We are in the dog days of summer. The days are longer. The nights are still hot and humid. Family vacations are in full swing and dynasty leagues are past their rookie drafts. Even with that, there is still a reason to actively manage your dynasty roster and try to work out some trades and when you do there are guys you can get thrown in that can pay dividends for you down the road.
These guys might cost you more than the normal players you see on this list but they are still worth taking a look at what their owners want for them or if they are on waivers.
Keaontay Ingram- RB, Arizona Cardinals
Listen, no one is excited for the Arizona Cardinals offense in 2023. There is new head coach Johnathan Gannon. Franchise quarterback Kyler Murray probably won’t be back to start the season or at all this year. They just released their best player, DeAndre Hopkins, after failing to trade him. Their two other best receiving weapons, Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz are coming back from injuries suffered last season. It looks like either 13-year veteran Colt McCoy or rookie Clayton Tune will be under center come Week 1, and that the new-look Cardinals could be relying on the run game early and often.
That run game is currently being led by James Conner who is entering his 7th season and 3rd in the desert. Conner has been an efficient back averaging over 4.5 yards per carry and has been a touchdown machine scoring 22 over the past two seasons. The issue with Conner is that he has yet to play a full NFL season. If Conner goes down the Cardinals will turn to 2022’s 6th-round pick Keaontay Ingram to carry the load. The Cardinals are a team with very little hope this year and with Conner still under contract with a very small cap hit in 2024, they may opt to not rush him back if he is injured. The team doesn’t have much after Ingram on the depth chart either. They currently roster both Ty’Son Williams and Corey Clement, who don’t look to be more than borderline practice squad players. Combined they have 83 total carries over the past two seasons. There is undrafted rookie Emari Demercado and then that’s it. The fact that the Cardinals decided not to draft a running back at all in this draft is telling. They had seven total picks in rounds three through six and in a deep running back class there was plenty of value to be found. They instead addressed other areas on the team which means they are comfortable and confident in Ingram as the primary backup to a running back with an injury history.
Ingram hasn’t been stellar so far in his NFL career. Last season when Conner did miss Weeks 6 through 8 Ingram only had 12 total carries and missed week 8. He was clearly behind then backup Eno Benjamin. Eno is now with the Saints so that hurdle is out of Keaontay’s way. On the rushes that he did have Ingram only managed a paltry 21 yards. In fact, on the season he only averaged 2.2 yards per carry. The numbers aren’t great. But it will be volume that will keep Ingram in the mix for fantasy when he does get the starting role. Conner was averaging 14 rushing attempts a game for the 2022 season and for the games that Kyler Murray was out he averaged 16.5. Conner also saw 58 targets last season which adds value in PPR league.
Ingram was an okay runner in college. He started his college career at Texas and after three years transferred to USC. He averaged 11 carries a game in college and his yards per carry was a healthy 5.5. He wasn’t a massive touchdown producer, only collecting 16 total over his 42 games. He is a larger back, much like Conner, at 6’0 221 lbs, and is only 23 years old. He can be used at the goal line which could net some extra points for fantasy managers as they don’t have to worry about him being taken out when it counts. He also has pass-catching abilities. He caught 89 passes in college and added another 6 touchdowns to his resume along with 671 yards.
He is a clear handcuff only right now. If/when Kyler Murray does come back he might be a low-end flex play during bye weeks. He isn’t the type of running back that most fantasy managers are going to be excited about. He lacks the high-end upside to be a game-breaker or break off those 50+ yard runs. He’s a plodder for sure but those types of rushers can be productive and provide value. Look at what the Lions were able to do with a similar running back in Jamaal Williams the past two seasons. Ingram is the type of rusher that can wear down the defense. The issue will be volume and getting game-scripted out. The Cards don’t project to be leading many games going into the fourth quarter so passing might be called for more but if they do get the lead they can run out the clock with Conner and Ingram.
Kyren Williams- RB, Los Angles Rams
It was a rough season for the Los Angeles Rams after winning the Super Bowl back in 2021. In 2022 they saw injuries to quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and running back Cam Akers. They finished the season with a 5-12 record and are looking to rebound in 2023 now that everyone is healthy. A big part of that will be the run game with Akers. After suffering an Achilles tear he came back and showed some effective running but the history of running backs returning from that injury is dubious. With that injury history and the risk associated, there is reason to be hyped for backup running back Kyren Williams.
