Dynasty Fantasy Football never sleeps. If you play in a Dynasty League, you likely have a football lens on the entire year beyond just the NFL Season. Or maybe that is just me, an example of a Fantasy Football degenerate. Regardless of your level of commitment in your Dynasty League, I will always strongly believe that league activity is one of the biggest separating factors in winning championships.
Every Dynasty League is different in terms of the number of managers, experience of managers, commitment of managers, league scoring, league settings, roster settings, depth of rosters, and other factors. So when it comes to who may or may not be available on your current waiver wire, the wide range of league variables will have an impact on that. You and I can both play in 12-team Dynasty Leagues, but due to roster size differences in our leagues, you might have a wide range of players available on waivers while my waivers are super thin. So when I speak on waiver wire players within this article, keep this all in mind.
NFL Free Agency is always a domino effect. Players who move to a new team may get an increase or decrease in opportunity that will directly translate to Fantasy Football in both positive and negative ways. On the same note, when a player leaves their current team for another in Free Agency, this may open up the door for other players currently on those rosters to have a bigger role the next season. With both of these scenarios in mind, I have put together a list of players that you should consider rostering now prior to their values changing following the 2025 NFL Free Agency. NFL Free Agency does not begin until March, but I always look to push content to get you guys multiple steps ahead of your competition with the intent to help you Play 2 Win. Let’s get it!
NFL Free Agency Impacts: Dynasty Stashes
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields opened up the first six weeks of the season as the Steelers quarterback. During this stretch of games, Fields finished weeks with 245 (Week 3) and 312 (Week 4) passing yards, threw multiple touchdowns in Week 5, rushed for 55+ yards three times, scored five rushing touchdowns, and scored 19.4 (Week 3), 32 (Week 4), and 23.7 (Week 6) Fantasy Points. The former 11th overall pick in 2021 rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns back in 2022 and averaged 18.4 Fantasy points per game (PPG) in 2023 (#9) as well as 20.5 Fantasy PPG in 2022 (#5). The dual-threat quarterback has had plenty of upside throughout his career specific to Fantasy Football and may have earned himself an opportunity somewhere new after his early flashes in 2024. Should Justin Fields be a starter somewhere, he would have top-12 upside due to his rushing upside.
Mac Jones finished as a top-12 Fantasy quarterback in two of his six games starting in place of an injured Trevor Lawrence following the Jaguars’ Week 12 BYE. During this span, Jones threw eight passing touchdowns, had a 294 passing-yard game, and scored over 17 Fantasy Points three times. The former 15th overall pick from 2021 was a three-year starter for the Patriots and could end up on a team in 2205 that drafts a rookie quarterback or simply fills in as a buffer quarterback for a team that passes on drafting a quarterback in 2025 and is waiting until 2026. SuperFlex League (you can start two quarterbacks in those leagues) emphasis here.
Jameis Winston filled in for a chunk of games in 2024 for the Browns, and we were able to see some flashes of the old Tampa Bay days out of him. Winston played the majority of seven games and in three of those games, he threw for 334 (Week 8), 395 (Week 11), and 497 (Week 13) passing yards. Winston threw 13 touchdowns (paired with 12 interceptions) during this span and finished as a top-12 quarterback four times. The upside for Fantasy was there beyond just the positional finishes but by the numbers with scores of 23.6 (Week 8), 26.6 (Week 11), and 36.0 (Week 13) Fantasy Points. I would be willing to take a shot, especially in SuperFlex Leagues, that Winston is a bridge or buffer quarterback somewhere in 2025.
Running Backs
Kimani Vidal was a sixth-round rookie selection by the Chargers in 2024 who had some off-season hype due to his Troy numbers and potential opportunity. JK Dobbins had a great comeback season when healthy in 2024, but will now hit free agency in 2025 which leaves Vidal and Gus Edwards as the remaining backs that could see work next season. Vidal finished his rookie year with 155 rushing yards, five catches for 62 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown for the year. The Chargers could go and grab a free-agent running back or draft another one, but the opportunity for touches is there with Gus Bus not being an elite RB1 by any means.
