Dynasty Rankings Risers 

Isiah Pacheco 

Isiah Pacheco leads the dynasty rankings risers this week after rushing for 107 yards on 15 carries in Week 11 against the Chargers. It was the first 100 yard rushing performance of any Chief this season and it comes at a perfect time. The winter months are upon us and it gets harder and harder to throw the football as the weather gets worse. Pacheco has emerged as the primary first and second down these past two weeks accumulating 189 yards rushing on 6.1 yards per carry. The problem? He hasn’t had a touchdown since Week 1 and gets little work in the passing game with Jerick McKinnon. However, Clyde Edwards-Helaire did go down with an ankle injury this past weekend and his recovery timeline is unclear. This could create added opportunities for Pacheco who will play a featured role on the best offense in the league. He’s a hold in dynasty leagues for a moment, but I would consider moving on if he has a big game and a playoff contender is willing to give up a talented young receiver.  

Pat Freiermuth 

He’s not the most exciting player, but Pat Freiermuth is continually one of the most reliable Tight Ends in fantasy football. Whether or not he was going to be able to get enough targets was a big question in a crowded offense with a rookie Quarterback. He has thrived more than any of the other pass catchers though having over seven targets in all but two games this season. This has led him to being 6th in fantasy points per game among Tight Ends putting him right behind the best at the position. Touchdowns have also been an issue for Freiermuth as well as he hasn’t had a touchdown since Week 2. That is to be expected giving the Pittsburg offense and this makes his performances all the more impressive considering the touchdown dependence of most Tight Ends. Freiermuth is an excellent target for rebuilding teams as he could truly breakout in a better offense next season.  

Treylon Burks 

Yet another rookie Wide Receiver having a breakout game, Burks caught 7 passes for 111 yards in Week 11 against the Packers. Despite being a terrific prospect coming out of Arkansas, Burks has had a difficult start to his NFL career. Conflicting reports of him suffering from Asthma or poor conditioning surfaced over the Summer. In addition, he had a toe injury in Week 4 that sidelined him for four games. Despite being eased back into action, he showed that physicality and big play ability that made him a sought-after prospect. The sky is the limit for him and he has the size and speed to be an elite NFL receiver. Burks still has a long road ahead, but he has a clear path to lead the Titans in targets the remainder of the season as well. I expect him to be boom or bust down the stretch but he should be floating around that WR25-30 range in dynasty rankings.  

Dynasty Rankings Fallers 

Kyle Pitts 

I don’t mean to kick Kyle Pitts while he is down, but with his season possibly over, he finds himself as a faller in my dynasty rankings. A season that started with so much promise couldn’t have gone much worse for the young Tight End. He only had 3 games with over 30 yards receiving finishing with 399 yards and 2 touchdowns in 11 games. It was a far cry from 2021 where he finished with the second most receiving yards for a rookie Tight End in NFL history. After being drafted in the first round of most dynasty drafts this past offseason, Pitts will likely fall a few spots in 2023 drafts. It will be hard to justify taking him over other young players like Jaylen Waddle, AJ Brown or even fellow Tight End Mark Andrews. This marks a buy low opportunity though as he is still the one of the most talented offensive players in the league. He was first in air yards for Tight Ends as Marcus Mariota struggled to find him most of the season. With the Falcons likely moving on in 2023 Pitt’s could take a big step forward with improved Quarterback play. Pitts is the perfect target for dynasty managers who are out of the playoffs and looking toward next season. 

Diontae Johnson 

Diontae Johnson is another player who has not met expectations. After back to back successful seasons with Ben Roethlisberger, he has not had the same chemistry with Kenny Pickett. Despite being 8th in the NFL in total targets he is just 45th in fantasy points per game. Johnson’s fantasy value has been volume based for the last couple of seasons, however his catch rate is significantly lower this season. Johnson is 5th in the NFL in targets since 2020, and it’s worth wondering if he can continue to be successful with a more modest target share. He also plays with talented players with George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris who command a healthy number of targets as well. Johnson is more like a low end WR2 in dynasty as opposed to the top 15 receiver many mangers thought he was.