The fantasy football offseason is in full effect. Now is the time to start looking at your roster and examining how you can improve your lineup.
The good thing is, there are some really talented players out there that fantasy managers might be down on right now. These are some players that you should really look to make a move for, because they could explode onto the scene this year.
1. QB-Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels had an amazing rookie year, and we truly saw what he is capable of. He can make all the throws as a passer and has a unique ability to take off with the ball when there is an opening.
Jayden Daniels finished his rookie season with 355.8 fantasy points (20.9 ppg) and played all 17 games in that season. That season Daniels threw 3568 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 891 yards and 6 touchdowns. His finish depends on your fantasy league settings, but he generally finished the season as QB5.
So why would any fantasy manager have an interest in trading him? Well, he did not follow up that rookie season with a strong second year. Last year’s season was plagued with injuries. Daniels played in 7 games only passing for 1262 yards and 8 touchdowns, while rushing for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns. This led to a general fantasy finish of QB34.
Jayden Daniels performance last year could have his fantasy managers thinking that maybe his rookie year was a fluke. They may be worried about constant injuries and his ability to even be in a starting lineup from week to week. You should jump on this opportunity. Daniels is currently my number 4 QB in dynasty rankings. Acquiring Daniels would be huge in any Superflex league. In a 1QB league, if you don’t have Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Drake Maye, then I would consider making a move for Jayden Daniels.
2. RB-De’Von Achane
At this point everyone knows who De’Von Achane is. He had a breakout rookie season and followed that up with two premier fantasy seasons the past two years.
As a rookie in 2023 Achane played 11 games and averaged 17.3 fantasy points per game in a PPR format. He blew up, but he is a small running back and he missed games due to knee and shoulder injuries. His durability started to be a question mark then.
However, in 2024, De’Von Achane played in all 17 games, averaging 17.6 points per game and totaling 299.9 fantasy points in a PPR format. This was good enough to land him at RB5 on the season.
He followed this season up with another great year in 2025. He played in 16 games averaging 20.2 points per game and totaling 322.8 points in a PPR format. He once again finished as RB5.
Achane has been a consistent force for fantasy managers, but in this offseason the Miami Dolphins have cleaned house around Achane. They have replaced their quarterback and let both of their top two receivers go (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle).
People now seem to be concerned with the defenses being totally focused on Achane and with the boxes being stacked he may not be able to produce at the same level. I urge fantasy managers to use this to their advantage and go get him.
Teams may stack the box, but Achane could get even more usage as well. I don’t think his numbers will waver. I have Achane as my number 3 dynasty running back.
Even if he were to have a down year or maybe get injured because of the additional usage, DeVon Achane is only 24 years old. He has years left to play. I think that in the next year or two the Dolphins will be adding key pieces all around him to once again take some pressure off Achane. If this next year ends up being a down year, I think he would bounce back quickly.
3. Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka had a solid start to his NFL career last season. He ended the season as the WR23 in a PPR format with a total of 195.7 points. But these numbers can be deceiving.
Emeka Egbuka started as one of four NFC wide receivers, and the only rookie, to have 75+ yards from scrimmage in at least three of the first four games. The other three wide receivers were Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His biggest game came in Week 5 against the Seahawks, when he caught seven passes for 163 yards and a touchdown.
A big reason for his immediate contributions stemmed from the fact that starting wide receiver Chris Godwin was unable to play for the first three weeks. This immediately put Egbuka in a starting role and he thrived in that role. However, when Godwin came back and he was pushed to the third option behind Chris Godwin and star receiver Mike Evans, he didn’t have the same kind of opportunities, and it showed. In the last three weeks of the season, he had a total of 5 catches for 68 yards.
This dip in production over the last half of the season could cause fantasy managers to question whether Egbuka really has what it takes to be a big-time fantasy receiver for them. At the start of free agency, star wide receiver Mike Evans was signed by the 49ers. This really changes things because it pushes Egbuka right back into the starting role that he was in early last season.
Emeka Egbuka showed us exactly what he could do when he gets the time on the field, and I expect him to return to form this season. I would talk to any Egbuka managers and see if you could work a deal out with them. I think he has the talent to consistently put up the numbers he had early last season. All he needs is the opportunities, and he should have those this season.
4. WR Luther Burden III and TE Colston Loveland
I have two players packed into one talking point here, because they have a very similar story. Both Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland had a very slow start to their rookie years last year, but they really hit the ground running in the second half of the season.
Luther Burden III ended last season as the WR 48. While that doesn’t sound amazing, his back half of the year was very good. He averaged 11.4 points per game in a PPR league over the last half of the season and 15.2 points per game over the final four weeks.
Colston Loveland ended the season as TE12. Just like Burden he started slow but really took off starting in Week 9. Loveland averaged 14.25 points per game over that final stretch.
Not only did both players have great finishes to the season last year, but they have an up-and-coming quarterback in Caleb Williams and they are coached by offensive genius Ben Johnson. The Bears also traded away veteran receiver D.J. Moore Jr. With Moore leaving, that leaves more opportunities for Burden and Loveland to make an impact. These are two players that need to be picked up before they get too expensive.
5. WR DeVonta Smith
Wide Receiver DeVonta Smith has had a good start to his career. He has generally finished within the top 25-30 wide receivers in PPR leagues and has been known to be a solid WR2. This could all change this season.
For the majority of Smith’s career, he has been the number two receiver for the Eagles as he has been playing behind star wide receiver A.J. Brown. It seems very likely that Brown will be traded in the upcoming months and this would leave Smith with the opportunity to take over the WR1 role.
Smith can hit the ground running in this role. Smith has had 31 catches for 439 yards and scored 1 TD in the last 5 games without A.J. Brown. I would get ahead of the game and try to make a move for Smith right now. Owners may not value him as highly while he is still behind A.J. Brown. If you can get your hands on him before a trade happens you could be getting a low-end WR-1 to high-end WR 2 for a cheap price.
All the players on this list have question marks and things that have happened to make fantasy managers curious as to which direction they could go in the future. But as a manager, I think this is the time to use that to your advantage. Grab these guys at a lower price if you can before their value skyrockets.
View my 2026 free agency tracker here to keep up with all offseason free agency moves.
Take a look at my latest fantasy football rankings here.
Check out more dynasty fantasy football related articles here.
Forged For Football is dedicated to helping dynasty fantasy managers build sustainable championship teams through disciplined strategy and long-term roster construction.
