AFC East Best Values

By Tim Lazenby

It’s official. April is one of the strangest months as a dynasty fantasy football fan. It’s been long enough after the season to have done tons of start ups and mock drafts, but we’re still a long way away from the NFL Entry Draft. So even though we’ve done tons of drafts, made many moves and performed our best tricks to improve our squads, we’re at the point where many are pretty much done. Here’s the rub: if you’re done now, you’re sleeping on primetime to make moves. With so many managers in neutral gear, now’s the time to rev it up. Every team offers values for your fantasy squad and the AFC East is no different. Here are the best values in the AFC East in dynasty.

Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver - Jamison Crowder

It’s no secret that the Buffalo Bills are the team to beat in this division. Boasting the best quarterback in the league for many doesn’t hurt. Add in a deep receiving core, throw in an underrated running game and sprinkle in a dominant defense that keeps the Bills offense on the field, everyone should want a piece of this team in fantasy. Everyone knows Stefon Diggs is good and it’s common news that Gabriel Davis is the “breakout” on so many lists right now, but there’s a name that not many are even talking about. I didn’t even notice that Jamison Crowder had signed with the Bills at the time, but you should take notice.

Jamison Crowder isn’t the most exciting name in fantasy, but if he was ever on your squad while healthy, you know exactly what he brings to the table. It is true that he has struggled with injuries, but the talent is fantastic when he’s on the field. Truthfully, Crowder has never been able to benefit from elite quarterback play up until now. Despite receiving catches from subpar talent, he’s performed extremely well in the slot. And now that he’s with one of the best, he’ll shine even more. You can argue that the slot receiver is undersized, but he’s bigger and younger than Cole Beasley. Beasley, also a slot receiver, is now gone; vacating his plus 100 targets every season with Josh Allen. It’s time for Crowder to feast, and he’ll cost you pennies on the dollar.

New England Patriots: Wide Receiver - Jakobi Meyers

Bill Belichick is a genius, that much can’t be debated. His mind is just different from anyone else in the game and his resume is proof of it. Even though I question his moves sometimes, because I’m just a schlub, he clearly knows more than me. I wondered why certain players just couldn’t stick or highly drafted talents weren’t given more opportunity, but if it’s my mind versus Bill’s, I have to concede defeat. It’s for this reason that I continue to buy Jakobi Meyers everywhere I can, as Belichick trusts him on the field. Some of you may argue that Meyers was a bad buy before Davante Parker came to the Patriots and Meyers should be avoided even more now. But to that I say, the timing is even better.

Jakobi Meyers is never a name that instills excitement in the fantasy community. But there is one main reason that he excites me. Despite playing for a rookie quarterback who took time to learn and grow, Meyers was very consistent. And while he lacked the touchdowns last season, I have faith this statistic will improve. We’re also forgetting that Davante Parker, while extremely talented, is incredibly inconsistent. While this is largely due to injury, I’d rather have a steady player like Meyers. While others are pawing at the “discount” in Parker, make sure you get the real discount in Jakobi Meyers.

Miami Dolphins: Quarterback - Tua Tagovailoa

Amid all the controversy and excitement of this offseason, some names are getting a lot of press. Real life scandals and big trades have taken the forefront, so it’s even harder to focus on what makes our fantasy squads better. The Miami Dolphins are a team that I thought would contend last season. And while I looked very foolish early on, as the season drew to a close, I was looking more intelligent. There were many players to take the blame for Miami’s losses last year, but I don’t think anyone blamed Tua Tagovailoa more than any other player on the Dolphins.

“So if he’s so terrible, why are you suggesting him as a player to acquire?”, asks the eager reader. We have to remember that we are looking for values in this article. If I were looking for a top tier starter, Tua wouldn’t be on this list, but as a discount QB2, he’s right at the top. If Jaylen Waddle is so good, we have to place a value on Tua. Miami has made many supporting moves this off season to give Tua his best chance at success. And, the biggest reason of all, the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill. These moves should have made owner’s salivate at the chance to roster him, but in the backs of most people’s minds, they’ll still say, “but it’s Tua”. Don’t be one of those fools who can’t see the sure progression of the guy Miami took instead of Justin Herbert. They’re invested and you’d be foolish to not invest at this price.

