Off-season Risers (1 Viewer)

[MrSoup]

I guess this post is geared more towards keeper and dynasty leagues, but who are some under the radar 1st and 2nd year players you see having an offseason where their stock jumps significantly?

Let’s hear them Shark Pool! Looking for names of guys who might be buried on their team’s depth chart right now, but may see an opportunity to start next year.

To kick it off, I’ll name a few guys whose talent I like, they just haven’t seized the opportunity yet.

Guys like Kyle Williams, Pat Bryant, Chimere Dike etc.

My season is in the dumps for my main keeper league, so I’m looking for some guys to stash over the offseason until we cut down rosters.

 

[zamboni]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

 

[FGITLOTR]

def guys like kyle williams and bryant--I think Pierce and Algiere sign with other teams and their value ascends

 

[King of the Jungle]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

Love the Burden hold for next year, think another off-season and he will take a leap. I am holding Ferguson but was hoping he would be more involved after Higbee was lost, but that seems to be regressing. Starting to wonder if he is just a spot vertical threat or if he has the necessary skills to grow into more.

 

[Boston]

Agree with Ferguson who is listed above...feels like a redshirt year for a team that is looking to win a title...McVay targeted him in the second round so you gotta believe he has big plans for him...Bryant is someone I have liked since he got drafted...he has been getting the snaps and now the production is starting to increase and hopefully that continues to next year...I am not as high on Kyle Williams...I think he will be much better next year but I fully expect the Pats to try to add a #1 and if they do and you also have Boutte I'm not sure how fantasy-relevant he can be...he is still worth a stash because there is no guarantee the Pats add an alpha...Mason Taylor is a little more known but I could see him taking a huge leap next year if the Jets can upgrade the QB position (we have been saying this since the Namath years)...LeQuint Allen is intriguing...he is only 21 so hopefully he has more upside...Etienne is a FA after this year and both Allen and Tuten were drafted under Coen so you can see a path where he is part of an RBBC next season...Devin Neal is getting his audition the rest of this year so he is worth a stash right now and hopefully he does enough to be part of an RBBC next season.

 

[Boston]

def guys like kyle williams and bryant--I think Pierce and Algiere sign with other teams and their value ascends

Pierce and Allgier are two players where you will be able to get a good feel for their potential value based on the contracts they get.

 

[FGITLOTR]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

Love the Burden hold for next year, think another off-season and he will take a leap. I am holding Ferguson but was hoping he would be more involved after Higbee was lost, but that seems to be regressing. Starting to wonder if he is just a spot vertical threat or if he has the necessary skills to grow into more.

I see Burden being a potential fantasy star by this time next year

 

[JohnnyU]

Higgins for sure. I like the upside of Tory Horton and Jalin Noel. Kamara may hang up his cleats, so Devin Neal would be interesting if they could get it into the mind to move on from Taysom Hill. That dude is washed up and just steals goal line carries. If anything were to happen to Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy I think Jalen Royals could sneak onto the scene. Terreance Ferguson could be a riser, but I don't especially like the usage TEs get in LA. The offense will never go through the TE position for McVay.

 

[zamboni]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

Love the Burden hold for next year, think another off-season and he will take a leap. I am holding Ferguson but was hoping he would be more involved after Higbee was lost, but that seems to be regressing. Starting to wonder if he is just a spot vertical threat or if he has the necessary skills to grow into more.

I see Burden being a potential fantasy star by this time next year

It’s going to be tough to truly emerge with Odunze and Loveland there, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[Boston]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

Love the Burden hold for next year, think another off-season and he will take a leap. I am holding Ferguson but was hoping he would be more involved after Higbee was lost, but that seems to be regressing. Starting to wonder if he is just a spot vertical threat or if he has the necessary skills to grow into more.

I see Burden being a potential fantasy star by this time next year

It’s going to be tough to truly emerge with Odunze and Loveland there, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

My other fear is Johnson is gonna be one of those HC's that is going to add in legit weapons either thru the draft or FA regardless of what he currently has on the roster.

 

[zamboni]

Also keep an eye on Braelon Allen and/or Isiah Davis if the Jets let Breece Hall walk in FA.

 

[MAC_32]

Kaleb Johnson is a guy I’m stashing away for the offseason. Seems like he’s getting severe rookie treatment (maybe still for that fumble) and Warren and Gainwell are playing well, but I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of him.

Not really under the radar, but Luther Burden is another guy I’m targeting.

At TE: Terrance Ferguson.

