Navigating the most valuable dynasty asset of each team.
Though obviously talent is an important aspect as well, the name of the game when it comes to fantasy football is value. From established veteran studs to young franchise cornerstones, this is each NFL team’s most valuable dynasty asset for fantasy football purposes.
Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray
We are witnessing a shift in the paradigm when it comes to fantasy football, and the 23-year-old Murray is leading the wave of dual-threat QBs that have become must-haves for any competing roster. In just his second NFL season, the reigning Rookie of the Year accounted for nearly 5,000 total yards (including 819 rushing yards) to go along with 37 total TDs (11 rushing scores). Murray, with some help from his best friend DeAndre Hopkins, finished this year as the overall QB6, and there’s a very good chance we haven’t seen his ceiling yet. Murray offers as much upside as any player in fantasy football, and is as good as gold in superflex leagues.
Atlanta Falcons
Calvin Ridley
When Atlanta drafted Ridley in the first round of the 2018 draft, they were clear in their intent of having the rookie learn from the legend (and fellow #BamaBoy) Julio Jones. After a true breakout third season, highlighted by a league-leading 2,063 air yards, and Jones’ days in Atlanta numbered, Ridley suddenly finds himself primed as the unquestioned WR1 in Atlanta. Even with Jones in the lineup this year, Ridley demanded 143 targets (7th-most), 1,374 receiving yards (4th-most), and 9 total TDs. With arguably an even greater target share potentially in his future, Ridley has firmly entrenched himself in the WR1 conversation, and has a strong case to be inside the top-five.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson
You’d be hard-pressed to find a player more scrutinized than Jackson, but it is impossible to ignore the unique skill set the reigning MVP possesses. A year after Jackson went nuclear en route to taking home the hardware, the 24-year-old’s numbers did drop off slightly (which is to be expected), but he still finished as the overall QB7 in fantasy football.
Jackson admittedly did not make as much progress many would have liked as a passer, but this is partly due to Baltimore embracing their run-first philosophy. Despite Baltimore ranking last in the league with just 27.4 pass plays per game, Jackson still ranked 4th among all QBs in air yards per attempt (8.6), 7th in total QBR (73.9), and 10th in red zone completion percentage (68.3%).
Jackson’s ability to make plays with his legs is unmatched by nearly any other QB in the league, and if he is able to continue developing as a passer (and if Baltimore brings him a true #1 receiver) we may still not have seen the best of him.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen
Simply put, Josh Allen is an ogre playing football. Even though Lamar Jackson already has an MVP, there is still a strong case that Allen is the best QB to come out of the 2018 draft class. We all knew about the rocket arm and his gunslinger mentality, but not many expected Allen to show such a stable and consistent rushing floor.
Sure, he slung it around a little this year (he threw for a Bills record 37 passing TDs) but Allen also completed over 75% of his passes (including 78.6% with a clean pocket) and showed some real growth in reading defenses and going through his progressions. This can be attributed partly to his phenomenal footwork, as well as Buffalo’s commitment to building the offense around Allen’s strengths and letting him loose.
Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are as lethal as any duo in football not named Mahomes and Hill, and the offense is tailor-made to support this connection. Even better has been Allen’s emergence a Buffalo’s de facto goal line back, punching in an additional 8 TDs on the ground (trailing only Murray and Jackson). Allen is one of the most valuable fantasy football QB options, whether it be redraft or dynasty, and Buffalo has found their franchise cornerstone for the forfuture.
Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey
After playing in only 3 games this year, some fantasy owners may have forgotten how dominant CMC is when he’s on the field. In those 3 games, CMC had 80 touches, and averaged 30.0 fantasy points per game. While other backs had monster seasons, when CMC is on the field he is a fantasy machine the likes of which we have not seen in a long time. Carolina has shown they are committed to running their entire offense through their newly-paid back, and simply feeds him touches at will. He should be the first running back off the board in just about any fantasy draft.
