Our Super Bowl matchup is officially set. It’ll be MVP candidate Drake Maye and the New England Patriots squaring off against Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks. February 8th in Santa Clara, CA. Mark your calendars.
The Patriots punched their ticket with a gritty 10-7 win over Denver, overcoming brutal weather conditions. Meanwhile, the Seahawks got there by winning Part Three against the Rams, in a 31-27 thriller.
And through it all, I watched through a dynasty fantasy football lens to keep you informed on the impact these games have. This series will continue through the Super Bowl, so keep an eye out in two weeks for more dynasty coverage. For now, here are the biggest dynasty fantasy risers and fallers from the Conference Championships.
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Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers
QB Sam Darnold, Seahawks
Sam Darnold went from “seeing ghosts” against the Patriots early in his career to now playing against them in the Super Bowl. Talk about a redemption story. Despite being left for dead after his stint with the Jets, he’s now the first of the 2018 QB class — which features Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield — to make it to the Big Game.
Unlike last year’s brief playoff cameo as a member of the Vikings, the moment hasn’t been too big for Darnold this time around. He’s played flawless football in his two postseason games so far — this comes after leading the league in turnovers during the regular season. A week after not being asked to do much in a 41-6 dismantling of the 49ers, Darnold might’ve had his best day as a pro against the Rams: a career-high 346 passing yards and three TDs on 25-of-36 attempts.
Sam Darnold‘s NFC Championship performance vs. the Rams
The past two years have been a wild ride for Darnold and his dynasty value. He could’ve been plucked off the waiver wire in many leagues during the 2024 offseason. Even when J.J. McCarthy went down with a knee injury in the preseason and Darnold was handed the starting job, skepticism lingered. At the time, his value was hovering around a third-round rookie pick.
Then he went out and smashed. Darnold balled out in Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly system and threw for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 finish. After unceremoniously getting bounced in the first round, the Vikings (mistakenly) let Darnold walk, and he later signed a three-year, $100.5-million deal with the Seahawks.
With one of the league’s fiercest defenses and an ascending alpha in Jaxon Smith-Njigba to throw to, Darnold once again led his team to another 14-win regular season, becoming just the second QB ever to win at least 14 games in back-to-back seasons. Of course, Tom Brady is the other. And now, Darnold’s headed to the Super Bowl.
Still, even this year, some unwillingness to buy into what we were seeing remained in the dynasty community. Darnold’s value peaked at QB14 in November on KeepTradeCut, but it’s currently down to QB19 as I’m writing this. Part of the hesitation makes sense — Seattle did select Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Darnold has a propensity for turnovers.
That shouldn’t be the case going forward, at least in the short-term. Darnold still has two years remaining on his deal, and while Seattle does have an out after 2026, making the Super Bowl just extended his leash. It’s worth noting that Darnold is 30-7 over the last two seasons. That stat alone should buy him a few more seasons as a starter, thus upping his dynasty value.
I think you can make a case to buy or sell Darnold, depending on your roster construction and needs. But one thing is clear: His dynasty value is definitely pointing up after Sunday’s masterful performance.
RB Blake Corum, Rams
Could we be seeing a tighter split than expected in 2026 between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum? If Sunday’s gameplan against the Seahawks is any indication, the answer might be yes. Despite dominating the backfield touches the week prior against Chicago in the Divisional Round, Williams found himself in a dead-even timeshare with Corum in the loss to Seattle. Both guys finished with 12 touches — Williams found paydirt, but Corum outgained him 79-61.
This wasn’t a one-time thing. In the back half of the season, Corum started to earn more work. He cracked a 40% snap share just twice all season, but he had nine games with double-digit carries if you include the postseason. He finished his second season with 865 yards on 171 carries and six scores (including the playoffs).
That usage should make Williams managers uneasy going into 2026, at least a little bit. Corum looked good on his opportunities and made a case for more work — his 5.1 YPC average was tied with Bijan Robinson for fourth among all RBs with at least 100 carries. Corum also sported a +20 EPA (RB5) and was PlayerProfiler’s RB2 in Explosive Rating. Not too bad for a guy who started the season as just a handcuff.
Blake Corum‘s 2025 EPX Rating
Now, Williams is under contract for two more seasons after a recent extension in 2025. He’s not going anywhere. That, and Corum’s limited receiving volume, does lower his ceiling a bit. Still, his arrow is pointing up, and his dynasty value should quietly climb a little this offseason.
Worst-case scenario: Corum is a flex option for managers in deeper formats, particularly in standard or half-PPR scoring. If I had a late 2026 second-rounder, I’d wouldn’t mind sending that out for him and betting on his role continuing — or better yet, expanding — I just wouldn’t be comfortable paying more than that.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
Props to Rhamondre Stevenson. He shook off some early-season fumbles and didn’t let New England drafting his eventual replacement keep him down. Instead, he persevered and put together a nice season, all things considered.
Even better, he has shone in the postseason when it matters the most. In the Wild Card Round, he turned just 13 touches into 128 yards. Against a tough Texans defense in the Divisional Round, he piled up 81 yards on 20 touches. And on Sunday, in an ugly snowfest against Denver, Stevenson did exactly what the Patriots needed: control the clock and protect the football. He had 71 yards on 25 carries. Yardage was hard to come by given the conditions, so he has an excuse for the poor efficiency.
But the box score isn’t the story here. The real headline is the usage. Stevenson out-touched rookie TreVeyon Henderson 25 to three and out-snapped him 60 to four. That’s now the seventh time in the last eight games that Stevenson has out-snapped his rookie counterpart, per Next Gen Stats.
Stevenson will be 28 years old in a month, so his dynasty value won’t climb much. However, it’s clear that HC Mike Vrabel trusts his veteran back. Stevenson is the lead back, whether Henderson managers like it or not, and he’s productive in this offense. During the regular season, he ranked in the top 10 in the following efficiency and production metrics: yards per touch (5.9), yards per reception (10.8), yards created per touch (3.75), yards per route run (1.45), catch rate (86.5%), and fantasy points per opportunity (1.07).
If you’re a contender with a second-rounder burning a hole in your pocket, you could do a lot worse than acquiring Stevenson with it. His role seems secure, at least for one more season.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Fallers
RB TreVeyon Henderson
Well … you kind of had to see this one coming. Getting only three touches when your team is playing for a trip to the Super Bowl is pretty damning. Four snaps. Three carries. Five yards. That’s all TreVeyon Henderson accomplished in Sunday’s win against the Broncos.
I’m not sure if there’s something more at play here — maybe an undisclosed injury or something behind the scenes. Whatever it may be, Henderson was active, but he barely saw the field in the most important game of his young career.
TreVeyon Henderson‘s Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Henderson has one more game left to hopefully reverse this downward trend and leave dynasty fantasy managers with a better taste in their mouths heading into the offseason. It’ll be a tall task against Seattle’s stout defense, but it can’t be much worse than what we’ve seen so far in the playoffs. Henderson’s been abysmal, with 24 carries for 57 yards and two catches for seven yards with zero TDs. Gross.
If you are still a believer in his talent, this is your buying window. Henderson’s value has taken a hit thanks to these recent box scores. Start with a pair of second-rounders and see if that gets the conversation going. If you really want him, float a late first out there. The upside is there. Let’s not forget, he did produce two games with 140+ rushing yards and four multi-TD outings during the regular season.
If you’re a Henderson manager already, you’re basically stuck holding at this point. Don’t go panic-selling for below-market value; that’s never a smart play. Things should get better, it just might not be until some point in 2026.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
