RADIO
Dynasty owners don’t play week to week, they play long term. However, dynasty owners still need to analyze different aspects of weekly matchups to determine the best time to sell or buy a player.
Make sure you don’t buy that hot rookie too soon and don’t sell the aging veteran too late. Each week, I will analyze different matchups across fantasy football with a dynasty frame of mind.
Let's take some time to see what matchups might pique the interest of dynasty league owners for Week 8 of the 2017 season. Here are some Week 13 matchup previews for dynasty league owners to monitor.
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Vikings at Falcons
Trae Waynes vs Mohamed Sanu
While most fantasy owners will be watching the dual on the other side of the field between Julio Jones and Xavier Rhodes, I am much more interested in watching one of the most underrated receivers this year in Mohamed Sanu. He will likely be lining up across from Trae Waynes, the third year corner out of Michigan State. With Jones coming off a huge Week 12 performance against Tampa Bay, I am sure the Falcons will look to limit his impact on this game.
Trae Waynes has taken some time to start making an impact for the Vikings after taking him 11th overall in the 2015 draft. Waynes only started 10 total games during his first two years in the league but has started all 11 games in 2017. His overall grade of 74.0 according to Pro Football Focus has him as the 63rd corner this season. When you take a corner at 11th overall, you hope he grades out higher than average during his third season, but since he has Rhodes across from him, he hasn’t had to perform like a number one corner because he hasn’t been facing teams number one receiver. Waynes has had the opportunity to grow due in part to teams staying away from Rhodes last year. Waynes was targeted once every 4.9 snaps in 2016, which was the sixth most in the NFL. Waynes is also a tackling machine, ranking fifth on the Vikings with 51 tackles and has eight passes defended which are both ahead of Rhodes. He will have his work cut out for him on Sunday though as he will face a WR2 in a WR1 body.
I had high hopes for Sanu during his first season for Atlanta in 2016. Like all receivers who move to new systems, it can take some time to gel with the new QB and become comfortable. Sanu has fared much better this season seeing his receptions per game increase and turning out a career high catch percentage. Sanu has never been the WR1 on his team but has the tools of one. In Atlanta, he has to fight for receptions with Jones, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman and Tyler Gabriel. This year Freeman and Coleman have been used much less in the passing game, but the switch to a new offense has affected the Falcons as a whole. The move from Kyle Shanahan to Steve Sarkisian has been felt by this offense and fantasy owners. Sanu will finish second behind Jones again in receptions but I’m not adding Sanu to be a WR1 or WR2. Sanu can make for a great WR3/Flex option with considerable upside.
What to watch for: Sanu is coming off a season high eight catch performance and has three touchdowns in his last five games. When you play in an offense with this many weapons around you, there will be plays to be made and open space to make them in. Sanu may have tough matchups this week and next while playing Minnesota and New Orleans, but will face an easy Tampa Bay offense during championship week. Sanu will be a name you want to keep an eye on this offseason. If you make a trade this offseason with a Sanu owner, try and get him as a chip in. Don’t give away the fact that Sanu could be even more comfortable, as will the whole Falcons offense, in 2018.
Buccaneers at Packers
Peyton Barber vs Packers Run Defense
Why does a Tampa Bay running back, who has had almost no impact on the field this year, make it into my matchup analysis? Well, dynasty owners should have Barber stashed someone on their team, but this may be the first time they actually get to use him. To say Tampa bay is underachieving would be an understatement. It’s time to start looking at options for the 2018 season and Barber fits that list. For the Packers, this has been a season full of injuries as well. It’s going to be a game of who is the healthiest.
Barber signed with the Bucs in 2016 as an undrafted free agent, but has been stuck behind Doug Martin and Jacquizz Rodgers. The Bucs even decided to draft Jeremy McNichols in the fifth round of the 2017 draft but he didn’t make it out of the preseason before being cut. The Bucs must believe they have something in Barber to let their draft pick walk before taking a snap in the regular season. Now Barber will have a chance to see an increased workload. Martin will be out this week after suffering a concussion in Week 12. When Martin was suspended to begin the year, Rodgers saw a bulk of the workload, but the Bucs know Rodgers is not a starting running back. It may be time to see what else they have at the position. The inconstancies of Martin continue to frustrate the organization. Only twice has Martin averaged over four yards a carry in his career. Week 12 was the first time since Martin made his debut in Week 5 that he averaged more than four yards a carry. Martin will give you a good year, then have two bad years. At 28 years old though, is Tampa Bay going to continue to give him a shot or will they walk away? Right now is the best time to figure out what is going to happen. With the Buccaneers out of the playoff picture, they are going to let Barber show if he has anything needed to be a featured back. His first test will be the Packers at Lambeau.
For as bad as the Bucs season has seemed to go, Packers fans would probably like to argue theirs has been just as bad. A close loss to Pittsburg last week isn’t what the packers would have liked, but it was an encouraging sign for a team struggling without its star. Even though Antonio Brown put together a monster game for a second straight week, the Packers were able to contain the other playmaker for the Steelers, Le’Veon Bell. The Packers limited Bell to 95 yards rushing and even though he had 12 catches, they only went for 88 yards. That stat line would be significantly more impressive if it was almost any other RB in the league, but it was Bell, so the Packers should consider that a win. The Packers were without Clay Matthews last week and still were able to keep Bell under 100 yards rushing. The Packers have done well against the run this year, ranking 11th while giving up 107.1 yards per game on the ground. This is a game they should win at home.
What to watch for: It sounds like Barber should see more time against a stout defense, but he needs to be tested. Doug Martin owners really need to keep an eye on Barber the next few weeks. If the Bucs decide Barber is the way to go, Martin owners will want to have a backup instead of spending all offseason looking for someone to replace him. Barber may have some struggles against the Packers, but workload is the key number in this one.
Browns at Chargers
Josh Gordon vs Chargers Secondary
This is a little bonus coverage this week. I don’t need to write a bunch of words about Josh Gordon, because more than likely you’ve read more than enough at this point. I still wanted to give my thoughts on him as he is one of the most intriguing players this season. We have seen him perform like one of the best receivers in the game, but it’s been a few years since that happened. The Chargers don’t provide the best matchup for a guy who hasn’t played competitively since 2014. I want to see how he holds up on the field. Is he able to stay on the field for multiple possessions and snaps, or does he head to the sideline? This matchup is very important for dynasty owners to monitor because there is a good chance you have been hanging onto him for quite some time. You can’t go overboard waiting for a WR1 performance, but I just want to see a bunch of positives in this game. I want to make sure he is still in shape and if he can still burn people.
What to watch for: Gordon is going to see targets this game. Another awful season has a chance to find some silver lining for the Browns. A good comeback performance will make Browns fans excited, the front office excited and fantasy owners excited. Look for crisp routes, determination and a good attitude from Gordon this week. If he can put those things together, he could be on his way back and into your lineup.
