In last week’s Market Report, I took a bird's-eye view of the elite prospects in the upcoming 2025 rookie class. Evaluating future prospects is a constant in dynasty leagues and the lifeblood of talent influx on our rosters. The NFL Draft is a de facto holiday for us as dynasty managers, bringing new talent into the league and renewed hope for fantasy managers.
Rookie draft preparation and accumulating rookie picks are essential tasks for us as dynasty managers each year. However, one growing aspect of our player evaluation process has increasingly been analyzing and preparing for free agency. In the past, free agents often fell into the category of older players with diminishing returns, offering limited value for our dynasty rosters. If an NFL team moved on and chose not to re-sign them, it might signal issues with the player. But this season, free agency has been anything but business as usual.
2025 has become the Year of the Free Agent. Disagree? It’s hard to argue at this point. Just take a look at your dynasty league standings. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley are the RB1 and RB3 overall, looking like potential “league winners.” Joining them among the top-20 RB scorers are Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, J.K. Dobbins, and Josh Jacobs — all thriving on new teams and providing dynasty managers with weekly RB value. David Montgomery is on his way to a second straight season as a high-end RB2 after signing with Detroit in the 2023 offseason.
Running backs indeed lead the charge among impactful free agents this season, but players at other positions are also making their mark with high-level fantasy scoring. Baker Mayfield — the QB2 overall — is in his second season with Tampa Bay after signing with the Bucs as a free agent. Darnell Mooney is enjoying his finest season as a pro in a resurgent Atlanta offense, slotting in as the WR12 overall.
Nearly every player listed has increased their fantasy scoring on their new teams. The reasons for this are varied. Some players, like Henry and Barkley, thrive in improved offensive environments. Others, like Swift, are benefitting from increased usage and opportunities. Then there are players like Mooney and Dobbins, who were once considered trade throwaways but are now either featured players (Mooney) or simply healthier (Dobbins). For Mayfield, it’s a case of one man’s trash being another man’s treasure, as the former #1 overall pick is having his best season as a pro, playing loose and aggressively each week.
There’s also the “new voice/changed situation” theory. Like us regular, non-superstar humans, sometimes a job becomes stagnant, and a new role brings out our best abilities and re-energizes us. We may never know which of these players fall into this category, but it’s hard to imagine it hasn’t become easier for players like Barkley to perform compared to previous seasons.
The 2025 free agent class is not as strong as 2024, but there are still plenty of players who could land in better situations than they are in right now, and extend their dynasty shelf life or even their dynasty value.
Here are a few notable players.
Free Agents to Watch in Dynasty
!!UPDATE!! Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers, 25 Years Old
This season, with second-round draft pick Jonathan Brooks spending the entire season on IR, Hubbard has taken his game to a much higher level. He is averaging career highs in yards per carry (5.0) and fantasy points per game (15.3) and is currently the RB9 overall. He has a career-high 6 touchdowns and the fifth-most rushing yards in the league. Hubbard is accomplishing all of this despite Carolina averaging a bottom-5 level 16.3 PPG.
Lo and behold, Hubbard re-signed with Carolina on Thursday for a 4-year, $33.2M contract with $15M guaranteed.
The Panthers rewarded him for his fine play with a larger-than-expected contract. Hubbard is now the ninth highest-paid RB in football. The hope of him escaping Jonathon Brooks is now gone, but this sort of contract is not handed out if the team does not intend to use him. My guess would be that the Panthers will attempt a “Detroit Lions” South approach with Hubbard in the Montgomery role, and Brooks as the defacto Jahmyr Gibbs role. Whoever is Carolina’s starting quarterback in 2025 will be utilizing his running backs a lot.
Despite not having the backfield to himself anymore, this is a decent time to send out an offer for Hubbard and see how the manager rostering them values him for the rest of the season and beyond. He can be a continual source of RB utility value for the rest of the 2024 season and now beyond.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati, 25 Years Old
In previous articles, I have discussed Higgins as a player for rebuilding teams to trade for and as a dynasty riser. Higgins is not only one of the best free agents available for fantasy football but one of the best players in the NFL free agent class. He will be viewed as an immediate WR1 for multiple teams. Fantasy managers should continue trying to trade for him. There will be various landing spot scenarios where his role and volume increase.
Moreover, his age is also in the WR sweet spot for production. (He turns 26 in January). Higgins has missed multiple weeks this season, but his quality of play when on the field has been outstanding. He has a 26.7% target share, a 40.4% air yards share, and is averaging 16.7 PPG. Expect multiple teams to line up for Higgins’ services.
