It’s good to be back. Last week, this article pivoted to focus entirely on a Trade Target list. For many of you, the trade deadline has now come and gone. Your roster is set, and you’re ready for the final stretch run. If your trade deadline hasn’t passed, check out last week’s article.
This week, however, we’re back to normal. With two weeks remaining until the fantasy football playoffs, many dynasty league playoff berths will be decided over the next 10 days. December also marks a special time for dynasty managers. It’s the segment of the season when young players often break out. Who can forget performances like Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2021? Future fantasy football stars continually emerge late in the season. Teams have different motivations, and that often fosters new opportunities.
On the flip side, this is also the time of year when we sometimes see older stars break down and fade into dynasty dust. Dynasty — and fantasy football in general — is one of the rare games where a player’s value can crash down to zero. As dynasty managers, we need to stay on our toes and adapt to the rising and falling of player values — all while trying to, you know, win our dynasty leagues.
Here are a few players who have recently gained or lost value — there will be plenty more to discuss over the next few weeks.
Stock Up
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 22 Years Old
Irving had tremendous post-bye week usage, which bodes well for his rest-of-season outlook and his prospects in 2025. He out-targeted Rachaad White six to one — no small feat. White currently ranks among the leaders in running back receptions this season and finished with 64 catches on his way to an RB5 overall finish in 2023. Irving has outperformed him as a runner all season and is now taking over as the primary receiving option out of the backfield. His 27.2 PPR points in Week 12 were his highest output of the season.
Last year at Oregon, Irving led the nation in receptions among running backs, showcasing his versatility. He has a tremendous ceiling as a two-way back. Rushing-wise, Irving leads all 2024 rookies in yardage and touchdowns. He also ranks first among all running backs with 100 or more rushing attempts in yards after contact per attempt (3.33) and is third in explosive run rate, trailing only Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs.
With his dual-threat role in the NFL, Irving could be viewed as a second-round pick in 2025 redraft leagues. Fantasy managers will not want to leave their drafts with this exciting talent. He is a locked-in starter no matter what your team's situation is moving forward.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos, 24 Years Old
It’s time for dynasty managers to start viewing Bo Nix as a top-10 quarterback. He continued his outstanding season with another stellar performance against the Las Vegas Raiders. Nix finished as the QB7 overall for the week — his sixth QB1 finish of the season. He is currently the QB7 on the season — trailing only Jayden Daniels among rookie signal-callers.
Over the past nine games, Nix has thrown 19 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has also been performing at an extremely high level despite a lack of skill-position talent around him. Aside from Courtland Sutton, there isn’t much to speak of in terms of players who can elevate a quarterback’s performance.
What happens when Denver adds more talent on the offensive side of the ball in this upcoming NFL Draft and through free agency? Nix could take an even larger leap forward in 2025. He looks like a keeper and a true franchise QB talent. His current dynasty ranking creates an opportunity for managers who still have open trade windows.
TJ Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings, 27 Years Old
TJ Hockenson is fully back, and dynasty managers have been reminded of what they’ve been missing — one of fantasy football’s most talented and reliable players at the position. Hockenson missed most of the season but returned in Week 9. He scored 15.2 points in Week 10 despite playing less than 50% of the snaps. Other tight ends — such as Josh Oliver — kept Hockenson in more of a limited role as a fun weapon rather than a full-time offensive focal point.
However, with Oliver sidelined in Week 12, Hockenson finally returned to a larger snap share. He played 66.2% of the snaps and tied for the team lead with a 22.9% target share. Hockenson delivered a season-high 114 receiving yards in the game.
Despite playing only four games this season, Hockenson has regained dynasty value. He has surpassed younger players like Dalton Kincaid and Kyle Pitts and re-established himself as an elite asset to roster at a problematic position for fantasy managers to find consistent scoring numbers at.
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals, 25 Years Old
Trey McBride is one of the truly elite target earners at the tight end position. This was in full on display as Arizona returned from their bye week. McBride had gaudy usage numbers, leading all players with a 40.5% target share and an absurd 55.6% 1st read rate. He was targeted 15 times, finishing with 12 catches for 133 yards. McBride continued to dominate Marvin Harrison Jr. in production - which was even more amplified given Arizona’s extra time to prepare with the additional time off. Any notion that Harrison Jr. would displace McBride as the preferred target in Arizona’s pecking order has been quickly erased this season and reinforced this week.
McBride has only one issue on the season fantasy-wise, and it’s a big one — touchdowns. He is currently 22nd all-time with 61 receptions without a score — an ominous ranking that is sure to clear up down the stretch. McBride is my TE2 overall in dynasty, and will most likely be drafted that way in startups next season directly behind Brock Bowers.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks, 22 Years Old
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been on an absolute tear, and it’s time to seriously consider ranking him as a WR1 in dynasty. He may already be there. All the pre-NFL Draft hype now seems completely warranted, as JSN looks poised for his first-ever WR1 finish. He is on pace for 112 receptions — well ahead of Tyler Lockett’s franchise record of 100 set in 2022.
