The only time of the NFL calendar year that I totally trust what teams tell us is during free agency and especially the draft. Franchises are not going to lie or send smokescreens when it comes to signing or drafting players. In essence, if you pay enough attention, every team shows you its hand in one way or another. For example, there are some teams out there such as the Rams, Texans, Jets, Browns and Bills that knew they were not going to land the franchise quarterback that they so badly needed. But what did they do? They told us how they will have to win football games by using premium draft picks to improve their running games and defense. They told us that they need to manage the quarterback position and win low-scoring games.
How does this affect fantasy football and dynasty leagues in particular? All knowledge is extremely valuable and all roster moves and changes around the league immediately raise or lower the stock of players in dynasty.
In a way, there should be one list for a contending dynasty team and another for a total rebuild, as the latter should have no interest in players like Arian Foster, for example. But because the goal here is to serve the largest audience possible, the list below reflects the value of my top 100 players in dynasty formats, all things being equal.
1. Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys: Bryant is 26 years old, has an excellent quarterback throwing him the football (not to mention a crazy-good offensive line protecting that quarterback) and oh, by the way, he is a truly elite talent that might actually be getting better. His contract situation is something to monitor, but his 31 touchdown receptions during the past three seasons would translate well to a new home. That said, Jerry Jones isn't letting Bryant leave Dallas. A case could be made for just about anyone in this top 10 as worthy of this first overall distinction.
2. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons: When right, Jones might be the most productive and dangerous wideout in all the land. While health has been a bit of an issue with this 26-year-old phenom, the addition of Kyle Shanahan and the "Shanahan offense," which features the X receiver at a ridiculous rate, counteracts all those health concerns in terms of dynasty rankings. Expect Jones to have the best 2015 season of any wide receiver.