Dynasty Trend Watches: Dontayvion Wicks, Mark Andrews and De'Von Achane

Each week we look across the social media landscape and identify the trends you should keep an eye on for your Dynasty team. Below are some of these developments:

Missed the target

Soooooo, like holy crap, man. Is the Mark Andrews era just over? Like over and over??

— Mike Wright (@FFHitman) September 30, 2024

In response to the post above, the answer seems to be yes! Ravens tight end Mark Andrews played no role in Baltimore's first four games, scoring just nine goals. His season total includes six receptions for 65 yards and no touchdowns, which seems more like a single-game stat from Andrews than a monthly figure. Andrews not only attracted significantly less attention this year, but he was also significantly less efficient. His 10.8 yards per reception is almost two full yards shy of his career average of 12.7. All while the Ravens' offense ranks in the top five in both scoring and offensive DVOA. It's certainly not the rebound season that Andrews dynasty managers were hoping for after he missed the final six games of the 2023 regular season and had his worst statistical season since his rookie year.

Without the league-wide decline in fantasy points for tight ends, Andrews' decline would have been even more noticeable. He was a top-five fantasy tight end every season between 2019 and 2022 and even finished in the top 12 last year when he missed more than a third of the season. If his current statistical trends continue this year, he will finish outside the top 40. Yikes.

Influence on the dynasty: It's possible the decline was expected considering Andrews turned 29 at the start of the season. Still, there are other examples of older tight ends years older than Andrews who are still relevant in fantasy.

Or maybe it was the emergence of third-year tight end Isaiah Likely that should have led to a longer look at Andrews. But despite a huge stat line for Likely in Week 1, where he caught nine balls for 111 yards and a touchdown, LIkely and Andrews have performed almost identically since then.

No, maybe it's just time for Andrews to be over as an elite tight end option and the rest of the league – both Real and Dynasty – knows it. If you're a current Andrews dynasty manager, you should trade him for whatever you can. Our DLF Trade Finder shows him being traded for experienced running backs ahead of his zero-point game in week four.

In the wick of time

Dontayvion Wicks scored 22.3 fantasy points in Week 4 as Christian Watson was injured early.

80% route participation
24% target share (managed team)
35% air yards share (led team)

Classified as WR2 for me next week if Watson is out.

Available in 87% of Yahoo leagues.

I still have to add.

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) September 29, 2024

Unlike the Packers' offenses in years past, which featured a single dominant receiver and left the rest of the pass catchers to pick up the slack (think Davante Adams or Greg Jennings), this version of the Packers has a surplus of potentially elite pass catchers. From second-round picks like Christian Watson and Jayden Reed to middle-round picks like Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, anyone could be a WR1, depending on the week.

At least until recently. With Watson's recent injury (what else is new?), one receiver is emerging as quarterback Jordan Love's favorite, and he's probably the most unlikely of all. Wicks, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has drawn a lot of attention and rewarded his dynasty managers lately, most recently with five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 13 targets. And with Watson expected to miss some time with another injury, it presents an opportunity for another Packers receiver, namely Wicks, to cement a prominent role in the offense. But how do we assess his value and the value of the rest of the Packers dynasty?

Influence on the dynasty: Due to the Packers' lack of high-end draft capital and the Packers' ability to identify talent in every round of the NFL Draft, it was difficult for any Packer receiver to stand out from the rest. In fact, their dynasty's values ​​were painfully close throughout their short careers.

But if Wicks can continue to dominate Love's readings, he'll end up not only being the best of the bunch, but also a value. He is considered the least valuable among the other Packers receivers and could be the cheapest to acquire right now. Currently valued as a mid-round rookie pick, that price will rise with another big game. But it might be worth getting the Packers' top receivers sooner rather than later.

Away from the Achane

Weeks 1-2:
De'Von Achane, Fantasy League winner, great choice you smart person

Weeks 3-4:
De'Von Achane, sweet second round pick, you absolute idiot loser

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 1, 2024

It's been a tough few weeks for the Dolphins, Miami fans and their dynasty managers. After another hopeful offseason, that optimism was quickly dashed when Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion. Aside from being a very serious injury that Tua should consider retiring from, it also derailed the plans of an entire franchise. Without a proper backup who can move the offense in place of Tua, no Dolphin seems relevant to fantasy, or at least as relevant as they are with Tua at center.

And while the passing game appears to be suffering the most, one could argue that the running game will be more affected. They were already suffering from the injury bug themselves when Raheem Mostert was injured in the first week and have not played since. You'd think the opportunity presented by second-year De'Von Achane would be his ticket to elite fantasy status, but he seemed dull. Gone are the nearly eight yards per carry he averaged last season, replaced by a very poor 3.1. He has only scored once and has never had a 100-yard game. Fortunately, Achane's receiving numbers complement his poor rushing numbers, already totaling 20 receptions for 187 yards. But it should come as no surprise that even these have declined since the Tua injury.

Influence on the dynasty: It's still early in the season, but even if Achane recovers, his start should be a reminder of how fickle running backs can be in dynasty leagues. Considered an elite dynasty running back in the offseason, he (and his production) was brought back down to earth. Combine that with the Tua injury and the fact that Miami will inevitably mix up who leads the rushing attack, and things aren't looking good for Achane and his dynasty managers.

His current DLF value still reflects his pre-Tua injury value, but if you get anywhere close to that, I'd pull the trigger.

Michael has been playing fantasy football for over 20 years since his mother sponsored his first team in fourth grade. He has contributed to various fantasy football publications and most recently wrote the fantasy section at Pro Football Focus for five years.

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