For most, Week 18 doesn’t matter for fantasy football. Here at Dynasty Nerds, we’re not most fans. Every snap means something. With multiple teams locking up playoff sports already, we saw some backups shine in Week 18 that could impact your dynasty roster.
Takeaway #1: Arthur Smith Is Gone: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Skyrocket
I’ve been waiting for the day Arthur Smith is gone, and it finally came. The news came just after Smith had a meltdown in the Saints game, but one thing is clear: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts should move up the rankings. At the moment, Robinson is my RB1, London my WR19, and Pitts my TE4. We’ll dive more into these players in the off-season, but for now, let’s celebrate!
Falcons have fired Arthur Smith, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2024
Takeaway #2: Kendre Miller Shows Promise
Kendre Miller was an extremely hyped-up prospect out of TCU but struggled to get on the field during his rookie season. Even with Alvin Kamara sidelined early on, Miller only had one game over five points prior to Week 18. In Week 18, Miller got his shot, ran for 73 yards on 13 carries, and scored a touchdown. I’m not super high on Miller, but there’s still a chance he can have a more prominent role during his sophomore season.
Takeaway #3: Najee Harris quietly racks up another 1,000-yard season
Now, Najee Harris may have been a bust in fantasy football, but he just finished with another 1,000-yard season. Sure, Harris has fallen off from being an RB1, but it looks like he’ll be a good feature back for another few years. If the Steelers can bring in a quarterback and turn around their offense, I wouldn’t mind owning Harris as a low-end RB2.
Takeaway #4: Derrick Henry Has Likely Played His Last Snap for the Titans
After the Tennessee Titans beat the Jaguars in Week 18, Derrick Henry grabbed a mic and thanked the fans. It’s possible that Henry could be retiring, but to me, this seemed to confirm his free agency status. Not only should this help out Henry as he enters his year 30 season, but Tyjae Spears is set to be the Titans feature back in 2024.
Derrick Henry addresses Titans fans for possibly the final time 👇🥲pic.twitter.com/adPVtaVSkY
— Covers (@Covers) January 7, 2024
Takeaway #5: James Conner Has a Massive Week to Reach 1,000 Yards
One of the most underrated players from the 2023 season was easily James Conner. Despite only playing in 13 games, Conner had the best season of his career. At age 28, Conner ran for 1,040 yards, averaging five yards per carry. Of course, there’s risk with these older backs, but in an improved situation, Conner could be a sleeper for contending teams in 2024.
Takeaway #6: The CJ Stroud Hype Lives On
After selecting CJ Stroud second overall in the NFL draft, the Texans are heading to the playoffs. In a must-win game, Stroud was amazing, completing 20/26 passes, throwing for 264 yards, and recording two touchdowns to zero interceptions. Propelling your team to a massive turnaround is an easy win to ensure yourself as the franchise quarterback. If you weren’t convinced before, Stroud is now a locked-in top-five dynasty startup pick.
Takeaway #7: Wheels Up for Breece Hall
Breece Hall has proven he’s finally fully healthy and has been dominating as of late. Hall went down with an ACL injury in his rookie year, but after a slow start, he averaged 17.1 PPG in 2023. In Week 18, Hall had his best game of the year, scoring 29 points and rushing for 178 yards. Assuming all goes well with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, Hall should enter the RB1 conversation for 2024.
Breece Hall is HIM
— Jesse Moeller (@JMoeller05) January 7, 2024
pic.twitter.com/6ggzIxhCR6
Takeaway #8: Jordan Love Is The Packers Future
In a win-or-game home, Jordan Love cemented his future with the Packers. Love has been up and down all year, but in Week 18, he looked terrific and led the Packers to a playoff berth. Facing off against the Chicago Bears, Love completed 27/32 of his passes, threw for 316 yards, and threw two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Since it’s almost certain that Love will be the Packers starter in 2024, you can comfortably acquire him.
Takeaway #9: Michael Penix Jr Drops Down to a Second-Round Grade
Heading into the national championship game, Michael Penix Jr. had a shot to become a legitimate first-round pick. Now, the game doesn’t all lie on Penix’s shoulders, considering how bad the rest of his offense was, and it looked like he was playing through an injury. The biggest question mark was whether Penix could make plays when he’s moved off his spots. Unfortunately, the answer was no, but Penix still has incredible talent and could thrive in the right situation.
Takeaway #10: Despite National Championship Win, J.J. McCarthy is a 3rd Rounder at Best
It’s unbelievable that so many people think J.J. McCarthy is a better quarterback than Michael Penix. McCarthy just went 10/18 with 140 passing yards and zero touchdowns. Stats don’t tell the whole story, but watching the game showed that any quarterback could do what McCarthy did in 2023. McCarthy is propped up by his great situation and is a third-round pick at best.
2 Responses
How is Michael Wilson not in your rankings???
Do you have any inklings about what to do with Packers WRs next year? I want it to be a Bengals-lite situation with Reed in the Chase 1a role, Watson the Higgins 1b role, and Wicks the Boyd slot role. But this leaves out Doubs who has been solid, and it seems like one of these receivers always has some nagging injury.