Jaleel McLaughlin was part of a three-headed running back room in 2024 with Javonte Williams and Audric Estime. Javonte Williams is now set to hit free agency, with no indications Denver is going to want to bring him back. This could mean an extended role for McLaughlin, who had flashes throughout the season when given the opportunity. Weeks of 84 (Week 13) and 69 (Week 17) rushing yards, four games of three or more catches, three total touchdowns, and two weeks of double-digit Fantasy Points. The hope for McLaughlin is that he can carve out a pass-catching role, which could translate to points per reception (PPR) leagues.
Cam Akers and Aaron Jones are both set to be Unrestricted Free Agents for the Vikings this off-season. Although Akers has faced some career setbacks with injuries and juggling teams, he still showed promise in 2024. Akers finished the year with a career-best in yards per carry (4.4) and receptions (14) with five total touchdowns on the year. Akers finished four weeks with double-digit Fantasy Points on the year, and could wind up being a compliment back in a new home for 2025 somewhere else.
Alexander Mattison had some solid games as a Raider in 2024, but I doubt they hang onto him as he entered Free Agency as a rebuilding team. Mattison finished weeks with 16.2 (Week 1), 13.4 (Week 3), 18.25 (Week 6), 15.3 (Week 7), and 15.6 (Week 16) Fantasy Points on the year. The Fantasy relevance was tied to receiving work for the most part, with Mattison finishing 14 games with 36 receptions for 294 receiving yards which were both career-highs. Five total touchdowns added a Fantasy boost to certain weeks as well. The hope is that Mattison joins a new team where he can continue operating as a pass-catcher for PPR purposes.
Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson may have had one of the most interesting seasons I have ever seen in 2024. Johnson joined the Panthers last off-season and had some big games for them resulting in weeks of 26.2 (Week 3), 21.3 (Week 4), and 19.8 (Week 6) Fantasy Points. Johnson was then traded to the Ravens in October but only caught one pass there before being suspended by Baltimore and waived. Houston then claimed Diontae in December but was then waived in January. The Ravens later claimed Johnson…again…for nothing. Johnson has three seasons of 144+ targets, a 1,161 receiving yard year (2021) under his belt, and a season averaging 17.2 Fantasy PPG (2021). Whoever signs Johnson, knows what they are signing up for. Historically a target earner and Fantasy Football FLEX option, just take the shot.
Elijah Moore turned heads back in 2021 as a second-round rookie with some explosive performances that included three games over 20 Fantasy Points with four different Jets quarterbacks. Elijah’s Fantasy expectations were high but fell very short the following two seasons. In 2024, Moore showed some promise yet again for Fantasy Football FLEX relevance with five weeks of double-digit Fantasy Points that included three weeks over 16 Fantasy Points. I have always been a believer of Moore through his college profile and flashes in the NFL, so a new start (again) in 2025 could translate into a compliment role that produces FLEX value this coming year again.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine did not record a catch in the opening four weeks in 2024 but then went on a monster stretch scoring nine touchdowns the rest of the season. Due to that touchdown upside, NWI had several FLEX-worthy weeks which included five weeks of double-digit Fantasy scoring and three weeks over 16 Fantasy Points. NWI finished 11th in yards per reception (15.5) this season, so if he can combine that efficiency with some touchdown upside in a new home in 2025 he could again be a deeper FLEX play.
Mike Williams did nothing in 2024 outside of a touchdown score, but we have to give the guy a break as he tore his ACL the season prior. On MikeWill’s NFL resume, he does have two seasons over 1,000 yards, including 1,146 yards back in 2021 where he averaged 15.4 Fantasy PPG (#13). Williams also has seasons of 10 (2018) and nine (2021) touchdowns. Prior to tearing his ACL in 2023, Williams was averaging a rock-solid 16.7 Fantasy PPG through three weeks. At 30 years old Williams is not a great asset to bank on for more than a season but if he is fully healthy and lands in a nice situation we could potentially see the old touchdown / big-play upside of his past in 2025.
