Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Luther Burden Upgrades to Top-12 WR

Another fantasy football season has come and gone. As we shift our attention to the offseason and all its upcoming events (Combine, Draft, etc). I made some adjustments to my dynasty fantasy football rankings. Here are some of my biggest takeaways and how I'm approaching these players and situations in the weeks and months ahead.

Risers and Fallers in the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings

Luther Burden, WR - Bears

The Chicago Bears might have gotten one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL Draft when they snagged Luther Burden early in the second round (39th overall). As of this writing, he's currently my WR11.

The Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams pairing is paying off in a big way. If the Bears can ever figure out how to get out quickly and start games faster, instead of needing all these fourth-quarter comebacks, they could become one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.

Chicago is deep at every offensive skill position, but Burden rapidly surfaced as the go-to option in the receiver room over the final weeks of the season. Despite his slow start, he averaged six targets per game over his final seven contests.

DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are more than capable in their own right, but Burden profiles as the alpha of the room and should be treated as such both by Johnson/Williams and dynasty managers everywhere.

The general consensus still values Odunze over Burden, which means there's a great chance to make a profitable move. If you can flip Odunze for Burden plus a future draft pick (even a late one), or make a larger deal with different pieces, that's definitely something to consider.

I'd even suggest making a move for Burden before he has a massive playoff performance and more eyes are on the Bears this weekend.

Travis Etienne, RB - Jaguars

After a relatively disappointing 2024 campaign, Travis Etienne delivered for fantasy managers in a big way this season. He tallied nearly 1,400 scrimmage yards and scored 13 total TDs while playing in all 17 games.

Availability is often the best ability for RBs, and he's played in 17, 17, 15 and 17 games over his last four seasons. Health is not a concern for this talented player.

Etienne's 260 rushing attempts easily led the team, as rookie Bhayshul Tuten only tallied 82 rushing attempts and had only one game with double-digit carries in his 15 games played.

Could Tuten become more involved next season? That's definitely plausible, especially considering Etienne is entering this offseason as a free agent. The prudent "football" move for the Jaguars would likely be to let Etienne walk and revamp around their most recent draft pick.

Regardless of whether Etienne remains a Jaguar or signs somewhere else, he's going to get paid. A dual-threat, healthy RB with a proven track record of success who is still just 26 years old will have a strong market.

Etienne is currently my RB14, and I honestly might have him a touch too low.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE - Browns

Let's show some love to the TE position. Often one of the most volatile and confusing positions in all of fantasy football, it's important to lock down a semi-consistent option whenever you can.

After all, there's only one Trey McBride in each of your leagues.

If you are not one of the fortunate managers to have McBride on your roster, look no further than the Browns young TE, Harold Fannin.

Selected in Round 3 last spring, Fannin came in at No. 3 in our Rookie TE Model, behind two strong prospects in Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. If you forgot how dominant Fannin was in his final year of college, despite playing in the MAC, let me remind you:

117 receptions
1,555 receiving yards
10 TDs

Our own Ian Hartitz noted that Fannin posted solid numbers in his four games against D1 opponents as well:

However, simply pointing to Fannin's gaudy counting numbers and obvious MAC competition isn't fair considering his performance in four non-conference games against D-1 competition:

at Penn State: 11 receptions-137 yards-1 TD
at Texas A&M: 8-145-1
vs. Old Dominion: 12-193-2
vs. Arkansas State: 17-213-1

Fast forward to the end of his rookie season, and Fannin led the Browns in every major receiving category (targets, receptions, receiving yards and TDs). He's going to remain a big part of this offense for a long time.

Currently my TE6, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this young star.

Jaxson Dart, QB - Giants

Let's finish it up with one of the more exciting QB prospects from this past season.

Jaxson Dart fell to the Giants, who ultimately snagged him with the 25th overall pick. He flashed his elite upside and dual-threat ability right away this season. From Weeks 4-10, he averaged 27.8 PPG, scored 17 total TDs and only threw three INTs.

Heading into Year 2, he'll have a new head coach in John Harbaugh and a great supporting cast of talent in both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo.

Dart is currently my QB10 and could inch up the board even more by this time next season. As long as he can take care of his body on the field, he offers Josh Allen-type upside in a division that remains pretty open and competitive.