THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON

ISSUE #27

After a very healthy week one around the NFL, week two was a different story. The injury bug took an extra-long summer vacation, but he came back with a vengeance this week, especially for dynasty managers in superflex leagues. Joe Burrow is the headliner, as his fantasy football regular season is very likely over. He will be out a minimum of three months to recover from surgery on a turf toe injury, which puts week 15 as his earliest possible return date. Jake Browning becomes a must-add in superflex formats, and in deeper one-quarterback formats as well. While the upside isn’t exciting with Browning, he still has one of the best wide receiver duos in the league to throw the ball to, so there’s a chance for some value in those formats. As for the aforementioned duo of wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase is still a high-end WR1 and Tee Higgins remains a weekly starter. This may be a really nice time to buy low on the two of them, and Chase Brown as well. With Brock Purdy already missing time, J.J. McCarthy likely out a few weeks, Jayden Daniels day-to-day, and Justin Fields in the concussion protocol, it’s been a tumultuous time for quarterbacks in fantasy leagues. 

Remember when the 2025 rookie running back class was supposed to be elite? Through two weeks, that certainly hasn’t been the case. None of them have more than 100 rushing yards yet on the season, with seventh-rounder Bill Croskey-Merritt leading the way with 99 yards. Even Patrick Mahomes has more rushing yards through two games (123 yards) than the entire rookie draft class. In terms of PPR scoring, Dylan Sampson is surprisingly leading the way, thanks to a great week one receiving output. He’s the RB17 with 28.2 PPR points. Meanwhile, Ashton Jeanty is the next rookie up at RB27 with 19.4 points. It’s obviously too early to panic about any of these rookie running backs. In dynasty leagues, the high-end running backs will still be expensive, but the price for Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, RJ Harvey and TreVeyon Henderson could be at a low point right now. 

We’re on to week three, which kicks off tonight with the 0-2 Dolphins visiting the 2-0 Bills. After a fortnight, the Dolphins have to have the worst vibes in the league. They got blown out at home by Daniel Jones and the Colts, before losing a home game in heartbreaking fashion to the Patriots. Things don’t get easier for them at all this week. Meanwhile, the Bills offense looked much more familiar in week two than it did in week one. The running attack led the way for them, while Josh Allen spread the ball around to several receivers, throwing water on my Keon Coleman tout from last week. We also have some other high-total games in Raiders @ Commanders, Rams @ Eagles, Bengals @ Vikings, and Lions @ Ravens. 

With two weeks of data under our belts, it’s a good time to assess your roster and make improvements through trades! Check out the DLF Expert Rankings to see where your players stand according to our experts. You can also plug your league into the My DLF League Sync Tool. It’s the best tool in all of dynasty fantasy football for in-season management! All in one place, you can see your rosters, all of your leaguemates’ rosters, available players on the waiver wire, and scores for all of the rosters. League sync also works for the Trade Analyzer Tool, to help you find a fair trade offer to send out to your leaguemates. You can’t win your dynasty league without winning in the regular season, so win the week with the advanced, analytical tools available at DLF!

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Through two weeks of the NFL season, one of the most shocking fantasy football storylines of the season has been the success of Daniel Jones. A month ago, many assumed that Jones would be a backup to Anthony Richardson this season but, two weeks in, this is Jones’ job, and there are no signs that he will give it up easily. He’s led the Colts to a 2-0 record, and he’s the QB2 in 4-point passing touchdown leagues. He’s tied with Mr. Tush Push himself, Jalen Hurts, with three rushing touchdowns (sorry Jonathan Taylor managers)! Jones has seen his dynasty value skyrocket with this start, especially in superflex leagues. Will his value continue to rise, or is this an obvious sell-high situation? 

Daniel Jones’s Dynasty Rankings History.

Daniel Jones was the QB35 in Dynasty Superflex leagues in August, he didn’t have an ADP in one quarterback leagues. I expect that to change in September dynasty drafts, with his value going way up. While it seems like he’s been in the league forever, he’s only 28 years old. He’s on a one-year contract with Indianapolis, but if he keeps this up, they should absolutely prioritize bringing him back. The DLF Expert Rankers are still low on Jones as well, ranking him down at QB35. 

After one week, most assumed that the Dolphins’ defense contributed to Jones’s big game. But, he passed the test last week against a very difficult defense in Denver. He’ll go on the road for the first time this season, off to Tennessee. Typically, Colts quarterbacks tend to play worse outside of the friendly confines of the dome, but Jones has experience playing outdoors with the Giants. I’m not sure how real this is, but for this season, I’m buying in. The group of weapons are really good in Indy, and they seem to be rallying behind their quarterback. They’ve also given Jones plenty of chances for rushing touchdowns with the sneaks at the goal line. Jones seems like a nice, cheap veteran quarterback to buy in on for a contending team, especially in superflex leagues. 