Chicago Bears
David Montgomery
It was the tale of two seasons for Montgomery in 2020, as the second year back was largely ineffective through the first ten weeks of the season. After Chicago’s bye week, however, Montgomery flipped a switch and turned into a monster. He finished as the RB4 overall, rushing for 1,070 yards (5th), gaining 1,508 total yards (4th), and scoring 10 total TDs. His 315 total touches were 7th-most among all players regardless of position, cementing Montgomery as a true workhorse back. Assuming Chicago brings back both HC Matt Nagy and QB Mitchell Trubisky (which they have said they are hoping to), we can expect a similar workload for Montgomery, even with the return of Tarik Cohen. Expect Montgomery to creep up into the first round of redraft/startup leagues this summer.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow/Tee Higgins
When Cincinnati drafted Burrow first overall last year, their next move was to give him a field-stretching playmaker he could grow with. With AJ Green rapidly approaching the end of his illustrious career, it was Higgins (and his nearly identical draft profile to Green) who was brought in to usurp Green. Burrow looked the part of a franchise cornerstone pretty much out of the gate and all the way until his injury in Week 11.
Higgins, however, developed much quicker than expected, and was already returning solid WR2 value mere weeks into his NFL career. With Green highly unlikely to return to Cincinnati, and only Tyler Boyd left to compete with for targets, expect Burrow and his favorite target Higgins to form one of the best young duos in fantasy for the next few years. Things may be finally starting to turn around in Cindy, and the talented young tandem are major reasons why.
Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt
There are only three things that are certain in this world: death, taxes, and Kevin Stefanski running the damn ball. In his first season as the HC in Cleveland, after a very successful stint in Minnesota, Stefanski brought his run-heavy offense to the Browns and it seems to be a perfect fit.
With a loaded backfield featuring two legit studs in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, Stefanski put the ball in his two best playmakers’ hands enough for both backs to warrant RB1 status. Despite missing five games this year, Chubb has again topped 1,000 yards to go along with a career-high 11 TDs, culminating in his second Pro Bowl nod in his three-year career.
Hunt is no second fiddle, with over 1,100 total yards and 11 total TDs, finishing as the overall RB8 this season for fantasy. These backs’ play-styles complement each other perfectly, and Cleveland has found success featuring the duo as the focal point of their offense. It is not often that a team can support two fantasy relevant running backs in the same offense, but these two backs and this offense is a match made in heaven.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott
Prior to the brutal injury he suffered in Week 5, Prescott was among the best fantasy QBs in one of the most explosive offenses in football. The trainwreck that the Cowboys’ season became after that is a testament to how important Prescott is to making that engine run, and how much he elevates their offense as a whole. With a crazy loaded receiver group, and an aging Ezekiel Elliot, Prescott was already having to throw them back into games this year, and there’s no reason to expect that trend to stop next year.
Dak is going to be throwing at a Jameis-level rate (minus the comedic value Jameis provides), and is going to throw himself right back among the top five QB options for fantasy football. He’s a prime buy-low candidate for any owners scared off by the injury, and he will have no shortage of weapons to work with.
Denver Broncos
Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy could still be the best receiver from this rookie class. He came into the league as polished a prospect as we’ve seen. When he didn’t produce like some of the other rookies in his class, he was written off as a disappointment. Fantasy managers need to keep in mind that what we saw this year among rookie receivers was an anomaly, and far from any sort of trend we can expect to continue. The fact that Jeudy saw over 100 targets and topped 800 yards as a rookie (with among the worst QB play in the league) is a very promising sign.
The return of big-bodied Courtland Sutton should only further open up space for Jeudy to operate. Depending on if Denver brings in a competent QB, Jeudy could improve the most in year two out of all this year’s rookie receivers. He’s near the top of my offseason trade targets, and is a sneaky redraft value pick in rounds 4-6.
Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift
D’Andre Swift will be the focal point of the Detroit offense in 2021. With a massive overhaul in coaching and front office personnel, Swift could end up being one of the few returners, as well as their best playmaker in year two. After a slow start to the season, Swift owners who stayed patient (I will take my victory lap here) were rewarded handsomely as Swift morphed into a legit RB1 right before our very eyes. He finished his rookie year with nearly 1,000 total yards despite battling for carries most of the year with Adrian Peterson and Kerryonn Johnson (seriously).
