Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first installment of the Dynasty Nerds App League Weekly Review. As many of you are aware, the Dynasty Nerds staff started a new and exciting league this past offseason. We gathered some of the best and brightest minds from across the company to take part in a new league. Commissioner Keith Ensminger published an article earlier this year detailing some of the interesting format nuances this league would employ. You can find that article here. Now, on with the Nerds App League Week 2 preview!
This is the first in a series of articles that will cover the league wins and losses, who is hot, and who is not. We will break down the league standings, cover the individual matchups, highlighting which players came through for their managers and which ones left them high and dry. At the end of each article, we will feature an interview with one of the managers. First up on the interview, I will get some thoughts from our commissioner, Keith Ensminger. Without further ado, let’s see how Week 1 treated the Nerds.
Week 1 Recap | Fantasy Football Experts League
Week 1 across the NFL was filled with some big surprises. There were some big-time points put up by the usual names and some stinkers that were dropped by some we expected to do much more. Daniel Jones comes to my mind as the biggest surprise. Ahead of the Monday Night Football matchup between the Bears and Vikings, Daniel Jones is the surprise player of the week. The new Colts QB put up a top-10 total for the week. He engineered one of the most dominant wins in recent Colts history. In fact, broadcasters announced that it was the first time since the Peyton Manning era that an Indianapolis QB had led his team on every drive in the first half. Danny Dimes was on fire, slinging for 272 yards and a beautiful TD to Michael Pittman Jr.
Week 1 MVP | Top Fantasy Performer
Buffalo QB Josh Allen was the fantasy MVP of the week. His feverish efforts to lead a desperate last-minute comeback against the AFC rival Ravens were something to see. With the team down double digits late in the 4th quarter, he managed to rally the troops and stun the Ravens. A late-game Derrick Henry fumble helped pave the way for Allen to put up a monster stat line of 394 passing yards with a pair of TDs. He also managed to chip in an impressive 30 rushing yards and two rushing scores. He held up his end of the bargain in the battle of the two most recent NFL MVPs and helped guide both the Buffalo Bills and our very own Peter Monahan to victory in Week 1.
Week 1 Matchups | Recap of Head-to-Head Winners and Losers
Taylor Christianson vs Jared Wackerly
Week 1 proved many things, but first and foremost among them was that depth is key with such deep starting requirements. Taylor’s team got far more consistent play despite the disappointing output from stud QB Joe Burrow. Jared simply couldn’t overcome the single-digit point output from 8 starters. Jerome Ford, in particular, failed to put up even a single point. Both managers were quite efficient with their lineups, with only Keon Coleman being the lone exception on MySleepers’ bench. Taylor Christianson starts the season 2-0 while Jared Wackerly falls to 0-2.
Peter Monahan vs Jon Glosser
Pete was led by some studly efforts by Josh Allen, Justin Fields, and Bijan Robinson. They powered his squad to one of the top scores in the entire league. Jon had some really nice point totals from a number of his players, but his depth came back to bite him in the but on this one. In particular, a 0-point effort from Xavier Worthy and a -0.20 total from Kaleb Johnson was just too much to overcome. Peter Monahan starts the season 2-0 while Jon Glosser falls just shy of the Median and limps out the gate 0-2.
Matthew Mitchell vs Rich Dotson
In the tightest match of the week, Team ReflipeWThenuz managed to squeak by DynastyRich. This was the only game of the week to finish within a single-digit point margin. Each team only had three players finish under 10 points. The final difference in the score came down to Brock Purdy outscoring Trevor Lawrence. Neither squad left any real points on the bench, with only Juan Johnson scoring over 10 points. Matthew Mitchell starts 2-0; Rich Dotson 1-1.
Nick Piovano vs John Hammersmith
Neither side put up a banner week, but Nick Piovano got enough for the W. He was led in this one by a 25.99 point effort by Caleb Williams. Neither manager could have done anything meaningful to change the outcome, as both squads had minimal points left on the bench. Nick Piovano wins; John Hammersmith loses.
