The NFL Season is here, but we’ve been in it all year long. As Dynasty players, the season never really ends. But keeping up with the fluctuations week-to-week can help you gain an advantage. That’s the point of the stock watch—to process what we see on the field and apply it to players whose value is rising and whose value is taking a hit. Those fluctuations can help guide your management decisions as you shape your Dynasty roster for the long haul.
Week 12 is in the books; let’s look at what we learned. We’ll look at one player at QB, RB, WR, and TE whose value improved and one whose value took a hit. Let’s dive in.
Quarterbacks
Stock Up: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
About: Look, I know Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. But it didn’t look great for him in the season’s early going. In fact, after Week 7 his team was 6-0 but he had only six touchdown passes and eight interceptions. In the past five games, he’s tossed 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions, including three more on Sunday in a win against the Panthers. His yards have increased, too, as Mahomes looks more like the QB1 we’re all expecting. We can officially put any panic we had behind us.
Stock Down: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
About: Stroud was an easy pick as Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. He was near perfect at times for the Texans. This year has been a different story. He’s thrown just 14 touchdowns in 12 games while tossing nine interceptions, nearly double his total from last year. It’s been particularly tough of late, with his completion percentage and yardage down in a bad stretch that has the Texans at just 7-5. Stroud has not delivered so far for those hoping to get a top-tier QB1. It might be time for fantasy managers to consider whether he’s the best option on your roster.
Running Backs
Stock Up: Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
About: The rookie has been coming on this season, taking a bigger and bigger share of the workload in the Buccaneers’ backfield. On Sunday, he led the team with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown but also led the backs with six receptions for 64 yards. Irving is not only looking like the best running back in Tampa Bay but a huge steal for those who snagged him in rookie drafts.
Stock Down: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
About: McCaffrey missed a huge chunk of the season with a serious Achilles injury. He’s been back for three weeks, and while it is exciting to have him back in the lineup, it hasn’t looked pretty for fantasy players. He has yet to rush for 100 yards, going for less than 50 in two of the three games. Receptions have helped in PPR, but McCaffrey has yet to score a touchdown and doesn’t look like the explosive player we saw in 2023. It could be a lost season for McCaffrey—and the 49ers—but for dynasty, it’s worth considering whether now is an opportune time to try and sell before the bottom falls out.
Wide Receivers
Stock Up: Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
About: It hasn’t been pretty for Waddle this season. While De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith have seen their role in the passing game increase, he’s sometimes looked like the missing man. That changed Sunday, as he exploded for 144 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. It’s just one game, but it is a reminder of Waddle’s talent and potential in this offense. And, hopefully, it’s a sign of things to come for those who need his production in their lineup down the stretch.
Stock Down: Mike Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
About: It seemed like a change of scenery would do Williams good as he was traded from the woeful New York Jets to the contending Pittsburgh Steelers at the deadline. He rewarded the Steelers with a 32-yard touchdown reception in his first game with the team that helped win the game. That remains his only catch with the team in three games. He’s been a non-factor the past two weeks despite the Steelers’ need for production at receiver. All that leaves Williams as a non-factor in fantasy and a non-factor in your fantasy lineup.
Tight Ends
Stock Up: Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs
About: Gray has four touchdowns in his last two games. He’s been a factor all season and has a growing role as we approach the stretch drive. The Chiefs gave Gray an extension earlier this year, and it’s becoming obvious that he’s a part of what they want to do in the passing game. Gray should be on a roster and could well be the future at tight end, with Travis Kelce nearing the end of his career.
Stock Down: Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
About: Schultz was a great story in 2023 and a great option for fantasy. In 2024, he hasn’t enjoyed the same success. He’s splitting targets with a good group of receivers and running backs and is now ceding targets to rookie tight end Cade Stover, who caught a touchdown Sunday. All that makes Schultz a low-ceiling, low-floor option at tight end that’s better off on your bench than in your lineup.
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.
