X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Dynasty Market Watch: NFC South

Michael Thomas New Orleans Saints

Brandon Murchison evaluates the current dynasty football league trade market for NFL players. First is an in-depth look at the NFC South at which players are risers or fallers in 2020.

The NFC South has been full of fantasy talent for several years now. Some of the better players in the game reside in this division and are popular selections at the top of drafts. Players like Christian McCaffrey and Michael Thomas are firmly inside the first round in redraft leagues and are cornerstones for dynasty teams. As we head towards the 2020 season, changes abound in this division. Jameis Winston is now the backup to Drew Brees in New Orleans, while Captain America himself, Tom Brady, takes over as the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Carolina Panthers also decided to go in a different direction as Cam Newton was let go and Teddy Bridgewater was signed with a chance to restart his NFL career. These moves could cause massive ripples in the waters of the NFC South, especially with extenuating circumstances in which we are dealing with these days and the ongoing pandemic.

From a dynasty perspective, your heavy hitters (McCaffrey/Thomas) should remain just that as they enter the primes of their careers. The adjustment values of other players in this division will continue to waver for dynasty owners. But what is not expected to change is that this division will once again be looked at as one of the higher scoring, fantasy-friendly in all the NFL.

Let's jump into the NFC South and see just where the dynasty market lies on some of the players. As you prepare for upcoming drafts or potential trades, having that insight leaves you better prepared.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Atlanta Falcons

One of the teams in the division that did not undergo a complete makeover, the Falcons bring back nearly everyone on an offense that was the most pass-heavy in the league in 2019 (65.4% pass rate). With three QB1 finishes in the last four seasons, Matt Ryan has become one of the most consistent options in fantasy and a quarterback that dynasty owners should rely on for a few more seasons.

The question will be if this team can develop a running game behind the newly acquired Todd Gurley II. The strength of Ryan's fantasy production is his volume, and if the team becomes more balanced, there could be a dip in production.

 

Treding Up

Calvin Ridley, WR

Ridley has been quite the consistent producer playing opposite of Julio Jones in his first two NFL season. Hovering around as a low-end WR2, he seems to be on the verge of a breakout. Before missing the final three games of last season, Ridley was finding his stride and would have finished inside the top-20 as he nearly matched his 2018 production in fewer games.

If he can maintain health, look for Ridley to make another stride forward in production as reliable WR2 with a high ceiling. There is also currently a lot of buzz surrounding him in the fantasy community, meaning he could fetch a lofty price in a trade for dynasty owners. Savvy owners should float his name out there and see what you could get back.

 

Hayden Hurst, TE

After the free-agent departure of Austin Hooper, the Falcons went out and made a trade for Hurst. Playing in the shadow in Mark Andrews and on the crowded Ravens tight-end depth chart, Hurst could never separate himself. Now he has a chance to take over the 97 vacated targets from Hooper last season. In the Falcons offense, the tight end is very involved in the passing game, which is leading to more and more hype surrounding Hurst and his 2020 potential.

Hurst continues to move up the positional rankings and is now locked in as a TE1 option in fantasy. The price is starting to soar for Hurst and dynasty owners may have already missed their window in hopes of acquiring him for a lesser price. But as long as Ryan is the team's quarterback, Hurst should be a factor in fantasy scoring.

 

Trending Down

Todd Gurley, RB

Gurley is an obvious candidate for a player that is trending down. He joins the Falcons on a one-year deal and must prove to stay healthy to find his next contact. The arthritic knee is one problem, but the other is the very pass-happy nature of the Falcons offense. They led the league in pass percentage in 2019 (65.4%), which will mean fewer opportunities on the ground for Gurley. The only bright spot for Gurley will be the abandoned red-zone rushing attempts (22 attempts by Devonta Freeman in 2019) that he could potentially garner.

In this offense, Gurley has the ceiling to get back to his RB1 form. But let's face it, his health will come into play at some point and limit playing time. In dynasty formats, the sell high window has likely passed, leaving owners hoping that he comes out of the gates strong in 2020 to crack the trade window yet again.

 

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers decided to make a change to their organization as well with the signing of Teddy Bridgewater after the departure of long-time quarterback Cam Newton. He takes over an offense that will continue to be centered around all-world talent Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey stands as one of the top players in dynasty formats, but how will his production be affected with Bridgewater under center? Bridgewater is notorious for keeping the ball in the short to intermediate area (only 15 deep ball attempts in 2019). That fact alone should not alter McCaffrey's production totals, leaving him as one of the top running backs in fantasy.