Now that Matt Patricia is gone and Swift has established himself as the clear-cut leader in the Detroit backfield, expect the Lions to find creative ways to get the ball in Swift’s hands and let him break games open like he has shown he can. Swift could easily see over 100 targets next season, and should return high-end RB1 value.
Green Bay Packers
Davante Adams
It may be the Aaron Rodgers show up in Green Bay, but Davante Adams is an alien sent here solely to break opposing defenses. He was the best fantasy receiver, arguably the best fantasy player, this season, turning in one of the best fantasy performances we have ever seen. In just 14 games, Adams turned in a ridiculous 115/1,374/18 line (on 149 targets) en route to the best fantasy points per game season (25.6) of all-time. He led the league in red zone targets (27), target rate (34.1%), and posted an absurd 587 YAC. Adams is an absolute monster, and it’s difficult to argue there is a receiver in the game better than him. He is a lock to go in the first round of redraft leagues, and it would take a massive haul to move him in dynasty.
Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson (for now)
Deshaun Watson is on an island. He is without question one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, despite being in one of the worst situations. The 24-year-old just led the league in passing yards (4,801) and accounted for 33 total TDs himself, with a supporting cast of Will Fuller (before the speedster was busted for PED use), Brandin Cooks (who quietly turned in yet another 1,000 yard campaign), and David Johnson (who looked every bit his age of 29).
After finally getting rid of the alarmingly incompetent Bill O’Brien, the Texans have somehow handled their superstar QB with even less care; freezing him out of their process of finding their new GM despite Watson publicly stating he would like to have some input. Still searching for a head coach, and now with an increasingly disgruntled superstar, Houston finds themselves at a crossroad that could decide the franchise’s fate for the foreseeable future. If Houston is able to keep Watson happy, they may opt to bring him a shiny new toy via free agency (such as Allen Robinson). Watson is one of the bright young stars in the NFL, and any team he is on he instantly becomes the most valuable dynasty asset. He is locked in as a top-five dynasty QB.
Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor
Many had Taylor pegged as the best back in this year’s draft, and after a rookie season that saw the 22-year-old account for nearly 1,500 total yards (including 1,169 rushing yards, 3rd-most in the league) on 232 carries, that is looking to be the case.
Running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, Taylor showed the vision and elusiveness that allowed him to dominate games at times this year. The Colts showed they trusted Taylor to carry their run game, especially down the stretch this season (he averaged 140 yards per game the last four weeks of the regular season), and he is expected to take on an ever larger workload in year two.
The potential return of Marlon Mack, as well as Taylor’s surprising lack of involvement in the passing game, are potential roadblocks, but there is a very clear path for Taylor to emerge as one of the five best fantasy football backs next season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence
This is obviously depending on if Jacksonville drafts Lawrence first overall this year, but at this point it seems like a forgone conclusion. The general consensus on Lawrence as a prospect so far has been that he is as can’t-miss as they come, and would be walking into a pretty solid situation in Jacksonville. James Robinson is fresh off the best season ever for an undrafted rookie, and they have weapons like DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr. that will provide Lawrence reliable targets to work with. New HC Urban Meyer has a history of developing young QBs, and if he does go with Lawrence, the can’t-miss prospect could vault himself into the league’s best sooner than some may think.
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II
I mean what more needs to be said? He’s a cyborg that is redefining the way the quarterback position is played, and he’s still only 25. It’s Mahomes’ world, and we’re just living in it.
Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs
Jon Gruden loves utilizing his running back, and Jacobs is a perfect fit in the Raiders offense. The second-year pro out of Alabama handled 318 total touches (including 65 red zone touches) this season, and showed he is capable of handling a heavy workload over the course of a season. Even with an intriguing young wide receiver corps of Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, Jacobs remains the top playmaking option in Las Vegas and has proven to be more than capable both on the ground and as a receiver. He also has a nose for the end zone, with his 12 total TDs ranking 4-th-highest among all qualified RBs. Still just 22 years old, Jacobs is a rock solid RB1 option with even more room to grow as a receiver.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert
The Chargers may have found their franchise quarterback, and they have their own trainer to thank. After getting thrown into the fire in a spot-start against the Chiefs in Week 2 due to the Chargers team doctor puncturing the lung of starting QB Tyrod Taylor minutes before the game, Herbert seized the job and never looked back.
