X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Don't Let Go - Players to Hold In Dynasty

What Appears In This Article? hide

When it comes to building rosters in dynasty leagues, it is all about youth first and foremost. Not so fast! Especially if you are in a win-now situation, veterans can be a key component to a winning roster.

Some players flourish, even near the end of their careers, and while the easiest thing to do is to just dump older players, if you can find those veterans who are going to flourish, it is like mining gold. It may be difficult, but worth it for the possible riches.

Let us go forth now and look at a few players late in their NFL careers who will help you win this season and therefore should not be dumped, but instead celebrated.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Dynasty Holds

Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI) - It seems like he is at the top of any list made to talk about veteran studs and for good reason. Since moving to the slot position he has amassed three straight 100 reception seasons. While leading the NFL in receptions two of those three seasons with a plethora of different quarterbacks Fitzgerald has remained the one constant in Arizona. Playing with the likes of Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert Fitzgerald is in the conversation as the second-best wide receiver of all time.

With an entirely new quarterback group this season, whether it be the extremely accurate but oft-injured Sam Bradford or rookie Josh Rosen, he will again be counted on for massive targets. The return of David Johnson only means teams will have to account for another weapon on the offense leaving Fitzgerald free to roam the slot and possibly break off more longer plays as the box will be stacked to bottle up Johnson.

In his age-34 season in 2017, Fitzgerald went for 109 receptions for 1,156 yards and six touchdowns. With either Sam Bradford or Josh Rosen as the quarterback this season, these numbers should be a baseline of what to expect in most likely his final season. Don’t be surprised if Fitzgerald again leads the league in receptions and quite possibly receiving yardage as the Cardinals are not projected to be very good and will be passing a lot to come back in games.

LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF) - So, he is a 30-year-old running back and running backs fall off a cliff at this age. This is true sometimes, but in the case of McCoy he will still get the bulk of the running work. The Bills have nothing on offense. Whether it be Kelvin Benjamin in the receiving game or Josh Allen at quarterback, McCoy is still by far their best player. Despite his massive workload in his career in which he has rushed the ball 2,185 times, he has still been very durable playing in 133 of a possible 144 games in his nine-year career with the Eagles and Bills.

Add to his rushing ability his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and you have a running back who, even in a down year in 2017, finished as the number seven running back in fantasy. With the age depression of his ADP as well as his uncertainty for off-the-field issues, he makes a great pick up at the back end of the third round or the top part of the fourth round in startup drafts or even a solid trade value from someone looking to move on and get someone younger or a draft pick.

Lamar Miller (RB, HOU) - Not as old as you think, at 27 years old, and also not as bad as you think, finishing as RB14 in 2017, Lamar Miller is set to have a strong fantasy season in 2018. With teammate D’onta Foreman starting the season on the PUP list while still recovering from his knee injury, Miller will get the bulk of the work in Houston for a minimum of six weeks. Having Deshaun Watson back and healthy will free Miller up as the defenses will have to worry about the rushing ability of Watson as well. With weapons in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller in the passing game, the Texans offense could be very difficult to stop.

In 2017, he rushed the ball 238 times which was an average of 14.9 times per game. While he only garnered 888 yards on those carries, an average of 3.7 yards per attempt, this was behind a terrible offensive line and with lackluster quarterback play after the season-ending injury to Watson. With Foreman shelved for at least six games, Miller will see even more carries this season.

With Watson in the lineup, Lamar was a running back one for fantasy teams showing the ability of a running quarterback to help a running back excel. Much like McCoy, Miller is not a sexy name this season and he can be had for a small price in trade talks or in the fifth or even sixth round in startup drafts. This is a great spot for him to be taken and at 27 years of age, you will still have three to four productive seasons left from him after 2018.

Eli Manning (QB, NYG) - For the last player of the group let’s take a bit of a dart throw. Eli Manning is not a great quarterback. He never has been, and he will always be Archie’s son and Peyton’s brother. But he is one thing for sure - consistently durable. If it were not for Ben McAdoo and his 70’s mustache, he would not have missed a game in his entire career. In 2018, he has the best weapons he has ever had, making him a great flier play this season. With the return of Odell Beckham Jr., arguably the top wide receiver in the NFL, Manning will be like a kid at Christmas with all of his new toys. Add to the receiving mix Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram, who both stood out in the midst of a dismal 2017 and the receiving corps could be one of the best in the league.

With the selection of Saquon Barkley as the number two overall pick, the rushing game should also improve to a level not seen in New Jersey, from either team, since Tiki Barber. Not only was Saquon Barkley the consensus best running back in this draft, he was consistently ranked the best player in this draft. With his rushing ability alone, this would be a great pick but taking into account his pass-catching ability and his blocking ability, he should be a star for many years to come. This will help the entire offense and especially his quarterback.

Beckham Jr. is typically the number one overall pick in dynasty startups and Saquon Barkley is the number one overall player in rookie drafts. Perhaps Eli Manning should also be looked at as a strong rebound candidate and late-round QB, right? It only makes sense that if all of his weapons are being highly drafted, the person getting them the ball is also going to have a season worth using. If Eli doesn’t have a good 2018, neither will Beckham, Barkley and company. Not even being drafted in startup drafts, Manning can be had off the waiver wire for very little, but could pay big dividends.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Lauri Markkanen2 mins ago

Questionable Against Houston
Justin Steele7 mins ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes9 mins ago

Out Versus Pistons
Luka Doncic16 mins ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar17 mins ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Rudy Gobert24 mins ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones25 mins ago

Unavailable For Friday
Jaden Ivey44 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee46 mins ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards47 mins ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani52 mins ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson53 mins ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander56 mins ago

Doubtful For Friday Night
Bill Algeo57 mins ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley1 hour ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Quentin Grimes1 hour ago

Ruled Out Friday
Vicente Luque1 hour ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
LeBron James1 hour ago

Questionable Against Indiana
Taj Gibson1 hour ago

Out Friday Against Wizards
Anthony Davis1 hour ago

Questionable Versus Indiana
Eduardo Rodriguez2 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler2 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel2 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley2 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Dejounte Murray2 hours ago

Available Versus Boston
Xavier Tillman2 hours ago

Sr. Cleared For Thursday Night
Al Horford3 hours ago

Won't Face The Hawks
Jrue Holiday3 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Tarik Skubal3 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes3 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis4 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer5 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw5 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler5 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager5 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz5 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso5 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland6 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell6 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Duncan Robinson7 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds7 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler7 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Jordan Romano9 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole9 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz9 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon9 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco10 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad10 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov10 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto10 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin10 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard11 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins11 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist11 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear11 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
TJ Friedl24 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More