By: Jay Pounds (@jaypoundsnfl)
Dynasty Owners, welcome back to another round of Jay’s Free Agent Auction targets! Week 10 was a wild one with six games ending in walk-off field goals with no time remaining, a new NFL record and also a Dynasty Owner clutch scoring event worth an extra 3.0 Dynasty Owner fantasy points. The NFL has always wanted a close and competitive league and they finally have it in the year 2023. The NFL has seen a ton of close games this season and speaking strictly as a fan of the sport, I have to say it is a lot of fun to watch.
While we are on the subject, let’s look at some of the craziness that happened in Week 10! I usually dedicate a small piece of my articles to pick on the Browns, but this week is different. The Browns overcame a huge deficit against the Ravens who have been one of the best teams in the NFL up to this point. Jay’s Silver Lining – while it was an impressive victory for the Browns, their immediate future is concerning. If Deshaun Watson ($46,000,000) is unable to consistently raise his level of play, the Browns are going to be in a lot of trouble as Watson’s contract is too big for the Browns to survive.
In other news, C.J. Stroud ($9,069,811) continues to dominate! Stroud led his team into Paycor Stadium and delivered an impressive game winning drive over the Bengals to put the Texans squarely in the playoff race. I know I am an Ohio State homer, but what Stroud has done with a bad Texans’ roster is extremely impressive. Has Stroud already locked up the Rookie of the Year award? If he plays average football for the remainder of the year, I believe the answer is easily a “Yes”. Heck, he may even be the front runner for the MVP award at the moment.
The last game I wanted to touch on is the 49ers vs. Jaguars. The 49ers have been on a 3-game losing skid but came out and made a statement this past Sunday against the Jaguars. My question for all of you is, are the 49ers a true contender that just had a bad stretch? I believe the answer is a resounding “Yes” simply because they have a capable roster, an excellent head coach and the league’s best running game.
Before we get into what everyone is here for, I wanted to do something fun and look at all the coaches who I think are on the hot seat and believe will be replaced by the end of the season below. The first three may surprise some of you. Let me know who is different on your list!
- Bill Belichick – The fairy tale run is over. Maybe most NFL fans (ones outside of Foxboro) will get lucky, and Josh McDaniels is still the succession plan!
- Sean McDermott – Outside of the Bills flipping a switch in the coming weeks, I believe McDermott will be gone. Twelve men on the field while the other team misses the game winning FG is inexcusable. Harbaugh to the Bills! Place your bets now.
- Mike McCarthy – I know the Cowboys are winning now but I believe McCarthy’s job depends solely on playoff success. Sean Payton is off the market which helps McCarthy’s case, but he must get past the second round of the playoffs. Not to be a Debbie downer, but I would bet good money that does not happen.
- Frank Reich – The Panthers had the number 1 pick in 2023 and still look like Matt Rhule is coaching on the sidelines.
- Brandon Staley – Do I even need to say anything here? Eric Bieniemy anyone?
- Matt Eberflus – Matt Nagy, I mean Eberflus, shouldn’t make it the rest of the year let alone last until 2024, though winning the last two games will likely get him through the season.
- Ron Rivera – I still love Rivera as a coach, but I believe his days are numbered in Washington if he doesn’t finish over .500. New ownership will likely want “their” guy. Riverboat Ron will probably end up turning into Retiring Ron.
- Antonio Pierce – I know the players seem to love him, but Mark Davis has shown time and time again he wants the big-name coach. The one thing that could work in Pierces favor is the fact Davis probably regrets not hiring Rich Bisaccia a couple of years back. Let’s go full circle and say Bill Belichick to the Raiders!
If you are new to this series of articles, there is a small list of requirements, with the main one being that the player must be 80% rostered or below in Dynasty Owner. The only other requirement I have is that I would like the player to have a salary of $8,000,000 or less, but I will put a higher salary player on the list if I feel they are worth it. Free Agent Auction bids will process on Wednesday at 5 AM (Eastern) for this upcoming week, so there’s still time to get your bids in for Week 10. The Bid listed below is my recommended amount to secure the player for your Dynasty Owner team in the Wednesday Free Agent Auction run in a typical Dynasty Owner league.