 

Trending Up

D.J. Moore, WR

Moore has all the makings as a player that Bridgewater will fall in love with in Carolina. His yards per target (8.7) and yards per pass route (2.40) will keep him in the short-yardage area for Bridgewater to target frequently. He saw a major spike in targets in 2019 (82 up to 135) and even if he stays around that number, it puts him among the top-10 in the league.

The kicker for Moore will be the ability to score (just six TDs in two seasons). If he can double the four scores from 2019, he will undoubtedly finish as a WR1 in 2020. For dynasty owners, Moore is an intriguing prospect who could be bought at a lower price currently, but sold at a higher cost later on.

 

Ian Thomas, TE

With the departure of Greg Olsen, Thomas now gets his chance to shine as the starting tight end for the Panthers. In 2018, while starting for the injured Olsen, he produced rather well (four top-12 TE scoring weeks) on the way to a TE24 finish. Last season, Bridgewater's third most targeted receiver was Jared Cook (21 targets in nine games).

So there is reason to believe that Thomas could find himself as an integral part of the passing attack. Going largely overlooked currently, Thomas is an easy buy as a TE2 that could provide weeks of TE1 scoring. Dynasty owners should be able to acquire Thomas off the wire, if not, the price to get him should be rather low.

 

Trending Down

Robby Anderson, WR

Anderson was once viewed as a sleeper candidate by fantasy owners. But after two straight years of underperforming with the Jets, Anderson now finds himself competing for targets in a Panthers offense that will not be pass-heavy. Add in the fact that Bridgewater rarely takes shots deep down the field, Anderson may not see much in terms of target share.

He will be the fourth or fifth option in the passing attack, limiting his upside. His value in dynasty formats is losing value by the day and he may become a player that bounces on and off the waiver wire.

 

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are the lone team in the division that is virtually unchanged from their 2019 roster. All the key players are back for 2020, including what could be the final season for Drew Brees as a Saint. The pass-heavy attack (58.9%) favors the skillsets of the players on the roster and led to the record-breaking year for Michael Thomas (149 receptions).

Much of the same will be expected from this team in 2020 as the Saints should once again be one of the more high-powered fantasy scoring teams in the league.

 

Trending Up

Jameis Winston, QB

You may be asking yourself how Winston is trending up if he is the backup quarterback on this team? Well, truth be told that if Winston can prove to be a good teammate in 2020 and learn from behind Brees, he jumps right back into the QB1 conversation in 2021. After the career year in 2019 (366.45 FP), Winston has proven that he has what it takes to be a premier fantasy QB if provided with talent.

If he stays with the Saints for 2021, the second act of his career should be far better than the first. The weapons around him will be some of the best in the league and he will not have to shoulder the load for the offense. For dynasty owners, Winston is a player that you should be buying this year as he sits. Another needy owner may want to relinquish the backup QB for a lesser price.

 

Adam Trautman, TE

The third-round pick in the 2020 draft, Trautman is a player that will be largely overlooked this upcoming season. But with Jared Cook set to hit free agency after the 2020 season, Trautman falls into what has typically been a productive fantasy spot. His production over the last two seasons in college improved dramatically (23 TDs over the last two years). He will step in and fill the role of a big-bodied athletic tight end that the Saints tend to employ. Playing in this offense almost guarantees that he will be in the running as a TE1 for years to come. Dynasty owners should act fast to roster Trautman because his price will only go up from here.

 

Trending Down

Tre'Quan Smith, WR

Smith has been a much-ballyhooed prospect for the last two seasons but has failed to live up to expectations. Posting only one top-24 scoring week in 2019, it seems as though the team has lost some faith in Smith. That could be the reason behind the signing of Emmanuel Sanders.

The dip in production in 2019 could be largely attributed to the reduction in air yards. He fell from 513 in 2018 to just 226 a season ago. With the team possibly looking to diminish Smith's role or move on entirely, he now becomes a player that should be an afterthought in dynasty formats as well.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The team that made vast changes from 2019, the Buccaneers are now led by Tom Brady. The mindset of the organization is clearly to win now, so fantasy owners should keep that in mind in dynasty formats. The Buccaneers will not be the pass-happy team looking to score 35 PPG now with Brady under center.

