I know many readers of this column are ageists. It’s OK — this is a safe place for that. Plenty of dynasty managers share your distaste for players once they hit a certain age. In fact, most do. Older players’ values can go to zero. There’s no such thing as a valuable 35-year-old running back in dynasty (okay, Derrick Henry, you can try to prove me wrong in a few years).
But that fear is also an exploitable edge — one that contending teams can profit from. If high-scoring veterans sit on rosters near the top of your standings, those managers are likely standing pat and starting them. Meanwhile, 0–5, 1–4, and low-scoring 2–3 starts have pushed plenty of would-be contenders into rebuild or soft-rebuild mode, especially after an injury-heavy start to 2025. Those are exactly the teams we should target for trade talks.
Our goal: identify players who can deliver high-level scoring without the premium price tag attached to obvious stars like Christian McCaffrey — or even Davante Adams. We want players the market isn’t sure how to price—and then pounce.
Two players come to mind:
Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins
Stefon Diggs, WR, New England Patriots
Diggs has been sensational over the last two weeks. Per Fantasy Points Data, Diggs has had a 44% target share, a 39.6 % 1st read rate, and a 54.5% air yards share. He has averaged 20.4 PPG with 16 catches for 247 yards. Those are strong WR1 numbers by any metric. Diggs also turns 32 years old this November.
There are plenty of dynasty managers who will be happy to trade him for a second-round pick, and this is precisely the sort of price I would be willing to pay. Diggs can outproduce or put up similar numbers to Adams, at a far cheaper cost.
As for Waller, his cost is far cheaper still, but his impact could be massive — and at one of the more difficult positions to find high-end production from on a week-to-week basis. We have seen the Dolphins post Tyreek Hill plans, and Waller appears to be a big part of it. While he will not, and should not, be an every-snap player, he will be highly utilized when he is on the field. Over the last two weeks, Waller has a targets-per-route run of .25 — the same as Emeka Egbuka and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
This week on a $500 FFPC TriFlex (start 10, superflex, TE premium, PPR scoring) team, I sent a 2026 3rd round pick — hopefully a very late one — for Waller straight up. This could backfire very quickly. There is risk that Waller will break down. But there is also a chance he is a top-5 TE scorer for the rest of the season.
Stock Up
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
A rare Friday-morning update in the Market Report. The Giants beat the Eagles, and the rookie combination of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo went off. Dart was not only efficient but heroic. He did just enough as a passer, finishing with 195 yards and a touchdown, but what’s most exciting is his scrambling ability. He became the third rookie quarterback ever — joining Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts — to rush for 50+ yards in each of his first three starts. Dart looks a lot like Year 2 Josh Allen right now. I’ll wait to rank him until next week, but he’s a locked-in QB1 in dynasty.
As for Skattebo, he tied a franchise record with three rushing scores and finished with a season-high 98 rushing yards. He’s a massive hit at ADP in redraft and a locked-in low-end RB1 for the rest of the season. Many in the dynasty marketplace — including me — severely underrated his ceiling. He’s almost a folk hero at this point.
If you drafted either of these players in your dynasty rookie drafts, you’ve already profited significantly.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
We finally had the Bill game that many of us have been waiting for. Croskey-Merritt was one of this offseason’s biggest risers in all formats. He went from an intriguing seventh-round pick to a viable NFL starting running back — and appealing fantasy asset —seemingly overnight in Washington. He was one of the hottest names of the summer, and his rise coincided with Brian Robinson Jr. being traded to the 49ers.
Through the first month, it was a mixed bag for Croskey-Merritt managers: flashes, but committee usage. Week 5 felt different — Croskey-Merritt dominated touches and delivered a massive fantasy line. Notably, it was Jayden Daniels’ first game back, and the Daniels–JCM combo looks like a backfield we should be excited to start in fantasy every week moving forward.
JCM was fantastic: 14 carries for 111 yards and 2 TDs, plus 2 receptions for 39 yards. At 24 years old, he’s officially here and has gained significant dynasty value. If you want to cash out, you’ll get a strong ROI relative to your rookie draft or startup cost—but understand you’d be moving off a meaningful source of weekly fantasy production. JCM is going to score points and help us win weeks.
Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Williams looks completely rejuvenated, and his dynasty value has done a complete 180. Multiple disappointing seasons in Denver cratered his stock. A former highly hyped second-round NFL Draft pick, he flashed early before injuries derailed him.
When he signed with Dallas this offseason, the move was largely brushed aside, with most anticipating the Cowboys would draft a high-profile back in 2025. There was even more enthusiasm than there should have been when Dallas selected Jaydon Blue in the fifth round. Blue has done nothing, while Williams is playing like a Pro Bowler.
Though he feels older, Williams is only 25 and looks fully healthy. He rushed for a season-high 135 yards in Week 5 and scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). He already has four games of 19+ fantasy points and six touchdowns. Some regression may come, but the turnaround has been remarkable. There’s a real chance he plays his way into a 2026 starting role and remains in Dallas. If you held your Williams shares through the dark days, you’re being rewarded — and then some.
Mason Taylor, TE, NY Jets
Taylor is on the rise and looks like a top-12 TE for the rest of the season. The 21-year-old has been heavily utilized for two straight weeks as New York ramps up his targets. Over that span, he has 19 targets, 14 catches, and 132 yards, playing 80%+ of snaps with a 26% target share.
