5 Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Injured Players to Buy in Dynasty Leagues (2025)

Dave's top five injured players to buy in dynasty fantasy football leagues. Fantasy managers should acquire these players in their 2025 dynasty leagues.

Injuries are probably the worst part of playing dynasty fantasy football. They can quickly derail your season and zap all the fun out of your team. While injuries can be tough on fantasy owners, they are even harder on the athletes who suffer them. The road to return from injury is often a grueling one and isn’t talked about enough. Sometimes, an injury can derail a player's career. However, players can frequently return to the field and remain effective thanks to hard work in the rehabilitation process. This is the best outcome for athletes and fantasy football managers.

While injuries are less than ideal, they can present a good buying opportunity for dynasty managers. Quite often, players see a drop in dynasty value after suffering an injury. Savvy gamers who exploit this inefficiency in the market can get a huge edge over their league mates. So, which players returning from injury are ones fantasy managers should buy in dynasty leagues? Let’s examine a few options.

Make sure you're following RotoBaller on X and checking out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are five players returning from injury who you should acquire in your 2025 dynasty fantasy football league.

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J.J. McCarthy - QB, Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season in 2024 after tearing his meniscus in training camp.

BREAKING: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season after undergoing a full meniscus repair this morning. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/GgpgfiNYRX

— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2024

Following McCarthy’s injury, Sam Darnold became Minnesota’s de facto QB1 and had an incredible 2024. He threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 passing touchdowns but came crashing down to earth in the season’s final two games.

Minnesota subsequently decided not to re-sign Darnold, allowing him to walk into free agency. McCarthy had to survive a brief scare that future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers would join Minnesota. However, that storm has passed, and the Vikings have confirmed they are committed to McCarthy for the 2025 season.

J.J. McCarthy to Trishton Jackson for the 45 yard TD!

And @JJettas2 LOVES it!

📺: #LVvsMIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QmEKsnabMz

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

There is some uncertainty surrounding McCarthy since he missed his entire rookie season and is an unproven player. However, this is still a quarterback with top-10 draft capital tied to a strong offensive coach and surrounded by an abundance of talent. This is a fantastic situation for a first-year starting quarterback. McCarthy is the perfect trade target if you are looking for a quarterback.

Yes, we don't know his floor, and he could hurt your team if he's truly awful. But he might have a higher ceiling than some people think. Head coach Kevin O'Connell worked wonders for Darnold's career last year. Considering the situation surrounding McCarthy, it shouldn't be that surprising if he has similar production.

Brandon Aiyuk - WR, San Francisco 49ers

2024 was a disastrous season for Aiyuk. Things got off on the wrong foot when contract negotiations with San Francisco spiraled out of control and led to Aiyuk nearly being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cooler heads prevailed, and Aiyuk signed a four-year deal before the start of the season.

BREAKING: 49ers, WR Brandon Aiyuk agree to 4-year, $120M extension ($76M in guarantees).
(via @mikegarafolo + @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/eRXnXZVab7

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2024

Perhaps the intense negotiations left a bad taste in Aiyuk’s mouth as he didn't have his best year in 2024. He only posted a 25-374-0 line in seven games. Unfortunately, Aiyuk would tear his ACL in a Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and would miss the rest of the season.

For some reason, Aiyuk is now the dynasty WR35 on KeepTradeCut. This seems like a huge overreaction to a down season and subsequent ACL injury, as he was ranked as high as WR12 in the weeks before the 2024 season. Yes, he could miss time to start 2025 recovering from his knee injury, but WR35? It seems that dynasty gamers have forgotten how talented Aiyuk is.

Brock 🎯 BA @brockpurdy13 | @THE2ERA#SFvsSEA on @SNFonNBC
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/s6HiWpwNeg

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 24, 2023

This all feels like a massive overcorrection for a player who may have been a tad overvalued entering 2024. He is still locked in with San Francisco for at least two more years and now has less target competition with Deebo Samuel Sr. out of the mix.

Take advantage of the dip in Aiyuk’s value and get him on your team. He may not have the best 2025, but he should be fully healthy again once 2026 rolls around. We already know Aiyuk is one of the best route runners in the league and can be a great dynasty asset functioning as the X receiver in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Dak Prescott - QB, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott’s 2024 was cut short due to a torn hamstring. While he underperformed statistically compared to 2023, it's important to remember he has QB2 and QB3 finishes on his resume and has thrown for 30+ touchdown passes multiple times.

No connection quite like @dak and @_CeeDeeThree 🎯

📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/B3aYD0l9hf

— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024

Prescott has consistently fallen to the fifth round of Superflex startup drafts this offseason. This price tag feels like a huge steal given his upside.

He is a perfect buy-low candidate for anyone needing a quarterback and an excellent QB2 option for Superflex managers.

Chuba Hubbard - RB, Carolina Panthers

Despite missing the season's final two games with a calf injury, Hubbard enjoyed a career year in 2024. He ran for a career-high 1,195 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

There goes Chuba Hubbard for a @Panthers touchdown! #KeepPounding

📺: #CARvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/WHZzLWr0ox

— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024

His advanced metrics were also quite strong. Hubbard finished third in Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected (RYOE) and fourth in Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt (RYOE/ATT). He was also PFF’s ninth-highest-graded rusher.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina’s 2024 second-round pick, re-tore his ACL last December and will miss the entire 2025 season. That means less competition for Hubbard in the Carolina backfield. The team did sign former Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle this offseason. He should have a role on offense. However, he is unlikely to take significant touches away from Hubbard.

The Panthers also signed Hubbard to a contract extension last year and, at the time, made him the sixth-highest-paid back in the league. So, regardless of Dowdle's presence, Hubbard should remain heavily involved in the team’s offense.

Kenneth Walker III - RB, Seattle Seahawks

Walker struggled with injuries during the 2024 season. He missed multiple games early in the year, nursing abdominal and calf injuries. Walker would then miss the season's final two games with an ankle injury. While his raw stats disappointed last year, Walker still posted some strong advanced metrics. Among 46 backs with 100+ carries, Walker finished:

First in Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt (MTF/ATT), per Fantasy Points Data Suite
Third in PFF Elusive Rating
Fifth in PFF Rushing Grade
Ninth in Missed Tackles Forced (MTF), per Fantasy Points Data Suite
10th in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (YACO/ATT), per Fantasy Points Data Suite

All aboard the K9 train 🚂 pic.twitter.com/dCv6sT9IWr

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 8, 2024

This is still a highly talented player. Some of his efficiency metrics have not been great, but this can partially be attributed to Seattle’s poor offensive line play over the years. A bad offensive line can skew running back efficiency metrics, and a good line can help. Look no further than Saquon Barkley this past season for proof of that statement.

Seattle has taken steps to improve the offensive line this offseason. This and the addition of Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator could help Walker blossom into a star.

Walker received plenty of volume in 2024, even with a new coaching staff in place. He has dealt with nagging injuries during his career, and that could scare some owners. However, Walker has consistently posted strong advanced metrics in key areas and has top-5 upside. He's one of the top running back buys this offseason.

Check in with the Walker manager in your league and work out a deal to get him on your roster.

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