As 2022 free agent signings continue to be announced, dynasty fantasy football managers have debated where WR Michael Gallup should land, as it could substantially impact his value and those around him. With the recent news of the Dallas Cowboys signing Gallup, how does this impact his dynasty value, and what should be expected for the 2022 season?
Michael Gallup’s dynasty fantasy outlook
While the NFL and dynasty fantasy football do have many differences, there is one commonality: Everyone wants to build as explosive of a roster as possible. This is a passing league, and the higher your ceiling, the better. This is where someone like Gallup makes a ton of sense as a receiver in the NFL and dynasty leagues.
Throughout his four years with the Cowboys, Gallup has been the vertical threat of their offense. While this does add to weekly instability to his fantasy production, it allows him to carry a high ceiling.
Gallup broke out in his sophomore season, posting 66 receptions on 112 targets for 1,107 yards and 6 TDs. His 13.5 average depth of target led the Cowboys’ starting receivers, and he ended the season as the WR23 in PPR. However, the next two seasons were not as kind.
A rough two years in Dallas
For one, 2020 was essentially lost due to the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott. Then in 2021, it was Gallup who suffered the injuries. He missed a chunk of the season after going on the injured reserve with a calf injury in Week 1. He did not return until Week 10.
Disaster struck in Week 17, as Gallup tore his ACL against Arizona. Gallup’s contract year ended with only 35 catches for 445 yards and 2 TDs as the WR26 when on the field (10.5 ppg).
While Gallup is coming off a significant injury, he is still just 25 years old. Also, now that he has been singed by the Cowboys on a five-year/$62.5 million contract, Gallup’s dynasty value has stabilized as he can be their WR2 moving forward. If that is the case, we could see Gallup turn into a more consistent scorer rather than the boom-or-bust player we have seen (76% as a WR3+). I don’t see him reaching the top 30 in rankings, but if you are looking for a decent value on a high-upside WR, Gallup could be worth adding to your dynasty roster for 2022.
Fantasy impact on Prescott, Lamb, and Schultz
Now that Gallup has signed a multi-year deal to return to Dallas, how does this impact the dynasty value of surrounding players on the roster?
Dak Prescott managers breathe a sigh of relief
This was the expected move. After trading away Amari Cooper, it became imperative. The Cowboys placed themselves in salary cap purgatory, and one of the biggest losers had been Prescott. While CeeDee Lamb is his top option, Prescott has benefited from a multitude of high-level assets at his disposal.
Throughout his career, Prescott has been an outlier. He is one of just two QBs (Russell Wilson) to be drafted outside the first round since 2010 to finish their rookie season as a QB1 for fantasy (top 12). When healthy, Prescott has lived there. The only time in his six seasons where Prescott finished outside the top-12 was in 2020, where he suffered his devastating ankle injury in Week 5.
Prescott has averaged 22.3 points per game while finishing as a QB1 or better in 56% of his starts since entering the league. Since 2019, he has been outside the top-24 range in just 11% of his games (25.1 ppg). No question, Prescott is special. However, he has also benefited from one of the best receiver rooms in the NFL.
He has one of the best deep balls in the NFL and meshes well with Gallup. The two can hook up for a 65-yard TD to break a game open at any given moment. Yet, this might take several weeks as Gallup recovers from a Week 17 torn ACL. While Prescott was never in danger of falling outside the top 10 of dynasty QB rankings, managers can breathe a sigh of relief as Gallup returns. Now we wait and see if the Cowboys bring in more depth in free agency or the NFL Draft.
CeeDee Lamb remains the No. 3 ranked receiver in dynasty
Of the two moves the Cowboys have pulled off in recent days, the trade of Cooper to the Browns is more significant than re-signing Gallup for dynasty purposes. Lamb and Cooper were the 1A/1B of the Cowboys, with Gallup a distant third. This was even the case when Lamb was a rookie.
While Gallup was having a career year in 2020, Lamb was besting him stat for stat. As a rookie, Lamb posted 74 receptions on 111 targets for 935 yards and 5 TDs. Last year was more of the same, this time Lamb leading the whole roster at 79-of-120 receiving for 1,102 yards and 6 TDs. In the eight games last season without Gallup, Lamb averaged 7.38 targets with 4.62 receptions for 73.38 yards with 6 TDs (14.4 ppg).
The fact he can now play as the bonified, uncontested No. 1 means more than anything to Lamb, who is the WR3 in dynasty, behind the Tier 1 of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Lamb’s dynasty value is based on volume, which will not be going anywhere. That will remain uncontested early in the season with no real No. 2 option until Gallup returns as Cedrick Wilson Jr signed with the Dolphins.
Gallup will be one of the highest-earning free agent signings of the 2022 cycle, but that is more indicative of the market than his direct impact on Lamb. He was already virtually untouchable in dynasty and will remain so moving forward as one of the more special players in the NFL who has yet to reach his ceiling.
Dalton Schultz is a top-10 dynasty TE
Once Copper was traded, two moves had to happen. They had to make sure both Gallup and Schultz returned. While it is only on the franchise tag, for now, that’s good enough for me to feel confident in Schultz’s long-term dynasty value. He burst onto the scene in 2020 with 63 receptions, 615 yards, and 4 TDs (89 targets). In 2021, Schultz was even better, catching 78 of 104 targets for 808 yards with 8 touchdowns.
Not bad for a tight end who only saw 12 red-zone targets (17th amongst TEs). Over the last two seasons, Schultz has finished as a TE1 in 48% of his games (10.8 ppg), including 65% of the time in (12.3 ppg) as the TE3 overall. I see Schultz seeing more work inside the red zone as Cooper was Prescott’s top target with 18 inside the 20-yard line.
Gallup returning to the Cowboys as one of their free agency signings doesn’t necessarily tip the needle for me when it comes to Schultz. Primarily because I was already high on him. If anything, it just means zones in the defense will open up a bit more often, which certainly can’t harm anything.