Instead, the team will look to play mistake-free football to win the close games. Questions surround this roster from a fantasy perspective. Who will control the backfield between Ronald Jones II and rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn? Will, either Mike Evans or Chris Godwin's numbers take a hit with Brady as the QB? A lot of things to ponder on with this team before they take the field.

 

Trending Up

Chris Godwin, WR

As if the news couldn't get any better for Godwin, coming off of a stellar 2019 season, the addition of Brady at QB could be another boost for his expected production. Finishing just behind Mike Evans in target share last season (22% to Evans' 24%), that number is expected to change in 2020 more to Godwin's favor. Look for him to become the trusted target for Brady, much like Julian Edelman. If he can maintain his 6.7 YAC per reception (5th in the league), Godwin could reach double-digit scoring in 2020 and be in the conversation for WR1 by season's end.

As for dynasty formats, he is an ascending talent that should have a foothold as one of the game's premier receivers for years to come. It will be hard to move him from a dynasty standpoint and get equal value back in return. So if he is on your roster, build around Godwin.

 

Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB

Although the market has cooled a bit on Vaughn, the overall perception of this backfield is that it is ultimately going to be a committee. If that's is the case, it only helps the long-term dynasty appeal for a player like Vaughn. He was highly productive in college (24 TDs over the last two years) behind one of the worst offensive lines in the nation.

Bring that production to the pro level under the tutelage of Brady and Bruce Arians and you have a player that could project out to become a steady RB2 producer. Before the 2020 season starts, with the cooling market, now is the time to check on potentially acquiring him at a lesser cost. But if you have yet to have your rookie drafts, he will be a player that will come off the board by the end of Round 1.

 

Trending Down

O.J. Howard, TE

Howard was riding the hype train as the 2019 season approached, only to turn in an abysmal season and souring the taste for fantasy owners everywhere. His TE28 finish (459 yards and one score) goes down as one of the biggest busts in recent memory and could be a reason why the team decided to bring in previously retired Rob Gronkowski.

The case could be made that running more 12 personnel for the Buccaneers will give Howard more room to work on the field. But at the end of the day, the more likely scenario is that his snap percentage will decrease, leading to fewer opportunities. The argument could be made that a change of scenery is coming for Howard, which could spark his career again. But as things stand now, his value in dynasty formats is getting lower by the day.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Max Muncy

With A Pair Of Doubles Back At Triple-A
Michael Lorenzen

Tosses Quality Start
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
A.J. Puk

Likely To Miss Multiple Months
Marquis Grissom Jr.

Notches Fifth Save At Double-A
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Records Third Save
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Shane Smith

Tosses Five Shutout Frames
Roman Anthony

With Home Run No. 5 On Thursday
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Andrés Muñoz

Andres Munoz Secures Ninth Save
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall

Matthew Golden Selected No. 23 Overall By Green Bay
NFL

Texans Trade The 25th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Giants
Jakob Marsee

Up To 18 Steals At Triple-A

Omarion Hampton Taken No. 22 Overall By Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Selects Derrick Harmon At No. 21 Overall
Denver Broncos

Broncos Build Secondary By Selecting Jahdae Barron At No. 20

Buccaneers Add Emeka Egbuka At No. 19
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Select Grey Zabel At No. 18
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Take Shemar Stewart 17th Overall
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Select Jalon Walker At 15th Overall
Jeff McNeil

Activated From Injured List
Brett Baty

Optioned To Minors
Zack Gelof

To Begin Rehab Assignment Next Week
Ryan Walker

Remains Giants Closer
Kumar Rocker

Heads To Injured List
Brent Rooker

Resting For First Time This Season
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Bryan Woo

Picks Up Third Win, Strikes Out Eight On Thursday
Cade Cavalli

Moving Rehab Assignment To Double-A
Paul DeJong

Having Surgery On His Nose
Royce Lewis

Starting His Rehab Assignment On Friday
Tyler O'Neill

Out On Thursday With Sore Neck
Cole Ragans

Pulled Early On Thursday With Groin Tightness
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Gabriel Landeskog

Delivers Six Hits In First Game Since 2022
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
NYI

Cal Clutterbuck Announces Retirement
Pavel Zacha

Recovering From Small Procedure
Nikolaj Ehlers

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Miro Heiskanen

Still Out On Wednesday
John Klingberg

Enters Oilers Lineup For Game 2
Evander Kane

To Make Season Debut Wednesday Night
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF