The 2023 season is in the books for fantasy. How did you do? Hopefully, it was a winning campaign. But those of us who play Dynasty know it’s a 365-day-a-year endeavor. So, this is the time to make pickups and stashes for the future. Below are some players I think are worth stashing as we head into the off-season. All roster percentages are courtesy of the NFL.
Quarterbacks
Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 1.2
About: O’Connell has gotten a long audition to end the season, and he’s done fairly well, especially for an unheralded rookie selection. It’s clear Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be back and isn’t the answer. It’s also clear the Raiders will bring in a quarterback, either as competition or the guy. A lot of that might depend on what happens with the coaching vacancy. Still, O’Connell is worth a stash at this point.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Percentage: 50.7
About: Mayfield came to the Buccaneers on a one-year prove-it deal. He’s done well, and with a win on Sunday could lead the Buccaneers to the playoffs. We don’t know where he will land, but I think this year has done enough to prove that Mayfield deserves a shot as a starter in 2024—at least to start the season. I’m holding him or grabbing him in dynasty.
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 10.7
About: Minshew came to the Colts as a veteran presence for rookie Anthony Richardson. He ended up the defacto starter for most of the season. Like Mayfield, a win on Saturday earns Minshew and the Colts a playoff berth. Either way, given the quarterback landscape, it’s easy to see him getting a shot as a starter or a bridge starter in 2024. He’s a low-end QB2 guy without much long-term appeal, but for now, he should be rostered.
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Roster Percentage: 19.2
About: I get it if you’re not a Flacco believer. There are plenty of reasons to doubt. And yet, Flacco has been brilliant in a 4-1 stretch here to end the season for Cleveland. He won’t be the guy for the Browns, but the veteran has played well enough that it’s possible he gets a shot somewhere in 2024. At this point, he’s worth hanging on to going into the off-season.
Running Backs
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: 1.6
About: Brown started to flash down the stretch for the Bengals. It’s a small sample, and it’s also not clear the team would trust him to carry the load. But we’ve seen a decline in production and efficiency for Joe Mixon, combined with some upside from Brown. At this point, he’s a player I’m holding as a future stash.
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 34.1
About: It’s fairly clear at this point that Josh Jacobs—who is playing on a one-year deal—won’t be back in 2024. The Raiders will likely look to rebuild in some ways. As Jacobs has missed time down the stretch, White has filled in and done well. He’s a second-year player on a rookie deal, making it a small investment for the Raiders moving forward. I expect they’ll add to the running back group, and we need to see what scheme the team has in 2024, but for now, White is a great stash.
Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 4.9
About: McLaughlin, an undrafted rookie, made the team based on his work and explosive potential. We’ve seen him steadily involved in the backfield, and I think he’ll have a role in 2024 as well. In fact, seeing how the team played in Week 17, it looks like McLaughlin could take over a lot of the role of Samaje Perine moving forward. Either way, I like him as a long-term stash.
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Percentage: 53.8
About: Chandler has stepped up down the stretch for the Vikings, looking like a better and more explosive option than Alexander Mattison. The Vikings have plenty of questions moving forward, the biggest of which is who plays quarterback. But with Cam Akers coming off a second Achilles injury and Mattison being relatively unimpressive, Chandler looks like a great and inexpensive option for the Vikings in 2024. That is worthy of a stash.
Chris Rodriguez, Washington Commanders
Roster Percentage: .1
About: This is another speculative deep stash. The Commanders are a mess and likely due for an overhaul. That means new coaches, a new quarterback, and a new offensive philosophy. Antonio Gibson is in a contact year and likely not back. Rodriguez wasn’t a high pick and hasn’t shown a ton, but he’s made the most of opportunities, like a two-touchdown day in Week 16. He’s on a cheap rookie deal and could well earn more touches in 2024. At this point, I’m stashing him to see how the off-season shakes out in Washington.
Israel Abanikanda, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: .1
About: Another rookie who has made the most of his opportunities. Heading into the season, Abanikanda was behind Breece Hall, Michael Carter, and Dalvin Cook. But we’ve seen Carter released, and Cook has been relegated to a non-role. He also likely won’t be back in 2024. Abanikanda, meanwhile, has settled into a change-of-pace role alongside Hall. That could well carry into 2024, which gives him plenty of stash appeal.
Isaiah Spiller, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Percentage: .1
About: Another team in transition, this mostly being among the coaching staff. But Austin Ekeler, the veteran, hasn’t had a great season and isn’t likely to be on the roster in 2024. That leaves a big opening. Spiller hasn’t done much since being drafted in 2022, but down the stretch, we’ve seen him get more carries. That could be a promising sign heading into a new season. Spiller was an interesting prospect coming into the NFL for a reason, so he’s certainly worth a stash this off-season.
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
Roster Percentage: 81.4
About: Singletary signed a one-year deal in Houston this off-season. He was supposed to be veteran insurance behind Dameon Pierce. Instead, he’s been the best back and taken over the lead role. Will he be back in Houston? That remains to be seen, but he’s shown that he has an ability to contribute in the backfield, and I think he’ll get a shot somewhere. He’s worth holding or stashing.
Wide Receivers
Xavier Gipson, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: .1
About: The Jets entered the season with a lot of weapons and a lot of promise. Among those in the receiver room was Gipson, an undrafted free-agent rookie. While Mecole Hardman was traded and Allen Lazard has often been out of the mix, Gipson continues to rise. With Aaron Rodgers likely back in 2024, this pass offense could be on the rise. I like Gipson and his potential moving forward. He’s worth a stash.
Brandon Johnson, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: .1
About: There are a lot of receivers in Denver—at least on paper. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Marvin Mims are all under contract for 2024. And yet, Johnson has continued to make the most of his opportunities. It feels like some big changes are coming to the Broncos’ offense this off-season. I like Johnson, and I like his potential. He’s worth a stash to see if his opportunities continue.
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
Roster Percentage: 7
About: The Packers have a young offense that has begun to come together. While Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed get most of the focus, Wicks has shown himself a valuable contributor this season. He’s also the most lightly rostered. Heading into the off-season, he’s a player I’m stashing to see if his opportunities can continue to increase in 2024.
Trenton Irwin, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: .1
About: This is about potential opportunities. We’ve seen Irwin fill in for Tee Higgins and do well this season. We also know Higgins and Tyler Boyd are due to hit the open market this off-season. It’s unlikely both will be back for the Bengals. Someone will get those targets. There are other options on the roster, and it’s possible the Bengals bring someone else in, but at this point I am holding Irwin to see how the off-season shakes out.
Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Roster Percentage: 8.5 and 4.3
About: The Packers have a young team and that includes these two rookie tight ends. Each has shown flashes of production as this offense—the youngest in the NFL—finds its footing. I like the potential here moving forward. I think both are worth a stash at this point, though I’d prefer Musgrave.
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Roster Percentage: 36.5
About: Mark Andrews will be back, so there are questions about usage in Baltimore. But Likely has again impressed this season. It’s also possible he could be a chip the Ravens move this off-season to a team in need. Either way, he’s done enough to show that he should be rostered in all dynasty leagues.
Lucas Krull, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 0
About: As mentioned, the Broncos are in for an interesting off-season. The team also has a lot of receivers in the mix. But at tight end, Greg Dulcich hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and Adam Trautman is little more than a veteran presence. Young Krull has gotten more opportunities down the stretch and showed flashes as a receiver. It’s enough for me to think he could have earned more opportunities in 2024, making him worth a stash.
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.