The Rams with Stafford are knowns as a passing team. They only ran the ball 41% of the time in 2022 and 40% of the time in 2021. Even with that the Rams have not been beholden to one guy. They ran Todd Gurley into the ground in 2019. They went back and forth between Akers and Darrell Henderson in 20220. They allowed Sony Michel and Henderson to split work in 2021 and then split work between Henderson, Akers, and Williams in 2022. The split between Michel and Henderson in 2021 is interesting. That was the year the Rams won the Superbowl. What we saw was a split of 208 carries for Michel and 149 for Henderson. It was a winning formula that helped take the pressure off Stafford and allow them to spread the field out. We could see a return to that in 2023 with Akers and Williams.
The roster behind Williams is lackluster. Ronnie Rivers hasn’t done anything. They waited to sign Sony Michel until a few weeks ago and didn’t draft a running back till the sixth round in Zach Evans. Williams may lose out on goal-line work which could cap his production upside but the rushing volume can be there. The Rams traded away a ton of picks to get Stafford and others to win the Super Bowl and this might be the last year of that winning window. Stafford has flirted with retirement. Kupp is turning 31 this year and the defense is getting older. On top of that Akers will be playing in the last year of his rookie deal. What we have seen across the NFL is teams unwilling to pay running back big contracts and either using the franchise tag or letting them walk away in free agency. Even though the Rams have typically gone against the grain when it comes to roster construction they could let Akers test the waters and roll with Williams and another complimentary RB in 2024. In order to do that they will have to figure out what Kyren Willams is this season so they can make an educated move next summer. That will lead to increased work this year as the Rams look to take pressure off Stafford and get back to the formula that worked in 2021.
Kyren Williams was a three-year player for Notre Dame but really only started for two. In his first season for the Fighting Irish, he only played 2 games. In his sophomore and junior years, he was the main running back achieving over 200 carries each year and having double-digit rushing touchdowns. He finished his college career early and declared for the 2022 NFL draft but not before putting up 2,153 yards, 27 touchdowns, and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. On top of his rushing stats, he added 78 total receptions for 675 yards and 4 additional touchdowns. He fell to the sixth round of the draft to the Rams mainly because of his lack of NFL speed. At 5’9 and 195 lbs his 4.65 40 time was way below what is expected and his 1.62 10-yard split time didn’t do anything to sway NFL brass. Yet, he still has characteristics and traits that are exciting to see in the NFL. He has plenty of experience running routes and even at times lined up in the slot position. He could take the 3rd down role early in the season. In 2022 he ran routes on 82.1% of his passing snaps which was the team lead for running backs. He was a team captain for Notre Dame which is a high honor for a team and school whose culture emphasizes leadership and character. He did struggle with ball security having 8 fumbles in college. His overall pass-catching ability and pass-blocking could lend to him being on the field more often than not.
Last season Williams only received 35 carries and his yards per carry dipped just below 4 which isn’t a great sign but the offensive line for the Rams was in shambles much like the rest of the team. They have revamped it this year which should open up more opportunities for the running backs. With Akers having an injury history, owning his handcuff is a smart play in redraft and in dynasty. Getting a guy who is young and under contract next season makes even more sense. The Rams could be investing money and resources elsewhere after this season to replace Stafford and possibly Kupp and some defensive pieces so saving money on running back will be a smart move for that front office. Dynasty managers who can capitalize on that and see the future value will benefit.
Brock Wright- TE, Detriot Lions
There is no denying the pure amount of hype around the Detroit Lions this season. They had a good run in 2022 and were fan favorites after their time on the HBO series Hard Knock. They had great seasons from quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jamaal Williams, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Even after trading away start tight end T.J. Hockenson they finished the season with a 9-8 record and only missed the playoffs due to tiebreakers. The hype continued to build on draft weekend as they made the surprise selection of Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round and then selected tight end Sam LaPorta early in the second round.
The tight end position for the Lions was one of my favorite landing spots this offseason and LaPorta has the talent to be very successful there but tight ends take time to develop in the NFL. Reports are LaPorta is making great progress during mini camps and should see the field come Week 1 but there is another tight end that dynasty managers should be aware of and that is Brock Wright. Wright became the leading guy after Hockenson was shipped off to Minnesota. He finished the season with only 24 total targets but 18 of them came after Hock was gone. He also saw his snap share go from low 40% to closer to 60%. He finished the season with 4 total touchdowns all coming after Week 9. He was mixed in on an offense that had players like St. Brown, Jamison Williams, DeAndre Swift, and Jamaal Williams. It wasn’t super high volume, which doesn’t scream fantasy success, but the production was there in limited work. Wright is in a position where he already knows the offense that head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are running and could see some early season work. Yes long-term LaPorta is the answer but Brock Wright is still young and could catch on to another team after his rookie contract is up after this season. We have seen tight ends like Hayden Hurst have a slow start to their careers and blossom later.
