Dynasty managers constantly evaluate their rosters throughout the season, determining what players to buy and who to trade or cut loose. With this, it’s time for the reaction to Week 16 of buy-and-sell within Dynasty. I’ll be analyzing veteran and rookie profiles to project future values, which is the key to building a successful Dynasty Fantasy Football team.
My buy candidates throughout the year will range from immediate help to long-term upside that could deliver consistent production for the future. Also, knowing when to trade away players at or near their peak is valuable to infusing your roster with up-and-coming talent. Let’s dive right in, and let me help you by suggesting the players that you’d be wise to buy and sell in Dynasty this week.
* Within this article, the statistics were pulled from Sports Reference, KeepTradeCut (KTC), and Sleeper.
Buy
Bryce Young
It’s rare for a 23-year-old second-year player drafted in the first round (1st overall) during the 2023 NFL Draft from the University of Alabama to get benched. But it’s also surprising that they find fantasy success after that. However, Young has begun to find his footing lately with the Panthers this season. His rookie season was a disaster as he finished QB23 (Full-PPR) and never finished higher than QB9 (Full-PPR). On top of that, the Panthers were a dumpster fire, and first-year head coach Frank Reich was fired eleven games into the season after he had managed only one win. In the 2024 season, the Panthers started with an entirely new coaching staff by hiring Dave Canales from the Buccaneers. In the previous two seasons, Canales helped turn around Geno Smith of the Seahawks, and he did the same with Baker Mayfield of the Buccaneers. Since Week 8, we’ve seen positive signs from Young after his benching. This past Sunday in Week 16, we saw Young’s best fantasy game as he’s starting to shine, and he finished as QB2 on the week with 27.12 fantasy points (Full-PPR). Young completed seventeen of twenty-six passes for 158 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Additionally, he also added five rushing attempts for 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Young did all of this with some key players also missing the game.
With Young showing signs of promise and finishing the year strong, he continues to trend upward. He also figures to continue being the franchise quarterback with these positive progressions and all that the Panthers invested in him just over a year ago. The Panthers traded a haul for the top overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Bears. They gave up the number nine overall pick, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. The Panthers currently are projected outside the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft in what is considered a weaker quarterback class than in years past. It’s becoming clear that Young is improving his footwork, accuracy, and diagnosis of plays. He’s been working through progressions much more quickly to find his open pass catchers, and with this, the Panthers’ offense is finally opening up more. Additionally, the Panthers have some nice young offensive weapons around Young, such as Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Brooks, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Ja’Tavion Sanders. If the team continues to add offensive talent, Young could have a high-end QB2 upside. Young, who’s in the second year of his four-year rookie contract, is currently QB26 (Full-PPR) on the season, and KeepTradeCut (KTC) has him valued as the QB22. Now is the time to try to acquire a player who’s shown signs of improvement, and with another year in Canales’ system, it’s easy to see Young continuing to improve. I’d look to acquire him now, as in Dynasty Fantasy Football, he won’t cost nearly as much as other quarterbacks. Young can be a great buy-low piece to help solve your quarterback position for your contending Dynasty Fantasy Football team for future seasons.
Xavier Worthy
Throughout many players’ rookie campaigns, they typically see an uptick in production as they show signs of improvement mid to late season. This very much applies to Xavier Worthy, the former first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft from the University of Texas. Worthy’s targets since Week 7 have been trending up, and in the past three weeks, he has had a snap percentage of 80% or higher. In addition, he’s received eleven targets in the past two weeks. What’s most exciting is that he’s been involved in the run game as well, with three carries. From the get-go, Worthy showed signs of being a star. In Week 1, he finished as the WR9 with 19.80 (Full-PPR) fantasy points. He had two receptions on three targets for 47 yards and one touchdown while also adding one rush for 21 yards, which turned into a touchdown. But this past week, he had his most complete game of the season. Worthy finished Week 16 as the WR12 with 17.00 (Full-PPR) fantasy points. He had seven receptions on eleven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown. The dynamic threat also added three carries for 10 yards. One would figure that Worthy will continue to improve his overall game while keeping his high ceiling.
With Worthy having strong showings, he figures to be a cornerstone of the Chiefs offense, along with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, going forward. This is especially true since the team invested such a high draft pick in him. Also, with Travis Kelce being 35 years old with his best football behind him and retirement rumors circulating, the Chiefs offense will one day be looking to younger faces to be the featured star pass catchers of the offense. With the emergence of Rashee Rice before his knee injury, the top cornerstone pass-catching options for the Chiefs going forward figure to be Rice and Worthy. If Kelce does indeed retire, investing now in the 21-year-old Worthy will pay off in a bigger way for Dynasty Fantasy Football managers. Worthy is also in the first year of his four-year rookie contract, and being tied to Mahomes within the Chiefs offense, which typically has higher scoring, is an attractive situation. Worthy is starting to figure out his NFL niche, and with Andy Reid‘s creative mind, he very much looks to be a breakout candidate next year who will begin fulfilling his dynamic Desean Jackson comparisons. Worthy is currently WR35 (Full-PPR) on the season, and KeepTradeCut (KTC) has him valued as the WR32. Now is the time to try to acquire a player who’s shown playmaking abilities and who, in the future, should very easily see a reliance in his role. I’d look to acquire Worthy now as he’s currently discounted since Dynasty Fantasy Football rookie drafts and figures to only see an increase in value. Worthy can be a great buy-low piece to help solve your wide receiver position for your contending Dynasty Fantasy Football for many upcoming seasons.