New York Jets: Running Back - Michael Carter

There are a lot of things that come to mind when you think of the New York Jets. The real life fans have been through the fire with this franchise. It must be truly maddening watching such highly touted prospects flop or leave your team in the basement. But make no mistake, there is still treasure to be dug up on the Jets squad. The most valuable Jets player is one of two in most people’s eyes. One being wide receiver Elijah Moore and the other being running back, Michael Carter. It’s funny in a way, because I see Moore as overpriced in drafts, while Michael Carter is not. And even though he’s not “cheap”, he offers the best value on this team.

2021 was in many ways a terrible year for Michael Carter. The Jets were, once again, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Carter also spent a large portion of his rookie season on the mend. But while others might see him as an injury risk playing on a horrible team, see him for the talent that he is. The path for Carter to succeed is clear. He’s young, has no true competition and is one of the only talented options to lean on. Finding a starting running back for a discount is not easy, so it’s essential to take advantage when you can. There are hurdles for sure, but Michael Carter is not one who is being held with tight fists by many managers. This opens the door for you to make an attempt at gaining Michael Carter for way cheaper than he should be.

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Tim Lazenby

Tim Lazenby just joined Dynasty Pros, after writing for a few years elsewhere, and is passionate about all things fantasy football. Tim has been playing fantasy sports for over twenty years now and takes his love of the game to every article he writes. Although he’s played a variety of fantasy football, he is especially in love with dynasty football. If you ask him for advice, whether you’re just joining or you’ve been playing for years, he wants nothing more than to help you succeed, than to keep that fantasy gold to himself. A lover of the game and ultimate competitor, Tim is just trying to spread the good news of fantasy football to all.

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New York Jets Post-Draft Fantasy Analysis

The New York Jets are rebooting their franchise entering the 2021 NFL season, with a new coaching staff and franchise quarterback. They spent their first four picks in the 2021 NFL draft on offensive players, including when they traded up nine spots in the first round to select USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. While there are question marks for sure, there is plenty of dynasty fantasy upside in the Jets’ 2021 draft class.

With the second overall pick in the draft, the Jets took BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. For months, Ohio State’s Justin Fields was the consensus QB2 of the draft class, but then Wilson climbed the Jets’ draft board until it was a near certainty he was the pick weeks before the draft.

There is plenty to like about Wilson. He has elite arm talent and good athleticism that will provide a solid rushing floor for fantasy. He is a good playmaker, improvising and making off-platform plays with regularity. Wilson has also been provided with some decent weapons at wide receiver in 2020 rookie Dezel Mims, free agent addition Corey Davis, and 2021 second round pick Elijah Moore. Should he need to check down to a running back, fellow 2021 rookie Michael Carter is capable of catching passes. With Vera-Tucker and Makhai Becton leading the offensive line, there is hope its play can improve in 2021. Finally, the Jets should be playing from behind a lot, giving Wilson plenty of passing opportunities and “garbage time” production potential.

Like any prospect, there are some things to worry about with Wilson. He has been known to have “happy feet” in the pocket and looks to scramble too quickly at times. WIth that propensity to run, he takes some big hits unnecessarily. There is some concern he will bail on plays and look to run, especially early in his career, and, while that can provide some rushing stats, it will impede his passing production and lead to those frequent big hits. Additionally, the Jets’ running game may not be very productive, limiting the offense’s overall efficiency and inviting defenses to look pass and handcuff Wilson. Finally, there is concern Wilson was a one-year wonder against bad competition in college and will have a steep learning curve in the NFL.

