Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - March 2025 Market Report

After the 2024 NFL season started, how have the dynasty fantasy football values of players changed? Who gained value and who lost it? Read the latest fantasy update (March 2025).

Dynasty never rests, and neither do we.

This month, we are starting to see some correction in the rookie market, which is, in turn, starting to stabilize the market. Once the season ended, rookies were the talk of the town, and their values inflated. The Senior Bowl and the combine have come and gone, but with the draft just weeks away, it is far from set.

Looking at our monthly consensus, we can identify fantasy football's biggest risers and those fantasy assets trending downward to allow you to stay ahead of the competition. With this insight and the dynasty trade chart, you can buy low and sell high as the market adjusts.

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For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, rankings, and trade tactics, be sure to check out our complete Dynasty Fantasy Football Guide.

Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings (March 2025)

Trending Upward 

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings (+11)

Previous rank: 152

Current rank: 141

Throughout the offseason, all signs have pointed toward J.J. McCarthy being entrusted with the Vikings offense for the 2025 season and beyond and that Sam Darnold would be allowed to explore his options via free agency.

McCarthy is scheduled to return to the field this spring after missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury. The Vikings quarterback is said to have his weight back to over 200 pounds and has been working out on-field since January. 

What a way to start the second half for J.J. McCarthy! pic.twitter.com/jOd8vi3kEs

— Andrew Harbaugh (@AndrewHarbaugh_) August 10, 2024

McCarthy's mobility and efficient style of play make him a perfect complement to Kevin O'Connell's offense. Minnesota resurrected Darnold's career to the point in which he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. Hence, fantasy managers have to be excited about the former 10th overall selection's ceiling, especially with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and the recently re-signed Aaron Jones at his disposal.

The Vikings were busy early during the free-agency period, adding a pair of interior offensive linemen in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to protect their franchise quarterback. Minnesota is still expected to add a veteran to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. 

Matthew Golden, WR, 2025 Draft Prospect (+58)

Previous rank: 132

Current rank: 74

The NFL Combine can indeed leave a lasting impression on the fantasy community. This is especially true when a player leads his position group, running a 4.29 40-yard time like Matthew Golden did a few weeks back in Indianapolis.

Speed is excellent if you know how to use it. Golden does a great job playing with tempo and setting defensive backs up throughout his route running. Golden projects to play a prominent role out of the slot where he will give defensive coordinators fits, especially after the catch when that speed will be on full display.

Golden's name has been generating plenty of buzz leading up to the NFL Draft, as NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah has him graded as his 15th-best draft prospect and one who has been moving up his boards over the last several weeks.

Looking at Jeremiah's big board, you notice that Golden sits behind only Travis Hunter (2) when talking about the wide receiver position, and Ashton Jeanty (3), Tyler Warren (3), Colston Loveland (6), and Omarion Hampton (14) are ranked ahead of him for fantasy purposes.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (+58)

Previous rank: 265

Current rank: 207

Jacksonville decided to move on from Evan Engram and save just under $6 million. Why make this move? Engram's cap hit for 2025 was $19.5 million, while Brenton Strange's cap hit will be $1.7 million.

When looking at separation, there was little separating the two Jaguars tight ends last season as Engram's 0.052 separation score was the 10th best among tight ends, while Stange ranked seventh with a score of 0.054.

Strange came in last season and filled in admirably for Engram when he was out of the lineup, finishing with 411 receiving yards on 40 receptions. Engram finished 2024 with 47 receptions on 64 targets for 365 receiving yards. Strange is more than capable of picking up Engram's vacated production.

Brenton Strange, @Jaguars TE - With 411 receiving yards in 2024, Strange became the 3rd Jags TE in history to have a 400+ yard receiving season aged 24 or younger. (Per Pro Football Reference) #Jaguars #DUUUVAL #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLFreeAgency #jacksonville pic.twitter.com/edCL84e3w2

— Pro Football Hall of Fame Ambassador (@PFHOFAmbassador) March 6, 2025

Following the offseason chatter, we heard Jaguars general manager James Gladstone talk about how excited they are about Strange's ascension in Year 2. They believe "he will have a part in this offseason moving forward, in a way we haven't seen yet."

Other Notable Risers: Cooper Kupp (+12), Mike Gesicki (+16), Joe Milton III (+16), Darius Slayton (+15), Rashid Shaheed (+12), Dallas Goedert (+10), Cole Kmet (+11), George Kittle (+6)

Trending Downward 

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (-12)

Previous rank: 68

Current rank: 80

The NFL and fantasy are often a "what have you done for me lately" business. If we look at Isiah Pacheco's recent production, it's easy to see why Pacheco has lost some of his dynasty appeal.

Since returning from injury, Pacheco has carried the ball on 62 occasions in eight contests (including playoffs). In those 62 attempts, Pacheco has produced 212 rushing yards, averaging 3.41 yards per attempt. He averaged just 2.8 yards per attempt in the playoffs and was running behind Kareem Hunt.

Talent is not the issue when talking about Pacheco from a fantasy perspective. It's the style in which he plays. As a football fan, you love it. Unfortunately, it lends itself to a higher risk of injury. For many, availability is considered one of fantasy assets' most essential abilities. If players can't get on the field, they can't help fantasy managers.

Kansas City did make a move early in the free-agency period, signing former San Francisco 49ers back Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell has just 28 career receptions, so Pacheco shouldn't lose any volume there, but Mitchell has missed significant time due to injury himself.

Shedeur Sanders, QB, 2025 Draft Prospect (-22)

Previous rank: 164

Current rank: 186

Here we go. It's the portion of the draft process when a player's name appears to get dragged through the mud. Shedeur Sanders is the player this year who seems to have drawn the short stick when it comes to how "scouts" view him.

