MUST HAVE Players in Dynasty - Degens "My Guys" with Ray G

This episode is a straight "my guys" draft: Chris and dynasty analyst Ray G each go around naming players they're targeting above consensus for 2026, then push back on each other's picks. The through-line is that market price and public narrative are lagging real usage, offensive context, and situational upgrades — the hosts are betting on skill-position players whose roles or landing spots don't match their current ADP.

The arguments

Rasheed Rice is a top dynasty buy despite the offseason legal and knee concerns, because his target profile is historically rare. Ray notes only two players in the last five years have posted a sub-5-yard average depth of target while commanding 20%+ of team red-zone targets — and Rice has done it in back-to-back years. He argued Rice's lack of downfield route-running (nine post routes all of last season) is irrelevant to his fantasy role as a yards-after-catch monster in Kansas City's limited passing offense. On the trade question, Ray advised against giving up a late 2027 first for Rice right now if the team is already contending, suggesting patience since a preseason stumble could make Rice available for less in-season.

Omarion Hampton profiles as a top-four dynasty running back once you extrapolate his injury-shortened rookie season. Chris pointed to Hampton's half-season pace (1,000+ rush yards, ~350 receiving, 9-10 total touchdowns) and third-in-the-league missed-tackles-forced rate, arguing the Chargers' offensive environment and red-zone opportunity outweigh the hype around Mike McDaniel's arrival in Miami for Ashford Ollie. He ranks Hampton RB4, ahead of Jonathan Gentry, based on team situation rather than talent gap, and dismissed Keaton Mitchell as a complementary 5-7 touch player, not a real threat to Hampton's role.

Zay Flowers is being undervalued relative to his usage growth, and neither host sees real target competition emerging in Baltimore. Chris cited Flowers' target share jump (20.6% to 24.9%) and yards-per-route-run rise (1.68 to 3.71) alongside Derrick Henry's continued dominance and a healthier Lamar Jackson as reasons for further growth. Ray backed this with his own usage model, projecting Flowers in the range of prior seasons from Chris Olave, Nico Collins, and CeeDee Lamb, and noted Lamar has never funneled more than about four targets a game to a true WR2, making Jacoby Lane or Elijah Sarratt near-term non-threats.

DJ Moore is a buy-low in Chicago's exit given the offensive environment he's walking into in Buffalo. Ray argued Moore, while not the same caliber as peak Stefon Diggs, is still clearly Josh Allen's best pass-catcher on a Bills offense projected for 45+ team touchdowns and second in the league in implied scoring, and that Allen historically hyper-targets his top receiver. Chris agreed Moore's Chicago decline was about a fractured, WR-crowded offense rather than skill erosion, calling the move a clean upgrade after Chicago's front office moved on from multiple redundant pass-catchers.

Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence are both being priced as backup-tier fantasy quarterbacks despite elite recent production. Chris highlighted Nix's back-to-back QB7 finishes and added weapon (Jalen Waddle) as reasons he's a value in the third-to-fifth round of startups, while pushing back on injury concerns. Chris and Ray both argued Lawrence's weeks 12-18 output (30.86 PPG stretch) and a healthier, more explosive Jaguars receiving corps under a year-two Liam Coen offense make him a top-five quarterback candidate being drafted as QB7, likening the public's lingering skepticism to how Kyle Pitts was over-drafted then permanently undervalued.

Harold Fannin Jr. versus Kenyon Sadiq exposed a real tight end disagreement. Ray built the case for Fannin as an easy dynasty target: he was fifth in tight end targets as a rookie on a dysfunctional Cleveland offense, and incoming OC Todd Monken has a track record of funneling volume to tight ends at Georgia, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore, meaning Njoku's vacated targets should flow to Fannin, not rookie receivers. Chris disagreed, saying he sold Fannin shares recently because he expects the Cleveland offense to cap his upside relative to Warren or Kraft, then countered with his own rookie tight end pick, Kenyon Sadiq, arguing recent rookie tight ends (Fannin, Loveland, Warren, Bowers) are proving the position no longer needs a multi-year adjustment period.

Derrick Henry remains a hold-forever asset, not a trade target, given his sustained workload and scoring efficiency into his thirties. Chris pointed to Henry's 1,600-yard season last year, his historically dominant workload regardless of Lamar Jackson's health (111 yards per game rushing without Lamar vs. 88 with him), and the arrival of Kevin/Declan-style offensive continuity as reasons he's still a first-or-second flex piece being drafted as late as round seven or eight. Ray agreed emphatically, noting Henry is one of the only players he'd rather ride to zero than trade for asset value, since no contender is realistically offering fair value back.

What it means for your roster

• Draft Rasheed Rice as a WR2/RB-adjacent PPR asset in startups; don't sell a 2027 first-round pick to acquire him now — wait for an in-season dip if the legal/knee situation causes early hesitancy from other managers.
• Target Omarion Hampton as an RB1-tier asset (Chris has him RB4) ahead of Jonathan Gentry and TreVeyon Henderson in startup and rookie-adjacent drafts; don't overweight Keaton Mitchell hype in Chargers backfield projections.
• Hold or buy Zay Flowers at his current WR7 range — both hosts see him exceeding ADP by 7-8 spots, with no real target-share risk from Jacoby Lane or Elijah Sarratt.
• Buy DJ Moore if he's being drafted as a WR3/4 coming off Chicago; both hosts view the Bills move as a clear efficiency and volume upgrade.
• Grab Bo Nix in rounds 3-5 and Trevor Lawrence around QB7 in superflex/startup formats — both are being priced as streamers despite QB1-caliber recent production.
• Split on tight end: if you own Harold Fannin Jr., Ray says hold given Monken's track record of tight-end usage; Chris is comfortable selling him now and buying into Kenyon Sadiq as a potential immediate-producer rookie despite the Jets' weak surrounding context.
• Never sell Derrick Henry in a contending window — both hosts treat him as a static, un-tradeable RB1 given his workload durability and scoring floor in Baltimore's offense.