Dez Bryant had a lost year in 2015. He was in his prime production window and coming off three straight seasons of 18+ PPG. Bryant was injured, so was Tony Romo. The storyline centered around how laughable the NFC East was with Dallas still in the playoff mix despite a sputtering offense and missing both of their main pieces for significant chunks of the season.
Dez Bryant: Career Arc Check-up
Dez Bryant’s fall of nearly 10 PPG, in his prime, is a rarity. The closest peers from age 26 to age 27 in my database are:
- Antonio Freeman
- Carl Pickens
- Javon Walker
None of them surpassed 15 PPG in a season again, turning in one season each of 11+ PPG at age 28 and beyond.
The RotoViz Similarity App is also not kind to Dez Bryant’s 2016 outlook. Only Randy Moss shows a return to what we were used to with Bryant’s production.
Besides the sagging expectations from a historical perspective, there is a strong correlation between quarterback strength and wide receiver upside. Tony Romo is held together by duct tape at this point, calling in question how much longer Bryant will even have the benefit. A quarterback change (or another injury-filled season of missed games requiring one) is another variable independent of Bryant’s health and playing better himself.
Bryant’s value is still strong in the dynasty market I bet getting Donte Moncrief or DeVante Parker plus a 17 1st is possible, especially if exploring deals close to the season. Kevin White is another wide receiver to consider in a package down scenario. As always, you can experiment with trade offers in a variety of formats to exploit ADP and market conditions with the UTH Trade Calculator.
