Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings Update After 2021 Week 2 NFL Season

Heading into the third week of the NFL season, who is on the rise for your fantasy football teams?

Author:
Mike Wallace
Publish date:
Sep 25, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

Week 3 of the season is underway already - here are some players to keep an eye on to see how their dynasty value could change in the coming weeks.

Could Rise: Sam Darnold, Quarterback Carolina Panthers

To date, this season, Darnold looks like another player that has benefited from escaping Adam Gase. After playing on Thursday in Week 3, Darnold has looked much better than during his time with the Jets. Darnold has the best wide receivers he has played with so far, and if Christian McCaffery is healthy, he is a significantly better weapon out of the backfield than any running back Darnold has ever plaid with. Overall, Darnold has been better in almost every way early in this season. His completion percentage, yards per game, and yards per attempt are all up. He has done a better job avoid inceptions to this point - if Darnold keeps this up, he will become a more valuable asset in Dynasty leagues, especially in superflex formats.

Could Fall: Mike Davis, Running Back Atlanta Falcons

Davis was never looked at as a long-term asset in dynasty, but his value this season has already taken a hit with how involved Cordarrelle Patterson is. The biggest appeal around Davis was the opportunity for significant volume in a backfield without a lot of perceived competition. It looks to be a split backfield where Davis is still the lead guy, but unless he continues to see over five targets a game, it is hard to envision him being useful for Dynasty players.

Could Rise: Demetric Felton, Running Back Cleveland Browns

Felton is a name not much was expected of in 2021 as a late-round rookie running back coming to a team with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ahead of him. In Week 2, Felton got an opportunity and proved he could be a weapon for this offense, particularly in the passing game. He will not see much, if any, work as a runner, but the injury the Jarvis Landry allows him to get on the field and work out of the slot. Felton started his college career as a wide receiver, so he has the skill set necessary to step into this role. Felton has a window now with Landry out to try and carve out a role on this offense. Any real value he produces for fantasy might be after the 2021 season, but it is a player to watch as he gets an opportunity in this offense over the coming weeks.

Could Fall: Adam Thielen, Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings

The two main concerns for Thielen are how much of his value comes from scoring touchdowns and the relatively slow start for Justin Jefferson. Touchdowns for a wide receiver can be a volatile stat, so the reliance on that is scary for fantasy, and Thielen is only averaging 8.7 yards a reception so far in 2021. On the other hand, Jefferson has been involved in the offense but has yet to have the big games as he did, beginning in Week 3 of 2020, and it can be expected for him to produce at a high level the rest of the season. Thielen has been great for the Vikings since he came into the league, but as with all older players in dynasty, his value will inevitably begin to drop.

Could Rise: Darnell Mooney, Wide Receiver Chicago Bears

In the first two games of the season, Mooney has been involved in the offense in a way that bodes well for his future production. He has seen 15 targets, the same amount as the top wide receiver on the team, Allen Robinson, and he has been on the field for 95% of offensive snaps so far. With Dalton injured, Justin Fields will get his first start of the season. If the offense can pick things up with Fields taking over the job and Mooney involved in the offense, now is the time to be in on Mooney. A young and fast player with the potential to have a breakout season in front of him.

Could Fall: Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback Miami Dolphins

Tagovailoa is a player whose perception can vary greatly depending on whom you are speaking to when it comes to dynasty leagues. Now he is suffering a setback with an injury that, when he does return, will still limit what he is capable of on the field. If the Dolphins come out, their offense looks better. With Brissett leading it, the concern over Tagovailoa in dynasty will grow larger. To his point in his career, Tagovailoa has not proved he can be a reliable fantasy player and now missing time, and potential limitations when he comes back are not going to help his perception.