The rookie threw for nearly 4,500 yards and accounted for 36 total TDs. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Chargers organization, but they seem to have found their guy at quarterback, and they have no shortage of weapons in place around him. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler are all explosive playmakers, and Herbert has shown he can get them the ball seemingly at will. This offense could be one of the best when it comes to fantasy, but it’s a shame Herbert will likely never be the best QB in his own division.
Los Angeles Rams
Cam Akers
Arguably the correct answer here is Sean McVay, but the mastermind himself may have struck gold with Akers. Drafted out of Florida State, Akers was lauded coming into the league for his home-run ability, as well as his elusiveness in space.
After a relatively slow start to his rookie season to go along with some injuries, Akers came on strong to close out the year and took full control of the Rams backfield. With a year of NFL experience under his belt, and a year to get acclimated to the Rams playbook, expect Akers to take a big jump in year two. He is currently a top-12 running back for dynasty, and could turn into a major value if McVay opts to use him as their receiving back as well.
Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins find themselves in a unique spot with a very promising foundation and culture, but questions remain about their young quarterback. Tua is a uniquely talented player but he has yet to truly show the accuracy or willingness to let it fly that he showed at Alabama. Tua has only played in ten NFL games so far without a full preseason or training camp, so the jury is still out on just how much more Tua can improve in the NFL. He is the ultimate wildcard, and a worthy risk for any QB-needy managers. Miami could be building something special, and it all starts and ends with Tua.
Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook
You can break out all the advanced metrics and hot takes you want, but you simply can’t name three NFL running backs better than Dalvin Cook. The do-it-all back is the focal point of the Vikings offense, and it seems no other team has an answer for Cook. The 25-year-old was on his way to eclipsing 2,000 total yards on the season before having to miss the Vikings’ Week 17 game for personal reasons. His 1,557 rushing yards trailed only Derrick Henry, and his 17 total TDs were more than any running back who didn’t score six times on Christmas Day.
New England Patriots
Damien Harris
No offense to Damien Harris, but how bleak are things looking in New England? With Cam Newton not expected to be retained and not a lot of proven talent at wide receiver, there is promise. It is Harris who is currently the best bet to return value for fantasy football managers.
In just ten games, Harris rushed for 691 yards, sporting a healthy 4.8 true yards per carry. With Sony Michel battling injuries, Harris’ ability to simply stay on the field has allowed him to establish himself as New England’s primary ball carrier in a run-heavy offense. Obviously this could change depending on what offseason moves the Patriots does, because it is not a good sign if Damien Harris is the most promising player on your offense. Expect New England to be aggressive this summer in free agency.
New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara
Similar to Dalvin Cook, it is just not possible to list three better running backs, let alone gifted receivers, as Kamara. The fourth-year pro carried the Saints offense this year, handling 187 carries and 107 targets. Arguably the most lethal weapon on an NFL football field today, Kamara has an ability to make people miss and reach a second gear that other players just don’t have. He has a case for the top overall dynasty player, and the Saints’ creative and smart touches they give Kamara in so, rather than running him into a wall over and over again, should extend his career longer than other running backs around his age.
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley
When he is on the field Barkley has shown he is among the most talented athletes in the league today, regardless of position. The only problem has been staying on the field. After a rookie season that saw the uber-talented Barkley gain 2,000 total yards and 15 TDs, the 23-year-old has struggled to stay on the field in each of the past two seasons. After suffering a torn ACL this year Barkley’s stock is as low as it has ever been, yet he remains a lock to be taken among the top ten picks of any startup draft.
From the development of Daniel Jones, to the growth of Evan Engram, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard, the Giants offense is quietly building something, and Barkley is the cog that makes everything run. Assuming he is able to recover fully from his injury, Barkley has every chance to return to his elite production level and could carry managers to a title if they have stayed patient with him.
New York Jets
Denzel Mims
The Jets don’t have an abundance of playmakers on offense at the moment, but they do have a rangy young wideout in Mims. The rookie out of Baylor showed that when he is on the field he is able to operate as a team’s first option in the receiving game; displaying a complete skill set out of the gate. His ability to take the top off of defenses as well as go underneath and make tough contested catches, is a very promising sign of things to come, Depending who is under center next year fo the Jets, Mims could be in line for a high volume of targets and could vault himself into the WR2 conversation. He is a sneaky dart throw for dynasty and a solid late-round flyer for redraft.
