Dynasty Fantasy Football Moves to Make Heading Into Week 6

Every week, I will break down a few moves to make to help you build the ultimate dynasty fantasy football roster and rule your leagues.

With a quarter of the season (or so) behind us now, it is starting to become clear whether your roster is destined for a deep run or needs some work. This is not as simple as a record though, remember before making a judgment on this to also consult the points for column in your league standings page. This can help you understand just where your team really stands within the landscape of the league. 

Below I have broken down a few moves for both a contending and rebuilding roster. 

Rebuilding Moves 

Even amid a rebuild, there are in-season moves that can help you set yourself up for success. These moves don’t have to be massive either, the key to rebuilding is obtaining assets to set you up for long-term success. Little has changed in the landscape this week when it comes to dynasty, so remember it’s never a bad idea to acquire young assets and draft picks. 

Nico Collins a Diamond in the Rough

As a rookie last year, Nico Collins appeared in 14 games and produced 446 yards on 33 receptions on 60 targets. Those weren’t crazy numbers, but he had an excuse in the Texans’ anemic offense, which only produced a league-low 278.1 yards per game and was bottom five in the league in passing yards per game at 194.4. Now in his second season, Collins is not setting the fantasy world aflame just yet. That, he has produced 272 yards (which leads the Texans) on only 15 receptions (third most). In the first four games this year only 47% of his targets were deemed catchable according to FTN Data. Additionally, he has three created catches and won all three of his contested targets. Add in his stature (6-foor-4, 215 pounds), and he is a breakout waiting to happen. The Texans are currently on a collision course with a high draft pick, as they just picked up their first win this week. It seems likely they will replace Davis Mills with this pick, which could lead to an improved offense. That could bring a Collins breakout with it, making him a nice asset to target in trade negotiations. 

Cash Out on Alvin Kamara 

All offseason there was some talk about just how good Alvin Kamara could be this season with Jameis Winston under center. On the other hand, he entered the year at 27 years old, which has historically begun the downturn in production. Add in his off-field issues that could lead to an eventual suspension (though it looks unlikely to happen this year), and his future is increasingly murky. Then his poor start added fuel to the fire. Entering Week 5 he had only produced 14.9 PPR points in his two games and missed two others to injury. However, we got vintage Kamara this weekend, as he went for 194 scrimmage yards on 29 attempts, producing 23.4 PPR points – resulting in a top-12 finish. In other words, a window may have opened up to move on from him while getting a decent return. As a rebuilding roster, it is wise to take advantage of this and try and get younger here while increasing your total assets. 

Contending Rosters

As a contender, we know by now that the name of the game is: “What can you do for me now?” This is the mindset you should have as we head into Week 6, especially if your roster can handle a deep run. The waiver wire can be your best friend, but with the state of most dynasty leagues, the waiver wire is likely barren. With this in mind, remember that a rebuilding roster could be a great way to acquire winnow assets. 

Donovan Peoples-Jones Should Be on Your Radar

Earlier this offseason, Donovan Peoples-Jones was on the radar for some, but it was worth wondering if there would be enough volume. This has not been the case thus far, as Peoples-Jones has been the clear No. 2 target in the Cleveland passing offense behind Amari Cooper. This has led to 31 targets, which he has turned into 16 receptions for 191 yards, though he (frustratingly) has yet to find the end zone. Those numbers are not eye-popping, but the underlying usage is great — according to FTN Data through the first four weeks of the season he outsnapped Amari Cooper 242-241. Additionally, he is second on the team in air yards with 220, though, due to his field-stretching role, he has had the lowest catchable target rate on the team at 58%. 

Many of these numbers could improve later in the season, once Deshaun Watson takes over as the starter in Week 13. Watson has always been a strong deep ball thrower – we saw what he did with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller in the past in Houston. Some managers may not be thinking ahead or looked as deep into this usage. As a result, he is likely a very affordable asset that could pay off big time once the fantasy playoffs arrive. 

Handcuff Your Top Running Backs 

This past weekend was one of the prime examples of why handcuffing your top-tier running backs could be key to success. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and we saw that as three teams lost their starting running back. Damien Harris, Rashaad Penny and James Conner were not top-tier running backs but were still viable fantasy options, and all three got hurt Sunday. If you lost one of these players, it could hurt your title hopes. On the flip side, if you rostered their handcuff, you would be able to supplement the lost production. Just this week we saw Rhamondre Stevenson produce a top-15 PPR finish with 175 scrimmage yards after Harris’ injury. Kenneth Walker had a nice week himself after Penny went down to a lower leg injury and is in line for a lead role moving forward. These were not the first instance that we have seen a backup running back step up and produce high-end production. With that in mind, it makes sense to test the waters on a few of your running back handcuffs before an injury as this is when they are most affordable.