Love the Burden hold for next year, think another off-season and he will take a leap. I am holding Ferguson but was hoping he would be more involved after Higbee was lost, but that seems to be regressing. Starting to wonder if he is just a spot vertical threat or if he has the necessary skills to grow into more.

I see Burden being a potential fantasy star by this time next year

It’s going to be tough to truly emerge with Odunze and Loveland there, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

My other fear is Johnson is gonna be one of those HC's that is going to add in legit weapons either thru the draft or FA regardless of what he currently has on the roster.

I expect this offseason to be devoted to the defense. This isn't a championship caliber offense as is, but it's close. If the Bears make an impactful move I think it's at RB1

 

[MAC_32]

I think the biggest offseason riser will be the Bills new #1 wr, but who will that be? I wonder if a win-win trade with Chicago for DJM will work for both sides.

Kaleb Johnson will have Gainwell out of the way, but will he be out of the doghouse?

Mason Taylor is so obvious I don't think you'll be able to acquire him if you don't already.

If Neal doesn't start off hot, I wonder if Estime is going to get some run.

I'm lukewarm on the Pat Bryant call, at least for 2026 purposes. I have him stashed x2, but with an eye on 2027. Both Mims and Engram are UFA's after 2026 and that's about the time they have to start preparing to either extend Nix or replace him - i.e. where Jayden Higgins is now. If there is a time to buy Bryant I think (hope) it's sometime in 2026, but patience must be exerted.

I'm bummed I didn't get Ferguson anywhere, but the LAR QB is playing through a bad back and he'll need to contend for targets on an offense with Puka and Adams. Like Bryant, the ceiling may be several years out.

Brashard Smith is the only KC running back under contract in 2026 and they also have to deal with Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton, and Travis Kelce all expiring. Just sayin'

I suppose the above could also be applicable for Jaylin Noel.

One other thing that caught my attention is how many teams could have holes at RB1, so I'm scouring for backup / injured RB's that could find themselves in some form of committee- Brian Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, JK Dobbins, Najee Harrs fit.

 

[robb]

What about Kendre Miller, New Orleans running back? He is out this year, but probably will come back in 2026. He's got Neal to contend with.

 

[JohnnyU]

What about Kendre Miller, New Orleans running back? He is out this year, but probably will come back in 2026. He's got Neal to contend with.

Not sure he's a riser considering his incredible bad luck with injuries. Sure, if he's healthy he's probably ahead of Neal, but that's no guarantee. Besides, Kamara may come back for another year.

 

[Boston]

What about Kendre Miller, New Orleans running back? He is out this year, but probably will come back in 2026. He's got Neal to contend with.

The guy has been in the league for 3 years and has never rushed for more than 200 yards in a seasons and is coming off an ACL...Neal now has his audition but it took injuries for them to give him an opportunity...gotta believe the Saints are adding something at least solid to this backfield...they will either be breaking-in a rookie QB or rolling the dice on developing Shough...either way they need to surround him with more than Neal and Miller (or an aging Kamara if he is back).

 

[Jewell]

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona

Wilson has exploded onto the seen the past two weeks with games of 10 reception for 118 yards and 15 receptions for 185 yards. That kind of production, of course, won't continue, but I believe Wilson can continue to be more realistically productive for the remainder of the season and next season.

Wilson was an explosive star early in his Stanford career before a foot injury hampered him in his later college years. He looks back to being more explosive now, though, and, in contrast, Marvin Harrison Jr. doesn't look explosive at all. There's a chance that Wilson is just better than Harrison, and it's Wilson who'll be Arizona's best wide receiver going forward.

 

[MrSoup]

Great stuff guys! Thank you!

 

[Boone22]

I think Metchie beats out AD as WR #2 for the Jets (assuming they don’t use one of their MANY draft picks on an early WR. I expect the rest of this season is an audition for next year. I don’t know what that means without a real QB for the Jets.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

What about Kendre Miller, New Orleans running back? He is out this year, but probably will come back in 2026. He's got Neal to contend with.

The guy has been in the league for 3 years and has never rushed for more than 200 yards in a seasons and is coming off an ACL...Neal now has his audition but it took injuries for them to give him an opportunity...gotta believe the Saints are adding something at least solid to this backfield...they will either be breaking-in a rookie QB or rolling the dice on developing Shough...either way they need to surround him with more than Neal and Miller (or an aging Kamara if he is back).

