Look, if you’re still reading this, congratulations. You haven’t rage-quit your league yet, or you’re just a masochist. Either way, welcome to Week 14. The playoffs are looming like a bad hangover, and your dynasty roster probably looks like a battlefield triage unit.
This late in the season, player values aren’t just fluctuating; they are violently swinging based on coaching malpractice, injury carnage, and frankly, some players just forgetting how to play football. We aren’t here to pat you on the back and tell you everything is going to be okay. We’re here to look at the cold, hard truth of who is climbing the ladder and who is falling off of it face-first.
Here is your definitive look at the 2025 dynasty fantasy football risers and fallers heading into the most critical stretch of the year.
Dynasty Risers: The League Winners
These are the guys making you look like a genius (or making you sick that you traded them away in October).
Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
Is it time to talk about Trey McBride as the overall TE1? Yeah, probably. The man is averaging 18.7 points per game. For context, that outscores the TE2 by a laughable margin. If you slotted him in as a wide receiver, he’d be the WR7 right now. He isn’t just a safety blanket; he’s the entire bed. If you have him, you aren’t selling unless someone offers you the deed to their house.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)
Finally. After weeks of teasing us with “potential,” Wicks decided to actually play football this week. Six grabs, 94 yards, two scores. The Packers’ receiving room is crowded—we know this—but talent usually wins out, and Wicks looked like the best player on the field. He’s volatile, sure, but in a dynasty format, you chase the ceiling. He just showed you his.
Christian Watson (WR – GB)
Speaking of Green Bay, remember when we all wrote off Christian Watson because his hamstrings were made of string cheese? Well, he’s back. He’s seeing double-digit targets, he’s scoring touchdowns, and he’s commanding over 30% of the air yards. It’s amazing what happens when a freak athlete actually stays on the field. Buying window? Slammed shut.
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
Jameson Williams is the abusive relationship of fantasy football. One week, he ghosts you completely (zero points in Week 12), and the next, he shows up with flowers and chocolates (26.9 points in Week 13). He just dropped 144 yards on ten targets. You hate the volatility, but you love the rush. He’s a riser because that ceiling wins championships, even if his floor gives you ulcers.
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Chase Brown is doing exactly what we hoped he would do when Joe Mixon left town. He’s not just a runner; he’s a weapon. Five straight weeks of 15+ fantasy points? That is RB1 consistency in a landscape where running backs are dying off like flies. If you drafted him late or picked him up off waivers, take a victory lap.
Dynasty Fallers: The Roster Cloggers
These are the guys who are currently tanking your season or destroying their long-term value. Look away if you have a weak stomach.
Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)
I don’t want to hear about the “pace” for 1,000 yards. Saquon just put up 5.6 points. In 2025, you didn’t pay a premium for 5.6 points. He has cleared 20 points exactly once this season. He is the RB16 in points per game. That is… fine. But you didn’t pay for “fine.” You paid for a legend, and right now, you’re getting a committee back with a famous name.
Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
San Francisco is where fantasy dreams go to die because there are too many mouths to feed. Pearsall led all 49ers receivers in snaps and managed two catches for 14 yards. He has 20 total yards in three games. In dynasty, we preach patience, but patience wears thin when you’re getting outscored by fullbacks.
DK Metcalf (WR – PIT)
What happened here? Metcalf hasn’t hit 50 yards in five weeks. Five. He’s in a slump that feels less like a slump and more like a structural problem with the offense. He’s a physical specimen who is currently being used like a confused decoy. If you can sell him on name value alone to a manager who hasn’t looked at a box score in a month, do it.
Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
This hurts to type. It really does. But Justin Jefferson is falling. Not because he forgot how to play, but because J.J. McCarthy is tanking this offense. The Vikings rank 29th in EPA per play. You cannot catch passes that aren’t thrown accurately. Jefferson is an elite Ferrari stuck in a traffic jam caused by a rookie quarterback crash. His dynasty value is taking a hit solely because his situation has become a dumpster fire.
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAX)
It’s over. The takeover is happening. Etienne is losing touches, he’s losing goal-line work to rookies, and he looks slower than he did a year ago. When a running back starts losing efficiency and volume simultaneously, that is the death knell. He’s fading fast, and you might be stuck holding the bag.
The Final Verdict
The landscape of 2025 dynasty fantasy football risers and fallers is brutal this year. The gap between the “haves” (Trey McBride managers) and the “have-nots” (people praying for a Travis Etienne comeback) is widening.
Don’t get sentimental. If a guy is falling, cut bait or bench him. If a guy is rising, ride the wave until it crashes. There is no loyalty in fantasy football, only points. Good luck in Week 14. You’re going to need it.
