Week 2 Dynasty Risers & Fallers: Buys, Sells, and Holds

Week 1 was a HUGE week for Big Offense. We had plenty of points and shootouts and finally have real-life, tangible data to form more concrete conclusions. Snap/target shares, new-look offenses, and plenty of highs really cast a shadow on lows, which gives us a massive edition of Dynasty Risers and Fallers.

Dynasty Risers

Zay Flowers WR, Ravens  

Flowers isn't just the Ravens' WR1, he's a dynasty WR1 who you could have had as your WR2 up until his massive Week 1 performance. I've been beyond high on Flowers and am bold enough to double down on my call for him to have a Jaxon Smith-Njigba-esque leap into the stratosphere.

The Declan Doyle effect has put Flowers all over the formation, and Lamar Jackson under center generating play-action. When you have a combo of Jackson and Derrick Henry slowing a defense with run looks, it opens things up for an explosive playmaker like Flowers. Shakier assets like Jayden Reed (more on that later), Rashee Rice, and  DeVonta Smith seem worth a flier for a top target in a resurgent high-scoring offense

Dynasty Buy or Sell: BUY

Jalen Coker WR, Panthers  

Everyone is on Coke now, buddy! Coker not only put up an alpha stat line, he looked like an alpha. He gives the Panthers the versatility to move Tetairoa McMillan in the slot, while he can stretch the defense both deep and intermediate. The key caveat holding things back had been Bryce Young, who seems to have finally found his footing.

BUY OR SELL: BUY

Christian Watson WR, Packers  

My goodness, Watson is really good at football when healthy. He's been an advanced metric darling and just got paid. The tape and the numbers are finally married, and I'm curious if he has the talent to be in the Tee Higgins range of players when they have similar problems. Moreover, he's the top target, and Higgins will never have that upside. I'm cautiously optimistic about buying and tiering down to someone like Watson, knowing there's risk in his health.

BUY OR SELL: BUY

Dontayvion Wicks WR, Eagles  

It finally happened for Wicks! However, it only happened on two catches in a game when Jalen Hurts was running for his life. Was this encouraging? Yes. But I don't think he'll have consistent usage. If anything, this is the perfect opportunity to rid yourself of a roster clogger when talent like DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon are likely set for better days. 

BUY OR SELL: SELL

Antonio Williams WR, Commanders  

I told you to draft Williams, I told you to buy Williams and, spoiler alert: I'm gonna tell you to buy him again. He put up a hyper-efficient performance that likely isn't sustainable, but since he's behind two wide receivers over 30, there is a real chance one misses a game or two, leaving room for opportunity.

Remember, this is dynasty, so it's not just about the early production. Williams's length and athleticism give him versatility to play Z/Flanker as well as in the slot. This keeps Stefon Diggs where he's best late in his career and gives Washington a solid every-down piece for the future.

BUY OR SELL: PRIORITY BUY

Caleb Douglas WR, Dolphins  

Douglas put up the production of the Dolphins' WR1, for whatever that's worth, which gives us the perfect opportunity to sell. Chris Bell is likely the guy who can emerge as a true alpha out of the crop of rookies, and I don't believe that will stop them from drafting someone like Jeremiah Smith, depending on the coaching staff's thoughts on Malik Willis at the end of the season.

Douglas likely has 2026 value, but I'd emphasize caution on what that means long-term and try to trade him for a sturdier asset. In reality, only elite assets win leagues, and the rest are just foundational pieces that help the studs along. Categorizing him to make an Amon-Ra St. Brown or Rashee Rice jump in value isn't a good bet.

BUY OR SELL: SELL

Ashton Jeanty RB, Raiders  

It's nearly impossible to call Jeanty a riser from a positional standpoint because he was RB3 for most people. However, his start-up value may be 1.03 with his usage. The receiving was eye-opening, and he had modest efficiency, albeit against a soft defense. The huge red flag is that he played against probably the worst team in football, but that's a this season problem.

Brock Bowers is hopefully healthy in the next four weeks, and I'd expect Fernando Mendoza to take over the offense sooner rather than later. Drafting a receiver in a class oozing with talent would give HC Klint Kubiak the tools to design a potent offense not unlike Detroit, and Jeanty can be the straw that stirs the drink.

BUY OR SELL: HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE

Bucky Irving RB, Buccaneers  

Perhaps we judged Irving too harshly? Even I didn't pounce on the opportunity to buy a talented player in a good offense. Irving's receiving usage–or rather, Kenny Gainwell's lack of usage–points toward consistent RB1 upside. Could Gainwell's usage creep up, or could Sean Tucker vulture touches? Maybe, but both have proven they aren't players who keep talent off the field.

BUY OR SELL: BUY

Trevor Lawrence QB, Jaguars  

Lawrence is finally playing like a franchise quarterback, and the Jaguars have finally found a real coach. Was Game 1 against the Browns? Yes. But Lawrence made baller plays like the one below.

The Browns have some talent on defense, and throws like that are objectively good. If someone is silly enough to sell Lawrence for a 2027 1st, I'm taking it. We always want the shiny new thing, but Lawrence is relatively young, and we hope that any rookie drafted next class checks the boxes:

1. Do you have a good coach? Lawrence does
2. Do you have weapons? Lawrence does
3. Do you have an offensive line? Eh.

Lawrence is giving you elite production and is an overly hated player. Buy and profit.

BUY OR SELL: BUY

Bryce Young QB, Panthers  

While we're here, Young might be in Trevor Lawrence territory. He's checking the same boxes and continues to build and improve year over year. The emergence of Jalen Coker, the presence of Tetairoa McMillan, a solid backfield, and the potential future upside of Chris Brazzell lead me to believe that he finally has an environment to be a steady contributor. Do I feel "2027 1st" good? No. Rushing upside matters, and he doesn't have the natural talent that Lawrence does, but I'm a lot more comfortable picking him up in a Tier Down trade.