Wilson has been given the keys to the franchise and will look to make good on his high draft capital. If things break right, he can be a very productive quarterback in real life and in fantasy. If things do not break right, Wilson has the potential to be the biggest bust of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round. In superflex rookie drafts, it is not uncommon to see four quarterbacks taken with the first four picks, with Wilson being the last, and he also has slid to the mid-first round as well. Given the positional scarcity at quarterback, that type of draft position is probably justified, but he is far from a sure thing.

The Jets selected Mississippi wide receiver Elijah Moore with the second pick in the second round, 34th overall. Moore has very good speed (4.35 pro day 40-yard dash time) and burst, runs his routes well, and has very good hands. He amassed 1193 yards in only 8 games against elite SEC competition in 2020 and ended with a breakout age of 19.2. Moore rose up analysts’ rankings as the draft grew closer, and the Jets spent high draft capital on him.

Moore will probably have to run a wider variety of routes to excel in the NFL, and his smaller size (5’9”, 180 lbs.) is not ideal. Moore profiles as a good slot receiver complement to a WR1, but Davis has not yet proven he can be that. Moore also has slot competition as long as Jamison Crowder is still on the roster.

A typical superflex dynasty rookie draft sees Moore taken in the early second round, often ahead of Rondale Moore, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Kadarius Toney. He likely has a wide range of outcomes given the uncertainty at quarterback and lack of a true alpha on board to grab defenses’ attention more. However, as noted above, the Jets will likely be passing a lot as they play from behind often, and Moore will be a beneficiary of that situation. It is best to be cautiously optimistic about a rookie WR in Moore’s real life and fantasy draft range, but he has a good ceiling moving forward.

The Jets’ 2020 running game featured Le'Veon Bell (before he was released), Frank Gore, La’Mical Perine, Josh Adams, and Ty Johnson. So obviously there was room for improvement entering the 2021 draft. While Johnson and Perine are likely holdovers, the team added free agent Tevin Coleman and drafted UNC’s Michael Carter early in the fourth round (107th overall). Carter has good burst and elusiveness, and produced well in college despite splitting the backfield with fellow 2021 rookie Javonte Williams. The Shanahan-like system likely to be employed in New York fits Carter’s skill set well, and with Coleman as his top competition for touches, he is not impeded by an elite workhorse or bell-cow back.

Carter never had more than 25 receptions in a season in college and does not have the best hands. He also is not the best pass blocker. If he wants to see the field with consistency in the NFL, he will need to improve in those areas. That said, Coleman is not a renowned pass catching back, so the path to playing time is there if he can hone his skills.

The mid-second round of superflex rookie drafts is where Carter seems to be going, sometimes ahead of other prospects with higher real life draft capital, likely due at least in part to the lack of options at running back after the big three of Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, and UNC teammate Javonte Williams. Carter was RB4 in many analysts’ pre-draft rankings and he is going in the top five in rookie drafts, so not much has changed. For 2021, Carter could contribute more as the season wears on, and he has a shot at being the lead back for the Jets further down the road. What the lead back in a Jets offense means, though, remains to be seen.

The Jets also added UDFA tight end Kenny Yeboah after the draft. He has pretty good size and produced fairly well in only eight games at Mississippi in 2020. He could compete with Chris Herndon for playing time, and can be had in the fourth or fifth round of rookie drafts, or even in post-draft waivers.

The Jets are remaking their team and selected a potential franchise quarterback in Zach Wilson and a couple of weapons to put at his disposal. They also improved the offensive line in the draft and added a few free agents on offense. Wilson likely has a better supporting cast and coaching staff than Sam Darnold ever had, but much uncertainty surrounds the Jets’ real life and fantasy outlook. Prospects like Moore and Carter have a path to relevance, but neither is an elite prospect at their position and their fortunes are linked to Wilson’s learning curve at quarterback. Dynasty managers can be cautiously optimistic about Wilson, Moore, and Carter, but should not be banking on anything great, especially early on.

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