We are now over a month into this NFL season! We must focus on the top takeaways now that we have film and statistics to study. No longer can we rest on our offseason takes of who will succeed and who will fail. We now have a reasonably large sample size of NFL football. The fantasy season will move quickly, and in a dynasty, it is essential to acquire players before they break out or unload players before they falter. We can lead our team to a fantasy football title by focusing on weekly top takeaways!
Kelce Earning His Worth
Travis Kelce firmly cemented himself on top of the tight-end rankings Monday Night. Despite only having 25 yards, the 33-year scored an impressive four touchdowns. In a key AFC West matchup, Kelce made all the difference, scoring 24 of the Chiefs’ 30 points. The departure of Tyreek Hill led to many questions surrounding the Kansas City offense, but it is humming along with the Mahomes-Kelce connection. Travis Kelce is getting up there in age, so there may be an opportunity for contenders to go “all-in” and trade for the aging superstar.
Josh Jacobs Supernova
Jacobs is quickly earning himself league-winner status. He now has back-to-back weeks with 20-plus carries and five receptions. Last week in a 29 to 30 loss to AFC West, rival Kansas City Jacobs had a stat line of 154 yards and a touchdown, plus another 39 yards through the air. He is currently a top-ten running back on the year, and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon.
This is much different than how the year started for Jacobs. A brand new coaching staff and front office often led to roster changes. Jacobs is in a contract year, and there are no guarantees that the current regime even wants him back. These thoughts culminated in Jacobs starting the Hall of Fame game, a spectacle usually reserved for the practice squad and roster bubble-type players. Managers who have held on tight to believing in his talent are currently being rewarded.
Mike Boone Surprise Usage
Everyone was ready for the Melvin Gordon show when the Broncos took on the Colts last Thursday night. However, Mike Boone had a surprisingly significant role in the game. Melvin Gordon out-snapped Boone 41 to 30, but Boone got the carries on the final few drives of the game. Heading into this matchup, Gordon had four fumbles on the year, and the coaching staff doesn’t trust him with the ball in crunch time.
Javonte Williams will be out for the remainder of the season, and it is up to us to determine how to value Gordon/Boone for that period. Until the coaching staff shows confidence in Gordon’s ability to keep the ball secure, we can assume a committee to continue. We will see the majority of Boone by the goal line and in crunch time, which will be the high-value touches. If you have the chance to trade some late-round rookie picks for Boone, go ahead and do so.
Austin Ekeler’s Return
Ekeler had a quiet start to the season. Until this game, he hadn’t even crested 175 rushing yards on the season. Dynasty managers hoping for an RB1 season out of Ekeler were very disappointed. That all changed this past Sunday as Ekeler had a breakout game. He had 173 yards on 16 carries and 26 yards through the air. He also added two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.
Ekeler is 27 this year, so many consider him an older running back. However, he has less than a thousand touches in his career. He is still very fresh. To put that into perspective, Derrick Henry has over 1,600 career touches and is just a year older. If any dynasty managers in your leagues are scared off by his age, Ekeler is a great piece to grab for a title run.
Information is the most powerful tool any dynasty fantasy football manager possesses. If you can stay on top of the correct information more than your league-mates, you will come out on top. The AFC West is home to many key fantasy players. Be sure to check back with us, as we will be breaking down takeaways from every division this week. And be sure to come back next week, as we will be doing the same for all 18 weeks of the 2022 NFL season!
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I hope you enjoyed this piece in our Winning With Vegas series. For more content like this, follow me on Twitter @DanT_NFL. DMs are always open for any questions, comments, or craft beer recommendations!
