Midseason Awards – Dynasty Report Week 8 (Fantasy Football)

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Welcome back to the Dynasty Report!

This week’s dynasty report is different than most. We have officially hit the halfway point of the 2026 fantasy football season, and it is time for some midseason awards. These awards are mostly based on players’ on-field NFL performances through seven weeks, but also take into account player perception and other factors.

Come back next week for more rookie standouts, dynasty stock reports, prospect performances, and more dynasty content. And if you are looking for an even deeper look into dynasty football, be sure to tune in every week to the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast with Borg, Betz, and one of the Ballers!

Rookie of the Year – Denzel Boston

Runner-up – Omar Cooper Jr.

This year’s rookie class has shown flashes all-around. Kenyon Sadiq’s 23-point Week 3 was the highest-scoring game for a rookie so far this season, ahead of performances like Carnell Tate’s 20-point Week 4 and Jeremiyah Love’s 19.4-point Week 3. Omar Cooper Jr. is on pace to run away with the rookie of the year award, but he has not met the games played requirement to be considered on my ballot. 

Denzel Boston has had three top-20 WR finishes in the first seven weeks of the season, more than any other rookie at their position. Boston should be happy to win this mid-season award based on games played, as his 9.6 fantasy ppg is lower than Cooper Jr. and Caleb Douglas, and just above top-4 picks Tate and Love.

JaMarcus Russell Award (worst first-round rookie) – Jadarian Price

Runner-up – Makai Lemon

Jadarian Price wins this award by default for now, but it could be anyone’s to grab by the end of the year. I didn’t consider anyone who has not played at least a couple yet, either due to injury or being “redshirted” (you are welcome, Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Eli Stowers, and Jordyn Tyson). This left me with Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion Jr., Omar Cooper Jr., and Jadarian Price. The first six names on that list have at least shown one full game of why they were drafted highly. Lemon was the runner-up here, but his recent performance on Monday Night Football was good enough to keep him from winning this prestigious honor. 

Price played three full games before going to IR with a chest injury and combined for 12 total fantasy points across three weeks. Emanuel Wilson’s recent performances, along with the return of Zach Charbonnet, will make it tough for Price to return to a viable fantasy option this season.

Co-Uncs of the Year (best player 30+ years old) – George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey

The San Francisco 49ers have the oldest fantasy-relevant skill position group in the NFL, with George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and Deebo Samuel. Kittle finished the first half of the dynasty regular season as the TE3, while CMC sits at RB5. McCaffrey’s hamstring injury may impact whether he ends up falling out of the race for the Unc of the Year. 

While Josh Allen is technically eligible for the award, he does not fit into the same conversation of expiring dynasty assets in the same way as other players do. 

Biggest Riser – Matthew Golden

Runner-up – Bryce Young

The Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The pick was mocked for almost a year and a half, as Golden was on a similar trajectory to other first-round speedsters who cannot translate to the NFL, most notably John Ross III and, most recently, Xavier Worthy. He had one top-30 finish last season, and had the same amount of regular-season receiving TDs as you, yes, you. However, the Packers found something with Golden in their playoff game versus the Chicago Bears, where he went 4/84/1. 

The departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, along with the Jayden Reed injury, allowed Golden to shine. He currently sits as the WR8 on the season and has entered a different tier of dynasty WRs. According to KeepTradeCuts’ crowdsourced rankings, Golden is in the realm of Chris Olave, Parker Washington, Garrett Wilson, and Nico Collins.

Biggest Fallers – Los Angeles Chargers

Runner-up – Jalen Hurts

The Los Angeles Chargers ran away with this award, and every player on their team got a vote. Justin Herbert is the QB30 so far this season. That is behind Lamar Jackson and Caleb Williams, who have both played two fewer games than Herbert, as well as Cam Ward, Jameis Winston, and Daniel Jones. Ladd McConkey has dealt three separate injuries (concussion, foot, chest), which has led him to be the WR70 through seven weeks. This is one spot above Treylon Burkes, and behind guys like Jahan Dotson and Cody White. 

Omarion Hampton has been in a three-way timeshare with Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal during what was promised to be his breakout year. Mike McDaniel is certainly part of the problem, but the Chargers’ issues seem to be deeper than an OC. As much as I would like to say now is the time to buy low on all of these players, the boat seems to be sinking, and it is probably best to just stay away.

UDFA Player of the Year – J.J. McCarthy

Runner-up – Emanuel Wilson

Dynasty waivers are thin, and depending on your league’s roster size, there may not be any players on them who you could convince yourself have a chance to be fantasy relevant. However, both J.J. McCarthy and Emanuel Wilson could have been available on your dynasty waivers come Week 1. While Wilson’s value likely has an expiration date due to the commitments that the Seattle Seahawks have to Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price, there is now a path for McCarthy to become a starting NFL QB. It is too late to pick McCarthy up off waivers, but there is a chance that the McCarthy manager in your league is willing to cut ties with him now that his value is at its 2026 peak.

Most Tradable Asset – Ollie Gordon II

Runner-up – Marvin Harrison Jr.

De’Von Achane’s Week 3 ACL tear cleared the way for Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright to fight for the Miami Dolphins’ RB1 spot for 2026. Gordon II easily won the job, and his spot in most dynasty leagues was a young RB on a tanking/rebuilding team. He became a prime candidate for contending managers to buy for a 1-year rental as a starting RB.

 Marvin Harrison Jr. became the runner-up for this award when he got traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the Houston Texans. His NFL trade gave dynasty managers a chance to sell high on Marv, given that he has not produced at the NFL level. I saw Marv mockup trades all over the place once he left Arizona, but I would staunchly be on the side of getting rid of Marv and cashing in if you have the chance to.

Dynasty Nerd Player of the Year – Parker Washington

This is the first unanimous award given out. Parker Washington was the player who was most hyped up in the dynasty community all offseason, and he has backed it up with his play so far this season. Washington is the WR15 in fantasy PPG. His 6/124/2 performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in London was the best morning of Washington managers’ lives. The only question for Washington is: How high can he climb? The Washington manager in your league is probably a big-time believer in his talent, but if you think he has the ability to be a tier-one dynasty WR, there is still time to buy high and hope his value goes higher.

Prospect of the Year – Jeremiah Smith

The second unanimous award goes to Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith as the Prospect of the Year. Smith is currently projected to be the first WR selected first in the NFL Draft since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. Smith has averaged 7/141/2 in seven games this CFB season. Every dynasty manager who destroyed their roster to tank for the 2027 draft class should be excited to add Smith to their roster. The only potential issue for Smith would be finding a serviceable QB who can do enough to get him the ball, hopefully someone (at least) similar to Geno Smith, who has provided for Garrett Wilson and Omar Cooper Jr.

Dynasty MVP – Josh Allen

Runner-up – Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Josh Allen gives dynasty managers such positional value, especially in multi-QB leagues. The QB1 in dynasty is clearly Allen, while the guys like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Lamar Jackson fight to be QB2. Allen is the only player who I believe is in a tier of his own at his position in dynasty. While JSN is my WR1, I can see the case for Ja’Marr Chase or Puka Nacua. At RB, Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson project to be in a class of their own for the next few years, while Brock Bowers and Trey McBride battle for TE1. I do not need to explain why Allen is so great, as he is on pace for his sixth QB1 finish in the last seven years.

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