Dynasty Fantasy Football Diary: Reviewing Rookies Like RJ Harvey And More
Jonathan Fuller looks at the offseason with 40 days until the NFL kicks off the 2025 season, offering advice on how to further enhance dynasty rosters.
Training camps are here and the slow news days of the past month are behind us. We're 40 days from the start of the NFL season, which means many fantasy managers will be shifting their attention from dynasty to redraft. It's important to not totally ignore your dynasty leagues between now and the start of the season.
Some of the best trades can be made in the weeks leading up to the NFL season as reality kicks in and the hope of the offseason wears off once training camp battles are settled and depth charts are set. It is also peak overreaction season, which can work in the favor of levelheaded managers who separate the signal from the noise of the training camp rumor mill.With that in mind, here are some of the things I've been thinking about over the last few weeks.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Recap
Rookie drafts are now almost entirely behind us. Once the dust has settled I like to take a few minutes and review how they played out.
My biggest takeaways from this year have to do with the rookie RB class. I've been on the record stating that this is an extremely strong RB class and that is supported by Dwain McFarland's Super Model, which also grades this as a very strong class. My most drafted player in my rookie drafts has been RJ Harvey. This is partly due to most of my first-round picks being in the late first, as well as the fact that I love his profile and landing spot. Yes, the J.K. Dobbins signing hurts his Year 1 outlook a bit, but Harvey never profiled as a workhorse. As long as the Broncos continue to throw to their RBs at a high rate and have a strong offensive line, Harvey has a good chance to score a lot of fantasy points without needing a workhorse role.I have high expectations for this rookie RB class and wouldn't be surprised if as many as five of them are being drafted among the top-15 RBs in dynasty startups next offseason. Another takeaway I had from my rookie drafts is that I believe the gap between Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland is too wide. Warren is the better all-around prospect, but I believe Loveland has just as much upside (if not more) as a pass catcher. Loveland is also younger and went ahead of Warren in the NFL Draft. In most of my leagues, Warren went 4-6 picks ahead of Loveland. There was one league where Loveland went before Warren, but that seems to be an outlier based on the rest of my rookie drafts and their ADP. My final takeaway is that I believe we will look back on this QB class as undervalued in superflex leagues. I'm not a big Tyler Shough believer, but if he starts multiple seasons for the Saints he will easily pay off where he was going in rookie drafts. Jaxson Dart is an intriguing upside profile with a big arm and rushing ability. I also wouldn't be surprised if Jalen Milroe or one of the Cleveland QBs turns out to be a big hit. None of these guys were drafted very highly, so if one or more of them turn out to be consistent fantasy starters that would be a huge win in superflex dynasty leagues.Moves to make before the season starts
Buy the dip on training camp panic (in most cases).
If you are able to take advantage of a manager in your league panicking over news that isn't likely to be that impactful, you should do it. Buying low on talented young players facing suspension, like Jordan Addison and Rashee Rice, can be a great move for dynasty managers who recognize that 3-6 missed games won't matter in the grand scheme of their career.A bit riskier, but the Quinshon Judkins situation is another opportunity to buy low if the manager in your league is worried. The key, of course, is to get a discount that makes the risk worth it. If you could trade for Judkins by giving up two third-round picks, or a 2026 third and a 2027 second—or something along those lines—I think that is a worthwhile bet to make for a player who was drafted in the first round of rookie drafts this year. There will inevitably be more negative reports throughout the summer. We don't want to blindly buy in on every player whose value declines, but many of those reports will turn out to be meaningless. Reports about fumbling issues or X team wanting to use more of a committee approach at a certain position often turn out to be irrelevant once the season starts. If you can get a discount on a player who you are pretty confident is talented, that is generally a move worth making.Double check your waiver wire
The waiver wire in most dynasty leagues is a bleak place. I'm certainly guilty of not checking it and then kicking myself when I see that a competitor picked up someone I would have liked to roster. This is especially important during the summer when people are making more moves and player situations are changing drastically with signings, cuts, and injuries.
A few of the top examples whom I've seen on waivers this offseason include Darren Waller, Tyler Lockett, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. These aren't slam dunk pickups, but they are all players that project for a real role and are better than some of the guys sitting at the end of my roster.
Another example is Hunter Renfrow, who sat out all of last season but is now on the Panthers. He's flashed real upside in the past and could emerge as someone who plays a lot of snaps, particularly if Adam Thielen declines in his age 35 season. If we get positive camp reports on Renfrow he is definitely worth a speculative add with how open the Panthers WR depth chart is.
It's worth checking your waiver wire at least once per week between now and the start of the season to make sure you don't miss the chance to improve your roster for free.
Tips for evaluating your chances in 2025
I've shared some of these concepts before, but there are a few things I like to do every offseason as a reality check for how strong my dynasty rosters are. It is easy to fall in love with all the youth and upside on a roster and lose sight of the goal of winning a championship.
The first reality check I do is review how my team has finished in the last couple seasons. If I haven't at least made the semifinals in one of the last two seasons that is a good sign my team may not be a true championship contender and I should consider a rebuild.
The second test that I like to do is to pull in redraft ADP or rankings for the players on my roster. The goal of a great dynasty roster should be to build a team that isn't possible to draft in a season-long league because you have so many players who go in the first four or five rounds. Those are the guys who we can be confident have a meaningful role and should project to be every-week starters.
A good rule of thumb is if you have two first-round players, five players in the top three rounds, and eight or more in the top five rounds you almost certainly have a championship caliber roster. If you are close to those numbers, you can look at the other rosters in your league and determine if you are really in the top three of four teams with a real chance at winning it all.
One of the worst things a dynasty manager can do is be in denial about the state of their team. Just because you have a bunch of your favorite players does not necessarily mean your team is championship quality. If it isn't you need to seriously consider rebuilding, or at least getting more active in the trade market to improve your roster. Being stuck in the purgatory of not competing for a championship but not being bad enough to land a top pick is the last place you want to be.
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