The division that is won in the trenches. Is there another division in the NFL that is as wide open as the AFC North? Or one with as much star power in dynasty fantasy football leagues?
Things looked dicey for the Bengals, but they finally looked like the offense we expected last week. Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow were on fire!
The Browns took a hit when they lost Nick Chubb, but the defense can keep them in the hunt. Even if Deshaun Watson is 80% of his old self, they are going to be dangerous.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the wart that won’t go away. When you think they are down and out, they keep coming back.
Finally the Ravens, there was a lot of excitement about this new passing attack – we are still waiting!
Let’s take a look at a few players in the division you should be buying, selling or holding in dynasty fantasy football.
Dynasty Fantasy Football: Buy, Sell, & Hold – AFC North
Buy – Diontae Johnson WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Diontae Johnson’s best years came while Big Ben was winding down his career. Johnson thrived as the short target PPR machine. His best year came in 2021 when he finished as the WR9 in fantasy football, averaging 13.8 fantasy points per game. Things looked different under rookie QB Kenny Pickett last year.
Johnson finished just outside the top 36 (39th) and averaged 8.1 points per game. With Pickett he had 22 less targets, 21 less receptions, but led the Steelers in both categories. Johnson also had 20 red zone targets, which led all Steeler pass catchers last year; yet he wasn’t able to score a single TD.
Diontae had six targets prior to exiting Week 1 in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. He is expected back Week 7 after the Steelers’ bye week. Pittsburgh locked him up on a two-year contract, meaning he won’t hit free agency until he is 29 years old.
George Pickens has become a favorite of Pickett, but I expect Johnson to still work the middle of the field and demand targets upon his return. There is no way he gets shutout again in the TD department.
If you are looking for a cheap WR3 with WR 2 upside, look no further than Johnson. He is currently outside WR3 prices on KeepTradeCut and can be had for around a mid 2024 second.
Honorable Mention – Deshaun Watson QB, Cleveland Browns
Listen, if you can’t have Deshaun Watson on your dynasty fantasy football team for moral issues, I respect that. He definitely is not the QB we saw prior to his legal issues. However, he just turned 28 and has averaged 18.5 points per game. That is 11th-best among QBs this year.
Watson’s value has taken a dive, dropping down to QB17 on KTC. If he is able to get back to form, buying now will give you an advantage at the position. Even if he doesn’t, he is locked in as the starter for the Browns. He should at least be a solid QB2 in Superflex leagues.
Sell – Lamar Jackson QB, Baltimore Ravens
Don’t sell Lamar Jackson now after a poor performance against the Steelers; but it might be time to look into downgrading and finding more consistency. Everyone is chasing Jackson’s 2019 season where he finished as the overall QB1, averaging 28.1 fantasy points per game.
He hasn’t come close to that production ever since. These are his fantasy finishes since 2019:
- 2020 – QB10, 22.8 PPG
- 2021 – QB15, 21.1 PPG
- 2022 – QB14, 20.3 PPG
Lamar is currently the QB9, averaging 19.5 points per game. Anyone seeing a trend? I think teams may have figured him out. Not only that, but the injuries come at the wrong time. Jackson has missed the fantasy playoffs for each of the last two years.
Everyone got excited when Todd Monken was announced as the new offensive coordinator for the Ravens. He was supposed to help this team become more balanced. The Ravens brought in Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Yet despite the additions, Jackson has only four passing TDs and he hasn’t surpassed 240 passing yards yet. Even his rushing totals are down! He has one game over 100 yards and one other over 50 (54).
There is no denying Lamar’s potential, but are things going to get better?
Cam Newton had a QB2 finish at the age of 28, then was the QB11 at 29. Newton’s final fantasy-relevant season came at age 31 in 2020. He finished as the QB16, while only throwing for 8 TD, but rushing for another 12.