Sell
Rico Dowdle
Starting in Week 9, once the Cowboys handed the keys to their running game over to Rico Dowdle, their run game became much more productive. In turn, with a consistent diet of touches, Dowdle has been able to show the team how talented a running back he is. In Week 13, he had his best fantasy game of the season with 19.80 fantasy points (Full-PPR) and finished the week as the RB5. In this game, he had twenty-two carries for 112 yards and a touchdown while adding three catches on three targets for 11 yards. In Week 15, he also had twenty-five rushes, showcasing his workhorse ability. Ironically, in the past five games, he’s averaged over nineteen carries, and the Cowboys have won four of those games. Dowdle is proving to the team that once they rely more heavily on him, he can reward them with production, and the team has a winning record as well. In the offseason, when the Cowboys chose to ignore the running back position in the 2024 NFL Draft, they re-signed Dowdle on a one-year contract, and he rewarded them handsomely. However, he faces an uncertain future as many scouts consider the 2025 NFL Draft the best running back class in many years, and the Cowboys could very easily choose to add a young back.
Dowdle, who had a breakout season at 26 years old, might be looking to cash in on what could be his only payday on a multi-year deal. The Cowboys have salary cap concerns already, having committed top dollars to wide receiver Ceedee Lamb and Dak Prescott, with pass rusher Micah Parsons still left seeking a new contract. Committing larger dollars to a running back might be difficult for the team to do. Dowdle could look to return to the Cowboys, but it seems unlikely as he’ll need to accept less money and accept that if a young running back is drafted, he’ll at some point be taking a back seat. What lies ahead for Dowdle and maybe not being guaranteed to be his future team’s clear top running back makes his future murky and Dynasty Fantasy Football value worrisome. Dowdle is in the final year of his contract and is currently RB25 (Full-PPR) on the season, and on KeepTradeCut (KTC), he’s valued as RB35. With Dowdle’s solid fantasy season to date, I’d look to sell him now and cash out on him. For Dynasty Fantasy Football managers who acquired him for pennies on the dollar in the offseason, this can be a solid quip. I’d look to target a young prospect or late-round draft pick, as you can trade him now for a nice return to a contending manager, which can help you restock your Dynasty Fantasy Football roster for the future.
Jonnu Smith
Probably the biggest and most pleasant surprise for Dynasty Fantasy Football managers this season has been the late career emergence of Jonnu Smith. He signed a two-year contract worth just $8.4 million with the Dolphins in the offseason. The Dolphins, under head coach Mike McDaniel, haven’t been a team that’s used their tight ends heavily historically. As teams made adjustments this season to limit their team passing game to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Smith has transformed into a star pass-catching option, soaking up all the underneath passes. This season, he’s been quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s top option besides running back De’Von Achane, who’s done it all for them. Smith has been a league winner at the tight end position for anyone who believed in him coming into this season. In Week 11, Smith had his biggest game of the season with 29.10 fantasy points (Full-PPR), and he finished the week as TE2. He had six catches on eight targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Most impressively, though, Smith has finished as a top-five tight end six out of fifteen games, had five weeks in a row where he was a top-five tight end, and ended the week as the top tight end scorer twice. He has been a stud and a diamond in a rough addition to everyone’s Dynasty Fantasy Football rosters this season.
However, with how unpredictable the tight end position is on a year-to-year basis and the fact that Smith has never previously finished as a top-fifteen tight end, I would sell high on him. Someone will believe this year is no fluke and that the 29-year-old still has a few years left of very productive football, especially if he stays with the Dolphins long-term past the one year he has left on his contract. Smith is currently TE4 (Full-PPR) on the season, and on KeepTradeCut (KTC), he’s valued as TE14, so he’s a smart sell high right now as he still has great value. You should be able to get more for him than what he’s being valued at on KeepTradeCut (KTC) since production at the tight end position is so hard to find. With this, I’d look to sell Smith now because he’s still in his prime age, and with his breakout season, his value will never be higher. You can trade Smith now for a nice return, which can help you restock your Dynasty Fantasy Football roster for the future.
Conclusion
As the football season quickly moves along, don’t let your league catch you sleeping, as it’ll cost you in the standings. Buy and sell these players now to build your long-lasting championship-caliber Dynasty Fantasy Football roster.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you gained some valuable information. If you have any questions or you’d like additional insight and analysis, please follow me on Twitter/X at @MonicasHubby. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