Yeah, this might be one where the incoming free agent is the real riser if they don't splurge on a rookie back. I don't hate Miller or Neal at all as a what the heck stash if the price is cheap. There's a lot of murkiness here and the ceiling doesn't look too appetizing, but things can change fast.

 

[djjosee]

 

[robb]

Great thread! Let’s keep it going.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

I have a golden touch on my end-of-bench roster decisions.

I need a kicker, so I drop Devin Neal.... Kamara immediately out-of-action. Audition for the starting job served on a golden platter. I knew Kamara packing it in for the year was a possibility. This was more of a referendum on the talent level, as I'm skeptical he's got the juice to run away with the job without the Saints making a big investment. I still wish I had him to see what he looks like ROS.

Next, I decide I'm going to short-circuit if D. Pierce resurfaces on the Chiefs and looks like vintage Pacheco, or rookie year D. Pierce. I knew it was a mistake going in, but after playing fantasy whack-a-mole with a wealth of WR lineup options all season and continuously getting burned on my own depth, I decide to move on from my TeSlaa stash thinking I have a chance to get him back in a week or two if he remains silent.

TeSlaa immediately scores a touchdown and ARSB to miss time.

I went against every instinct not to drop Mason Taylor instead. The reality is that I deserve this for having to get ahead of D. Pierce 2.0 this early. We'll see if he even breaks loose from the practice squad. I'll keep you posted so you can pre-emptively swoop in on my terrible drops.

 

[Jayded]

Jaylin Noel - Kirk has come and gone in blocking his opportunity, but he also returns kicks for leagues that reward those yards. Higgins looks fluid, but Noel has that twitch that looks like it could make him a PPR machine.

I’ll give you a weird one - Tank Dell. He’s back catching passes on the side from CJ. If you want a dirt cheap dart throw, those guys have a crazy connection when he’s right.

Elijah Arroyo seems like a guy in this vein too. He’s not as completely a redshirt like others, but his opportunity should grow and he’s surrounded by talent that’ll draw interest away from him.

 

[Bri]

Elijah Arroyo seems like a guy in this vein too. He’s not as completely a redshirt like others, but his opportunity should grow and he’s surrounded by talent that’ll draw interest away from him.

Barner is only 23. Every time I watch them I wonder why they bothered drafting Arroyo. Barner is far better in a complete TE sense and plays more.
Admittedly I didn't even know Barner existed til week one, but ...he's hard to overlook

 

[Bri]

I'll give you a weird one - Tank Dell. He’s back catching passes on the side from CJ. If you want a dirt cheap dart throw, those guys have a crazy connection when he’s right.

Forever don't know why teams won't throw many at a position and see what sticks to just be done drafting especially when it's a continuous struggle.
The Packers did and were all set.
The Texans have and seem like they've got too many WRs.
I forgot about Dell. Thank you.

I think the Packers WRs start to age out and hit free agency this year. I'll be watching them too.

 

[zamboni]

I’ll give you a weird one - Tank Dell. He’s back catching passes on the side from CJ. If you want a dirt cheap dart throw, those guys have a crazy connection when he’s right.

Dell is a guy I’ve been thinking about picking up at the end of the year. Just not sure he’ll get back to his former form and even if he does, he’ll be returning to a much more crowded WR crew than when it was just him and Nico.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If you’re looking for deep stashes, for New Orleans I’ll throw out WRs Mason Tipton & Vele. - Tipton has a lot of what Shaheed had.

 

[Bri]

If you’re looking for deep stashes, for New Orleans I’ll throw out WRs Mason Tipton & Vele. - Tipton has a lot of what Shaheed had.

I had him and the kid wasn't capitalizing on opportunity.
I think similar with Vele

 

[Jayded]

I’ll give you a weird one - Tank Dell. He’s back catching passes on the side from CJ. If you want a dirt cheap dart throw, those guys have a crazy connection when he’s right.

Dell is a guy I’ve been thinking about picking up at the end of the year. Just not sure he’ll get back to his former form and even if he does, he’ll be returning to a much more crowded WR crew than when it was just him and Nico.

He will for sure but he might come back, smartly, as a specialist. He might be a frustrating fantasy asset, but I picture another guy I have on a team in Jameson Williams. Just as likely to get 0 as he is 20. Curious if he and Noel are there who they send to field kicks, especially after cutting Pierce.

