Ah, the sweet, sweet chaos of the NFL season, as three weeks in, and your dynasty team is either looking like a championship contender or a smoldering crater. You’ve probably already rage-dropped a player you drafted way too high and are desperately scouring the waiver wire for a savior. That’s the beauty of fantasy football, isn’t it? One week you’re a genius, the next you’re a village idiot.
Let’s cut through the noise. Forget the cookie-cutter advice you’ve been reading. It’s time for some real talk about who’s actually climbing the dynasty ladder and who’s tumbling into the abyss. Some of these takes might sting a little, but in the cutthroat world of dynasty leagues, feelings don’t win championships. Let’s dive into the 2025 fantasy football dynasty risers and fallers after a wild Week 3.
Dynasty Risers: Whose Stock is Soaring?
These are the guys making their dynasty managers look like prophets. If you have them, pat yourself on the back. If you don’t, it might be too late to get them on the cheap.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
Remember all that offseason chatter about whether JSN could be a true No. 1? Well, he’s making that look like a pretty stupid question. Through the first two weeks, the man saw a whopping 23 targets. Even in a blowout win against the Saints in Week 3, where he saw less action, he still snagged 5 of his 6 targets for 94 yards and his first touchdown of the year.
Cooper Kupp is looking like a distant second option, and while Tory Horton is showing some flashes, Smith-Njigba is unequivocally Sam Darnold’s guy. He’s not just a riser; he’s a rocket ship heading for the WR1 stratosphere. If you thought his price was high before, good luck now.
James Cook (RB – BUF)
The contract drama in the preseason feels like a distant memory, doesn’t it? James Cook decided to let his play do the talking, and it’s screaming, “I’m a top-tier back!” For the third straight game, he cruised past 20 PPR points, making him the RB3 on the season.
He’s doing it in an elite Bills offense, just secured his bag, and is only turning 26. The clouds have parted, and Cook’s dynasty value is shining brighter than ever. He’s a locked-in RB1 with a long runway.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Tre Tucker decided to have the game of his life, didn’t he? Nine targets, eight catches, 145 yards, and three touchdowns. Are you kidding me? A 40.9-point PPR explosion that single-handedly won matchups. We all heard the offseason chatter about rookie Dont’e Thornton, but Tucker just put a firm halt to that hype train.
He’s not just a participant; he’s demanding the ball and looks like the clear No. 2 option for the Raiders. Sure, playing alongside target hogs like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty means he’ll have some quiet weeks. But we just witnessed his league-winning upside. Good luck prying him from his owner’s hands now.
Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)
After a preseason that had some folks worried, Judkins has emphatically taken over the Browns’ backfield. He didn’t just get the majority of carries in Week 3; he got all of them, taking 18 of the team’s 19 handoffs for 94 yards and a score.
While he’s still splitting route-running duties, his role as the primary ball-carrier is cemented. Judkins is proving to be the powerful, decisive runner we saw at Ohio State, and his value is on a steep upward trajectory.
Dynasty Fallers: Sound the Alarms
Now, for the guys who are giving their managers heartburn. Is it time to panic? Maybe. Is it time to be concerned? Absolutely.
Stefon Diggs (WR – NE)
Ouch. This one hurts. The Patriots brought in Diggs to be the veteran alpha for their shiny new quarterback, Drake Maye. Instead, Maye seems more interested in throwing to his tight ends and anyone not named Stefon Diggs. Three receptions for 23 yards in Week 3 is not what you want from your supposed WR1. At 31, the whispers are getting louder: how much does he have left in the tank?
The path is clear for him to be the top target, but he’s simply not commanding it. His dynasty value is sinking fast, and it might be time to sell for whatever you can get before it hits rock bottom.
Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX)
The Jaguars’ offense was supposed to be a high-flying circus under Liam Coen. So far, it’s been more like a sad, deflating bounce house. Brian Thomas Jr. was a first-round pick, but he and Trevor Lawrence are connecting about as often as my grandpa successfully uses his smartphone. Two catches on Sunday, one of which was a 46-yard fluke, doesn’t inspire confidence.
The targets are there, but the chemistry isn’t. He doesn’t look like the explosive player from last season, and that’s a massive red flag. He’s quickly falling from a promising rookie to a dynasty question mark.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
Here we have another veteran who was handed a golden opportunity and has proceeded to trip over his own feet. Calvin Ridley saw seven targets on Sunday. He caught one. One! For 27 yards. The drops are becoming a serious problem. While rookie QB Cam Ward has shown signs of life, Ridley looks completely out of sync.
He has a measly 111 yards through three games. You can’t blame the quarterback when the ball is hitting you in the hands and you’re just not catching it. The excuses are running out, and so is the patience of his fantasy managers.
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
Let’s be clear: it’s not full-blown panic mode for Harvey just yet. But for a rookie who had so much hype, this start is a bitter pill to swallow. His carries have decreased every single week, hitting a pathetic two carries for two yards on Sunday.
Yes, the silver lining is that he ran 10 routes, suggesting a role in the passing game might be carved out. But J.K. Dobbins is dominating the workload. We all expected a slow start, but this is glacial. His dynasty stock is taking on water, and managers who drafted him are rightfully concerned.
