NFL Football is still up and running, so there is still plenty of NFL interest. This should mean continued Fantasy Football interest if you play in Dynasty Leagues since Dynasty never sleeps. The off-season for Dynasty Leagues should be centered around shaping your team in the direction you want it to go for 2025. League activity is what separates the casual Dynasty Fantasy Football manager from the ones that turn into Champions. Identifying the right players now that will pay off later is a true way to get an edge in your leagues.
Fantasy Football terms and phrases seem universally known, but not universally defined. So when using Fantasy Football lingo, it is important to define what I mean. Today we look at “buy lows”, which for me refers to players you can acquire via trade at a discounted value right now vs. the value they will return as soon as next season. Their market value now does not match my perceived future value. Capitalizing on these types of players can help you build a strong roster for next season. I have 7 players that fit this category that you should target this off-season.
10 Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy Lows
1. Mark Andrews (Ravens, TE)
Recency bias is real, and seeing the reactions to Mark Andrews dropping the go-ahead tieing two-point conversion for the Ravens in the Divisional Round speaks to that. Fellow Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely out-producing Andrews 126 to 88 in receiving yards through two post-season games this season adds to that valuation drop.
Mark Andrews will become an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2026, which means he is going nowhere in 2025. The Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews connection has been one of the strongest quarterback-to-tight-end connections on a consistent basis, which is evident by Andrews finishing as a top-eight Fantasy tight end in points per game (PPG) for six straight seasons. In five of those six seasons, Andrews finished as a top-five Fantasy tight end in PPG. In 2024 Andrews produced 673 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Andrews had a slow start to the year but from Weeks 6 through 18 he averaged 13.9 Fantasy PPG, with six weeks over 15 Fantasy Points. Touchdowns elevated Andrews’ Fantasy season, but that upside is going nowhere in 2025 in this Ravens offense.
2. Rome Odunze (Bears, WR)
There was a lot of hype for Rome Odunze out of Washington prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, with many people tying his profile tightly to fellow elite prospects such as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Navers from that class. First-round draft capital from Chicago to pair with first-overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams set up Odunze for a bright future, with some decent expectations for this 2024 season. Odunze finished his rookie campaign with 101 targets, 53 catches, 734 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and averaged just 8.5 Fantasy PPG. Not a dud of a season but nothing to talk too highly about from a Fantasy lens.
Although Odunze was not a trusted weekly FLEX play by any means for Fantasy Football, he did flash for Fantasy a few times:
- Week 3: Six catches on 11 targets for 112 receiving yards and a touchdown. 23.4 Fantasy Points. WR7 finish
- Week 9: Five catches on seven targets for 104 yards. 15.4 Fantasy Points. WR22 finish
- Week 14: Four catches on five targets for 42 yards and two touchdowns. 20.2 Fantasy Points
Earning over 100 targets on a team that also featured the likes of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet should be an emphasized note as well. Rookie to rookie, Caleb looked for Rome plenty. Rome’s 13.8 average depth of target (aDot) was top-12 for the position, and when you are being targeted at a deeper rate that does not always equal the easiest of plays to always make. The same goes for air yards, which Odunze tied for 13th in at 1,400. With Williams not connecting as often as we liked to Odunze, the potential for that to be cleaned up and more big plays to make is certainly there. Especially if Chicago can address that offensive line, and even more encouraging with the recent major news that Ben Johnson (former Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator) will be then next Head Coach. Buy talent now before the situation changes.
3. Jared Goff (Lions, QB)
Another case of recency bias is the outlook on Jared Goff following the 45-31 loss to the Commanders in the Divisional Round. Goff threw 23/40 for 313 yards, a touchdown, but also three interceptions. This was a huge blow for the Lions, who came into the Divisional Round off of a BYE following a 15-2 record this season. Many have questioned if Goff is “the guy” who can bring Detroit a Super Bowl.
Goff has thrown 4,575/4,629 passing yards and 30/37 touchdowns in the last two seasons. 2023 was a solid passing year, and he upped those two categories in 2024. Goff finished second in passing yards this season at a 72.4% completion percentage, and those 37 passing touchdowns ranked fourth. For Fantasy Football, Goff finished sixth in total scoring and averaged 19.7 Fantasy PPG on the year which made him an extremely useful asset for rosters this season. Clear upside through the air translated to clear Fantasy Football upside, with Goff scoring over 25 Fantasy Points six times on the year. Goff is under contract through 2028 and will continue to thrive with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahymr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, and David Montgomery. The buying window may be short but it has to be now following that playoff loss.
4. Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins, WR)
It was an extremely rough year for former first-round (2021) talent Jaylen Waddle, who had the worst statistical year of his four-year career. Waddle earned 83 targets, caught 58 of them for 744, scored two touchdowns, and averaged just 10 Fantasy Points in 2024 through 15 games. The context to Waddle’s down year could be tied to being banged up at times and the games Tua Tagovailoa was absent, which meant a horrible-looking Dolphins offense. All-in-all the Dynasty outlook seems poor for Waddle, who has fallen down the rankings list for many sites/analysts.
Prior to 2024, Waddle produced 1,014, 1,356, and 1,015 receiving yards showing a consistency in surpassing 1,000 yards through the air. 2021-2023 Waddle was a top-12 producer in the yards-after-catch department, showcasing true playmaking and explosiveness. When you look again at that 1,356 receiving-yard season, it is simply hard to just fluke something like that at the NFL level. Waddle has finished seasons averaging 14.2 (#21 in 2023), 15.3 (#12 in 2022), and 15.4 (#15 in 2021) Fantasy PPG which shows the history of being a great Fantasy producer. Tyreek Hill is getting closer to 31 years old and has a very questionable future in Miami after some heated interviews. We have seen the Tua to Waddle connection in the past, Waddle has been a consistent yardage producer and Fantasy asset and is just 26 years old. Buy upside when production dips.
5. Chris Olave (Saints, WR)
2024 was a shortened season for Chris Olave, who only appeared in games through nine weeks due to a concussion, and the Saints likely being cautious with him due to it being a lost season. Olave had some down weeks, including four weeks finishing with under four Fantasy Points (some cut short) but also had some spike weeks with weeks of 20.6 (Week 3), 16.7 (Week 4), and 18.7 (Week 8) Fantasy Points. The market never seemed super high on Olave to begin with, and this short season just continued to push him down Dynasty rankings.
The former first-round talent (2022) earned 119 then 138 targets, caught 72 then 87 balls, produced 1,042 then 1,123 receiving yards, and averaged 13.2 (#25) then 14.5 (#19) Fantasy PPG through his first two seasons prior to 2024. When I spell that out it just says he has consistently earned solid volume, produced good yardage, and been a Fantasy asset. The Saints are a team that may be shifting more than people think sooner rather than later. Derek Carr is under contract until 2026, but I would not be shocked if the quarterback change happened sooner. Olave is still just 24.
6. DK Metcalf (Seahawks, WR)
2024 started with some promise for DK Metcalf before he completely fell off. Prior to missing two weeks, DK finished games with 28.9 (Week 2), 20.4 (Week 3), 15.4 (Week 4), and 19.9 (Week 7) Fantasy Points. Upon returning to action though, DK averaged just 10.68 Fantasy Points in Weeks 11-18. The slide in production along with the major Jaxon Smith-Njigba breakout have led to the market frowning on DK stocks.
Early during the season we saw DK produce over 100 yards on three occasions and total three touchdowns through the first seven weeks. Through six NFL seasons, Metcalf has finished with 1,114 (2023), 1,048 (2022), and 1,303 (2020) receiving yards as well as finished with 12 (2021) and 10 (2020) touchdowns which shows clear upside on his resume. We once valued DK as a clear top-12 Dynasty wide receiver, and although he is well outside that valuation now I still would be very comfortable with him as my weekly FLEX just knowing what we have seen through his career so far. 2025 is a contract year, and I have faith it will feature plenty of the JSN – DK as a one-two punch.
7. Najee Harris (Steelers, RB)
In 2024, Najee Harris finished as the RB20, averaging 12 Fantasy PPG on the year. Not a year where Harris was a difference-maker to guide Fantasy managers to a championship by any means. Najee scored under 10 Fantasy Points six times but also above 15 Fantasy Points five times. Najee has not lived up to his rookie season where he rushed for 1,200 yards, caught 74 balls for 467 yards, and averaged 17.7 (#6) Fantasy PPG.
There is always a ton of hate on Najee but he has consistently been a 1,000 rushing yard producer. 1,200 to 1,038 to 1,035 to 1,060 through four years. Two seasons scoring double-digit Fantasy Points along with two seasons catching over 40 passes shows a little bit of upside paired with that 1,000-yard club consistency. What is appealing to me is that Najee is an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2025, because I do think he is going to be more sought out for than people want to acknowledge. The Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers are some teams that come to mind as very appealing and will have open vacancies at running back for 2025. I know many analysts are against buying running backs this time of year, but if you are looking at a free agent running back you need to make the move before they potentially get hyped up in their new home.
