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Justin Carter profiles dynasty fantasy football assets at RB, WR, and TE for deep-league owners in the offseason. These players could be sneaky adds or pickups for 2019.
Alright, y'all. The NFL playoffs are over, and dynasty prep is in full swing. I know everyone is busy this year keeping up with the AAF in the offseason, but don't forget to take at least some time off from watching new football and think about the NFL.
To get ahead in dynasty, you have to figure out what deep stashes can help you win. Who are the guys that people aren't talking about who you can grab and get an edge with?
Below are some players who are lightly-owned right now and some reasons why they're worth a roster spot in dynasty.
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Trenton Cannon (RB, NYJ)
Cannon ran well down the stretch for the Jets, and though he never had a snap rate over 35 and will have a tough time unseating Elijah McGuire, I like his upside in PPR leagues. Cannon was targeted 25 times despite his limited snaps this season, and he could provide a good check down option for quarterback Sam Darnold.
Cannon runs a 4.45 40-yard dash and has the kind of speed to break off big plays against opposing defenses, but he'll need to improve as an actual runner. Cannon averaged just three yards per carry last season, and while he's a threat if he gets the ball out in space, he's got to get to a point where he can create yards on the ground.
The good news? Cannon's receiving skills weren't really a thing when he was in college, so the fact that New York got him so involved in the passing game so fast shows his ability to grow and adapt.
Keith Ford (RB, BUF)
LeSean McCoy's days in the NFL are nearing their end. Last season, McCoy averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per carry, and in 14 games he finished with just 514 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He added 238 receiving yards as well. His ranks among running backs in a lot of categories were...bad. 66th in true yards per carry. 56th in yards per touch. 30th in juke rate. 105th in fantasy points per opportunity.
The Bills have an interesting young quarterback in Josh Allen, whose ability as a runner changes the needs of this Bills team. They're very likely to be in the market for a top receiver option for Allen in the NFL Draft or in free agency. Realistically, they can't be comfortable rolling into next season with McCoy, and they'd only owe $2,625,000 in dead money if he were a post-June 1st cut.
Ford is the youngest running back on the Bills roster, and while Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy are both under contract next season, Ford has an extra year on his contract and the advantage of being young at a position where youth is highly valued. Ford didn't do too much last season, carrying the ball 21 times for 79 yards, but his 3.8 yards per carry were better than McCoy or Ivory.
Maybe Marcus Murphy makes more sense as a re-draft option for the Bills, but I prefer Ford in dynasty. Ford's a strong runner who ran a 4.54 40-yard dash, and while he's likely not the most versatile option, he has a chance to carve out a role beside Josh Allen.
Jake Kumerow (WR, GB)
Is 2019 the year for Kumerow, who received a lot of preseason hype last year before a shoulder injury sent him to the IR and kept him out until December.
Taking stock of the Packers receiving options outside of Davante Adams is tough, but Kumerow was on the field for 63.3 percent of Green Bay's offensive snaps in Week 16 and 83.9 percent in Week 17. If the Packers don't spend money to add another receiver and they let Randall Cobb go, the battle for snaps will be between Kumerow, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Geronimo Allison. Allison's a little older than the others, which doesn't bode too well for his future in this receiving corps, though he might have enough of Aaron Rodgers trust to go into 2019 with the number-two job.
As far as Kumerow's game, I like his physicality and his ability to produce in the red zone in college. He's yet to do much in that part of the field as a Packer, but he's got a chance to establish himself as the slot guy for Aaron Rodgers to rely on.
Justin Watson (WR, TB)
The Buccaneers receiving corps could end up looking a lot different next season. Mike Evans will still be there as he's signed through 2023, but Adam Humphries is a free agent, and DeSean Jackson is due $10 million, none of which is guaranteed if the team decides to cut him. It's almost certain they'll do that, and if Humphries leaves, the battle for that number-two receiver role would be between Chris Godwin and Watson.
The rookie was limited this year, making just one catch for five yards, but he did play 14.8 percent of Tampa's offensive snaps in Week 17. My excitement for Watson isn't about what he did/didn't do last year, though, but is about his measurables and his college metrics.
Per PlayerProfiler, Watson has some eye-opening numbers: 91st percentile catch radius, 87th percentile speed score, 87th percentile burst score, 98th percentile college dominator, and 91st percentile SPARQ-x. Watson could be a great slot receiver for the Buccaneers, and he's worth a stash.
Will Dissly (TE, SEA)
I'm a little surprised that Dissly's ownership dropped so much after he went on IR, as he was off to a pretty solid start to the year. In just four games before a knee injury ended his year, Dissly had eight catches for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dissly's 19.5 yards per catch show that he's capable of being a big play threat for the Seahawks, something that Nick Vannett didn't offer for quarterback Russell Wilson.
Dissly should provide a red zone option for Wilson, who threw 12 touchdowns last year on plays inside the 10-yard line. Back in 2017, Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham scored 16 red zone touchdowns; expecting Dissly to be Graham is too much, but we do have a track record of Wilson using tight ends in that part of the field, and if Dissly earns the starting job he'd be in line to see plenty of targets down inside the 20.
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