Andrei Iosivas could step into the WR2 role for the full 2025 season if Tee Higgins ends up leaving in Free Agency from Cincinnati. Iosivas finished weeks with 14.7 (Week 2), 16.2 (Week 3), 12.5 (Week 13), and 14.3 (Week 16) Fantasy Points which shows the true opportunity to have FLEX value if given an extended role. Joe Burrow just finished 2024 with 4,918 passing yards paired with 43 passing touchdowns which very obviously tells us that we want pieces of the offense he operates. 479 receiving yards from Iosivas was a great leap from the 116 he had the year prior.
Darius Slayton regressed statistically in 2024, which was expected with the Giants selecting superstar Malik Nabers in the first round. Prior to 2024, Slayton finished seasons with 770 (2023), 724 (2022), 751 (2020), and 740 (2019) receiving yards with four of those seasons averaging 15-ish yards per reception. Receiving yard upside has translated to plenty of FLEX-worthy weeks, and should Slayton land in a home where he can consistently make some big plays he has the potential for Fantasy relevance in deeper leagues in 2025.
Dyami Brown has been absolutely balling out in the playoffs, putting the league on notice that he will be looking for some cash this off-season. Brown caught six of his eight targets for 98 yards in the Wild Card (15.8 Fantasy Points) then followed that up with five receptions on five targets for 89 yards and a touchdown (19.9 Fantasy Points) in the Divisional Round. Maybe he will earn a contract to stay in Washington, but if not, with all eyes on the NFL Playoffs you know somebody is writing his name down.
Joshua Palmer has historically been a guy who has shown flashes of Fantasy Football FLEX impacts for the Chargers, just not on a consistent level. Palmer has finished with 584, 581, and 769 receiving yards in the last three seasons playing 15, 10, and 16 games. In two of those seasons, Palmer averaged 10.7/10.6 Fantasy PPG. 11 weeks of 13+ Fantasy Points and 5 weeks of 18+ Fantasy Points the last three years is not super consistent but shows the potential to be Fantasy relevant. Landing spot competition will be the indicator for Palmer’s relevance in 2025, but in deeper leagues why not take the shot?
John Metchie IIIÂ had an amazing comeback from his Leukemia battle after being selected in the second round by the Texans back in 2022. Metchie had a big flash in Week 10 this season, catching five of his six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown for 18.4 Fantasy Points. In the Wild Card Round this year, CJ Stroud targeted Metchie eight times which is an important note since it came in one of the two most important games of the season. Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in 2024 and is set to be a Free Agent, which could open the door for more opportunities for Metchie. This man produced 2,081 receiving yards at Alabama and was once very respected as a prospect, so why not take the shot at rostering with an opportunity in a solid Texans offense?
JuJu Smith-Schuster teased us Week 5 this year as he caught seven of his eight targets for 130 receiving yards which was 20 Fantasy Points. Not much else to note in 2024 for JuJu but on his resume, he does have seasons of 1,426 (2018), 831 (2020), and 933 (2022) receiving yards as well as three seasons averaging over 13 Fantasy PPG. If JuJu can stay healthy and consistent, his new home in 2025 could mean some sort of FLEX relevance in deeper leagues.
Tight Ends
**speed round**
- Ben Sinnott has done a lot of watching and learning in 2024 as a second-round investment by Washington. Zach Ertz is 34 years old and will hit Free Agency, which could mean a sophomore leap for Sinnott attached to superstar fellow-rookie Jayden Daniels.
- Juwan Johnson has displayed some upside with seasons of 548 (2024) and 508 (2022) receiving yards along with a seven-touchdown season (2022). Juwan has been a proven field stretcher and could thrive with the right quarterback elsewhere via Free Agency for 2025.
- Jeremy Ruckert could take on the lead role for the New York Jets should Tyler Conklin move on in Free Agency.
- Other deeper Free Agents: Kylen Granson, Hayden Hurst, CJ Uzomah, Johnny Mundt, and Harrison Bryant.
