Throughout each week of the season, I will highlight players who elevate their game or sink to new lows. We’ll navigate the dynasty streets and the market that coincides with it. I will analyze the games from the highlighted players of the previous week to see how they won or lost, to help you decide whether they are a League Winner or a one-week wonder.
Dynasty Darlings & Duds Week 5 Recap
After each week, I plan on recapping who I discussed during the week before, checking back to see if they continued their dominance, bounced back, or remained the same. Last week, I spoke about Ja’Marr Chase and Rhamondre Stevenson. You can find it here if you want to read the whole article.
Darling: Ja’Marr Chase, WR Cincinnati Bengals
After a week-winning fantasy performance in Week 5, Ja’Marr Chase returned to earth in Week 6. Chase had six receptions on 13 targets that he converted for 80 receiving yards. His performance wasn’t 50+ points, but it was still respectable. It seemed like a down performance for Chase, but he still finished as WR26and is currently the WR5 on the season.
The Bengals are starting to put the pieces together and seem to have more momentum going into their Bye. Let’s see if they can continue to build on two consecutive wins against a daunting matchup with the 49ers defense in Week 8.
Dud: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson managers can finally exhale in relief after a productive outing against the Raiders in Week 6. Stevenson rushed the ball 10 times for 46 yards and one touchdown. In addition to that, he was once again involved in the passing game. He converted six targets into five catches for 24 yards. His Week 6 accumulated 18 PPR points and garnered him an RB6 finish.
While this was positive, I don’t think we are out of the woods yet. In the upcoming weeks, we need the Patriots to be somewhat competitive for Rhamondre to see his usual workload. He has a tough matchup with the Bills in Week 7. One can hope he will continue to be involved in the passing game.
Dynasty Darlings & Duds from Week 6
Darling: Raheem Mostert, RB Miami Dolphins
In Week 3, I showcased Raheem Mostert‘s teammate as the Dynasty Darling of the Week. This time around, it’s Mostert’s turn. He’s gone from a cheap offseason acquisition in the dynasty to one of the more valuable and healthy running backs in fantasy leagues this season.
The Dolphins’ offense has been unstoppable thus far, and Mostert has been a big part of that. In Week 6, Mostert had 17 rushing attempts for 115 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to that, he caught all three targets for 17 yards and a touchdown.
Mostert currently sits as the RB2 this season, averaging 20.2 PPR points per game. His elite production this season is a prime example of how the scheme and his skillset perfectly align. Mike McDaniel is among the best in the NFL about getting his playmakers the ball in space.
Your weekly 'Cool Ass Plays' from Mike McDaniel
Raheem Mostert walk-in TD
Genius way to get a lead blocker on a swing pass
Next Gen Stats said this play had a 98% chance of scoring when Mostert caught it, despite being 10 yards away from the endzone pic.twitter.com/2EpulYawad
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) October 16, 2023
Mostert has been a difference-maker this season and a supreme value in redraft and dynasty leagues. Remember that Mostert already has 11 touchdowns this year, so that some regression wouldn’t surprise me. With De’Von Achane out for at least three more games and the uncertainty of when Jeff Wilson will return to the field, Mostert should continue to thrive in this offense.
If you are a rebuilding team, it would be wise to trade Mostert to a contender for a pretty penny. On the other hand, Mostert might have too large of a price tag for some contenders. If you are contending, I hope you bought throughout the offseason, because you could have gotten him for a Late 2nd or maybe even an Early 3rd in some leagues.
All that said, one saw this kind of production coming from Mostert. Seeing how he fares against a tough Eagles’ run defense on Sunday night should be exciting.
Honorable Mentions: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, Travis Etienne Jr., Stefon Diggs
Dud: Quentin Johnston, WR Los Angeles Chargers
This week’s dynasty dud was a coveted first-round rookie pick that hasn’t seemed to pan out this summer. Quentin Johnston has been disappointing to start the season, even with the projected volume bump after Mike Williams is out with a torn ACL for the remainder of the season.
The post-bye, Week 6 matchup against the Cowboys seemed like an excellent opportunity for Johnston to showcase his talents and prove why so many dynasty managers drafted him this offseason. He amassed two targets and failed to convert them into receptions, leaving you a goose egg in fantasy points if you chose to start him.
While his snap shares are increasing because of the Mike Williams injury, his yards per route run is at a measly 0.54. A few other receivers with a similar rate are Zach Pascal, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Chase Claypool. Johnston isn’t sitting with great company in that regard.
This interception is on Quentin Johnston. He was bullied by Stephon Gilmore and completely taken out of the play.
At TCU Johnston had a drop problem and never played up to his athletic profile. It’s concerning. pic.twitter.com/wyqVVxyR7X
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) October 17, 2023
We all know he was a polarizing and raw prospect coming out of TCU. Maybe the lack of production could put the Chargers to blame for misusing him. Either way, Johnston needs to take advantage of the opportunities. We need to see some progression, or it’s probably best to abandon ship. Players who faceplant in their rookie seasons rarely pan out.
As a dynasty manager, I understand moving him and just cutting your losses, but I will hold on to my shares for a few more weeks to see if anything changes. The risk I am taking is that his value will drop even further than it is currently. Let’s see if his usage changes for the better in a potential shootout in a week seven matchup against the Chiefs.
Honorable Mentions: Jahan Dotson, Cam Akers, DeAndre Hopkins, Dameon Pierce
That wraps up this week’s edition of Dynasty Duds and Darlings. Be sure to follow me on X for all other fantasy-related content. More importantly, follow The League Winners for updates and all other content throughout the fantasy season.
Joe Arledge
Writer for The League Winners Fantasy Football and Faceoff Sports Network. University of Cincinnati Alumni.