MALT DIVISION
DyNASTY FanTASY (DNF)
Owner: Kirk Gagnon
2023 Season: 11th Place
2022 Season: Runner Up
The Team
(Elite Contract,
*not-graded)
QB:
Jordan Love, Will Levis
RB:
Jonathon Taylor, Brian Robinson, Jr.
WR:
Justin Jefferson, Calvin Ridley, Drake London, Christian Watson
TE:
George Kittle, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Jonnu Smith
K*:
Jason Myers, Tyler Bass
DEF*:
New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans
Elite Contract: (Top 12 QB, Top 15 RB, Top 20 WR, Top 5 TE) + (Under or within $5 for Auction Value)
“Sponsored” by Fantraxhq.com
Players to Watch (PTW):
Christian Watson (WR) - As far as receivers go, one could easily add Calvin Ridley - the presumed WR1 for Tennessee - to this category. DNF did not have a consistent receiver last season, which resulted in significant pain each week and the team ultimately going from runnerup for the trophy in '22, to the runnerup for the toilet bowl in '23. Christian Watson along with Justin Jefferson spent much of the year on the sidelines watching from the IR or injury designation. DNF needs his receivers to be top notch in 2024 to compete with the likes of NUT. Malt Division, being one of the more competitive for Trophy glory in '24 means The FanTASY can't be mediocre and expect playoff success. Christian Watson has alleged that his "leg routine" is making him more injury proof on routes, and if this is correct, he should easily attain Top 20 WR status this year. However, if he continues to struggle to stay on the field, then its more of the same for DNF in terms of stubbornly standing by a rook's side during offseason while the writing on the wall had said, SELL! SELL! SELL! Watson, Jefferson, London, and, yes, even Ridley need to perform in the Top 20 for DNF to steal Malt Division. However, no one matters more than Watson in the DNF receiver corps for the pride and bluster of Kirk Gagnon.
George Kittle (TE) - One of the proud positions for the downtrodden DNF squad in 2023 was the Top 5 TE, TJ Hockenson. While the rest of team failed to perform, The FanTASY's tightend managed enviable production among the slate of DFFL TEs. So what makes sense for DNF in the offseason while holding out hope on many of his high draft, low production goobers? You said it! SELL the one position that gave the team no concerns. Now, understand TJ was injured - significantly - at the end of the season. So I can understand the desire to go ahead and put the Hock on the market for picks or talent. So coming into 2024, DNF wants to have a TE that can at least compare to Hock at a 75% or greater capacity. That TE for DNF is Kittle! Kittle gave The Evans Door fits in their up and down, comeback year in '23; primarily for being a yo-yo on production week-to-week. George became known for going almost 15 points in one week to damn near goose egg the next! This started in Week 3 and aside from maybe one or two weeks down the stretch remained consistent through Week 18. Kittle will need to be consistent at TE for DNF to compete in Malt Division. If he is not, I'm not sure The FanTASY can rely on the likes of Miami's Jonnu Smith or Tennessee's Chonk to keep Kirk from pulling out his hair at the end of the season when he's behind both Cody and Chad.
*HONORABLE MENTION: Chase Brown (RB) - I rarely do this with these types of format products, but DNF is just a team of players to watch. In truth, like in 2023, Kirk can either be a Top 6 DFFL team or scraping to stay out of the DFFL Toilet Bowl this season. The reason? Kirk is one of a couple DFFL owners who absolutely hates to trade his gomers. He rode the terrifyingly terrible Dameon Pierce through a Toilet Bowl competing season simply because he thought '23 was a fluke and that Pierce's '22 1st Rookie Season was the true measure for this talent. #faceplant. So...unless things change...he's "ride or die" with many of these goobs. Chase Brown. Chase is expected to take the next step in the Bengals offense now that Joe "hates kids" Mixon is gone. Unfortunately for Kirk, Chad Brown isn't the slam dunk RB1 to replace Joe. In fact, Zack Moss was a consistent Top 5 RB for TIU in early 2023. He now resides in the backfield for Cincinnati. Kirk will likely sign him vice letting "lots of bench space" RAF take him in a poaching email. However, with the likes of cellar dweller Brian "Target" Robinson still sniffing around DNF's starting positions, Kirk may just have to take a chance on Brown. If Brown pans out, good deal for DNF. If he don't, its Brian Edwards, Dameon Pierce, MM3....etc., etc.... all... .over ..... again!
Practice Squad (Taxi)
Adonai Mitchell (WR - RS1)
Jonathon Mingo (WR - RS2)
Quentin Johnson (WR - RS2)
Chase Brown (RB - RS2)
Rasheen Ali (RB - RS1)
Tyjae Speers (RB - RS2)
The PiTS
(TK’s Player in the Spotlight)
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts becomes the next Justin Jefferson for DNF. Complimenting AR15's evolution in the passing game, Adonai Mitchell takes the mid-west by storm, diminishing Pittman, Jr. and Alec Pierce to mere spectators in a big boy's game. As a result of problems with his starting receiver corps, DNF wastes no time in contracting Mitchell and not wasting the consistent Top 15 WR points week-to-week. DNF, as a result, is competitive in Malt Division.
CAP (2024) - $122 ($23DM)
Draft Capital (2025 +): 11 Picks (6x 1sts)
OVERALL GRADE
B
DNF rides his BMX Bandit bicycle into 2024 with a nice set of 4x Elite "tires." With the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jonathon Taylor and Jordan Love (The Three J's), he has 3 of 4 positions with easy play starters. I'll even give DNF George Kittle as one of the better TEs to have in football, despite missing out on the “JWW-indused” controversial "Elite Contract" tag. DNF's starters are some of the better options in DFFL.
At issue in a division he shares with the likes of NUT is his bench and depth. Aside from some good defenses to back up his starter, The FanTASY just doesn't scream division champion when looking at who replaces starters on Bye Weeks or when injury leaves a position open. Unfortunately for DNF, this helps him not in attempting to reclaim previous DFFL scoring glory of years before 2023. Along with a free agency that reflects more questions and concerns than eliteness, I don't know where DNF nabs the dudes that will make his depth great.
While DNF's CAP is competitive among DFFL teams for the dismal talent left in free agency, it does little to significantly help his chances in 2024. DNF has some dudes on Taxi that could bolster his depth, but even with those long-shots (QJ, Mingo, Speers and Brown) his chances of beating out NUT for Division supremacy are not easy. Where DNF has the opportunity to be competitive in Malt is with his pick capital! With 6x 1st round picks, he can scrap the one or two elite talents from teams that have no chance at competing in '24 to actually be competititive for Malt and playoff seeding. Knowing that Kirk holds on to all types of team capital like a fat kid does a creme-filled donut, I simply don't see this happening in '24; especially, with the talent coming out in subsequent rookie drafts and Kirk's penchant for refusal in giving up and selling his dudes.
The SOTL for DNF in 2024 is not great when one looks at the owner's history of stubborness or Bush-the-Second-like stay-the-courseness. However, his pick capital truly holds the key for longevity for DNF in DFFL. It's the potential of DNF that truly raises his grade in DFFL. Kirk will either accept his fate with a slew of potential busts in '24, leading to several elite rookie picks in the years to come, or he'll write a new chapter for his flailing franchise and "trade, trade, trade" to make an attempt to beat out NUT and compete for the DFFL BOWL VII in '24.
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