In this weekly column, we will examine players that you should be stashing or keeping an eye on in your dynasty leagues. The idea of dynasty is to form a team that you have week to week, season to season, decade to decade. So each offseason we draft young players. However, throughout each season we need to find those gems. Each of us can be a Bill Belichick if we just look and see the players who both have the talent and the opportunity.
This week, let’s call this article, “Don’t Forget About Me”. Players who have fallen off the spectrum but may be interesting players to stash at some point during this season. You should always be on the lookout for players who got injured and dropped thereafter, or players who have not performed in their first year and have been ignored. these could be huge stashes for upcoming years.
Chris Godwin – WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Third-round pick Chris Godwin had much offseason hype. However, we all knew that in the Tampa offense he would get lost. What with Mike Evans, the addition of DeSean Jackson, reliable Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate. The reality is that Jackson has only a season, maybe two left in him, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Godwin found his way into the WR2 spot behind Mike Williams. He isn’t a burner like Jackson, but his talents are clearly evident. He creates some separation through good route leverage and presses aggressively into defenders before making his break at the top of the route. Scouts at the combine noted that he isn’t afraid to test the middle of the field and that he will make his money winning 50/50 balls in the red-zone and down the field. The kid clearly has skills, he is just stuck on the depth chart.
Joe Williams – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Joe Williams, a rookie out of Utah, has had an interesting journey to the NFL. Starting off in my home state school, UCONN, and rushing for 6 yards, he then made his way to the University of Utah where after retiring from football, came back to rush for 1,407 yards, 6.7 yards per carries and 10 touchdowns in his senior year. Williams who is 5’ 11” and 210 lbs was picked as the 15th pick in the 4th round. The 23-year-old ran a blazing 4.41, 40-yard dash, has amazing burst in small spaces, and the speed to take it to the house. He has great lateral shuffle and fantastic wiggle ability to make defenders miss. The thing to note of Williams is that he was handpicked by Kyle Shanahan. A player that was off of the 49ers draft boards, Shanahan stood on the table and forced the pick, basically saying he will burn Santa Clara to the ground if Williams did not get picked. Currently, the 49ers are thinking of moving on from Carlos Hyde. Matt Breida has been a success story, but we can’t forget about Joe Williams who stole Kyle Shanahan’s heart this offseason. When he comes off hte I.R. he may end up being a stud.
Bucky Hodges – TE, Minnesota Vikings
Hodges was the Vikings’ sixth-round pick. He is a monster of a guy, coming in at 6’6” and 257 lbs. The Vikings drafted him as the future of the team, one day to the replace Kyle Rudolph. As we know, TEs, like fine wine, get better with age. Smooth glider around the field, Hodges runs fast and plays fast. He is a long target with extended catch radius and can get up and over the top of most defenders at the high point. We may be seeing a Gronk in the making here. The talent is obvious and the combination of size and athleticism is overwhelming. Still new to the TE position, he will take time to mature, however, Hodges is a name that may be a star several years down the road. If you have room to stash him now, it may be the smartest decision you ever make.
Mike Williams – WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Remember Mike Williams? You should, the Clemson Tiger turned LA Charger was the whole package in college. A combination of pure athlete and a skilled WR. In his last year in Clemson, Williams and Watson came together for a stat line of 84 passes for 1,171 yards and 10 scores, putting up highlight-reel plays on multiple occasions. I mean Williams was a first-round pick after all and while the Chargers seem overloaded with offensive weapons for Philip Rivers, there may be a changing of the tide. Williams is finally healthy and made his first NFL catch in his debut last week. If Williams has for some reason been dropped in your league because of his situation of his injury history, this is a talent you don’t want to miss out on.
Jimmy Garoppolo – QB, New England Patriots
Ok, I’m not being funny here. Jimmy G is the real deal. Being a star NFL QB is a package deal and Jimmy G is that deal. He is not only the most talented backup in the league, he is not only one of the most sought-after free agents, but he is also one of the best looking men to play football. No, it’s a serious thing, at some point you also have to look the part, and he looks the part. Talent wise he is incredible. Drafted in the second round in 2014, he may be a rare “hit” when it comes to Bill Belichick’s draft picks. Coming out of college Jimmy G was touted for his quick release and mental make-up. The guy has the second best work ethic on the Patriots. He preps for games as if he were to start each week. And let’s face it, Tom doesn’t have forever in this league (only 6 – 7 more years) and so Jimmy G may find his way to the field soon, whether it’s on another team or sometime down the road as Brady’s replacement. But without a doubt, he is a future star and you should stash him now before he is stolen from you.
