Cutting Through the Noise, Week 9

Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA Today Sports

Each week in Cutting Through the Noise, we will take an objective look at one of the most polarizing players in Dynasty Fantasy Football as decided by the Footballguys Dynasty Discord. We will use the Footballguys consensus rankings to gauge where the player is currently valued.

Chase Claypool

WR52 and Overall No. 120

Chase Claypool consistently progressed throughout his four years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He played his freshman and senior seasons with NFL-worthy quarterback production from DeShone Kizer and Ian Book, but he had to work through two seasons of Brandon Wimbush in the middle. He finished his career with a respectable 66 receptions for 1037 yards and 13 touchdowns. His production was hardly the root of his draft value as Claypool graded out as one of the highest RAS (Relative Athletic Scores) of all time according to RAS.football.Claypool ended up running an astonishing 4.42 forty-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds.

Despite Claypool’s respectable production, massive frame, and impressive speed, there was nothing he could do to propel himself into the first round. He was up against the most loaded draft class of the decade. He was competing with the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson, and Brandon Aiyuk. With no shot at a first-round selection, Claypool earned a great consolation prize when he was selected by the wide receiver production factory that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted in the second round but was the 11th wide receiver off the board.

Claypool had an impressive rookie season which has trailed off into moderate production over the past two years and has been capped with a trade to the Chicago Bears. His recent movement, especially given the draft compensation the Bears were willing to send, has made Claypool one of the most polarizing players in dynasty.

The Good

Chase Claypool arrived on the scene with a bang in an ironically similar situation to present-day George Pickens. Claypool was quickly elevated to the second wide receiver alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster, catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger. Claypool's production largely depended on the deep ball, as he was seventh in the league in receptions over 30 yards. He finished his rookie year with 109 targets for 62 receptions and 873 yards. One of the major keys to his storyline is his nine touchdowns.