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RosterWatch provides dynasty football league news and updates all offseason, including a weekly look at value risers and fallers. This time, we look at WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Teddy Bridgewater, and QB Jalen Hurts.
Each week, this column provides you with movement in the RosterWatch Dynasty Rankings. We highlight players who have gained or lost value recently.
Tracking these player value trends assists dynasty players in identifying opportunities to improve their rosters, as the landscape of the market is ever-changing.
This column was written by Alan Seslowsky (@alanseslowksy) and provided to RotoBaller by our friends at RosterWatch.
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Michael Pittman Jr. (WR, IND)
Age: 23
Movement: Rising
Previous Rank WR36
Updated Rank WR22
The case to be aggressive on Michael Pittman Jr. in dynasty startups is easy to see. A player we’ve been smitten with since the 2020 Senior Bowl, the Colts prioritized Pittman, taking him with the first of their two second-round draft picks. Indianapolis drafted Pittman ahead of their star RB Jonathan Taylor with the 34th overall selection in the 2020 draft. Pittman’s size, route running, and reliable hands make him a prototypical WR1 by NFL standards. The Colts showed confidence in the WR by targeting him 10 times in the playoff loss to the Bills. T.Y. Hilton is headed into free agency and still could be back with the team, but the page has turned to Michael Pittman as the projected top pass catcher in Indianapolis.
The case to draft Pittman closer to his ADP of WR35 is the uncertainty at QB, the return of a healthy Parris Campbell, and lack of consistent production during his rookie season. Pittman’s seventh-round superflex draft cost is worth jumping in order to take the gamble on his top-12 upside. Players that have a richer ADP than Pittman currently include: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Will Fuller, and Deebo Samuel. We prefer drafting Pittman in dynasty startups over all of them.
Teddy Bridgewater (QB, CAR)
Age: 28
Movement: Falling
Previous Rank QB24
Updated Rank QB30
Teddy Bridgewater finished as the QB20 in 2020 without having Carolina’s star RB, Christian McCaffrey, for most of the season. It is reasonable to assume Bridgewater could have cracked the top-15 if he was connecting with “CMC” for 80+ passes. McCaffrey will presumably be back fully healthy in 2021 which begs the question about why Bridgewater’s ranking and ADP are plummeting. Though the QB is a virtual lock to be on the Panthers' roster in 2021, there is an out for the team in 2022. Add to that, Carolina will pick eighth in the upcoming NFL draft. Many credible mocks have Carolina taking a QB with the pick.
In terms of Superflex dynasty leagues, QBs are cheapest in the startup draft. After the draft concludes, the (trade) market value skyrockets due to limited supply. Bridgewater has a better than 50% chance to be the Week 1 starter, but he is far from a lock to be the starter in the second half of the season. Teddy Bridgewater is a player that you are better off letting someone else draft. Desperation QB options we prefer include Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston, and Cam Newton.
Jalen Hurts (QB, PHI)
Age: 22
Movement: Rising
Previous Rank QB20
Updated Rank QB15
This column featured Jalen Hurts as a “faller” almost four weeks ago. We noted that Hurts would be a player with a “dynamic ranking” due to the uncertainty at the QB position in Philadelphia. This week, Carson Wentz was finally dealt from the Eagles to the Colts, leaving Hurts as the undisputed starter in 2021.
Indianapolis Receives:
-QB Carson Wentz
Philadelphia Receives:
-2021 third-round pick
-2022 second-round pick (could turn into first-round pick)
We can debate the merits of the trade compensation but the fact that Wentz has been traded is reason enough to take a gamble on Hurts. There are still rumors that the Eagles could target a QB in the NFL Draft, but should Hurts be named the 2021 starter, his ADP could end up in round one of Superflex leagues. Hurts can still be drafted in the fifth-round of startups at the time of publication.
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