Fantasy Football: Dynasty Recap Week 5 2021 College Football Season

Russell Wilson injured. Mike Williams looking like a stud. Read more about the recap after this weekend's games.

Author:
Casey Birch
Publish date:
Oct 11, 2021 10:40 AM EDT

It's another week in the bag, and football continues to be the most exciting show on turf. Whether it's the Green Bay and Cincinnati kickers fight to see who can shank the most game-winning field goals, or the Detroit Lions managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once more, the game continues to keep fans entertained. Likewise, this week provided a lot of highs and lows for Dynasty managers everywhere that need to be explored.

The Emergence of Kadarius Toney

No 2021 rookie was more bashed by the analytics community than Kadarius Toney. A late breakout in his senior season at Florida, Toney found himself drafted in the middle of the first round by the New York Giants. Despite the high draft capital, a significant portion of the dynasty community maintained their stance going into rookie drafts. As a result, Toney was taken in the late second or early third round of many standard 12-team Superflex leagues. Through training camp and the first few weeks of the season, even that seemed like an overpay for Toney.

In week 4, Toney finally saw some significant playing time, with Sterling Sheppard and Darius Slayton out due to injury. He was a menace with the ball in his hands, eluding multiple defenders after the catch. In week 5, Shepard and Slayton remained out, giving Toney a chance for a repeat performance. He didn't disappoint. Toney went off to the tune of 10 catches for 189 yards, with part of the performance coming with backup quarterback Mike Glennon in the game. After this week, even the hapless Giants won't be able to put him back on the bench. The only downside of the night for Toney was when he tried his hand at fisticuffs with a defender. At this point, Toney might be too costly to trade for, but it's worth the ask. He would be the perfect "trade for" candidate for a rebuilding team.

Is Mike Wiliams For Real?

How many years have fantasy managers been waiting desperately for the emergence of Mike Williams? It feels like an eternity since he was a top-ten first-round pick back in 2017. The talent has always been there, but it had been obscured, hiding behind injury after injury. Williams has just been unable to stay on the field consistently. This year though, he seems to be bucking the trend and building an awesome rapport with quarterback Justin Herbert. This week's stat line for Williams was eight catches on 16 targets for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Given his current role in the offense and the lack of competition for targets, Williams will likely continue to dominate - as long as he remains healthy. Dynasty managers in rebuild might want to consider trading him away at this peak for a younger player or draft capital. Contending teams should ride this hot streak and confidently expect it to continue.

A Rare Russell Wilson Injury

Russell Wilson has been a staple in the fantasy community for years. In most scoring formats, he's been in the top ten for the quarterback position since 2013. That type of consistency is unheard of and partly due to him being active for every game of his career. That steak will come to an end after this week. Wilson smashed his hand on Aaron Donald during the follow-through of a pass on Sunday and appeared to dislocate one of his fingers. The injury ended up being a ruptured tendon in his middle finger, and he'll be out for the next four to eight weeks. For contending Dynasty teams with Russ, this is a major blow. Geno Smith can likely be picked up as a fill-in, but don't expect him to rack up the yardage that Wilson normally would. For rebuilding teams or those with excess depth, this provides a wonderful opportunity to acquire a consistent, stud quarterback with years of solid play remaining, hopefully at a discount.

Famous Jameis: Back in Action

In a world constantly in flux, ever-changing, it's occasionally nice to see that one or two constants still exist. In this scenario, the constant is Jameis Winston. He can be taken out of Tampa Bay, stripped of his starting role, forced to sit behind passing legend Drew Brees for a year, and still come in and be the same old Jameis. For those who haven't watched the New Orleans games, the stat lines may be deceiving. This week, Winston threw for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and two turnovers. Those numbers were mainly accrued in two plays: A 72-yard touchdown bomb to Deonte Harris and a 49-yard hail mary to Marquez Callaway to end the first half. While the first touchdown was earned, the hail mary had just as much of a chance to be an interception as a touchdown. At the end of the day, nothing had changed for Jameis. He's still the chaotic gunslinger that can lift or sink a fantasy quad any given week. Outside of a Best Ball format, that's not the type of quarterback to look for in fantasy. It's also not the type of quarterback the Saints are likely to invest in long-term either. Dynasty managers should look to trade away Winston for a more stable option coming off a strong statistical game such as this.