This article is part of our Dynasty Strategy series.
On Monday we looked at some of the players that gained value as a result of events during the 2025 NFL Draft. Now it's time for the other side of the coin, surveying the players whose value declined as a result of the picks their teams made (or didn't make). I'll also discuss a few rookies that either landed in bad situations or were drafted much later than most people expected.
Evaluate trades or get ready for a first-year draft with fantasy football dynasty rankings on RotoWire.
Veteran Losers
Veteran QBs
QB Sam Darnold
The Seahawks added much-needed OL help in Round 1 and athletic tight end Elijah Arroyo in Round 2. The problem for Darnold is that they then spent a third-round pick on QB Jalen Milroe, whose 4.4 speed will start to look interesting if the Seattle offense struggles. I expect that's what will happen, as the Seahawks still have a subpar O-line on paper and look to have spacing issues with Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as their top wide receivers. They're counting on Marquez Valdes-Scantling and/or fifth-round pick Tory Horton to be the deep threats, which is a far cry from Darnold's 2024 situation with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm pro-Milroe and anti-Darnold relative to what the current consensus seems to be.
The Giants drafted QB Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall and otherwise didn't
On Monday we looked at some of the players that gained value as a result of events during the 2025 NFL Draft. Now it's time for the other side of the coin, surveying the players whose value declined as a result of the picks their teams made (or didn't make). I'll also discuss a few rookies that either landed in bad situations or were drafted much later than most people expected.
Evaluate trades or get ready for a first-year draft with fantasy football dynasty rankings on RotoWire.
Veteran Losers
Veteran QBs
QB Sam Darnold
The Seahawks added much-needed OL help in Round 1 and athletic tight end Elijah Arroyo in Round 2. The problem for Darnold is that they then spent a third-round pick on QB Jalen Milroe, whose 4.4 speed will start to look interesting if the Seattle offense struggles. I expect that's what will happen, as the Seahawks still have a subpar O-line on paper and look to have spacing issues with Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as their top wide receivers. They're counting on Marquez Valdes-Scantling and/or fifth-round pick Tory Horton to be the deep threats, which is a far cry from Darnold's 2024 situation with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm pro-Milroe and anti-Darnold relative to what the current consensus seems to be.
The Giants drafted QB Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall and otherwise didn't take any offensive players within the Top 100. Malik Nabers is fantastic, but it looks like he'll be surrounded by Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and TE Theo Johnson again, giving the Giants a mediocre receiving group overall.
QB Kyler Murray
The Cardinals surprisingly used their first five draft picks on defensive players before taking G Hayden Conner in Round 6. As a result, their interior line still looks weak, and their WR room offers little beyond Marvin Harrison. Some will call this a make-or-break year for Murray, but I expect that's what 2024 was from the vantage point of Arizona's management. While clearly good enough to be a starter, Murray may be maxed out as something like the 15th-best QB in the league, in which case the Cardinals could look to move on from him as soon as next offseason.
QB Like Arizona, the Falcons loaded up on defensive talent during the draft, waiting until late Day 3 to add any players on offense. That's not necessarily a mistake, but it does leave WR Ray-Ray McCloud penciled in as a starter again and also means the Falcons don't have much O-line depth behind their solid starting five.
Veteran RBs
RB Najee Harris
RB There was little-to-no chance these guys would survive draft weekend without competition, but we didn't know for sure it would come from first-round picks. Harris still has a shot to start, but it won't necessarily last even if he's in the lineup Week 1, as Omarion Hampton may quickly prove superior at basically everything besides pass blocking (and even that as well, eventually).
RB Stevenson also was unlikely to emerge from the draft unscathed, but his dynasty managers were hoping for an early Day 3 pick rather than TreVeyon Henderson at No. 38 overall. Rare as it may be to find a running back with Stevenson's combination of size and receiving skills, the Patriots may now have two RBs that are better in the passing game, rostering not only Henderson but also Antonio Gibson. And the draft capital spent on Henderson suggests he'll have a significant role even if Stevenson rebounds from a disastrous 2024 (seven fumbles).
RB Jerome Ford
The Browns took 221-pound RB Quinshon Judkins at No. 36 overall, later adding 200-pound Dylan Sampson at No. 126 (late in the fourth round). Ford will still be the top option for clear passing situations, at least initially, but it won't be surprising if both Judkins and Sampson prove superior as runners. And while Sampson didn't catch many passes at Tennessee, he seemingly has the necessary quickness and hand-eye coordination to develop those skills.
Veteran WRs
WRs Jalen McMillan
The Bucs' first-round pick was more about the player they chose than what they already had on the roster, but I nonetheless suspect they wouldn't have taken Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 if they were 100 percent sold on McMillan being an above-average starter. A third-round pick last year, McMillan played poorly initially and then missed time with a hamstring injury, before exploding for seven TDs over the final five weeks of the regular season. He's neither especially big nor fast, however, instead getting by with route running and attention to detail -- which arguably makes him like a thinner, lesser version of Egbuka.