We've all heard terms such as "brash" or "arrogant" being thrown out there, and it feels like there are many out there who do not want to see this young man succeed.

Sanders did finish with an on-target completion rate of 70 percent on throws beyond 10 yards and completed 81 percent of his passes from a clean pocket. The problem here is that many may be confusing arrogance with confidence. If you complete 70 percent of your throws and find a way to distribute the ball on offense that benefits the team, you could have all the confidence in the world.

One concern fantasy managers should have is the curse of the Browns quarterbacks. Cleveland is one team desperate for a quarterback, and Sanders would be a logical choice. Historically, quarterbacks go to Cleveland to die. 

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (-5)

Previous rank: 51

Current rank: 56

One way to help Shedeur Sanders out should the Browns draft him would be by trading for Brandon Aiyuk, which is making its rounds through the rumor mill in free agency. Jerry Jeudy and Aiyuk in Cleveland, that's something I'd pay to see. If this were to happen, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall would receive significant boosts in their fantasy values.

It's hard to imagine a scenario in which taking your talents to Cleveland is better for fantasy production than remaining in a Kyle Shanahan offense. The Cleveland Browns stigma is real. Not only are Aiyuk managers looking at the possibility of a new system, but they are also trying to figure out whether Aiyuk can return to form after finishing the season on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

At this time, GM John Lynch hasn't made any declarations as to when Aiyuk may return to the field, although he did participate in a friendly three-point contest with Ronnie Bell not too long ago. Bottom line, we don't know when Aiyuk will be set to return. Until he does, his fantasy value will continue to sink.

Other Notable Fallers: Patrick Mahomes (-9), Isaiah Bond (-28), Treylon Burks (-23), John Metchie III (-15), Deshaun Watson (-12), Austin Ekeler (-11), Tua Tagovailoa (-7), Brandin Cooks (-15) 

Fantasy Football Dynasty Trade Value Chart

Name to Know

Jaylin Noel, WR, 2025 Draft Prospect (+54)

Previous rank: 197

Current rank: 143

There may not be another draft prospect who has seen their value consistently rise since the end of the college season as Jaylin Noel has. As recently as three weeks ago, Noel wasn't even in Sleeper's database; you needed to draft some obscure player as a placeholder until he became available.

Noel was arguably the best wide receiver in Mobile at the Reese's Senior Bowl. Then, Noel went to Indianapolis and was arguably the best receiver at the combine. You will not find many receivers who run a 4.39 40 time, a 4.17 shuttle, a 6.82 cone, a 41.5-inch vertical jump, and an 11-foot-2-inch broad jump. When you add those combine numbers, you get a relative athletic score of 9.80 and a SPORQ score of 96.1. 

In a WR class uncertainty this yr, I know exactly what I’m getting with ISU’s Jaylin Noel. Team that pulls trigger in RD2 should have a difference-maker in slot for many years!
-Undersized, yes. But 4yr player/3yr starter. Final 3yrs: 202-2,586-12.8-18
-Uncovers in a flash. Route… pic.twitter.com/hSwBxHjBoc

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) February 22, 2025

Those testing numbers are just a tiny portion of who Noel is. Fantasy managers often put too much emphasis on the numbers. Not only were Noel's testing numbers elite, but he also has the production profile to back that up. Working for the slot at Iowa State, Noel averaged 2.00 yards per route run throughout his collegiate career while finishing his senior season catching 80 passes for 1,194 yards, averaging 14.9 yards per reception.

Maximize Return

Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, Washington Commanders (+4)

Previous rank: 93

Current rank: 89

Deebo Samuel Sr.'s move to Washington is great news for fantasy managers, especially those looking to sell a receiver who turned 29 just a few months ago. Maximizing your return on your investment involves holding the Pro Bowl pass-catcher for a portion of the season. Selling now, you're likely to sell yourself short.

Samuel has averaged 10, 9.0, 8.8, and 8.4 yards after the catch over the last four seasons, and while there has been a decline in each season since 2021, Samuel still ranks first in yards after the catch per reception in each of the four seasons.

Why is this important? Kliff Kingsbury, the offensive coordinator in Washington, called a screen pass on 16.1 percent of Jayden Daniels' passing attempts last season, whereas 25 percent of Samuel's targets resulted from designed plays like screen passes.

Washington is going to design plays to get the ball into Samuel's hands and let him use his yards-after-the-catch ability. This will drive Samuel's value up even further, allowing managers to capitalize on an aging asset.

Buy the Dip

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots (-7)

Previous rank: 84

Current rank: 91

Drake Maye gave fantasy managers a reason to get excited about his future. Between Week 6 and Week 16, Maye averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game, and his 175.2 fantasy points over that period had him ranked as the QB12 for that period. Maye's 421 rushing yards ranked ninth among signal-callers, and his 32.4 rushing yards per game was the sixth-best mark.

It's hard to imagine the Patriots not giving their franchise quarterback some help through the draft or free agency. Although it is somewhat alarming that DK Metcalf chose a team with no quarterback rather than choosing to play for the Patriots, that is another conversation for another time. New England was also a potential destination for Chris Godwin before Godwin re-signed with Tampa Bay.

Metcalf may not be a Maye fan, but Patriots fans should be, as Maye's 44 percent accurate throw rate trailed only Tua Tagovailoa and Baker Mayfield. The "buy" window for Maye is open now. If you are a quarterback-needy team, players such as David Montgomery, Isiah Pacheco, Calvin Ridley, and Chris Godwin are players you could likely flip in a deal.

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