Dynasty Fantasy Football Players to Watch: AFC North Edition | Where does Zay Flowers Rank Among Receivers? Are Deshaun Watson, Najee Harris and Zack Moss Guys to Target?
Taking a look at the best dynasty fantasy football offensive players from each AFC North team.
It’s time to continue our fantasy football series where we highlight the best dynasty players for each team.
We’ve covered the AFC and NFC West divisions so far and will move on to the AFC North now.
Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer. Also be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
Baltimore Ravens
Let’s open things up by talking about the Ravens. Of course, let’s talk about Lamar Jackson first.
Jackson is 27 years old, and is a top-five dynasty quarterback right now (at least on most lists). He’s never really going to wow as a passer, but his rushing ability and ability to take care of the ball makes him one of the best fantasy QBs in the game. There’s no reason to expect him to slow down anytime soon, but just know he’s going to cost an early draft pick in order to land him.
Derrick Henry is the top Baltimore dynasty back. The 30-year-old joins the team this season and looked primed for a monster season. Running backs usually start declining around age 28, but Henry has been an exception to that trend so far. I think he’s got a few more big seasons in him, but would only roster him in a dynasty if my team were contending - otherwise, I’d try to sell him while his value is highest.
Keaton Mitchell is a 22-year-old who has a lot of promise, but also some injury concerns after his rookie season. Having Henry around could be good for Mitchell’s development, but it also might mean Mitchell doesn’t get a big offensive role for a few seasons. Mitchell is still worth rostering in dynasty leagues.
Zay Flowers is the top Baltimore dynasty wideout. He’s just 23 years old and had a nice rookie season. While he had a promising rookie season, I see him more as a No. 2 wideout than a true WR1. Flowers is still in the upper echelon of dynasty wide receivers, and probably will remain that way (even if the team gets a No. 1 option) for several more seasons.
None of the other Ravens’ receivers are really big dynasty assets right now. Fourth-round pick Devontez Walker is worth keeping an eye on, as Flowers is really the only locked-in part of the Ravens’ passing attack.
Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are a couple of dynasty options at tight end.
Andrews is 28 years old, but still one of the better dynasty TEs in the game. He’s a favorite passing option for Jackson, and should have several strong seasons ahead of him still.
Likely has a lot of hype around him, but hasn’t put it all together yet. At just 24 years old and being maybe the best No. 2 TE in the league, he’s a top-20 dynasty TE in a bunch of rankings.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns don’t have as many young promising players, but there are a few to take note of.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is still only 28, but some injury-riddled seasons and poor play has him outside the top 20 for a lot of dynasty rankings. That could change quickly if he puts together a solid season. There’s risk involved with taking on Watson, but he's probably about as cheap as he’ll ever be now - he could be a draft steal or more easily acquirable in a deal.
Nick Chubb would rank as probably a top-20 or so dynasty back if he wasn’t coming off a big-time injury, but that and his age (28) has him closer to 40 than 20. He’s got a couple decent seasons left in him I think, but there’s a ton of risk post-injury.
Jerome Ford would rank a lot higher if Chubb wasn’t on the roster. The 24-year-old filled in nicely a season ago, and will lead the way if Chubb misses time this season. I view him as kind of a lottery ticket right now, but wouldn’t bank on him being a big fantasy asset for more than a couple more seasons.
There’s not any elite dynasty receivers on the Cleveland roster right now.
Amari Cooper is still the top option despite being 30. He’s turned in two nice seasons since coming to Cleveland, and should have a couple more good seasons ahead yet. Hang on to him if you are competing, but try to move him if you are rebuilding and looking to the future.
Jerry Jeudy (25) and Elijah Moore (24) are both young enough to have some dynasty value, but they are more depth pieces than serious starting options. Jeudy is the one I like between the two, and think he could thrive in a No. 2 role behind Cooper.
David Njoku is a pretty undervalued fantasy tight end, and is 28 years old, so he’s a borderline top 10 dynasty option. There’s room in the Cleveland offense to be a good fantasy option for a couple seasons still, but I like Njoku most as a backup option and flex starting option.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Justin Fields is a better dynasty asset than Russell Wilson, but neither are great options right now.
Fields struggled in Chicago, and until I see better play, I’m trying to avoid having him on my dynasty team. Wilson likely only has a couple seasons left, at most, so unless you are competing for a title or streaming a QB for a week, I’m also avoiding Wilson.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are two solid dynasty options, but at 26 and 25 years old, respectively, they don’t likely have a ton of years left of run. With neither being a true RB1, I’d try to avoid taking them on, unless the value is too good to pass on.
George Pickens is a solid dynasty asset at just 23 years old, but the whole quarterback situation is hurting his value right now. I see him outside the top 25 most often, but he could jump up with a good season and if the team addresses the QB position.
I also like Roman Wilson, a 23-year-old rookie. I’d expect him to be a starter at some point this season, and hopefully he settles in as WR2 behind Pickens before the end of the season. He’s worth a pick later in dynasty startup drafts or in rookie drafts.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is probably a top-15 dynasty option right now. He’s 25, so this coming season will be big for him. If he can put up solid numbers, he’ll probably stick in Pittsburgh for a while, while a down season probably means the team either signs a TE or selects one in the next draft.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is still one of the better dynasty quarterbacks in the league. He might even be a little underrated after being injured for a good portion of 2023. Now is the time to target Burrow in drafts/trades.
Zack Moss and Chase Brown are a couple dynasty options at the RB spot.
Moss is the likely RB1 this season, but is two years older, so Brown is ranked close in most dynasty rankings. I think Moss has a few solid seasons ahead of him, while Brown is a bit more of a lottery pick.
Ja'Marr Chase is in the top tier of dynasty receivers. He’s just 24 years old, and will be a WR1 for whatever team he’s on for the next several seasons. You could argue Chase as the top dynasty WR because of his age and situation.
Tee Higgins is a top-25 option for most people. He’s only 25 and could be a WR1 for a bunch of teams. His stock would rise if he heads to a new team, and would stay the same if he remains in Cincy, so I like the idea of drafting/trading for him.
Jermaine Burton is a third-round rookie who is looking to become the team’s No. 3 option after Chase and Higgins. He’s a lottery ticket right now, as Higgins staying with the team would hurt Burton’s long-term outlook - if Higgins leaves, Burton would get a nice bump in his dynasty ranking.
Andrei Iosivas is another name to keep an eye on. I like Burton more, but Iolsivas is 24 and will likely open the season as the No. 3 starter.
There’s really no good Bengals’ dynasty TEs, so fourth-rounder Erick All Jr. looks like maybe the best option. He might not accomplish much this season, but unless Mike Gesicki excels with the team, All could be the starter heading into 2025.
#dynasty #2024-fantasy-football