I'm open to being wrong here, for what it's worth. The Egbuka pick may have less to do with McMillan and more to do with concerns about post-2025 longevity for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
WR The Texans guaranteed Kirk's 2025 compensation after trading a seventh-round pick for him, but that doesn't mean they'll stay committed to him during the season when he's approaching his 29th birthday and scheduled for free agency after the year. He's now facing snap/target competition from Iowa State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, taken in the second and third rounds, respectively. Kirk figures to get most of his playing time in the slot, but it may not be a high-volume role in an offense with Higgins, Nico Collins and TE Dalton Schultz all getting varying degrees of attention from QB C.J. Stroud.
Johnston displayed considerable improvement from Year 1 to 2, but there were still times he stood out for the wrong reasons and looked nothing like a first-round pick. I'm not sure incoming second-round pick Tre Harris will be better, but he should at least get a chance to compete with Johnston and free-agent signing Mike Williams. Plus, the Chargers added Harris and Hampton this offseason, giving run-first offensive coordinator Greg Roman a far better backfield than he had last year. It's possible Ladd McConkey will be the only Chargers pass catcher worth rostering for fantasy.
WRs Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks & Romeo Doubs
The Packers took WR Matthew Golden in the first round and WR Savion Williams in the third. The latter is an odd prospect who has been compared to Cordarrelle Patterson, but it's nonetheless a poor sign for Green Bay's current boundary receivers that the front office spent so much draft capital on their position. Watson, of course, was unlikely to be much of a factor this year in any case, coming back from an ACL tear suffered near the end of last season.
Veteran TEs
TE Cole Kmet
Kmet is a solid starter who can both block and catch passes, but it probably won't be long before No. 10 overall pick Colston Loveland proves superior at the latter task. The Bears even added another promising pass catcher shortly thereafter, taking WR Luther Burden in the second round. Even if Kmet continues playing a lot of snaps, it's hard to imagine him drawing more than four targets per game in an offense that has Burden, Loveland and DJ Moore competing for short passes. Kmet's dynasty managers should root for a trade, although I suspect that would happen next offseason rather than this summer. The Bears are taking no chances when it comes to surrounding QB Caleb Williams with sufficient talent.
TE David Njoku
Third-round pick Harold Fannin led the FBS in catches last season, putting up 117-1,555-10 while accounting for nearly half of Bowling Green's receiving yards. He may not be a threat to Njoku's starting job, but the rookie is a threat to take some snaps in clear passing situations with only one tight end on the field. Njoku will turn 29 this summer, entering his ninth NFL season, which means his dynasty value is almost entirely based on expectations for the next two years.
Rookie Losers
Sanders at least landed with a team that badly needs a QB, but the nosedive to Round 5 suggests NFL teams simply don't view him as a starter at the next level. There's now a real chance he never even gets the opportunity.
RB Cam Skattebo
I thought Skattebo's outrageous 2024 would be enough for a Day 2 selection even after he ran a 4.65 40. That said, I understand the hesitance from NFL teams, especially given that Skattebo is merely a big back (219) rather than a huge one, and already 23 years old. What's more, excitement over his landing spot is probably misguided. Sure, the Giants offer a better opportunity than most teams to take over the starting job, but it'd almost certainly be in a bad offense with limited TD opportunities and average-to-poor blocking.
Oft-projected as an early Day 3 pick, Martinez instead lasted until the seventh round before landing with a team that already has two big RBs ahead of him. Kenneth Walker is in the final season of his rookie contract, at least, but the Seahawks also have Zach Charbonnet, and even Kenny McIntosh has shown flashes of promise. Martinez faces a difficult path to Year 1 playing time, and seventh-round capital means he can fall out of the league in a hurry if things don't go well early on.
WR This is similar to Skattebo, with Ayomanor landing on a fairly depth chart but not backed by the draft capital many were hoping for. Plus, QB Cam Ward is far from a sure thing, and might only be the fourth or fifth quarterback taken in some of the stronger drafts for the position. In any case, Ayomanor lasted until Round 5 after being oft-discussed as a potential Day 2 pick pre-draft.
WR Isaiah Bond
Discussed as a potential first-round pick early in his college career, Bond ended up undrafted when all was said and done. A 4.39 40 time sounds good, but it was disappointing after he claimed he would challenge Xavier Worthy's record, and Bond needed a better time once he managed just 540 yards in 14 games during his final collegiate season. He'll attract plenty of interest as an undrafted free agent, but that nonetheless leaves him with a perilous NFL journey.
TE Tyler Warren
Warren was drafted where expected in terms of capital, but it's a tough situation for short-term production, catching passes from Anthony Richardson and/or Daniel Jones in an offense that has a solid group of wide receivers. Warren may end up with a new QB and coach as soon as Year 2, but there's not much we've seen in recent years to suggest the Colts will make good decisions if/when it comes time to replace the current guys.
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