Quincy Enunwa Placed on Injured Reserve
Quincy Enunwa, perhaps the only semi-exciting product on the Jets offense this year, landed on his neck in team drills and was placed on season-ending-IR after a bulging disk was the diagnosis. Just 25 years old and coming off a mini-breakout year in 2016 with a 58-857-4 receiving line, Enunwa was pegged for WR1 status within the Jets offense. With this news, an already weak unit becomes one of the worst in recent memory on paper.
Advice: Unfortunately for Enunwa owners, this seems like a strong “take what you can get” scenario. Aside from the finicky nature of neck injuries, the timing couldn’t have been worse for the contract year wideout. Instead of proving his worth with a big breakout season, Enunwa will most likely want to jump ship in free agency, which means that he will be playing second or third fiddle for his new team. As for the rest of the Jets receiving options, rookie ArDarius Stewart is the most exciting name to watch and may be force-fed targets this year out of necessity. He should be well worth the price tag if you can pry him away from his owner’s hands at anything close to his rookie draft ADP in the mid-3rd round. Lastly, Austin Seferian-Jenkins has reportedly been dominating camp and is worth a flier if his value continues to remain similar to that of fellow tight ends Dwayne Allen and Jared Cook.
Dolphins Sign Jay Cutler / Jarvis Landry Under Investigation
Two impactful events occurred at Dolphins camp two weeks ago. First, they somehow convinced Jay Cutler to unretire for a $10-million contract and a chance to lose to Bill Belichick two more times. Second, allegations of a domestic violence case emerged against Jarvis Landry, though they have been refuted by both Landry and the alleged victim.
Advice: While both pieces of news in Miami are not particularly concerning (provided the allegations are false), Landry owners probably don’t feel good right now. Cutler is known as a QB who likes to chuck it, which doesn’t necessarily play to Landry’s strengths. The allegations also prompted Miami’s front office to come out and say that they aren’t pressing to re-sign Landry. Potentially diminished stats in the short-term, and a longer-term outlook that includes a potential change of teams, paint a cloudy picture for Landry’s dynasty stock at the least. Landry always seems to be hovering just below the top WRs in terms of dynasty value, but there are safer/higher upside guys in his tier, like Stefon Diggs and Terrelle Pryor, that could make sense to target. Making a move for one of them should allow you to jump ship on Landry and gain an additional flier in the process.
Martavis Bryant is Conditionally Reinstated
After dragging their feet on a decision for most of the offseason, the NFL finally gave Martavis Bryant permission to practice with the team and play in preseason games. It’s unclear what extra hoops Bryant will have to jump through, if any, to carry this reinstatement into the regular season. For now, it looks like Bryant should immediately take his place practicing with the Steelers first team unit.
Advice: One of the most dangerous players in the league, Bryant has averaged two touchdowns every three games over the course of his suspension-plagued career. After a full year out of the league, he has shown commitment towards getting back on the field by staying clean and passing the myriad of tests he’s encountered to gain reinstatement. His current ADP is bogged down by the possibility of further suspensions, so an ADP of 45th overall is probably too low for him given the recent news. Bryant owners have most likely been sitting by his side for quite some time, which will make it even harder to pry him away. If you’re looking to sell, don’t settle for anything less than a highly regarded prospect or two.
Sammy Watkins Traded to the Rams
In a move seemingly out of nowhere, the Buffalo Bills threw their name into the AFC East tank fest by shipping away their star wideout Sammy Watkins to Hollywood for an unheralded corner in EJ Gaines and a 2018 2nd round draft pick. Watkins joins an equally sad group of receivers on the Rams and should retain his alpha dog status in the passing game, albeit with a significant downgrade at QB.
Advice: On first inspection, this may seem like a blow to Watkins’ value, since he’s now catching passes from Jared Goff. Goff showed little to no positives in his first season in the league, though he was thrust into a near impossible situation with a poor offensive line, an ineffective ground game, and a lame-duck coach. Theoretically, Watkins should be heavily targeted in new coach Sean McVay’s more exciting offense, which is an upgrade from the Bills notoriously run-heavy approach. However, the quality of those targets drops significantly unless Goff can take some steps forward. Watkins has shown an ability to dominate games when on the field, and the warmer weather may help him stay on the field more often. A panicky owner may be looking to sell at a discount, but ultimately Watkins’ value probably doesn’t change much with this move. He should remain in that second grouping of young wideouts alongside Allen Robinson and DeAndre Hopkins, and the production will come when he’s on the field.
Jordan Matthews Traded to the Bills
This trade happened nearly in conjunction with the one above and involved the Eagles sending Jordan Matthews and a 3rd round pick to Buffalo for Ronald Darby. The Eagles addressed their biggest need by receiving a young potential lockdown cornerback, and the Bills added to their army of big slot WRs with a player who has had one of the more productive starts to their career in league history. Unfortunately, Matthews promptly injured his chest in his first practice with the Bills and is considered week-to-week.
Advice: Ultimately, this is probably good news for Jordan Matthews. The Eagles were obviously not going to sign him and with Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in the mix, he was no longer going to be the main target in the passing game. In Buffalo, he should see just as much opportunity, if not more. The only question mark, aside from the injury timeline, is where he will play. Veteran Anquan Boldin, rookie Zay Jones and Matthews all do their best work in the same big slot position and Matthews struggled last year when given the chance to play outside. Still, at this point in each player’s respective career, Matthews is the most talented option the Bills now have, so he should carve out a productive role attached to a good QB in Tyrod Taylor. Matthews’ value has always been a point of contention in the dynasty community, but it’s likely that if you own him, you’re a fan of this new relocation. His current ADP of around 80th overall is probably about right, though certainly if you can obtain him for similarly valued players like CJ Prosise and Eddie Lacy, you should benefit. Owners quick to react to the injury may even sell at a further discounted price.
