To the Moon?! | Dynasty Players Whose Value could EXPLODE after Week 1

by Jonathan Lange · Featured
Dynasty Player Values Explode

We are finally nearing the close of the offseason, and the takes we were so confident in will not matter once 2026 kicks off. De’Zhaun Stribling, Cyrus Allen, and Ja’kobi Lane are already benefiting from preseason performances and reports. As a result, their dynasty stock has slowly risen.

Today I have a list of players that can realistically see their dynasty value shoot up after Week 1, and they have generated little to no buzz in the dynasty market. Let’s get started.

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Next Shuttle Boarding, Final Destination: The Moon

Tyler Shough | Quarterback, New Orleans Saints

Tyler Shough showcased real talent and ability once he was given the starting job in New Orleans last season. From Week 9 onward, the rookie finished outside the top 20 quarterbacks only twice. The team now has a legitimate threat out of the backfield with Travis Etienne, and rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson will rejoin the team close to midseason.

Shough has enough mobility to provide modest production on the ground, making him a sneaky candidate to finish as a low-end QB1. The fast-paced Kellen Moore offense is fantasy-friendly for all positions. It’s time we accept that it is good for the quarterback as well.

Malik Willis | Quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Just behind Shough is Malik Willis with the Dolphins. I understand the concern with Willis. The only fantasy skill player that has any relevance on the Dolphins offense is De’Von Achane. But take a stroll down fantasy memory lane, where back in 2022, Justin Fields was averaging 20 fantasy points a game in Chicago. Here’s a list of his pass catchers from that offense: Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, Chase Claypool, and Cole Kmet.

While a lack of weapons doesn’t help a quarterback in fantasy, rushing production can provide plenty of fantasy upside. Willis is a better thrower of the pigskin than Fields. He is being drafted way too low; his ranking among signal-callers will likely jump, especially after that Week 1 matchup against the average Raiders secondary.

Chris Rodriguez | Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Bhayshul Tuten train has gone full steam all summer long, but what if we’re all wrong? The Jags signed Chris Rodriguez, and Liam Coen highlighted Rodriguez’s ability to create yards, given his familiarity with the offense after playing under Coen at Kentucky.

A slow recovery from an offseason foot surgery further cemented the fantasy community’s stance on Tuten and buried the McDonough, GA, native. But Coen has been firm that this will be a rotation, so why fade the potential goal-line back of an offense that is expected to improve after a strong finish last season?

If Rodriguez can find the end zone and get 50 total yards, he will be valued much differently. Also, it seems everyone has forgotten that Tuten struggled with ball security in college. What if the fumbles return? I’m a fan of Tuten, but it’s very easy to see Rodriguez’s dynasty value shoot up after one game.

MarShawn Lloyd | Running Back, Green Bay Packers

After wide receiver Christian Watson escaped the 2025 season without a major injury, reports said work at the Meyer Institute helped him train his body to avoid those pesky injuries that kept popping up. MarShawn Lloyd found his way there this offseason, and the reports of his work at camp have been glowing. More importantly, Lloyd has avoided a soft-tissue setback so far this offseason.

Josh Jacobs has had a tumultuous offseason and is coming back from a groin injury. He is only 28, but in his seven-year career, he has had at least 230 carries in six of those seasons. That is a lot of wear and tear, and the team might want to get Lloyd more game action.

The former Trojan’s dynasty value — even with some offseason hype — is still relatively low. But if he can take 30% of the snaps and carve out a third-down role, the market will adjust!

Emmett Johnson | Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs (R)

Last season, many fantasy players and pundits were staking their claim to Kenneth Walker as a league winner. That is, until the Seahawks stubbornly committed to Zach Charbonnet as a primary red-zone back and relegated Walker to work outside the red zone. It clearly worked out for them, but it was a nightmare for fantasy football.

What if the Chiefs decide that the impressive rookie Emmett Johnson should be used to keep Walker healthy? If the former earns 20-30% of the touches from the backfield and impresses with it, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t give him more work.

Managers just saw the Seahawks roll into the NFL playoffs with a healthy Walker, and he shredded opposing defenses. Johnson is already a pure handcuff, but he could become a legitimate standalone weekly flex option if the Chiefs decide to keep Walker fresh.

Ja’kobi Lane | Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens (R)

Ja’kobi Lane has been the talk of Ravens camp, and with a need for a reliable No. 2 target on the offense, he could shatter his ADP in the 15th Round. Zay Flowers is the lead dog in the passing game, but the concern in the clubhouse is how much Mark Andrews has left in the tank.

After the second preseason game, fans and fantasy gamers noticed that Lane was on the sideline in street clothes. No injury, but the team had seen enough from the rookie and is ready to roll him out for Week 1. Rashod Bateman is amid some legal troubles and was mentioned as a potential trade candidate. Bateman could be on his way out of Baltimore. Lane will be a player to watch on Sundays, and as his snap share rises, his ranking among wideouts will, too.

Matthew Golden | Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers

I’ve got another young Packer on the list, and this time it’s Matthew Golden. Golden’s ADP dropped like a stone after an unproductive rookie season tanked any positive vibes anybody had for him: Under 45 targets, only 360 yards receiving, 90th in total routes run.

Could there be a glimmer of hope? Quarterback Jordan Love called Golden the “X” in the offense, which will lead to more playing time and a more consolidated role. While this could turn into a “sacrificial X” situation where he’s constantly draped in coverage by the defense’s top cornerback and a safety, he will also be given the responsibility to run the route tree for that position.

An increase in playing time. More routes run, more playing time, more snaps, means more opportunities to score points. I’m not predicting a WR2 finish, but after last season, an increase in playing time will be enough of an improvement to be viable.

Charlie Kolar | Tight End, Los Angeles Chargers

“No Block, No Rock” is a mantra that rings true in the NFL. And it’s slowly unfolding in front of our eyes in Los Angeles. So far this preseason, Charlie Kolar has been the lead tight end for the Chargers’ first-team unit. Oronde Gadsen appears to have been relegated to the second-team behind Kolar.

Of course, things can change, and the team might want Kolar to get more reps before they roll out their pass-catching weapon at tight end. But multiple quotes from Jim Harbaugh and the preseason participation point to a potential shift in Kolar’s value.

Erick All | Tight End. Cincinnati Bengals

This one feels like cheating. With an ADP of TE38 on FFPC, his value can only go up. The talk coming out of Bengals camp is that the offense will be more of Joe Burrow under center. Erick All‘s blocking has given the team this flexibility on offense.

If All is the tight end that leads the team in snaps and routes run, then the fantasy points will be sure to show up soon in an explosive offense. With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown all there, he won’t be a priority target, but being on the field in that offensive ecosystem will bode well for his fantasy point production.

Terrance Ferguson | Tight End, Los Angeles Rams

Let’s stay in LA for our second tight end, Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson had some hype last season after being drafted in the second Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he was placed in a tight end rotation by the Rams. Ferguson started slowly, with only seven targets through Week 9.

He was featured much more in the second half of the season, even reaching a 70% route rate twice. All offseason, beat writers have talked about how he has been placed all over the offense in Puka Nacua‘s absence. On top of that, Davante Adams will turn 34 this season after finishing out last season with lower-body soft tissue injuries.

This offense has a clear path to targets. Even with a tight end rotation, placing Ferguson all over the formation as a receiver would rack up more and more targets. He will easily outpace his current ADP at TE24.


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