The Jets spent an early second-round pick on Taylor and are already featuring him. Outside of Garrett Wilson, there’s minimal target competition, clearing the runway for a huge second-half of the year ascension. A few weeks from now, it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s the TE2 of this class, behind only Tyler Warren.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
I can’t keep writing about Taylor every week — but if you score three touchdowns, you get another shout-out. For the second time this season, Taylor found the end zone three times on the ground. He’s now averaging more PPG than his 2022 RB1 overall season. Taylor is in a dead heat with McCaffrey — 24.8 vs. 24.3 PPG.
At this rate, Taylor is probably the RB4 overall in dynasty, with room to climb by season’s end. He also has contract insulation, and the offensive ecosystem keeps improving with Daniel Jones under center. He’s this year’s version of 2024 Saquon Barkley.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
After a disappointing Year 2, Kincaid is enjoying a Year 3 breakout. Through five weeks, he’s the TE3 in PPG and has three games of 14.8+ points. In Buffalo’s Week 5 loss to New England, None of the Bills’ WRs have separated themselves from the pack, and Kincaid has a legitimate chance to lead Buffalo in targets. Drafted in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft — mainly in response to years of getting torched by Travis Kelce — the Bills are finally seeing a strong return on their investment.
Stock Down
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
This is certainly not the season many of us hoped for from Williams. Last season, he broke out in a major way, finishing with 1,001 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns on his way to a 14.2 PPG average. He was the Year 3 breakout WR, fulfilling a great deal of hope after two disappointing seasons on and off the field following his selection with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The hype went full-on this summer as both Dan Campbell and new OC John Morton continually singled out Williams as a player in line for a huge season. The Lions extended him with a massive contract. Drafters steamed him up draft boards in all formats; I selected Williams in two big FFPC startup drafts.
So far, he looks like one of the worst picks at ADP. Instead of ascending beyond his 2024 average, he’s slumped to 7.9 PPG. Outside of an 18.8-point outburst in Week 2, he hasn’t topped 6.6 points in any other game.
There’s still plenty of opportunity for Williams to turn things around. As one of the most explosive receivers in football, he could take two to the house this weekend and make this write-up look silly. But the consistency, production, and massive dynasty rise that many predicted look less likely with each passing week.
Watch List
Kimani Vidal, RB, LA Chargers
Hassan Haskins, RB, LA Chargers
Omarion Hampton is headed to injured reserve (IR), and Kimani Vidal (24) and Hassan Haskins (25) will battle for touches. Vidal inspired meme-stock enthusiasm heading into his rookie season, as the sixth-round pick out of Troy was viewed as a sleeper to take over the Chargers’ backfield. He did next to nothing, collecting dust on dynasty benches—but now he’ll get his opportunity to contribute.
Haskins started his career in Tennessee after playing for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, and now has a chance at the most consistent usage of his career.
I lean slightly toward Vidal due to his pass-catching profile, but both players are worth rostering while this situation shakes out.
Games to Watch
A new weekly feature in the Market Report!. I’ll single out a few games dynasty managers should watch, including at least one college football matchup. Our 2026 dynasty rookie drafts are only eight months away—between now and then, we’ll get you fully up to speed on the prospects you need to dominate and make the right picks. This week we get to see two of college football’s best teams in a game that features two of the 2026 NFL Draft’s fastest risers at the QB position.
Every NFL game matters to us as dynasty managers, but some tilt us more than others. This week, it’s a matchup between the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Indiana at Oregon, 3:30 PM EST Saturday
There have been a number of huge disappointments at the QB spot in the 2026 NFL Draft class so far, with players like Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, and Drew Allar losing significant value and looking not ready to step on the field and contribute for fantasy managers at the next level. But two QBs keep rising: Oregon’s Dante Moore and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Moore looks poised to follow in the footsteps of Bo Nix as Oregon’s next NFL first-round pick. Like Nix, he’s a highly accurate passer with pocket mobility and a terrific delivery. He could be the next Cam Ward/Jayden Daniels — a player who shoots up draft boards all season and becomes a top-five selection.
Mendoza is surging up draft boards as well. Like Daniels and Ward, Mendoza is a transfer, arriving in Bloomington from Cal. He already has 16 touchdown passes, has been dominant in the red zone, and has great size at 6'5", 225.
Both Moore and Mendoza face top-five, stingy defenses this week — Oregon and Indiana are tied at just 12.0 PPG allowed apiece.
There are other draft-eligible names for dynasty managers to watch. Kenyon Sadiq is my current TE1 in this class and a strong bet to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He’s a 6'3" move TE who projects as a strong fantasy contributor at the next level. Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt had a ton of buzz among scouts heading into the season, and teammate Omar Cooper is a fast riser. Both have six TD catches.
Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders, 8:15 PM EST Monday
Jayden Daniels vs. Caleb Williams is fun. Daniels is a locked-in top-three QB in dynasty right now, and Williams has put up strong numbers after a disappointing — and challenging — rookie season. The vibes are strong with both teams: Chicago is coming off two straight wins before its Week 5 bye, and Washington won a big one on the road in L.A. last week. This game is also a rematch of the 2024 “Jayden Daniels Hail Mary” game.
What dynasty managers should be most excited about is the potential for increased usage and opportunities for Bears rookies Luther Burden and Colston Loveland. Loveland, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Burden — the 39th pick — are both major breakout candidates for the second half of the season. We saw a flash of Burden’s upside with a 3–101 receiving line in Week 4 against Dallas. The bye week gives him a chance to overtake veteran Olamide Zaccheaus — who has played well but lacks Burden’s obvious ceiling. Loveland is finally getting healthier after a hip injury and has practiced all week. His rise feels inevitable.