JSN has been red-hot over his last three games, posting weekly scoring numbers of 37, 21.8, and 19.7 PPR points. He has commanded a 25% target share in each of those games. On the season, JSN ranks sixth among all wide receivers with 66 receptions and eighth in receiving yards with 755. He has surpassed DK Metcalf in target share (22.9% to 21.9%) while relegating longtime target magnet Lockett to a distant third with a sub-15% share.
With JSN’s age and profile, his 2025 outlook is massive. This was his first fully healthy offseason as a pro, and he could take a significant year-three leap next season. Dynasty managers who roster him have quickly gone from disappointment in 2023 to joy in 2024 — with a lot more to come.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles, 27 Years Old
What, you didn’t think I was going to mention Saquon Barkley? The age-apex believers are in complete disarray this season, and Barkley may have officially broken them. He is on the verge of breaking fantasy at 27 years old. But does his turning 28 this offseason scare you as much in dynasty as it did in years past?
There needs to be a deeper examination of the age apex itself, with multiple older backs — including Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, and Alvin Kamara — among the leading scorers at the position. Barkley will enter 2025 as the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in redraft leagues. He has also gained exceptional dynasty value. Barkley will remain a top-six dynasty asset at the position in 2025, surrounded by players like Jahmyr Gibbs, De’Von Achane, and Bijan Robinson — as well as Ashton Jeanty, aka "The Chosen One."
A next-level athlete, Barkley is poised to age gracefully in this thing of ours. With a tremendous team situation, he has completely rejuvenated his reputation as a fantasy football weapon of mass destruction during his first year in the City of Brotherly Love.
Stock Down
Kyren Williams, RB, LA Rams, 24 Years Old
Williams continues to dominate RB usage in LA. He leads all running backs with a 77.5% rush share and an 87.9% snap share — both tops at the position. However, Williams has seen a sharp decrease in his fantasy scoring numbers. Over the past four weeks, he has failed to score more than 11.2 PPR points. From Weeks 9-12, Williams ranks as the RB25 during this stretch.
LA has become increasingly pass-heavy, heavily consolidating their targets — and seemingly their offensive game plan — around Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Williams has 25 catches on the season but has gone back-to-back weeks without a single target. If the lack of scoring and receiving work weren’t enough, Williams also has a significant fumbling issue. He leads all non-quarterbacks with five fumbles, including two in LA’s blowout loss to Philadelphia.
Blake Corum has not been a factor all season, but if Williams’ fumbling issues persist, Corum could get his chance. Additionally, LA could look to the running back position in the loaded 2025 NFL Draft, putting even more pressure on Williams heading into next season. While Williams has been a Sean McVay favorite, his hold on the running back position in LA is looking far more tenuous in the long term.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills, 25 Years Old
Dalton Kincaid has had about as uneventful and disappointing a dynasty season as imaginable. Hopes for a late-season surge in scoring production have been short-lived, as Kincaid will miss another game with a knee injury. He has not surpassed 51 receiving yards in a single game and has only scored two touchdowns all season.
Kincaid may be facing the least amount of target competition that he will have at any point in his career. Buffalo entered the season with no established wide receivers, yet Kincaid still failed to get going. He has been a disaster of a pick in redraft leagues and has lost significant trade value in dynasty formats. I recently traded away two shares of Kincaid as part of tier-up packages. He has fallen to the low end of dynasty TE1 levels.
He could lose even more value this offseason: the 2025 class is LOADED and deep, with at least two players expected to be drafted in the first round, and several more will hear their names called on day two. Don’t believe me? Go to YouTube and watch highlight film of Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, and Harold Fannin Jr. — enjoy.
Watch List
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns, 25 Years Old
Jeudy could have been on the risers, and he will be if he has another big game this week. Over his last four games played Jeudy has scored 12.9, 14.3, 26.2, and 14.5 points, respectively. He has rejuvenated his career in Cleveland.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers, 23 Years Old
Young had one of - if not his best - games as a pro in Carolina’s overtime loss to Kansas City. He may have put himself back in the discussion for Carolina’s opening game starter in 2025. The Dave Canales QB whisperer narrative remains intact.
Kimani Vidal, RB, LA Chargers, 23 Years Old
Vidal could be a sneaky end-of-season riser in fantasy. An injury to JK Dobbins has opened up a path for the rookie to mix in on weekly touches with Gus Edwards. There is a range of outcomes that includes Vidal as a starter in the fantasy playoffs.
