fifth on the team. He only had 21 yards receiving yards which also was fifth on the Rams. After his long touchdown on the opening drive, Van Jefferson looks to be the guy to take the top off of the defense and played 69% of the snaps compared to Jackson's 27%. While it was fun to think about Jackson coming back and having some magical deep ball catches, it will not happen because of where he ranks in the pecking order, and it is safe to drop him from your team.

KEEP: Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys

The value of Michael Gallup is too low to trade, but he also shouldn't be dropped.

A few wide receivers were in consideration here, but ultimately, Gallup is the pick after week one. This is going to be the ultimate test of your patience. Michael Gallup is an excellent receiver in the NFL. He played 60% of the offensive snaps for Dallas in week one and got hurt and missed most of the fourth quarter, which certainly hurt his numbers. He has been diagnosed with a calf injury that will keep him out until the opening weeks of October. Do not panic about Michael Gallup. He racked up over 1100 yards in his sophomore year. With the addition of CeeDee Lamb and a Dak Prescott injury that derailed the potential of the Cowboys season, he still had over 800 yards and over 100 targets. Gallup will produce in the Dallas offense when he returns because of the number of points they will have to score to win games. Looking even further ahead, he will be an excellent receiver moving forward with whatever team he is on next year and very well could be a number one receiver on another team by week one next season. Be patient with Michael Gallup; it will pay off for you.