BARLEY DIVISION
JERRYs WORLD WONDER (JWW)
Owner: Brian Dembinski
2023 Season: 9th Place
2022 Season: DFFL BOWL V Champion
The Team
(Elite Contract,
*not-graded)
QB:
Justin "Herbie"Herbert
RB:
Travis Etienne, Elijah Mitchell, Miles "Away" Sanders, Christian "Elite" McCaffrey*
*CMC is ranked #4 in dynasty; his 1yr tagged contract is only $28 over AV
WR:
Chase Claypool, Rashod Bateman, Alec Pierce, Rondale Moore, Tyler Boyd, Davante Adams
TE:
Greg "Dumchits" Dulcich, Tyler Higbee
K*:
Cameron Dicker, Justin Tucker
DEF*:
Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys
Elite Contract: (Top 10 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):
Davante Adams (WR) - No fantasy position was more lacking for The Wonder in 2023 than at receiver. Only 3 times did any of JWW's starting receivers produce at or above their projected points! 2 of those 3 times occurred late in the season when Brian had already begun planning for 2024. Since then, JWW went to work bringing in young talent and a more "reliable” veteran than Michael Thomas. Since stocking up on solid receivers is a huge part of winning potential in DFFL, The Wonder will really need Davante Adams and his new slate of rookies to perform well in '24. Davante Adams is particularly impactful due to his contract cost and expectations of success - minus the past two years. If Adams can find some connection with one of Las Vegas' QBs this season, a big piece of The Wonder's stategy for a comeback will be in place. However, if Davante Adams struggles...again, then JWW will have a very difficult - but not impossible - challenge to compete for the playoffs and Barley Division Champ.
Brock Bowers (TE) - Brian selected Brock higer in the 1st Round than any rookie TE to date in the DFFL. As the 1.03 pick in the 2024 DFFL Rookie Draft, Brock is expected to excell as an elite tightend. Given the difficulty fantasy owners have in selecting an NFL tightend that consistently manages points, I can't highlight enough how important Brock Bowers' success is for the JWW squad. It's based on this assessment that JWW gives Brock Bowers a Rookie Contract before the start of the season. The TE position wasn't terrible for The Wonder in 2023, and Brian saw consistent Top 5 production from Cole Kmet. However, JWW traded Kmet after Week 9 for draft capital and was left with only two aging and injured backups for this season. If Brock can truly shine on a Las Vegas team looking for an alpha - a distinct probability given his talent and Adams’ age - then JWW is set at TE for the long haul. But if Brock falls into typical Raider irrelevancy, then The Wonder will have the unfortunate distinction in beating out The Six and its 2022 1.04 pick of Kyle Pitts in wasting the highest draft pick on a pipe dream TE. Furthermore, JWW will be in strugglesville attempting to make up production with problematic receivers.
Practice Squad (Taxi)
Brenden Rice (WR - RS1)
Brian Thomas (WR - RS1)
Brock Bowers (TE - RS1)*
Audric Estime (RB - RS1)
De'Von Achane (RB - RS2)*
Deuce Vaughn (RB - RS2)
Eric Gray (RB - RS2)
Tank Bigsby (RB - RS2)
Jayden Daniels (QB - RS1)*
Michael Penix (QB - RS1)
*Players are listed as Elite on Fantrax 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football matrix.
The PiTS
(TK’s Player in the Spotlight) - Michael Penix QB Atlanta Falcons replaces re-injured Kirk Cousins as early as Game 3. Penix shows talent and toughness, the likes of which haven't been seen in Atlanta in many years. He's an instant hit, and JWW is left with a mid-season dilemma at QB - leaving solid QB points on his Taxi as had happened with CJ Stroud in 2023, or replacing a disappointing Justin Herbert in his lineup/bench. JWW is competitive in Barley Division and decides the benefit of signing Penix outweighs the costs; particularly as competitive DFFL teams bleed dry free agent QBs for their playoff runs.
CAP (2024) - $74 ($5DM)
Draft Capital (2025 +): 6 Picks (1x 1st)
OVERALL GRADE
C
As a result of JWW accumulating a ton of Taxi talent over the last year, he is in the unique position to vastly improve the state of the franchise simply by signing at least three Rookie Contracts - De'Von Achane (Elite), Brock Bowers (Elite), Jayden Daniels (Elite). No other DFFL team has as many expected elite-like talent out the gate in 2024. Putting this statement in perspective, JWW likely gets an F or D- by keeping some of his RS1s on Taxi in 2024. The Wonder easily achieves a C as a result of savvy drafting and expected Rookie Contract signings in 2024.
JWW has no depth. A look at the bench reveals a stock of has-beens, nobodys and wtf’s. However, with the likes of Achane and Etienne in the starting lineup, Daniels and Herbert at QB, Bowers at TE and a probable terrific rookie season from Brian Thomas in Jacksonville, The Wonder acually improves depth markedly by Game 1. The Bench goes from horrible to mediocre after Rookie Contracts are signed - the TE and WR spot remain problematic from a depth perspective.
With a CAP of only $74, JWW doesn't have much to work with in improving his team in the FFAA or with seasonal waivers. If Davante Adams falls off the cliff for the 3rd season in a row, then JWW can salvage some CAP in-season for waivers but this still wouldn't be an ideal situation for The Wonder. The Wonder proved savvy in the Rookie Draft, doing what needed to be done to attain talent and make his team competitive in Barley Division.
2024 will be tough for most DFFL teams given the disproportionate talent residing on only a few teams in Hops and Malt Divisions. JWW can stay competitive in a talent-lacking DFFL division and manage a late slot in the 2024 DFFL Playoffs if his team achieves projected production. One or two face plants by players expected in the elite column and JWW is looking at a 2nd year of disappointment.
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