Today, we keep the dynasty target train moving as we break down our next recommended dynasty target, Michael Gallup!
Were you a middle child? Was there ever a time when your older sibling finally left – maybe for college, or to live on their own? And maybe you had a younger sibling who was more fun than the older one? So now you and him can be more free and fun since the older sibling is gone? Then you may know a little about what it’s like to be Michael Gallup in the 2022 offseason. Amari Cooper landed in Cleveland, and the dynamic CeeDee Lamb remains. With Cooper gone, Lamb should do very well, but Gallup will benefit, too. With a recent injury and a narrative about him never meeting our expectations, while at the same time looking at his role in a good offense growing, it is time to target middle child Michael Gallup in your dynasty fantasy football leagues.
Background
Gallup was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, 81st overall, as the ninth WR picked. After starting off at a community college in Pennsylvania to improve his grades, Gallup transferred to Colorado State and played there for two seasons, his junior and senior years. He broke 1200 receiving yards both years, averaged 15.3 YPC, and scored 21 touchdowns total. He didn’t wow anyone with his Combine 40 time (4.51), but his overall speed score was in the 99th percentile (Player Profiler). Gallup added a 36″ vertical jump and was considered an athletic receiver with good size (6’1″, 205 lbs).
In the four seasons, Gallup has been in the NFL, the narrative has been, unfairly or not, that he was not meeting the high expectations of the fantasy community. In his defense, few rookies break out the way we saw Justin Jefferson do, so Gallup’s 33-507-2 in 2018 is not a bust, and in 2021 he played only nine games before tearing his ACL. Otherwise, his 2019 (66-1107-6, WR22 per Fantasy Pros) and 2020 (59-843-5, WR38) seasons were useful for your dynasty team, especially considering the price – WR45 in 2019, and 34 in 2020, per DLF ADP. Given the presence of Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Bake Jarwin, Lamb, and Dalton Schultz over those two seasons, Gallup did pretty well for himself.
Still, when his free agency was approaching, folks said “He can’t be a 1 on another team,” and then when Cooper departed and Gallup re-signed with Dallas, many reminded us “He won’t be the 1 in Dallas, Lamb will.” While probably true, was anyone expecting he would be? Drafted 81st overall with the ADP mentioned above, I just don’t get the argument against something that was never there. Did he fall short of taking the next step in 2020, even with the arrival of Lamb? Maybe. But were you expecting a top 15-18 finish?
Current Situation
Gallup re-signed, Cooper is gone, Dak Prescott remains. The Cowboys’ offense struggled in 2021. They ended the season 28th in yds/att and 30th in passing yards and receiving yards. On the ground, Dallas finished 26th in ypc, and in total offensive TDs, they were last at 32nd. Despite good grades from PFF, the offensive line seems to be a major factor in the Cowboys’ woes, according to all the other sources I looked at. Two linemen left. Current linemen will need to improve their play. Others will need to be added, yet Dallas acquired none via free agency or trade. That left the draft, in which the team had the 24th overall pick.
Some had Gallup on a list of players to worry about heading into the NFL draft, in anticipation that their teams could draft players that would threaten their fantasy production. Besides Cooper being traded, Cedrick Wilson left for Miami. So wide receiver was a need. Given the number of other needs the Cowboys had, I did not expect them to take a receiver early but considering some useful linemen could be found in the middle rounds, it was a possibility. The team took a tackle at 24th overall, and a defensive player in round 2. They took wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (one of my favorite mini-sleepers going into the draft) in the third round, at 88th overall.
Outlook
Gallup’s outlook, then, was somewhat affected by the draft. Gallup will miss at least the first two or three games this season, giving Tolbert and underrated UDFA wideout Dontario Drummond a window to impress, but I think he is still a buy. Those two are rookies that need to refine parts of their game, and the more likely beneficiaries of Gallup’s absence are Schultz and Pollard. Gallup should produce well once he is back on the field. The offense has lots of potential, and he has a skill set that gives him a path to a big role and therefore opportunity.
However, the injury, and the presence of Tolbert – who gained buzz – could affect Gallup’s perceived value in your favor as a buyer. I saw Gallup and a 2023 fourth-round pick go for Sam Darnold and Jordan Love in one league I’m in. I’m not saying you’ll get him for that in most leagues (I sure hope not), but he is definitely someone worth targeting. In a standard 12-team, PPR, Superflex, TEP dynasty fantasy football league format, Dynasty Trade Calculator has Gallup almost exactly equal to a 2023 mid-second rounder plus a 2023 mid-third rounder, as well as almost exactly equal to teammate Schultz and Patriots running back Damien Harris. As a seller, I would not take any of those three options, but if I didn’t like him, I would not be writing him up as a buy – so try to start with offers in that range, even a bit below. The Gallup manager in your league may be like the one I mentioned above who just got Darnold and Love in his quarterback corps. His May 2022 DLF startup positional ADP is WR55 (too low), so he is likely going to be a value in your startup as well. Either way, you could get the newly liberated middle child Michael Gallup at a price you really like.
Thanks for checking out our Dynasty Target article on Michael Gallup. Over the course of the summer make sure to click here for more Dynasty Target articles discussing players for you to acquire this season!
For all your other Dynasty needs, tune in to “Dynasty365“, our weekly Dynasty Podcast, as part of the Fantasy In Frames Podcast Network.