Brock Wright was an undrafted free agent signed by the Lions after the 2021 draft. It wasn’t a surprise seeing that Wright only played 3 games each year during his three-season career for Notre Dame. Even worse is he only had seven total receptions over that span and one touchdown. He was behind both Cole Kmet and Micheal Mayer during his time and dealt with injuries that kept him out of games. He is the definition of an out-of-nowhere player. He is a big receiver at 6’4” and 255 lbs. He has the size that you want for an NFL tight end and has shown to be very effective at catching the ball. He caught 75% of his targets in 2022. According to PlayerProfiler.com, his true catch rate was 85.7% and only had 3 drops. Wright created 166 yards after the catch which was good enough for 28th most out of tight ends. Even with his low volume, he finished as the TE38 last year so if he is given even just a few more targets he can jump in overall finish and be a productive player for fantasy rosters. If LaPorta doesn’t make the huge jump that people expect and yet follows the normal tight end growth then Wright might be a sneaky play week to week. He might be better in bet ball leagues but still worth a dart throw in dynasty leagues.
Van Jefferson- WR, Los Angeles Rams
If you don’t know about Van Jefferson by now you are pretty late to the party but I wanted to highlight him as the Rams receiver to go get. Last season the Rams had a rough season with injuries, especially among their wide receiver group. Only Brandon Powell played all 17 games. The season started with Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, and Ben Skowronek playing the majority of the snaps. Kupp and Robinson only made it to Weeks 10 and 11 respectively and Skowronek missed games after Week 15. Van Jefferson started the season being injured and didn’t start playing until Week 8 but didn’t see a target till Week 9. Over the back half of the season, Jefferson saw 44 targets hauling in 24 of them for 369 yards and 4 touchdowns. We didn’t really get to see him much with starting quarterback Matthew Stafford who stopped playing as of Week 12.
Coming into the 2023 season the Rams look to start the season healthy and show us what they can do with the full complement of players. Allen Robinson is gone so there is one less person in front of Jefferson on the depth chart. We all know Kupp is the true WR1 on the team but who lines up opposite him on two wide receiver sets will have value. We saw that the Rams believe that can be Jefferson. In 2021 the Rams had Kupp, Jefferson, and Robert Woods to start the season, and over the first nine games Woods saw 69 targets and Jefferson saw 45. Now that Woods has been off the team for two years Jefferson has developed into that true #2 on the field. With Stafford back healthy there should be plenty of targets to go around. In 2021 Stafford had 601 passing attempts and was on pace for that in 2022 but was cut short due to the injury. The sheer volume is impressive. Ben Skowronek is still there and while he had a good season he is currently dealing with a foot issue and doesn’t have the athletic pedigree that Jefferson has. Tutu Atwell doesn’t pose much threat even if he is talented because he projects as a pure slot receiver who can’t play on the outside if needed.
Van Jefferson was a 2nd round pick back in the 2020 draft. He was a four-year player in college starting with Ole Miss and then transferring to Florida. In his last two years at Florida, he had a pair of six-touchdown seasons despite having under 50 receptions each year. He averaged 13.8 yards per reception those two years which makes him a highly efficient receiver. His NFL career has continued that trend. He averages 15.38 yards per reception. He is not an overly large receiver at only 6’1 and 200 lbs. He slots into a very similar role as Cooper Kupp but that doesn’t mean he needs Kupp to be out to have an impact. He doesn’t have the contested catch ability of some bigger receivers and only caught 33% of his contested catches last season. Part of his issue last season was for sure a quarterback issue but also came back mid-season after missing time with an injury. He came back close to 100% but the rust was clearly evident.
Early reports from mini camp have raved about Jefferson but it hasn’t been reflected yet in his value. He is currently being valued as a late-round draft pick in redraft leagues and his dynasty value isn’t very high. Its the time to buy now. The Rams are pushing all their chips in to win this year. They traded a ton to get Stafford and couldn’t really upgrade a lot of their team in the draft or via free agency. They could be headed towards a soft rebuild after this year. They finally have a first-round pick again and could be seeking a new franchise QB. Having a young wide receiver on a team that will probably be getting a top-end quarterback talent is a great asset to have.
