I know most fantasy football leagues have had their rookie drafts already, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to talk about dynasty stashes. Trading is important and these are great players to add to a deal for either a rebuilding team, or competing teams that may trade draft picks and upside youth for a more competitive piece. You can get one of these players thrown in a deal to make sure you still have youth in the system. Having a player going into their second year, rather than having a third or fourth round rookie pick could work out nicely. This is the first release in a two part series which will give you a full lineup of my favorite dynasty stashes of the 2021 rookies.
We will first look at the pass-catching positions. When I look for a dynasty stash, I look for players on teams with aging players, buy-out options, contracts ending, injury history at the position, and of course, the overall talent of the player. Most of these guys won’t compete this year, but these players could step into fantasy football relevance as early as next year depending on different situations playing out.
Simi Fehoko WR, Dallas Cowboys
Fehoko was the Cowboys fifth round pick out of Stanford. He is a 6’4, 224 pound WR. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and had a speed score in the 95th percentile according to PlayerProfiler. This guy moves like a small WR, but is built like a prototypical WR1.
Fehoko averaged 23.6 yards per reception (566 yards) and had six TDs his Sophomore year in nine games. In his Junior year, Fehoko had 584 yards (37 receptions) and three TDs in six games. One of the knocks on Fehoko is his age. Fehoko will be 24 before the year is up.
It was announced earlier in August that the Cowboys will not extend Michael Gallup. Cedrick Wilson is also a free-agent at the end of the year. There is also an out in Amari Cooper’s contract after this year, but would result in a dead cap hit of $6 million over the last two years of his contract. There is potential for Fehoko to work his way into the number four role this year. However, it’s next year that we could see a spike in his production if he takes over for Gallup.
Jaelon Darden WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Darden was a fourth round selection out of North Texas. He only stands at 5’8, 178 pounds, but he dominated his last year in college. He beat up on lesser competition to finish with a stat line of 74 receptions (118 targets), 1,190 yards (16.1 yards per reception), and 19 TDs in only nine games.
This is what you want to see from a prospect playing at a smaller school. Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown are both free agents after this year, and Scottie Miller the year after. Mike Evans is banged up often with his style of play, so how many years does he really have left as a top end WR?
Darden won’t do much this year unless there are multiple injuries. He should battle it out with Tyler Johnson and Miller next year for significant snaps if one or both of Godwin and Brown walk. His slight size may cause concerns. However, if he can use his speed and agility (scores in the 94th percentile) to get open at all levels of the field, he could carve out a decent role as a slot WR in the NFL.
Cornel Powell WR, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs selected Powell Powell fifth round. Nothing stands out in his player profile as a can’t miss prospect, but it’s the situation that he is in. Besides Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, pass-catchers in the Chiefs offense are always hard to predict. However, each one has had their moment in the spotlight.
Mecole Hardman a second round pick in 2019, looks to take Sammy Watkins old role opposite of Hill. Byron Pringle (27) and Demarcus Robinson (26) signed one-year deals this offseason to stay with the Chiefs. Powell could replace those two if he shows enough this year.
If Powell can show a different style of play than Hardman, who is similar to Hill, it could result in him staying on the field. Hill’s contract is up at the end of the 2022 season. Him and his agent have dug in their heels when it comes to contract negotiations.
Powell put up 832 yards (53 receptions) and seven TDs in 12 games last year with Clemson as a Senior. One downside is he is almost 24 years old. However, getting a small piece of this offense is always a good idea. Why not stash this guy for a year and see how next offseason plays out?
Brevin Jordan TE, Houston Texans
brevin Jordan ranked as the third best TE in the 2020 class by many fantasy football sites. However, he slipped in the NFL draft to the fifth round. Eight TEs went before him (yikes!). However, for fantasy football managers he couldn’t have landed in a better spot.
The Texans are lacking pass catchers and don’t have any TE under contract after this year. This team is a mess, but Brevin Jordan could see snaps this year. At worse, he could step in next year with a rookie QB. Or, he could be a security blanket for Davis Mills.
Jordan is small for a TE, but has the athleticism to make plays after the catch. Watch for him to use his athleticism to beat linebackers, and his size to mismatch against safeties. Screens and swing passes are areas he excelled with in college. This could benefit which ever young QB is playing for the Texans next season. Jordan has been an afterthought since the NFL draft. Don’t sleep on him. Add and stash him. You might have yourself a reliable TE for years to come.
At the end of the day we have no idea what these teams are going to do next offseason. It’s a good bet to be ahead of the curve rather than reacting when prices go up. These players are not costing you much in draft capital or trade value, so go bargain hunting.
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.
Good job
Nice!