Saturday, August 19, 2017

Sitting in the Dynasty Cat Bird Seat

Photo Credit: Mark Zaleski, Associated Press
Sitting in the Dynasty Cat Bird Seat

By Mike Randle (@FtsyWarriorMike)


 Vice Presidents, assistant principals, and NFL backups all have one thing in common: they all sit in the catbird seat, ready to ascend to the top.

Dynasty owners have the burden of analyzing players from a longitudinal view. While under 25-year-old stars such as Odell Beckham Jr., Marcus Mariota, and Ezekiel Elliott have already broken out, dynasty targets that are patiently waiting in the background may be the most important. Those players who are merely one injury, trade, or season away from fantasy prominence, are the true dynasty football treasures.

Here are the top six dynasty football values, under the age of 25, who are simply biding their time and sitting in the “Dynasty Cat Bird Seat.”

(Performance metrics from Player Profiler)

 RB Derrick Henry (Tennessee)

 Henry remains the most talented backup running back in the NFL. He is ready to ascend to an ideal fantasy situation if anything were to happen to Titans lead running back, DeMarco Murray. At 6’3” 247 lbs., Henry has the quintessential bell cow RB body type. He possesses a 116.3 Speed Score (97th percentile) and a 127.9 Burst Score (88th percentile) which is exceptional for a player of his size. Henry was a true workhorse at Alabama and he will run behind a strong Tennessee offensive line, currently ranked fourth by Pro Football Focus.

Henry already proved his toughness as a runner by averaging 3.1 yards per attempt against stacked defensive fronts last season. Most importantly, Henry is tethered to another under 25-year-old star in quarterback Marcus Mariota. His Average Draft Position (ADP) has climbed steadily throughout the summer, and he is the only definitive RB1 among current NFL backup running backs. For dynasty owners, if DeMarco Murray stumbles or becomes injured, Derrick Henry is pure fantasy football gold.

 RB Marlon Mack (Indianapolis)

 Location. Location. Location. The South Florida product landed in the ideal fantasy football spot as a 21-year-old running back. He joins an explosive Colts offense led by the 27-year-old premier dynasty quarterback, Andrew Luck.

The Colts backfield competition will be easy for him to supplant. Veteran Frank Gore has a long career with sustained success but enters the 2017 season at 34 years of age. While Robert Turbin has enjoyed an impressive spring, he has totaled 80 carries only once in his six NFL seasons. Mack’s workout metrics provide a great window into his dynasty potential. He ran a 4.50-second 40-Yard Dash (75th percentile), owns a 103.9 Speed Score (73rd percentile), and a 122.9 Burst Score (71st percentile). Mack is also a legitimate three-down running back, garnering a College Target Share of 10.9% (76th percentile).

As the favorite to ascend to Indianapolis' lead running back position next season, it would only take an injury to Frank Gore for Marlon Mack to suddenly become fantasy relevant in 2017. Mack sits in a perfect cat bird seat, with potential for both short- and long-term fantasy relevance.

 WR Devin Funchess (Carolina)

 The under-the-radar third-year wide receiver is primed for a big ascension. His 6’5” 230 lb. frame provides the perfect red zone target for quarterback Cam Newton. Funchess made an instant impact at the college level at Michigan and has been biding his time in Carolina just waiting for an opportunity. Funchess has started only 12 of 31 games in his two-year career.

While Kelvin Benjamin is clearly the Panthers go-to wide receiver, it would only take a quick start to the season for Funchess to become their top fantasy option with a WR2 floor. With Ted Ginn Jr. now in New Orleans, there are even more targets available in the passing game. Funchess is officially a starter for the Panthers but is still an underrated fantasy value with a current redraft ADP of 200.4 at WR70. A few strong games early in the season and Funchess could take a major leap forward for fantasy owners in 2017.

 RB C.J. Prosise (Seattle)

 The muddled Seattle backfield is a difficult one for fantasy owners to handicap, but C.J. Prosise owners should stay ready for his impending breakout. He is the most versatile running back on Seattle’s roster, ranking first among all running backs with 8.1 Yards Per Touch last season. At 6’0” 220 lbs., Prosise is destined to be a three-down workhorse RB in the NFL.



 His competition in Seattle features a very beatable duo of Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy. Rawls is in the last year of his original three-year contract as an undrafted free agent, and Lacy is under a one-year deal while struggling to make weight restrictions. Having just turned 23-years-old, Prosise remains just one step away from becoming the top RB option in a run-heavy Seattle offensive scheme for years to come.

 RB D’Onta Foreman (Houston)

 The Texans wanted Lamar Miller to become a true bell cow running back, but he simply isn’t good enough. Miller was sixth in the NFL in carries last season, yet ranked just 17th in PPR running back fantasy points per game with 13.8. While running behind a respectable offensive line that ranks 13th in run blocking efficiency, Miller consistently underperformed in favorable fantasy matchups. The only defense Miller truthers consistently provide is the “opportunity trumps all in fantasy” adage.

Once the Texans spent their 3rd round draft pick on D’Onta Foreman, however, that narrative changed. Foreman is 6’0” 233 lbs. and runs a 4.50-second 40-Yard dash. His 113.6 Speed Score (94th percentile) is the equivalent of Miller’s, but with 15 extra pounds on him. The most telltale sign that Foreman is a legitimate threat is that despite having an August court date for drug and weapons possession, the training camp reports remain glowing.


 Rookie D’Onta Foreman is certainly “sitting pretty” in the ideal Houston Texans dynasty football catbird seat.

 QB DeShone Kizer (Cleveland)

 The Cleveland Browns are (finally) doing it right. After having 10 draft picks this past April, the Browns will enjoy 12 draft picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. They should not have to use any of those picks on a quarterback as it appears rookie DeShone Kizer will fill the role for years to come. The 6’4” 233 lb. Notre Dame product has been impressing everyone at Browns camp and may ascend from that cat bird seat much sooner than we thought.


 Kizer is working with a great offensive mind in head coach Hue Jackson and has weapons galore at his disposal. Both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson provide versatility in the backfield, serving as efficient running and receiving options. Speedster Corey Coleman and veteran Kenny Britt are incredibly athletic wide receivers, while rookie tight end David Njoku is a future Pro Bowl level talent. The Browns supplemented these weapons by using the offseason to build the second best offensive line in the league as per Pro Football Focus.

While it is possible that quarterback Cody Kessler starts week one, it will not be long before DeShone Kizer is guiding a very young but talented Browns offense. He is the ideal dynasty league fantasy quarterback target.
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