Rob Willette highlights five players with rising dynasty value.   

Ken Kelly reacts to the Joe Burrow Injury for dynasty fantasy football leagues. .  

Kev White highlights intriguing players in the Dynasty Marketplace. . 

FIVE PLAYERS WITH RISING DYNASTY VALUE

The dynasty game is a long one. You are looking to build the foundation for a team which can compete annually, often being forced to opt for patience over making a reactionary move early in the season.

Of course, we always need to be cognizant of the changing dynasty landscape as well. Some early returns are actionable, and like any other season, 2025 has seen players improve their stock in the early going.

Below are five players worthy of a second look as we hit the middle of September. All ADP’s are per DLF’s August Startup ADP.

ADP: 99th Overall, RB30

Any short-term bump Warren received following the departure of Najee Harris in free agency was quickly erased by the Steelers selection of Kaleb Johnson in April’s draft. It seemed to throw Warren right back into a change-of-pace role for an offense that figured to be middling.

Fast forward to September, and Warren is sharing the backfield, though not doing so with Johnson; it is veteran Kenneth Gainwell who is earning work alongside the long-time Steeler. Warren, however, has been the more productive player, leading Pittsburgh in both rushing and receiving in the early going and looking every bit the part of effective all-purpose back.

The Steelers have never been willing to carve out more work for Warren, but they may have little choice now with Johnson struggling to hit the ground running. The team recently extended Warren, and he figures to remain a fixture in this offense. It is far too early to write the book on Johnson’s tenure in Pittsburgh, but Warren could take this job and hold off Johnson for the duration of his contract extension.

ADP: 220th Overall, WR89

Sometimes, the steady drumbeat of fall camp hype can pay dividends. After being dubbed a changed player this summer, Franklin has come out of the gates firing on all cylinders as he has become an integral part of the Denver offense. His career-best performance came against Indianapolis in week two, with Franklin corralling eight receptions for 89 yards and a score.

Franklin falling a bit further than expected in the 2024 NFL Draft may have been a blessing for him, as it lowered expectations and allowed him to work on his play strength, the big knock on him as a sinewy prospect at 6’2” and 176 pounds. He returned to Denver this summer a different player more ready for the physical rigors of the NFL.

The bugaboo for Franklin will be a crowded depth chart. Courtland Sutton is the established number one and both Marvin Mims and Pat Bryant are quality yet much different players. Of course, situations can change fast, and we are buying the talent when we are investing in bench stashes. Franklin has flashed big tools early in 2025 and is worthy of a massive rise up the ranks.

ADP: 214th Overall, WR87

Once one of the most promising prospects in the devy game, Boutte is reminding us of the fact he is dripping with talent, even though the rest of his baggage caused him to fall to round six in 2023. After earning 8 targets in week one, he fell to one lone target in week two but at least made it count with a touchdown grab.

With Stefon Diggs looking like he has little left in the tank, there is ample opportunity here and Boutte has the best tools to develop into Drake Maye’s preferred option. We are not going too crazy here – the Patriots figure to be aggressive at the receiver position again this offseason – but Boutte is thievery at his WR89 price tag.

ADP: 183rd Overall, TE24

Young tight ends are a fickle breed. For every Tyler Warren, there are a dozen Noah Fants to leave us ripping our hair out filling out lineups.

If taking a shot at the position, you may as well go with a tight end earning looks in the Carolina offense. Sanders has collected a dozen targets over his first two games and has always been a strong playmaker, going back to his days at Texas where he could have thrived at multiple positions on either side of the ball.

His snap rate is still modest (61% in week two) and we will need to see the role expand. However, Sanders may be the Panthers’ best hope to complement Tetairoa McMillan with Jalen Coker on injured reserve. Sanders could be one of 2025’s breakouts at the position.

ADP: 189th Overall, WR79

A promising yet raw prospect out of Stanford, it was a disappointment when Ayomanor slipped to the end of round four. We were hoping for day two draft capital or at least a great landing spot.

The Titans did not provide either, though Ayomanor has done exactly what you want to see from a receiver within a thin depth chart: he has forced the issue. Thought to be a heavy dose of Calvin Ridley with a sprinkling of Chigoziem Okonkwo, the Titans have had to make room for Ayomanor as a target earner.

It is easy to forget Ayomanor was not even Tennessee’s first receiver selected, as the team took Chimere Dike early in the fourth round (as well as tight end Gunnar Helm). Early returns, however, show Ayomanor could prove a steal as his prospect ceiling was always high. A promising start to his career should have the Canadian product rising in next month’s ADP.

Which hot start are you buying into the most this season?

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