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!
Taysom Hill Returns
On Sunday, Taysom Hill reminded everyone that he is still on the Saints roster. Also, despite the departure of Sean Peyton, the Saints will find all kinds of ways to use him. Coming into this week, Hill only saw 34 total snaps on the year. However, today he exploded with offensive production.
Hill’s box score in Sunday’s 39 to 32 victory over the Seattle Seahawks is quite interesting. He completed his only pass attempt for a 22-yard touchdown to tight end Adam Trautman. He also had nine carries for 112 yards and three touchdowns. All of this happened in the tight end slot for most fantasy leagues. A few seasons ago, he broke fantasy by allowing a quarterback in the tight end slot, but what do we do now when he is playing every position? It will be interesting keeping an eye on any dynasty transactions that might include Hill this week.
Tom Brady Marathon Man
Tom Brady may be in his mid-forties, but his arm is at least ten years younger. The Buccaneers struggled to find the endzone today in a 21 to 15 victory over NFC South Atlanta. This led to Brady airing the ball out an astonishing 52 times today. This included 33 pass attempts in the first half alone. The struggles become obvious when you realize that despite 52 pass attempts and over 350 passing yards, Tampa Bay only scored twice. Both of these touchdowns were by Leonard Fournette. One was through the air, and the other was on the ground.
It feels like a broken record, but Brady has been a great piece to acquire for contenders in Superflex leagues. The price is always all over the place. Don’t pay more than a second-round pick for him. It is always a question of how many years you can get out of Brady, but if he is on your squad and you aren’t competing, you have to move him soon.
Quarterback Change On The Horizon In Atlanta
After a 21 to 15 loss to NFC South rival Tampa Bay on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons have fallen to 2 and 3 on the year. Quarterback Marcus Mariota completed only 14 passes and failed to break 150 yards through the air. That is now back-to-back weeks that Mariota has failed to break 150 yards. The offense Arthur Smith is running is very college-like with plenty of run-pass-options.
That said, it may be the perfect opportunity to transition to a rookie quarterback. Desmond Ridder was a third-round selection in this past year’s NFL Draft. He played at the University of Cinncinati and has mobility similar to Mariota. Could we see a change in signal caller this week? The offense seemed uninspired under Mariota, and a breath of fresh air could help. Now may be the time to try to make some trades before Ridder is announced as the starter.
Baker Mayfield’s Last Chance
Speaking of NFC South quarterbacks on the hot seat. Through five games this season, Baker Mayfield has a QBR of 16.6. This is good for not only the worst in the league but on pace to be one of the lowest single seasons since the start was invented. This has led Carolina to not only a 1-4 record, but they are currently on pace to have the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Even if Sam Darnold or PJ Walker does not replace Mayfield, it is becoming obvious that he has no future with the Carolina Panthers. He will be a free agent after this season, and Carolina is projected to pick high enough to grab one of the elite college quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield may be destined to be a backup for the rest of his NFL career.
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 NFC South has many key fantasy players in it. 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!
The NFL season is here! Want exclusive access to my rankings and those of over twenty fellow analysts? Subscribe to the #NerdHerd, where you get exclusive content, dynasty/rookie rankings, and DynastyGM! If you want 15% off ANY SUBSCRIPTION, USE PROMO CODE “LUNA” or CLICK HERE.
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!