Sam Howell- QB, Washington Commanders (Re-Visit)
Sam Howell now gets his chance to start for the Washington Commanders. He comes into the season only having to beat out Jacoby Brissett. The Commanders brought in former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to help revamp the offense and his hire seemed to be predicated on him having a bigger say in the offense than he did in KC. Bieniemy gets to use what he learned from known quarterback guru Andy Reid and stud Patrick Mahomes and put that towards the development of Howell. The Commanders retooled the offensive line bringing in Andrew Wylie and Nick Gates as well as drafting linemen in the third and fourth rounds. With Brian Robinson healthy to start the season and Antonio Gibson back healthy the running game should be in place to take some of the pressure off Howell. He still has three solid wide receivers in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. It’s a better group than most rookies and second-year quarterbacks get. Along with solid tight-end play the Commanders and Howell can find a system that works to maximize his strengths and won’t put him in situations where he has to make tough throws or turnovers.
Howell has that rushing upside that was highlighted below. Even with more quarterbacks running the ball, we have seen how guys can come out of now where and be a top 10 fantasy quarterback with good rushing numbers and just pedestrian passing numbers. Look at Daniel Jones in 2022. Even the Commanders’ QBs had decent rushing in 2022. Carson Wentz, Taylor Hienickie, and Howell combined for 55 attempts. There were five games with five or more quarterback rushing attempts. Add in someone with more rushing upside like Howell and we could easily see that number jump closer to 80. He is a great addition even now. He will cost you way more than he did back in October 2022 but you can still pick him up cheaper than most quarterbacks. Below is from October 2022.
As the first pick in the 5th round in 2021, coming out of North Carolina, Sam Howell looks like he could be the future of the Washington Commanders. In college Howell was a three-year starter for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He finished his college career with 10283 passing yards and 92 touchdowns and only 23 interceptions. He never had a season with under 3000 yards nor double-digit interceptions. Some will say that is a product of a team that had Michael Carter, Javonte Williams, Dazz Newsome, and Dyami Brown. Nothing could be further from the truth. In his final season at North Carolina, after all, four of those players were drafted to the NFL, Howell still managed to put up 3056 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. What many forget or don’t even know is that Howell has some juice with his legs. He rushed for 1009 yards, and 17 touchdowns in his collegiate career. Eleven of those touchdowns came in his final year as a junior when he was missing all those playmakers. He had three games of over 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. The only player to have more than that in their college career? Lamar Jackson. Not saying that Howell is that dynamic of a rusher. He is 6’1′ 218 lbs. He did not run a 40 time at the combine or his pro day so his top-end speed remains somewhat of a mystery. He is similar in size to Jalen Hurts at 6’1” and 223 lbs.
Howell is getting something that most quarterbacks don’t get and that is time to sit on the bench and learn. His college tape did have some things that needed to be worked on such as a predictable and long release. He gets to learn from coach Ron Rivera who made a dual-threat QB in Cam Newton into a league MVP. Currently, Howell is behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. It seems that the Commanders are rolling with Heinicke while Wentz recovers from a broken finger. I think it’s great to see them not rush the rookie along especially if they consider him part of the future plans. After this year Heinicke will be an unrestricted free agent. he will be just shy of 30 and coming off his eight years in the league where he hasn’t been able to win the starting job despite having multiple chances. Wentz will still have two years left on his contract but there is an opt-out clause that would allow the Commanders to move on and save 26 MILLION dollars with ZERO dead cap. Wentz has played well in 2022 but hasn’t led the team to many wins. Sitting at 2-4 and the bottom of their division it’s a tough sell to keep a guy and not save 26 million. It’s debatable that Wentz even gets his job back after this finger injury. If Heinicke plays well and starts winning a game they might just stick with him. If he comes out and lays an egg they could switch to Howell and see what they have in the rookie. heading into what projects to be a good quarterback draft class the Commander’s brass will need to make some choices. There is also the looming snap percentage that if hit turns the pick they sent to the Colts into a second-rounder instead of a third.
Hold
Alec Pierce- WR, Indianapolis Colts
Rookie QB and new head coach. Can step into the WR2 role.
Michael Carter- RB, New York Jets
Breece might struggle to come back from injury. Solid draft capital.
Zamir White- RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs could hold out. Solid production. Top handcuff.
Tyrion Davis Price- RB, San Fransico 49ers
Injury history in front of him. Coach is known for rotating RBs.
David Bell- WR, Cleveland Browns
Young and passing offense should be better.
Cut
Tre’ McKitty- TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Became the blocking tight end. Too many guys in front of him.
Josiah Deguara- TE, Green Bay Packers
Team drafted two tight ends. Hasn’t produced in 3 years.
Bo Melton- WR, Green Bay Packers
Two teams in two years. Too many people ahead on the depth chart.
Connor Heyward- TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Team drafted a very athletic TE who will push him out.
Sam Ehlinger- QB, Indianapolis Colts
With Anthony Richardson in the fold, he is the odd man out.
Devin Asiasi- TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Team brought in another bigger name TE.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Brandon Sloter/ Icon Sportswire