Fantasy Football: WR DJ Moore's Value Moving Forward
Recap
Year three is the common breakout year for wide receivers in the NFL. Panthers' wideout DJ Moore was assumed to be a fantasy football WR1 coming into 2020 after an outstanding sophomore season. Moore has had his ups and downs this year and is certainly far from a total bust. Still, fantasy managers expected more out of the talented pass-catcher and after two dud performances, it is fair to ask what his value is going to be moving forward.
Moore has had four really good fantasy weeks this year in which he scored over 14 points in standard point per reception (PPR) fantasy leagues. These games came against the Buccaneers, Falcons, Bears, and Saints. In the last two games, however, he has basically been a ghost. He was limited to two catches in each matchup and was out-targeted by the likes of WR Robby Anderson, WR Curtis Samuel, RB Christian McCaffrey, and RB Mike Davis even though they were splitting time in the backfield.
Robby Anderson has been quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's favorite target all year long and currently leads the team in receiving. Curtis Samuel's role has increased in the past few weeks and this has led to the drop in Moore's production.
Advice moving forward
So maybe DJ Moore has not taken that next step into being one of the best fantasy football WR's in the league but he is still on pace for over 1,000 yards receiving and five touchdowns. I still believe he is a solid WR2 moving forward. He is way too talented for the Panthers to ignore him for too much longer.
Moore's next three games come against the Buccaneers, Lions, and Vikings. All three rank in the bottom half of the league in pass defense. He torched Tampa Bay with eight catches for 120 yards the last time the teams played. Carolina will also yet again be without McCaffrey for the foreseeable future so Moore is going to have to step up to keep the chains moving.
If your fantasy team is in the playoff hunt I would feel comfortable starting Moore at the WR2 spot for the rest of the season. If you are in a keeper or dynasty format I would hold onto the young 23-year-old and hope that his true breakout WR1 season will come next year as he gets more comfortable with his new coaching staff.
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