Smart Dynasty Early-Season Stashes

It would be easy to forget about waivers in dynasty leagues. Most of the promising young players are already rostered and some dynasty leagues are deep enough that there isn't anybody worth scooping up unless you want to take a flier on Kerryon Johnson becoming relevant again.

Even for teams in win-now mode, there are always smart ways to build bench depth and add value to your roster. While certain players don't seem to carry much value in the near future, they could be on the verge of breaking out or simply be one injury away from obtaining a major role.

The following players are rarely rostered in dynasty leagues and are worth consideration early in the 2021 season as smart bench stashes.

Demetric Felton, Cleveland Browns

In the Browns' first game without Jarvis Landry (MCL sprain), Demetric Felton saw three targets in the first quarter alone. It was bench city from then on, as the hybrid RB/WR/return man only saw 11 offensive snaps on the day. The final numbers show Felton had two catches for 13 yards and was mostly effective as a punt returner, yielding 103 yards on special teams. Second-year receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was on the field for 58 snaps but also had just two receptions for 39 yards, vet Rashard Higgins had two for 24, while rookie Anthony Schwartz caught none. While all these players have enticing potential, it seems none will rightfully replace Landry or have redraft value in 2021. Dynasty is a different story.

While I'm a fan of DPJ and Schwartz talent-wise, this offense with Baker Mayfield at the helm will simply not support multiple wideouts based on the offensive scheme. This gives the edge to Felton, who is really a pass-catching running back in the same vein as James White. Felton didn't put up big college numbers on a bad UCLA team but had an impressive Senior Bowl and was a star throughout training camp. Although he hasn't been on the field much for Cleveland, he's already made some highlight-worthy plays.

Demetric Felton’s spin move is disgusting ?
pic.twitter.com/4MkZbXyGRt

— PFF (@PFF) September 19, 2021

His usage should ramp up in the coming weeks although it is still hampered by Kareem Hunt, who plays a similar role.

Speaking of Hunt, he won't be a free agent until 2023 but if something should happen to him on or off the field that would make Cleveland want to part ways, there is no dead cap hit if he should be released. Similarly, Odell Beckham is signed until 2024 but his contract carries no dead cap hit if he is let go after this season. Of course, it would also be nice if this happens:

gut call: Browns trade Kareem Hunt to an RB-starved contender midseason and utilize Demetric Felton in a similar role while Nick Chubb re-establishes himself as a top-5 fantasy back

— Kev Mahserejian (@RotoSurgeon) September 22, 2021

Hypotheticals aside, Felton is the type of player who should grow into this offense and doesn't need to see a ton of volume in order to be productive. It's doubtful he'll ever grow into an every-week fantasy starter but few running backs worth stashing are even guaranteed to be on an NFL roster next season.

Anthony Miller, Houston Texans

There's a chance Miller is already rostered in some dynasty leagues in which he wasn't cut immediately after being banished traded to Houston but in FFPC dynasty leagues his rostered rate stands at 8.8% so he still qualifies as an add-and-stash. Many fantasy GMs want no part of this Texans offense outside of Brandin Cooks, which is completely understandable.

Davis Mills was underwhelming in his debut and never figured to be a high-end pro prospect at quarterback. Tyrod Taylor looked good for a couple of weeks but we already know his ceiling as well. Deshaun Watson... well, we know whatever happens there it will be a while before it helps Houston anytime soon. What hope is there for Miller to be fantasy-relevant then?

The hope lies in what we thought about Miller when he was first selected by the Bears in the second round back in 2018. Miller is the ideal slot receiver in that he runs crips routes and stands a bit taller than most diminutive slot guys. His hands have been less steady than expected, as he dropped four passes last year and had just 49 receptions on 76 targets, never posting a catch rate of 65% or higher in three seasons. This is supposed to be Miller's strong suit, though. Known more for competitive nature and polish than pure speed, Miller didn't adjust to the pros as quickly as expected.

The question now is whether a move from Chicago to Houston might actually help Miller. The competition for targets is far less with an Allen Robinson on the other side and the Bears just look like a train wreck on offense, derailing the promise of Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet so far. If Miller can be the WR2 in Houston and regain the focus needed to get his career on track, the target share might be enough to make him valuable regardless of who plays quarterback.

Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Antonio Brown is back for Week 4 and, presumably, the rest of the year. Scotty Miller is on IR, however, due to a turf toe issue that Bruce Arians has deemed "pretty severe." That means he could be out longer than the minimum of three weeks. While the big three at receiver will command nearly all the targets along with Gronk, there's always room for more with the way Tom Brady is slinging it. In three games so far, Brady has attempted a league-high 141 passes. It's not like he's ever been picky about who he targets, so long as he's open.

In Week 3, without AB, second-year man Tyler Johnson caught three of six targets for 63 yards. That marked a career-best in yardage and tied his previous high in targets. With Miller out, he seems to be secure in the WR4 role while rookie Jaelon Darden is barely involved. That sounds like a short-term fix more than a dynasty asset but Johnson just turned 23 and is only beginning to get usage in this offense. Injuries happen (as does COVID) so the loss of any of Tampa's receivers will make Johnson a hot commodity even in redraft. Antonio Brown is signed to a one-year contract and it's hard to tell what the future will hold for him beyond 2021. We do know Tom Brady will still be playing, though.

Johnson lacks breakaway speed but verticality isn't his game. He uses his 6'2" frame to catch tough balls across the middle, as he did many times in his college career, posting a 98% dominator rating. He is only rostered in 4.2% of FFPC dynasty leagues so there's plenty of opportunity to grab him now and see what the future holds.

Collin Johnson, New York Giants

This isn't an overreaction to one semi-good week because it's not the first time I've mentioned Johnson in a dynasty column within the past year. The Jags probably wish they had him back now that D.J. Chark has a fractured ankle after Travis Etienne was already ruled out for the season. The Giants need him almost as badly with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton still on the mend while Kenny Golladay is perpetually battling a hip injury.

Johnson is a lanky 6'6" wideout who provides a tall target for Daniel Jones. He managed 15.1 yards per reception in the anemic Jaguars offense last year. Most significant is that five of his 31 targets came in the red zone. It wouldn't be shocking to see him used in that role in New York. This passing offense can only support so many receivers but injuries have already opened up a path to relevance for Johnson.

Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers

Ever see a rookie look so good early in the season that it prompts the team to trade away the starter at his position? OK, that's not exactly what happened in Carolina but in Week 3 we saw the first NFL touch of Tremble's career go for a rushing touchdown. Not too often that happens for a tight end.

Tommy Tremble got some wheels!!!

?: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/cq804KH3DB

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 24, 2021

This speaks to his obvious athleticism, which is why the Panthers drafted him in round three despite a college resume of two years that amounted to 401 total receiving yards. He was playing behind Cole Kmet and Chase Claypool in 2019 but there's no good reason he wasn't more productive in 2020 as a junior with Ian Book at quarterback. Still, his physical profile begged him to be selected ahead of TE prospects like Kylen Granson and Brevin Jordan.

He was inconspicuous the first two weeks of the NFL season, seeing 41 uneventful snaps and running a total of 10 routes. In Week 3, he didn't exactly fill up the stat sheet but did grab a 30-yard pass for his first reception on top of the rushing score. Days later, the team promptly traded away Dan Arnold in exchange for secondary help in C.J. Henderson.

The Panthers have three good receivers and the best pass-catching running back in the game, when he's healthy, so Tremble hasn't gotten a lot of attention even in dynasty. If Sam Darnold continues to develop the way he has early in the season, the sky may be the limit for this offense and all of its skill players.

Gerrid Doaks, Miami Dolphins

If you have plenty of bench space to spare or are allowed to roster Taxi Squad players, Doaks is a name to remember. Last week, I called Myles Gaskin "replaceable" and he did nothing in Week 3 to prove otherwise, totaling 73 scrimmage yards. Doaks is a much more sizeable back at 230 lbs but posted a Burst score in the 87th percentile. He also has good hands and is an excellent blocker. Those intangibles could earn him snaps if he earns a shot off the practice squad at some point.

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