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh, 26 Years Old
You might be saying, “hey Theo, I have been trying to trade Najee off of my dynasty team for a few years now.” I hear you. I also tried to move him. His career arc has been a roller coaster.
2021 — Harris is a league winner. He averages 17.7 PPG and catches 74 passes. He finishes as RB6 overall. Harris finishes the season as one of the highest rated running backs in dynasty rankings.
2022 — Harris is a major disappointment in redraft and fails to deliver at ADP. He is also a huge disappointment to the dynasty managers who drafted him as an RB1 in startups. His reception total drops to 41, and his PPG drops to 13.2. On a positive note, he rushed for 1000+ yards and scored 10 TDs for the second straight season.
2023 — Harris falls to RB30, and his receptions total drops even further to 29. He still manages to rush for 1000+ yards and scores 8 TDs.
One thing to remember with Harris is that NFL GMs are not fantasy managers. There will be many who view Harris somewhat in the same light as a David Montgomery-type signing. He plays through injuries, continually rushes for 1000 yards, has first-round pedigree, and is extremely durable. Harris could land on a top-notch offense and provide fantasy managers with a monster season.
JK Dobbins, RB, LA Chargers, 25 Years Old
J.K. Dobbins is having one of his best seasons as a professional, remaining completely healthy after enduring multiple season-ending injuries throughout his career. His signing with the L.A. Chargers was overlooked by many this offseason, but it has proven to be exactly what Dobbins needed to rejuvenate his career and remind NFL GMs just how talented he can be when healthy.
While Dobbins may have lost some of the burst he displayed early in his career, he still managed to hit 19.2 MPH on a long run in Week 1. Re-signing him would make sense for L.A., although some teams might be wary due to his previous injuries.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Baltimore Ravens, 28 Years Old
I listed Diontae Johnson as as dynasty loser last week, but he will have a chance at a bailout this offseason. Johnson is in a target squeeze right now in Baltimore, and played only 17 snaps in his first game as a Raven. Expect that number to trend up. A strong rest of season and post season could be a boost for a player that has 421 career receptions. The Darnell Mooney and Marquise Brown signings this past offseason should give you an idea of the interest a player like Johnson should command on the open market. He could be viewed as a plug and play WR2 for multiple teams.
Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings, 27 Years Old
Sam Darnold has completely turned around his career this season in Minnesota. With JJ McCarthy waiting in the wings, Darnold will almost certainly be on another team to start the 2025 season. He will arrive in his new job with hype and enthusiasm. Darnold is tied for 4th in the NFL with 17 TD passes and is 8th in completion percentage. He has led the Vikings to a 6-2 record. Darnold’s age will also be very appealing for multiple teams. His pathway to mid-career success is impressive and slightly improbable. He was seemingly left for dead in dynasty when the Jets moved on from him early on in his career. His remarkable career arc turnaround is almost fully complete. A team like the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, or Las Vegas Raiders would love to have him right now and will have their chance to sign him in a few months.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 28 Years Old
It would make sense for Godwin to re-sign with Tampa Bay and continue his career alongside Mayfield and Mike Evans, but that is no guarantee. Provided he recovers well from his season-ending injury, Godwin will be a player that several teams will hone in on as an instant difference-maker. Godwin averaged 19.7 PPG this season in fantasy, and has appealing versatility for teams with his ability to thrive in the slot and bump outside. He will turn 29 this offseason.
Other Free Agents to Watch
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals, 29 Years Old
Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings, 29 Years Old
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns, 28 Years Old
Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers, 25 Years Old
Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans, 30 Years Old
Amari Cooper, WR, Buffalo Bills, 30 Years Old
Stock Up
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks, 22 Years Old
JSN had his best game as a pro, putting on an impressive performance reminiscent of 2021 Cooper Kupp while facing off against Kupp and the LA Rams. He finished with 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 TDs - and this was not including multiple plays negated because of penalties. Earlier in the season, Smith-Njigba scored 23.7 PPR points, with 16 targets and 12 catches — but no TDs and only 9.8 yards per reception.
This week, his yards per reception skyrocketed to an incredible 25.7. With DK Metcalf out, this level of dominant usage should be put into context, but fantasy scoring of this caliber is not something that we can brush off to contingent upside. This was the real deal from a player whom dynasty managers had been excited about since his days at Ohio State.
JSN was viewed as an elite talent throughout the draft process and a player who could earn targets right away as a pro. Seattle selected him as the top wide receiver off the board in the 2023 NFL draft. Games like this could be the start of something very special. This game marks the beginning of what should be a very strong rest of the season for JSN, with his dynasty value expected to rise above his 2024 offseason price.