Look to downgrade Jackson in your dynasty fantasy football leagues. Pivot to Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Brock Purdy, or Kyler Murray. If you can still get CJ Stroud straight up (worth a shot) I would consider it. Fields and Murray are the only ones from that group that are a little iffy, but really they offer the same upside at a reduced cost.
You could go lower and go target the Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and Deshaun Watson tier. They might not bring as much excitement, but are more consistent with potential longevity Plus you’re likely to get pieces to help your lineup somewhere else.
Honorable Mention – Jerome Ford RB, Cleveland Browns
Jerome Ford has done well since taking over for Nick Chubb. However, he is only averaging 3.72 yards per carry. The Browns brought back Kareem Hunt, which is a bit concerning for the remainder of the year. Hunt knows the offense and could take passing and goal line work away from Ford. The Browns used him in that role with Chubb around; it could happen to Ford as well coming off the bye.
Nick Chubb got wonderful news about his knee and could be back to start next year. If you aren’t contending, now is the time to sell Ford. I don’t know if he is the long term answer for the Browns.
Hold – Tee Higgins WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Three top 30 finishes to start a career is a pretty decent for the former second round pick. Tee Higgins‘ last two years playing alongside Ja’Marr Chase has led to back-to-back top 24 finishes. However, Higgins’ dynasty price reached an all time high during the 2022 offseason. He climbed as high as the WR5 in dynasty rankings. This offseason he hovered around WR10.
It has been a disappointing start for Higgins – for all Bengal players, really. He put up a goose egg Week 1, despite seeing 8 targets. Week 2 saw him bounce-back with two touchdowns against the Ravens in a game where he was targeted 12 times. Week 3 brought disappointment yet again, catching 2 passes on 8 targets for 21 yards. Then came his injury in Week 4. He fractured a rib, but it sounds like he plans to play through the injury.
At this point, you have to hold. Higgins is a free agent at the end of the year. A lot of his value at his peak was because of his link to Joe Burrow, not because of his production. I expect him to continue to hover around the WR 10-20 range. It will be interesting to see which teams are willing to pay up for him – or will the Bengals bring him back? Will he get a chance to be an alpha? Hold Higgins, don’t panic sell! He is young enough to keep around for a rebuild and should bounce back to help competing teams.
Honorable Mention – Najee Harris, RB – Pittsburgh Steelers
You likely spent a high draft pick on Najee Harris. It’s rough for Harris right now, only averaging 6.2 fantasy points per game. Jaylen Warren is outplaying him in both real life and fantasy football. Selling now will feel gross, but he’s a tough buy. He’s locked in to another year with the Steelers, possibly two if they pick up his fifth-year option. I’d hold and hope for a new offensive coordinator, hopefully as soon as possible.
Stash – Cedric Tillman WR, Cleveland Browns
The rookie WR has been a healthy scratch for most of the year. Cedric Tillman saw his first action in Week 4 where he caught one pass on three targets for five yards. The Browns have struggled this year offensively and a shake up could include getting Tillman more involved after the bye week. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a free agent after this year and Amari Cooper is a potential trade candidate if the Browns aren’t in the playoff race. Tillman is the perfect guy to stash away and see what happens next year.
It will be interesting to see what happens to these players in dynasty fantasy football leagues as the season progresses. Can the Ravens become the passing team that many expected when Todd Monken took over? If that happens, can former first round pick Rashod Bateman start producing?
As for the Bengals, Joe Mixon was given a nice contract. He’s getting all the work, but hasn’t been a difference maker in fantasy yet. It might be time to sell.
There are many out there saying Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer for the Steelers, but if they keep winning he’s going to be the guy.
The last thing I want to say is I believe I can speak for all football fans when saying we hope that we can see a full recovery from Nick Chubb and let him retire on his own terms! Good luck in your Week 6 matches!
Sheldon Hand
Sheldon Hand is an elementary school teacher. He started writing in 2019, and started working with The League Winners in 2021. He has been playing fantasy football for fifteen years, got into dynasty seven years ago and have become a bit obsessed.