Philadelphia Eagles
Miles Sanders
While there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding who will be under center, one thing that’s for sure is Sanders will still be in the backfield. The Eagles finally deciding to make him a focal point of the offense, however, remains to be seen. Sanders is a very talented back, both on the ground and in the passing game, but Pederson’s insistence to not utilize Sanders has driven fantasy football managers crazy.
Sanders managers, and Eagles fans alike can only hope that the firing of Pederson means a change in the Eagles’ offensive philosophy; which would lead to more touches for their young running back. Managers who have stayed patient with Sanders this far might as well hold on for one last offseason and hope he finally has the true breakout that’s he has been teasing at for so long.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Diontae Johnson
With Big Ben’s future with the team clouded with uncertainty and the impending free agency of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson is suddenly the longest-tenured receiver in Pittsburgh. Assuming JuJu does leave, Johnson would have only Chase Claypool left to compete with for targets.
Claypool had a fantastic rookie season, highlighted by 11 total TDs, but the way many of those scores came would be difficult to replicate without a slot receiver like JuJu keeping defenses honest and forcing them into man coverage against all of Pittsburgh’s receivers.
Johnson has shown tremendous improvement in each of his pro seasons seeing a team-high 144 targets this year. His route-running has taken a drastic step forward, as has his ability to go get the ball at its highest point. If JuJu does indeed walk, and assuming Ben does return, Johnson could again be in line for a massive target share from one of the most pass-happy quarterbacks in the league.
San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle
Kittle is the best TE in the NFL not named Kelce, and frankly it isn’t particularly close. Factor in Kittle’s age, and he has a case as the overall TE1 for dynasty. San Fransisco’s reliance upon their TE in the receiving game bodes well for Kittle, who is among the most difficult matchups in football. When Kyle Shanahan’s offense gets rolling everything works through Kittle, both as a receiver and a blocker.
He is one of a very few TEs that offer true week-winning upside. He missed some games this year due to injury, but a healthy Kittle offers legit WR1 production at the TE position, which is basically a cheat code for fantasy football.
Seattle Seahawks
DK Metcalf
It’s only fitting that the leap Metcalf took this year is as massive as his 6’4” 230-pound frame. We knew Metcalf was a physical freak, but after an offseason dedicated to working on his chemistry with Russell Wilson and honing the craft of the receiver position, Metcalf has turned into one of the most dominant forces in football.
In just his second year, and despite Wilson’s second half struggles, Metcalf has turned in a monster 80/1282/10 line on a whopping 120 targets through 15 games. From his iconic chase down tackle of Cardinals safety Buddha Baker to his countless highlight reel plays on offense, DK Metcalf is one of the biggest matchup nightmares in the game today, and he is still just 22 years old. That aforementioned leap has been big enough to catapult Metcalf into the conversation as the overall WR1 for dynasty, and you won’t find any arguments here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin
The Bucs this season were an embarrassment of riches. They brought in Tom Brady, and they paired him with arguably the best group of receivers in recent memory. While Mike Evans is still the leader of the group, age is starting to become a factor, as well as injuries. Antonio Brown’s unlikely to return next season, and Godwin will be in line to take yet another massive leap in the Tampa Bay pecking order.
Still just 24 years old, Godwin will be a stalwart inside the top-ten dynasty receivers for the next few years, and his consistency divides him with one of the safest floors among all fantasy football receivers.
Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is one of the most dominant forces we have seen in an NFL backfield. Watch this video and try telling me otherwise.
I rest my case.
Washington Football Team
Terry Mclaurin
While Antonio Gibson had a terrific rookie season, it is Mclaurin who is the engine that drives the Washington offense. Even with some laughable quarterback play, ‘Scary Terry’ still went over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, and had just two games this season in which he saw fewer than seven targets. He has one of the most consistent workloads in football, and will only rise up the rankings more if he gets a stable quarterback. Scary Terry is a no-doubt WR1 regardless of who his QB ends up being, he’s that talented.