As a Texans fan, I’m glad to rookies are starting to show something. We know Nico is alpha if he’s healthy. Higgins is a weird one to pick out as he seems to glide more than run and his game reminds me of Nico (redundant and not sure if that’s in a good way). So I like Dell and Noel as “something different” in the offense that’s just necessary. If the Texans ever get a competent TE (yeah shaming you Schultz), I think Higgins suffers most because of his redundancy. Dell is free and Noel is cheaper than Higgins. Happy to be wrong, but my current read as a fan.

 

[Bri]

If you’re looking for deep stashes, for New Orleans I’ll throw out WRs Mason Tipton & Vele. - Tipton has a lot of what Shaheed had.

I had him and the kid wasn't capitalizing on opportunity.
I think similar with Vele

Ya think you see something @SaintsInDome2006 ?

 

[Hankmoody]

Isaiah Bond. But it's CLE, so the chances of him ever getting a true QB upgrade are slim.

 

[MrSoup]

Isaiah Bond. But it's CLE, so the chances of him ever getting a true QB upgrade are slim.

I like this. Kind of forgot about him. Steve Smith had him as his #1 WR in this class heading into the season, and Steve is usually pretty accurate. Might have to stash him.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If you’re looking for deep stashes, for New Orleans I’ll throw out WRs Mason Tipton & Vele. - Tipton has a lot of what Shaheed had.

I had him and the kid wasn't capitalizing on opportunity.
I think similar with Vele

Ya think you see something @SaintsInDome2006 ?

The Saints do. He’s been a camp star last couple years, & my guess was the Saints saw him as someone who could fill Shaheed’s role. He had a very nice return vs ATL which besides the pick-6 was their only spark. I thought they’d use him for the deep routes but it was mostly short outs for him vs Atl. But Shough couldn’t find any rhythm. Iirc they did take one deep shot to him. They may see him as a WR3 next year.

 

[Bri]

If you’re looking for deep stashes, for New Orleans I’ll throw out WRs Mason Tipton & Vele. - Tipton has a lot of what Shaheed had.

I had him and the kid wasn't capitalizing on opportunity.
I think similar with Vele

Ya think you see something @SaintsInDome2006 ?

The Saints do. He’s been a camp star last couple years, & my guess was the Saints saw him as someone who could fill Shaheed’s role. He had a very nice return vs ATL which besides the pick-6 was their only spark. I thought they’d use him for the deep routes but it was mostly short outs for him vs Atl. But Shough couldn’t find any rhythm. Iirc they did take one deep shot to him. They may see him as a WR3 next year.

I'll keep a lookout. Thanks

 

[menobrown]

A lot of TE's, which is par for the course since it was a great class and year two is the year most of them breakout. You all mentioned several of them already so I won't be repetitive but the one guy flying under the radar a bit is Gunnar Helm. He's one of those players I'll admit I knocked after his miserable combine(which he had legit excuses over) but I've long thought instincts and skills were more valuable at that position then pure athleticism and he's got those things in droves. Chig is fairly sure to be gone and he'll step into the job.


Guys like Tuten and Burden seem almost to obvious to mention but I will anyway, because I don't see a little growth as much as I see

If he can get his knee right I still think Trey Benson can begin the breakout process any week.

Ollie Gordon has a nice little role now but I think it's going to continue to grow and he's still just 21 years old. Obviously he's never overtaking Achane but there is a scenario this looks a little closer to Mostert/Achane's big season together.


Tory Horton has looked great when given opportunities. Kupp is washed and I'm thinking they are more likely to cut him then bring him back another year. They might extend Shaeed so he might still be the third WR so a breakout could be difficult but I think he can take a big step up.

OP's original question was first and second year players but if we are looking at this as "cheap" dynasty stashes. Some of you already mentioned players like Brian Robinson, the two on the Jets if Breece leaves (Davis and Allen) and the Saints Rb's and I'm in agreement with all of those.

Two RB's that have lookd great when given a chance that are entering year 4.

Keaton Mitchell-will be a RFA but still only 23, 24 entering next season. Looks healthy, the King is coming off a good game but he looks to be slowing down. Keaton is underuilized now, just needs more chances and hopefully will get it next season if Ravens tender him but his time is coming either way IMO.

Sean Tucker but in his case it's more about him leaving then the incumbent. I believe he's going to be a RFA and I recall reading before the season started the tender was going to be in the $3.5M range. If I was them, I'd pay it, but he's someone I was rostering before his recent mini-breakout in case he gets free. Worst case is most likely a scenario where Rachaad White leaves and he's at least the clear cut RB2.

Nothing novel as this has often been discussed but Likely is probably getting the Ravens TE1 job to his own and if not he's going to someone else's TE1.