He was also not the only first-round pick from the 2023 draft class to finish with massive fantasy production in Week 9.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens, 24 Years Old
Zay Flowers continued his recent streak of impactful fantasy scoring. Flowers has recorded 111+ receiving yards in four of his last six games. In previous performances, he struggled to find the end zone, but in Week 9, his fantasy managers were finally rewarded with a massive spike week.
Flowers caught two touchdown passes against one of the league’s stingiest defenses in terms of allowing wide receiver touchdowns. He caught a short-yard touchdown and then followed it up with a highlight-reel grab toward the end of the first half. In this play, he caught the ball in the middle of the field, cut to the outside as if he were going out of bounds, then exploded up the sidelines for a long-yard touchdown.
Diontae Johnson’s presence had little to no impact on Flowers' usage, and even if Johnson gains more targets, it’s hard to imagine Flowers’ role diminishing in any way. He is the featured weapon in the passing game and is helping turn the Baltimore Ravens offense into a “big three” alongside Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Flowers is a locked-in top-20 WR in dynasty.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 25 Years Old
Cade Otton is up to TE3 overall and is enjoying a huge breakout season. He has been the biggest beneficiary from the loss of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and has now recorded three straight top-5 weekly performances. In this stretch of games, Cade Otton has 25 catches on 30 targets and 258 receiving yards—the most among all TEs and the third-most of all receivers, trailing only Justin Jefferson and Garrett Wilson. For the season, Otton is fourth among all TEs in receptions with 44 and tied for third in TD catches with 4.
A young and affordable TE who is a preferred target of Baker Mayfield, Otton is a player that dynasty managers should be cautious about simply trading away. He has three straight seasons with 42 or more receptions and has proven to be a reliable pass catcher.
Stock Down
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miam Dolphinsi, 25 Years Old
Week One feels like an eternity ago for Jaylen Waddle managers. The Dolphins defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Waddle had five catches for 109 yards. Everything felt right for fantasy managers who had drafted him in the third round of redraft leagues or viewed him as a foundational piece on their dynasty rosters. Since then, however, it has all been downhill. Hopes for a quick rebound after Tua Tagovailoa returned have quickly faded.
Waddle has been completely nonexistent since Miami returned from their bye week, with only seven catches, 52 yards, and a touchdown. He is currently unplayable in all formats and has lost considerable dynasty value. Before the season started, Waddle was viewed as a high-end WR2, but in next year’s dynasty startups, he will likely be drafted among the WR3s. He does have contract insulation after signing a new contract last offseason, and could rebound from this current price. Dynasty managers should be patient with this one, but the lack of production is still a bitter pill to swallow.
Chris Olave, WR, Miami Dolphins, 24 Years Old
Besides Alvin Kamara, this season has been a complete disaster for the New Orleans Saints. Chris Olave has been part of the wreckage. He suffered his second concussion of the season — and the fourth of his career. The concussion occurred on a dangerous pass from Derek Carr, leading to a social media blitz from former Saint Michael Thomas and Olave’s own brother, amplifying the QB issues Olave has had to endure throughout his NFL career.
Olave has long been a metrics king, with sharp fantasy analysts getting excited about his potential seemingly every offseason. He provided the sizzling combination of a strong air yards share and target share. There have been many games with strong production, but not the elite kind many dynasty managers expected after New Orleans selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
He is about to finish his third season as a pro without a single Top 15 WR finish. The concussion issue is serious, and there is a non-zero chance his season is over — especially with the direction the Saints are headed in the win-loss column.
Dynasty managers looking to trade him are in for a haircut. I moved an Olave share this week in a single QB $750 entry FFPC league for Deebo Samuel and a 2025 3rd rounder. If you are a contending team with Olave on your roster, it is time to follow suit.
Dynasty Watch List
Mar’Shawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers, 23 Years Old
Lloyd is nearing a return after a spell on the IR. The 3rd round draft pick was an exciting prospect out of USC, with two way ability, size and athleticism. He should easily pass Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson in the RB pecking order behind Josh Jacobs.
Demario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots, 23 Years Old
Douglas finished with his fourth game with 9 targets. He should benefit from the rise of Drake Maye throughout the course of the second half of the season.
Audric Estime, RB, Denver Broncos, 21 Years Old
There are reports out of Denver from beat reporters that Estime will see an increased role for the rest of the year. He rushed 5 times for 35 yards in Week 10. Estime has had issues with fumbles, but the size and efficiency are hard to ignore. Estime set the single season school record for rushing TDs last season at Notre Dame with 18.