BUY OR SELL: MOSTLY HOLD, BUT WOULD BUY

Jaxson Dart QB, Giants  

I've already made a public apology for fading the Giants.

I'm still going to give the Cowboys a caveat, but Dart operated within the structure of an offense while still using his legs to extend plays. My big fade was never about Dart as a talent, it was about trust in the offensive coaching staff. Maybe the combination of Matt Nagy and Greg Roman is the perfect Yin and Yang scenario. Dart has solid receiving options, and a running back he loves, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him ascend past Justin Herbert.

BUY OR SELL: HOLD

Dynasty Fallers

Justin Herbert QB, Chargers  

All I want to write here is profanities because of what my eyes witnessed Sunday. I'm officially considering calling Herbert a term I call an "Orchid Quarterback." For my mostly male demographic, you know that an Orchid is a plant with beautiful flowers. However, you may not know that they're incredibly expensive and easy to kill. You change the humidity? Dead. Light source changes? Dead.

This leads me to Herbert, who has the talent to run a well-equipped offense but absolutely folds when his environment isn't ideal. This is what separates the decent from the great. We've seen Patrick Mahomes and even Drake Maye, to a degree, play well despite a lack of weapons or an offensive line. Herbert isn't that guy. His play dipped when there wasn't a fully healthy offensive line, and it crumbled to dust as soon as Ladd McConkey left the game.

Plant-based analogies aside, what does that mean about Herbert? It means I'm fading him in my rankings, but he's still probably a solid asset in an offense with potential. He's closer to Jared Goff than he is to Lamar Jackson.

BUY OR SELL: HOLD

Cam Ward QB, Titans  

I've already told the Internet how I feel about Ward, and the stats above say enough.

It's not that I don't believe that Ward can be good. I just don't believe he can get there in his current environment. Moreover, many forget that he was already an older prospect. The offensive line isn't good, and Pressure Over Expected shows us a player who invites more pressure. I recently thought he was a strong buy with a revamped receiving room and new coaching staff; I'm afraid that advice may have been wrong.

BUY OR SELL: SELL

Colston Loveland TE, Bears  

I'm just going to go ahead and assume that Loveland was the poster child for Ian Hartitz's "Sheesh Report." Look, is it slight Fantasy Brain copium to say it'll be fine because he ran a bunch of routes and was involved? Sure. But Loveland is an objectively good player in a good offense that dropped 59 points. He'll have his day.

More importantly, Caleb Williams has truly ascended into elite territory and finds the open man. It makes sense that the Panthers would want to take extra care to cover Loveland rather than Kalif Raymond. 

BUY OR SELL: HOLD (WE'RE DYNASTY PLAYERS, NOT REDRAFT PANICKERS)

Harold Fannin TE, Browns  

I don't see a world where Fannin is productive in 2026, and it's actually for a great long-term reason for whoever is the future quarterback. KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston improve the weapons by light-years, and Fannin will suffer from the Browns not having someone capable of distributing to three solid targets. Moreover, Concepcion will be fed first. This will likely create a season-long buy opportunity for a talented player I believe in. 

BUY OR SELL: REBUILDER BUY

DeVonta Smith WR, Eagles  

The offensive line woes are a cancer for the entire Eagles' offense, and Smith was an unfortunate victim. However, he was targeted, and Hurts looks much better than the season before. I think it's less likely that Smith will be a true fantasy WR1, but he's a talented player who can be a solid piece for a lineup.

BUY OR SELL: BUY

Jayden Reed WR, Packers  

I love Reed, but he's officially a roster clogger. We can hope for above 60 percent snap share all we want; I don't believe it happens without an injury to Matthew Golden or Christian Watson (and I really want a full season of Watson). There are plenty of dynasty managers who still believe in Reed and will fall for the evergreen trap of chasing NFL talent that won't yield fantasy points. Use him as a trade chip to get a guy who actually can help you win in the future.

BUY OR SELL: SELL

Saquon Barkley RB, Eagles  

I hope you're seated because this will be rough to hear: it's time to sell Barkley. You'll likely never get more value, and I have a hard time seeing a return to the historic 2024 season. It starts with the offensive line and ends with the lack of receiving. Barkley was still efficient as a runner, but without consistent touchdowns, he'll never touch assets like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs or Ashton Jeanty without the added receiving to put him over the top.

Will he still be a low-end RB1? Absolutely. But you're likely to pick up a huge asset if you can con a leaguemate out of '27 1st. Even late firsts could be running backs with more immediate value than Barkley. Pivoting now allows you to tier down for contingent upside rather than riding an older running back into a full rebuild.

BUY OR SELL: SELL

De'Von Achane RB, Dolphins  

Without the receiving line, it's nearly impossible to feel good about what we saw from Achane against a soft defense. The key points that stick out are the lack of Yards after Contact and Yards Before Contact. He's getting hit early and lacks the size to do anything about it. Moreover, he only had 11 carries. My early worries rang true in Week 1: rushing quarterbacks make running backs suffer unless they're in an efficient offense. I do believe this is a this season problem, and Achane is still a young player, but it's hard for me to see high-end RB1 production. 

BUY OR SELL: CONTENDER SELL, REBUILDER BUY

Be mindful that it's only Week 1. Things could look drastically different in four weeks, so don't fully panic or short sell assets for the sake of it. Extract value you're comfortable with; the key is trying to extract value when you can. If you're unsure of what that value is, use our Dynasty Trade Calculator to help you make smart moves.