There are times when the interests of the redraft community and parts of the Dynasty community come into alignment. That's the case heading down the stretch for true contenders, but it's also the case when a surprising waiver wire add pops off or a former star returns from a long layoff. That's exactly what we have this week with Keaton Mitchell and Kyler Murray.
Here are five things I am watching in Week 10 from a Dynasty perspective:
Do we see glimpses of prime Kyler Murray?
I do not have high hopes for Murray in his first game back. I expect there is rust to shake off and he's never played even a preseason game in this offensive system. So I won't be downgrading him if he struggles. But I will be watching to see how comfortable he looks in the system, how much he runs, and how he distributes targets between Marquise Brown, Trey McBride, and others. Murray sits at QB11 in my most recent Dynasty Quarterback Rankings, but he has far more upside than that.
How many touches for Keaton Mitchell?
Mitchell was a revelation for the Ravens in Week 9, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. he was an explosive back in college, averaging 6.9 yards per touch, and Lamar Jackson has made virtually every running back who lined up next to him better. Mitchell is somewhere on the De'Von Achane/Jaleel McLaughlin scale and his workload will determine where. He's up to RB43 in my Dynasty Running Back rankings, but he could vault much higher if he sees double-digit touches this week.
What do C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins do for an encore?
It is a much more difficult matchup for the Texans this week as they face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. But I am beginning to think the matchup doesn't matter much. Stroud rans right behind Burrow at QB7 in my Dynasty QB rankings, but he's five years younger so it wouldn't take that much more for Stroud to overtake him. The other big question is who his WR1 is. After Week 10 I bumped Tank Dell up to WR20 in my Dynasty WR rankings, while Nico Collins sits at WR33. A little clarity in the pecking order would go a long way toward clarifying their Dynasty value.
Is there a No. 1 wide receiver in Seattle?
A different Seahawk has led the team in targets each of the past three weeks, with rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Football wide receiver leading the squad in FPPG over that stretch. DK Metcalf has not been on the same page with Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett continues to be a boom-or-bust option that is hard to predict. One of my bold predictions before the season was that JSN would be the best Seahawks receiver in the second half. If he has another week as the best receiver in the offense it won't seem so bold.
Is Javonte Williams all the way back?
Williams saw 30 touches in the Broncos last game before their bye. In Week 10 he'll face a Bills defense that has given up a ton of Fantasy points to running backs over the last six weeks. In that stretch six different running backs have scored at least 13.8 PPR Fantasy points. I expect Williams to be the seventh, and to handle the large majority of the touches for the Broncos. If I'm right, he'll be in my top-10 Dynasty running back next week.
For more Dynasty content, you can head over to SportsLine to find my complete Dynasty Trade Chart with values for both Superflex and one-QB leagues. These will be updated once a week on Wednesday nights throughout the season and are based on 12-team PPR leagues where you start two running backs, three receivers, and a tight end. The values assigned to the players factor in a combination of current year projection, age, and my perception of the player's upside and risk. There is also a factor for replacement cost at a given position. You can find the Dynasty Trade Charts here.