Football is officially, finally, back with tonight’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Lions and the Chargers. It’ll be our first chance to potentially see Isaac TeSlaa, Tre Harris, and Omarion Hampton in NFL action. I say potentially because, there is no guarantee that any of these players will play. Last season’s matchup between the Bears and Texans didn’t feature rookies Caleb Williams or Rome Odunze. It’s important to remember not to take too much from tonight’s action. Remember the panic that occurred in 2022 when Josh Jacobs played so much in the Hall of Fame Game? He went on to average a career high 19.3 points per game that season, despite the fall in his ADP. That game was more of an indictment of Josh McDaniels’ ability as a head coach than it was of Josh Jacobs’ usage that season. 

Unfortunately, with the return of football action comes the return of injuries. Joe Mixon will reportedly be out for an extended period of time due to an ankle injury he suffered over the off-season. He’s on the non-football injury list to start camp. DeMeco Ryans said that Mixon continues to train “in the background,” so that’s a bit more encouraging than the initial reports. With Mixon working off the field, and Dameon Pierce on PUP, the backfield rotation in camp starts with Nick Chubb, who was acquired this off-season. They’re also mixing in rookie Woody Marks and veterans JJ Taylor, Dare Ogunbowale, and Jawhar Jordan. Mixon should still lead this backfield in touches this season, unless he suffers any kind of setback. 

Another player that is getting a late start to training camp is Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. McLaurin continues to negotiate with the team for a new contract, but he did finally report to camp. He was placed on the PUP list with an ankle injury, presumably to keep him off the field until negotiations are complete. The further this stalemate goes on, the more worrisome it becomes. I still expect him to play for Washington this season, but an augmented training camp can lead to a slow start to the NFL season, which could have a trickle down impact on the entire Washington offense. 

Two players that are no longer negotiating contract extensions are Courtland Sutton and Jake Ferguson, after they each signed four-year extensions over the past week. Sutton’s $92 million deal is massive and will keep him in Denver through 2029. Sutton will turn 30 at the beginning of this season, so this extension is a risky one for the Denver front office. Meanwhile, Ferguson will only turn 31 years old at the end of his $52 million extension.  

Wrapping up the major dynasty news this week, the Titans have waived former first-round pick Treylon Burks with an injury designation after he broke his collarbone in training camp. Burks is a lesson to dynasty managers that draft capital is not everything when assessing the value of rookie players. After he was drafted 18th overall by the Titans in 2022, his rookie draft ADP was third overall. That’s ahead of players like Kenneth Walker, Garrett Wilson, James Cook, George Pickens, and Chris Olave, along with several other fantasy-relevant players. Burks could benefit from a change of scenery, but we might not even see another team take a chance on him this season outside of a practice squad spot. 

With the NFL teams back together, and preseason games beginning to kick off today, news is breaking all day and every day. With that, you need to make sure you’re checking the DLF Player News page every day for the dynasty spin on all of the major headlines and injuries around the league. Plenty of fantasy sites break down the news for fantasy football, but DLF is your best source for dynasty-specific analysis on all of the day’s action. We’re also producing articles every day to help you win your leagues and crush your rookie and startup drafts. While the NFL season is just getting started, we haven’t stopped because there is no off-season at DLF. 

Now that his number one receiver is locked up long-term, Bo Nix is geared up for a sophomore season that he hopes goes even better than his rookie season. After recently being ranked the number 64 player in the league by NFL.com, Nix said that he’s not satisfied with just making the list. He says he wants to be “the best in the world.” He certainly has a long way to go before he can be mentioned amongst the greats like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, but dynasty managers have to be thrilled with what they saw in year one. 

Nix was kind of the forgotten quarterback of the 2024 NFL Draft’s first round. After the big three, Michael Penix’s surprise pick, and JJ McCarthy’s exciting landing spot, Nix’s pick at 12 overall was overshadowed. Despite being the fifth quarterback selected in that draft class, he finished behind only Jayden Daniels in total fantasy points in his rookie season. His QB7 finish was better than Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert last year. Now, he’s going off the board as the QB11 in startup drafts, 92nd overall. Despite the stronger rookie season, he’s still going behind Drake Maye and Caleb Williams as the fourth sophomore QB to be selected. The DLF Expert Rankers followed suit with the ADP, ranking him as the QB11, 92nd overall, and the fourth sophomore QB. 