- Noah Brown (WR – HOU) – 1 year/$2,600,000 – 56.32% Rostered
I think Noah Brown’s last two weeks speak for themselves, but allow me to convince you if you will. In Week 10, Brown kept his hot streak going with another massive performance, catching 7 of 8 targets for 172 yards (24.2 Dynasty Owner fantasy points) after catching 6 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown (27.3 Dynasty Owner fantasy points) in Week 9. The big worry with Brown is the fact his teammate Nico Collins ($1,217,879) will soon return from injury but with the way Brown has played over the past two weeks I am expecting C.J. Stroud to look Brown’s way early and often regardless of who else is on the field. I am not saying he is a lock for your Dynasty Owner Starting lineup just yet, but if he is able to have a big week when Collins is back it will be time to have that conversation. I assure you this is your last opportunity to add Noah Brown to your roster! Is Noah Brown for real or is he the next Travis Fulgham ($895,000)? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter/X.
Bid – $7,000,000
2.Tommy DeVito (QB – NYG) – 1 year/$901,667 – 58.62% Rostered
I know this is an ugly one but hear me out, Tommy DeVito put up 17.4 Dynasty Owner fantasy points in Week 10. DeVito did not look good throwing the ball though he did find the end zone twice and showed good athleticism running the ball for 41 yards on just 7 carries. DeVito’s final stat line will scare some away as he threw for less than 100 yards, but he was also facing the best defense he will see the rest of the season. A mix of confidence, easier competition and opportunity should make DeVito a decent Bench option for many Dynasty Owners. The quarterback position is extremely beat up right now and DeVito will at least provide relief for some. Outside of an unexpected injury, we won’t see another permanent starter at the quarterback position on this list for the rest of the season.
Bid – $3,000,000
3.Jalen Guyton (WR – LAC) – 1 year/$1,232,500 – 15.33% Rostered
Well, someone has to do something opposite of Keenan Allen ($20,025,000). In Week 11, both Quentin Johnston ($3,547,195) and Jalen Guyton stepped up for the Chargers but only Guyton is available at all here on Dynasty Owner. Both Mike Williams ($20,000,000) and Josh Palmer ($1,258,110) are stuck on Injured Reserve leaving the number 2 receiver spot opposite Allen wide open. In Week 10, Guyton finished the day with 4 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown (14.1 Dynasty Owner fantasy points) and showed he can step up when needed. Can Keenan Allen keep catching 10 passes every game and stay healthy? If the answer is “No”, then Guyton could be a great sneaky play come playoff time, especially on your Bench.
Bid – $3,000,000
4.Brandon Powell (WR – MIN) 1 year/$1,232,500 – 39.08% Rostered
Brandon Powell may be the very definition of a safe low floor player this season. In the past six weeks, he has scored 7.8 Dynasty Owner fantasy points or more in four of those weeks. He has also posted 9.3 Dynasty Owner fantasy points or more in three of those weeks. In Week 10, Powell posted a stat line of 4 catches for 35 yards plus 12 return yards (7.8 Dynasty Owner fantasy points) and seems to have the trust of new quarterback Joshua Dobbs ($2,000,000). Should Justin Jefferson ($3,280,701) and K.J. Osborn ($890,693) return from injury in the coming weeks, Powell will no longer be viable, but with bye weeks still in play and the status for both of those players still up in the air, Powell is a safe pickup for now.
Bid $2,000,000
5a. Jameis Winston (QB – NO) – 1 year/$4,000,000 – 35.25% Rostered
I won’t spend a ton of time here because of recent reports about Derek Carr’s ($37,500,000) injury being positive. Had those reports been worse, Jameis Winston would easily be number 1 on this list. It appears Carr avoided a major injury and may be ready to go after the Saints Week 11 bye, though I would still recommend stashing Winston if you have the roster room and salary cap space available. Winston is still a turnover machine who is not afraid to sling the rock. It may not be good for a real football team, but it sure won’t look all that bad on your Dynasty Owner roster.
Bid – $2,000,000
5b. Royce Freeman (RB – LAR) 1 year/$1,080,000 – 70.11% Rostered
I will make this short and sweet as I wrote about Royce Freeman last week. While this may be Freeman’s final week in a featured role with Kyren Williams ($992,601) returning from injury, it’s still a week with a running back that has a good chance to fall in the end zone. Good luck finding a better option at the position!
Bid – $2,000,000
Thank you all for reading! Be sure to check out all of the upcoming articles from me and Steve plus the weekly Dynasty Owner Livestream. Stay safe out there and good luck on your 2023 Chase for the Ring!