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John's fantasy football dynasty buys and trade targets. He breaks down veterans over the age curve to target in dynasty trades before 2025 fantasy football.
Father Time spares absolutely no one, unfortunately. But that doesn't mean you should let it drive all your decisions. Players like Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry proved to us that being above the age of 28 doesn't lead to an immediate fall-off.
And that's valuable information for dynasty fantasy football managers, especially those in win-now mode who are willing to mortgage at least some of their future to try to make a championship run. Different players see their production tank at different ages.
So, let's break down five players who you should be targeting who still have some juice left but are beyond the age where production begins to take a downturn at their positions.
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Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey will be fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2024 campaign. The Achilles tendinitis is a bigger issue, though -- as is the fact that he will be 29 years old before the 2025 season starts. Many fantasy managers are likely much more willing to trade him away, as his health issues and age are becoming serious concerns.
He may have at least one season of elite play left in him, though. And there are probably many leagues where his managers are willing to accept more reasonable deals. It's easy to think that a player's career is effectively over after such a dismal season.
Asking Christian mccaffrey to play in the snow fresh off an injured Achilles is wild when you think about it pic.twitter.com/gcwcJ1ba2H
— John (@iam_johnw) December 2, 2024
A crippled CMC falling in the snow, unable to even run without immediately collapsing to the ground, is a vision that stings a fresh wound McCaffrey managers are trying to recover from. His injury luck was horrendous this season, and it's technically been a recurring problem in his career.
He's been in the league for eight seasons and only logged single-digit games in three of those. That doesn't inspire confidence in his future availability. Perhaps that will be enough for someone to give you a good deal on him. And when healthy, he's elite.
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Conner had a fantastic season in 2024. He showed very little sign of slowing down, and his performance earned him a contract extension during the season. He's locked in for at least two more years, and it's unlikely his team's philosophy will change much. He should see workhorse usage again until the wheels fall off.
They didn't come close to falling off this year, as he racked up 1,094 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 414 receiving yards, along with one receiving score. It was his second season gaining over 1,500 scrimmage yards, and he looks to still be in his prime.
Missed Tackles Forced vs. Yards Per Touch
[@FantasyPtsData]- James Conner showed out all year
- Kamara and Aaron Jones mostly made it through the season but weren't quite the players they used to be
- The Browns played Nick Chubb over Jerome Ford for weeks pic.twitter.com/PgWDJTBLIG
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) December 31, 2024
The best NFL players typically don't experience sharp fall-offs in production. Conner is also undervalued every season it seems. He should be able to put together at least two more good seasons. And there are probably plenty of dynasty managers who are afraid of holding him through his age-30 season.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans will turn 32 before the 2025 season starts, and though he had an impressive campaign this past season, his injury issues were a major concern. Hamstring problems for WRs are tricky, and many dynasty managers are likely worried about his long-term health prospects.
Still, he'll be tied to quarterback Baker Mayfield next year, and the two had great chemistry. And Evans showed that he still has "it." There might not be much time left, but it's hard to think he'll fall off completely after his impressive 2024 showing.
MIKE EVANS FANTASY HERO 🗣️
🏴☠️ 9 REC
🏴☠️ 159 YDS
🏴☠️ 2 TDS
🏴☠️ 36.9 PPR Points pic.twitter.com/tgVLKqoXlg— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) December 16, 2024
Not much has fallen off about his game yet. He's still capable of putting up monster stat lines when he gets the requisite targets. And it's entirely possible that WR Chris Godwin could be on another team to begin next season. Even if he isn't, Evans still dominates.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
With Ridley's performance (or lack of it) in 2024, most dynasty managers who have him will probably be willing to move off him. He's 30 years old now, and other than a few seasons with former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, he's been inconsistent for most of his career.
It's not as if he's not good, but he's been in terrible situations, though he deserves plenty of blame for his drops and inability to be consistent. These things depress his price, though. If the Titans get a good quarterback and head coach Brian Callahan's offense starts clicking, anything is possible.
Mason Rudolph throws a perfect ball to Calvin Ridley for the TD! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/NR4giAbIYX
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) December 22, 2024
Both are possible, and he should be very cheap in dynasty leagues. Price is the most important thing here. We're not saying he'll turn into an elite option, but he was signed to a massive contract before last season. He also has plenty of athleticism left.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Hockenson's return in 2024 was pretty mediocre, but he tore his ACL toward the end of 2023, so that's no surprise. He remains in an elite offensive system run by head coach Kevin O'Connell, and he has plenty of juice left. Generally, tight ends last a bit longer than some other positions.
And Hock's missed time has an added benefit -- it's just that much less wear and tear that he suffered. He'll be fully healthy to start 2025. It will be important how well he recovers from the injury long-term, of course.
Sam Darnold with a seed up the seam to Hockenson pic.twitter.com/TXT3Ajk5k3
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 29, 2024
But betting on that offense and his talent is a solid idea. It looks like the team will move on from quarterback Sam Darnold to a better option like J.J. McCarthy, who it drafted in 2024. That will be an upgrade for the offense, which was still good in the regular season despite Darnold not being a good QB.
The overall talent of the team is fantastic, and Hockenson should see more opportunities moving forward when he's healthier. And he's not that old -- he's the youngest player on this list. He probably has at least three more years of solid production left.
The injury and lukewarm comeback probably adjusted a lot of managers' expectations at least a fair amount downward. Don't overreact.
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