Nix has seemingly become a pretty good value, despite the stellar rookie season. The Broncos are coached by one of the best offensive minds in NFL history, Sean Payton. They’ve locked up his number one receiver, and added weapons all over the offense around him. Pat Bryant, Evan Engram, RJ Harvey, and JK Dobbins should all help this offense perform at its peak in 2025. It’s unlikely that Nix will ever be “the best in the world,” but he’s in a great spot to work towards that goal.

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TEN ROOKIE RISERS AND FALLERS

Training camps are underway, and many dynasty managers have shifted their focus from rookie evaluations and startup drafts to putting the finishing touches on their contending squads. That might describe most of the dynasty die-hards, but there are still thousands and thousands of rookie drafts that will take place in the coming weeks before the 2025 NFL season officially begins.

Regardless of your current point of view or how you classify yourself as a dynasty manager, it’s always vital to have a clear understanding of player value and how that is constantly changing. With many rookie drafts happening in the next few weeks, it’s time to take a look at the risers and fallers since the NFL Draft occurred.

I compared our superflex rookie ADP collected in May, immediately following the NFL Draft, to ADP from actual rookie drafts taking place this month in an effort to identify the biggest risers and fallers.

RISERS

Dont’e Thornton, WR LV

The rookie speedster from Tennessee, Thornton was a surprise early-fourth round pick by the Raiders. Given the team’s massive need at the position behind veteran Jakobi Meyers, Thornton immediately became an interesting dart throw in the last round of drafts. Our initial ADP ranking placed him as a low-end fifth-round rookie pick, meaning in most drafts, he would not even be selected. A June rookie camp report caused the major shift for Thornton, as it was revealed that Thornton was earning first-team snaps while fellow rookie Jack Bech was relegated to second team. A Raiders beat writer also called Thornton a “top target” for veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Thanks to his big 6’4” frame and impressive speed, Thornton offers the Raiders something that Meyers, Bech, and even Brock Bowers don’t, which increases his chances at legit playing time. With the recent hype, Thornton has risen 17 spots in our rookie ADP, placing him at 42 overall, still a very nice value for upcoming rookie drafts.

Pat Bryant, WR DEN

Viewed by most as a likely Day Three NFL Draft pick, Bryant was a surprise third-round pick by the Broncos. While there is some young depth on Denver’s roster, there are no sure things other than veteran Courtland Sutton. That’s one positive for Bryant’s chances. With an initial ADP rank of 39 overall, dynasty managers were having difficulty weighing his pre-Draft profile with his new relatively lofty draft capital.

When discussing Bryant, Sean Payton compared him to former superstar receiver Michael Thomas, and that was enough to start the hype train. Since then, Bryant has climbed half a round and is now being drafted in the latter part of the third round of superflex rookie drafts. With Sutton and Evan Engram likely seeing a majority of targets, Bryant will be left to battle young wideouts Marvin Mims and Tony Franklin for snaps and playing time.

Kyle Williams, WR NE

Following the trend of the top risers so far, Williams is yet another wide receiver selected earlier than many expected. Williams was the fifth pick of the third round, drafted by the Patriots, who seemingly always have a need at the receiver position. After whiffing on last year’s two receiver picks, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, the Patriots tried again with the deep threat from Washington State. The team also signed veteran Stefon Diggs, so Williams will likely have neither the pressure or the opportunity to serve as the team’s top option as a rookie. Regardless, Williams will certainly have a role and a chance to pair with second-year quarterback Drake Maye as long-term running mates in the Patriots’ revamped offense. Following some positive OTA reports, Williams moved up five spots from 27 to 22 overall in our superflex rookie ADP.