Mychal Warno vs Keith Ensminger
Both sides were really efficient with their starting lineups. This one was truly a case of TheSmingDynasty’s studs laying duds. Keith got single-digit point totals out of Amon-Ra St.Brown, TreVeyon Henderson, Terry McLaurin, and Brian Thomas Jr. Brighter days likely lie ahead for this talented squad. Mychal Warno starts 2-0; Keith Ensminger 0-2.
Garret Price vs Matt Cooper
Garret managed to pull it out in the end. CouchScoutsCoop had a hard time overcoming the necessity of starting Bhayshul Tuten in his starting lineup. He really didn’t have a replacement on his bench, dooming him in this one. Aaron Rodgers was another potential play he could have made to up his point total. Garret Price starts 2-0; Matt Cooper 0-2.
Trade of the Week | Blockbuster Deal with Lopsided Results?
This trade raised some eyebrows across the league when it went down. Luxembourgh was a late addition to the league, taking over a team he did not himself draft. As such, he made a flurry of trades to augment his team to his liking. Paramount among his concerns was addressing his QB room. When asked what his thoughts were on the trade, he responded, “This deal is gonna look beautiful in 6 months.” We will have to monitor how this deal plays out. One thing is for sure, the Dynasty Nerds Trade Calculator saw a clear winner.
Interview of the Week: Keith Ensminger AKA “TheSmingDynasty”
Q: So, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What team do you root for? How long have you played Dynasty, and how long have you been with Dynasty Nerds?
A: I am from Mechanicsburg, PA. I am a Jets fan and have been playing dynasty fantasy football for 12 years. I have been with Dynasty Nerds for 6 years. I am currently a senior writer and NFL prospect analyst.
Q: Tell me a little bit about your squad in the Nerds App League. What were you going with in this build?
A: I really wanted a top 3 spot so I could ensure I had one of Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen, or Lamar Jackson. I was confident I could figure out the rest as I went.
Q: If you had to grade your startup draft, what letter grade would you give it?
A: I’d give myself a B. I think I have the best QB room in the league and one of the top groups of WRs. But I have left myself vulnerable at RB and TE. Hopefully, my rookie selections can fill the void.
Q: Give me your impressions of Week 1. Do you feel like any of the teams were better or worse than you anticipated throughout the pre-season?
A: I’ve been playing fantasy football for a long time, and Week 1 is always the toughest for setting lineups. Especially for dynasty players! After months of off-season discussion and hype, we want to start and show off our shiny new rookie toys. The early usage stats for rookies were notable. Dyland Sampson and Harold Fanin Jr. were very involved in the Browns’ passing game. Omarion Hampton got the lion’s share of carries for the Chargers, while Bhayshul Tuten and Kaleb Johnson barely saw the field. With that said, I’m not sure there’s a lot we can take away, good or bad, about any of our team’s performances. Ja’Marr Chase was WR74 for the week; that isn’t likely to continue.
Q: Give me your feelings on your own Week 1 matchup. What can we expect to see from your squad in Week 2?
A: After a few recent trades, the Dynasty Nerds App has me rated as the top-ranked team for dynasty value in our league. But I knew I was in trouble with my first matchup against DynastyDadMike. With players like CMC, Alvin Kamara, and Mike Evans, he is built to win early, whereas I’m hoping my team’s best days are ahead. However, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with my WRs. I expect better play moving forward. I took a scatter-shot approach with my TEs. While Theo Johnson put up a dud, I was happy to see Noah Fant so involved. I’ll be starting him going forward.
Week 2 Nerds App League Matchups
| Manager | Record | vs. | Opponent Manager | Opponent Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Christianson | 2-0 | vs. | John Hammersmith | 0-2 |
| Jared Wackerly | 0-2 | vs. | Jon Glosser | 0-2 |
| Peter Monahan | 2-0 | vs. | Nick Piovano | 1-1 |
| Matthew Mitchell | 2-0 | vs. | Mychal Warno | 2-0 |
| Rich Dotson | 1-1 | vs. | Matt Cooper | 0-2 |
| Keith Ensminger | 0-2 | vs. | Garret Price | 2-0 |
Check Out Our 2025 Fantasy Football Predictions!
The Nerds App managers submitted their rookies, sleepers, MVPs, breakout candidates, and league predictions for the 2025 NFL season. Remember: You get to save one of the bottom three managers from being kicked out of the league, so make sure to stay tuned all season!
