The 2025 season is upon us. Are you ready? Hopefully you’re in for a winning campaign. But those of us that play Dynasty know it’s a 365-day a year endeavor. So, this is the time to make pickups and stashes that could pay off this season. Below are some players I think are worth stashing as we move through the pre-season. They won’t all make the opening day roster, but this is where you can strike gold with players on the cusp of breaking out. All roster percentages courtesy of the NFL.
Quarterbacks
Trey Lance, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Percentage: 0
About: It’s been a long road for Lance, who was once the third overall pick. He didn’t work out with the 49ers and didn’t really fit in with the Cowboys, either. In his third stop with the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh, he’s looked better. Justin Herbert is the starter, but Lance has shown the kind of upside that could have him leapfrog Taylor Heinicke and end up as a good handcuff or deep stash in a Superflex league.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 0
About: Brissett was the starter to begin the 2024 season for the New England Patriots. But that job went to Drake Maye. Now, he’s back to being a veteran backup. Kyler Murray is the starter, but Brissett has shown out in the pre-season. If something were to happen to Murray, he could put up decent numbers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride. He’s worth a stash.
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles
Roster Percentage: 0
About: McKee was the third quarterback for the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, but ended up getting into the game at the end of the season. He looked good enough that they traded Kenny Pickett this offseason. He looked great in the preseason opener against a Bengals team playing its starters. He’s the backup to Jalen Hurts, but he could be one of the more valuable backups. He’s worth a deep league stash.
Running Backs
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens
Roster Percentage: 0.4
About: Mitchell’s injury late in the 2023 season derailed his chance to contribute in 2024. But Mitchell is back and looking good now in 2025. He rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the preseason opener. While Derrick Henry and Justice Hill are ahead of him on the depth chart, Mitchell could be earning some regular-season touches. He’s worth a stash.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
Roster Percentage: 0.3
About: Monangai was the lone running back taken by the Bears and new Head Coach Ben Johnson in the 2025 NFL Draft. That raised eyebrows despite the fact that he was a late-round pick. D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson didn’t play in the pre-season opener, indicating that they are ahead on the depth chart, but Monangai has been turning heads in camp and went for 30 yards on just six carries this weekend. He’s worth a stash.
Ollie Gordon II, Miami Dolphins
Roster Percentage: 0.5
About: The backfield in Miami beyond De’Von Achane is wide open. Gordon, who was a late-round pick in the draft, showed out in the first pre-season game. He carried eight times for 33 yards and a touchdown. While second year back Jaylen Wright could be in line for a bigger role, I like what I’ve seen from Gordon. He’s worth a stash.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Percentage: 1.1
About: Corum didn’t have much of a role in 2024 despite being a Third-Round pick. That lack of production, coupled with a new, three-year extension for starter Kyren Williams, might have soured some. But we’ve seen consistently that Sean McVay doesn’t expand the workload for young backs until their second year. Corum fired hard out of the gate with nine carries for 32 yards and two touchdowns, also catching a pass. Corum remains a solid option that could be in line for further enhancements in 2025.
Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Percentage: 0.2
About: I get it, the backfield in Tampa Bay is loaded. Rachaad White and Bucky Irving are at the top, and both figure to get a lion’s share of the carries and targets. But Tucker keeps hanging around and continues to show how good he is. He could be a good play if there are injuries to either of the top two backs, or Tucker could be a decent trade target at the end of pre-season. Either way, he’s worth a roster spot.
Tahj Brooks, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Brooks raises eyebrows and should be rostered because of the potential opportunity. The Bengals’ starter is Chase Brown, who is excellent. But Brooks was the only back the team drafted, along with adding veteran Samaje Perine. When they released Zack Moss this week, it was a nod toward the confidence they have in the tandem behind Brown. Brooks could be in a good position to contribute if something happens to Brown. He should be rostered.
Kalel Mullings, Tennessee Titans
Roster Percentage: 0
About: Mullings comes up because of a potential opportunity. Tyjae Spears was injured and is out for the rest of the pre-season, perhaps longer. That leaves Mullings with an excellent opportunity for increased touches behind starter Tony Pollard. He should be rostered.
Wide Receivers
Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson, Philadelphia Eagles
Roster Percentage: 0.1, 0
About: This comes up because the depth of the Eagles’ receivers has been a question. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are the starters. The team acquired Jahan Dotson, but we hadn’t seen him do much. This week, Cooper caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown while Wilson caught three passes for 73 yards. For a team looking for depth at receiver, both are worth a stash at this point.
Trent Sherfield, Sr. and Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 0, 0.4
About: The Broncos are another team whose wide receiver group is a bit of a question. Courtland Sutton is No. 1, and Marvin Mims flashed a bit last year, but in the first pre-season game, both Franklin and Sherfield made their presence felt. Franklin caught three passes early, including a few from Bo Nix with the starters, while Sherfield had three huge receptions, including a 36-yard touchdown pass. Both are worth a stash at this point.
Jordan Watkins, San Francisco 49ers
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: The 49ers have issues at receiver with Brandon Aiyuk recovering, Jauan Jennings upset about his contract, and Ricky Pearsall having dealt with injuries. But Watkins made a show in the team’s first pre-season game, seeing six targets and catching three passes, including a 50-yard bomb. He’s worth a stash.
John Metchie III, Houston Texans
Roster Percentage: 0
About: The Texans have a lot of options in the receiving room, including a pair of new rookies. But it was Metchie who led the team in targets (eight) and receptions (five) in their first pre-season game. He was once a high draft pick for the team, too, who has overcome a lot to get back on the field. He is worth a stash.
Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, New York Giants
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Humphrey has never been a star, but he’s managed to contribute for years. First, it was in New Orleans, and more recently, for the Denver Broncos. In the Giants’ first pre-season game, he caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jaxson Dart. It’s a reminder that he’s the kind of stash that can pay off during the season.
Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks
Roster Percentage: 0.5
About: Horton has been turning heads in Seahawks camp and had a strong showing in Week 1, seeing seven targets and catching three passes. The Seahawks’ depth chart is open beyond Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, which makes Horton an interesting deep league stash.
Tight Ends
Tanner Hudson, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: 0
About: Do the Bengals need another tight end? Probably not. The team has Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant, but it was Hudson who showed out in Week 1. He saw eight targets and caught six passes. That makes him an interesting stash at an unpredictable position.
Oronde Gadsen II, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Gadsen has earned some attention in Training Camp and has caught passes in each of the first two pre-season games. There is a logjam at tight end with Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly on the roster, but I like Gadsen’s potential for dynasty. He’s worth a stash or a Practice Squad spot.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
