Our staff put a cap on the 2024 season by reviewing the player who moved the most for them in Dynasty value. 

What player's dynasty value moved the most for you in the 2024 season?

Bryce Young, Carolina 

Hutchinson Brown: After a horrific 2023 rookie season, Young was mainly given up on heading into the 2024 season. His receiving cold was still questionable, as was his offensive line, and Dave Canales' impact was yet to be seen. After his first couple weeks, which resulted in his benching, he was barely worth anything in Dynasty; most believed it was over for him.

Over the last couple of months, things have dramatically changed. He has played like a top-half NFL quarterback since returning from his time on the bench. He should get more help next year with his receivers. Combining that with his youth and rushing potential makes it difficult to refuse to put him in the top twelve dynasty quarterback conversation. The bounce back he has made has not only been inspiring to watch, but for Bryce Young dynasty managers, it has been great to watch.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco

Jason Wood: McCaffrey was a consensus top-5 dynasty pick for the last few years, up through this offseason. As of December, his dynasty ADP has fallen to nearly 70th, implying a calamitous drop from a cornerstone asset to someone you hope can bounce back next year so you can move him quickly for pennies on the dollar. 

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay

Corey Spala: Irving's value has changed the most for me this season in a positive way. There was anticipation Irving would cut into Rachaad White's workload. Tampa Bay invested a fourth-round pick into Irving to help provide depth and relief for White. Both running backs have played at least 15 games and have over 140 rushing attempts and 45 targets; Irving leads with 188 rushing attempts, and White with 57 targets. Irving and White are a complimentary duo for Tampa Bay.

Looking closer at Irving, he had one game over 50% snaps and averaged 12.4 opportunities (carries/targets) leading up to their Week 11 Bye. He then had 4/6 games over 50% snaps and is averaging 18.5 opportunities for these six games. Over the same span, Irving is the RB7 in points per game (18.7), which counts the Week 14 game he played 16% snaps for injuring his back and nursing the injury in Week 15. He has produced at a top-tier level since taking on a more significant workload and opportunity.

Irving was a popular sleeper because of his explosiveness and big-play ability, yet he was drafted with a fourth-round pick. When players step onto the NFL field and produce, their draft capital is thrown out the window. He has solidified himself as the RB1 in Tampa Bay and has an intriguing dynasty outlook with three years left on his rookie deal through the 2027 season. Irving is currently our 38th overall player or 59th in superflex leagues. This is a massive jump from his original ranking, which I cannot find where he was in August. I imagine he was in the 100s for overall rankings and an educated guess for RB35-45 before the season started.

Jeff Blaylock: You contend in dynasty leagues by getting first-round value from third-round picks in your rookie drafts. I zeroed in on Bucky Irving as one who could give me that value and drafted him with a late third-round dart throw in all my dynasty leagues. Most third-round rookie picks are busts, but the investment was small here compared to Irving's potential. 

He exceeded my expectations for the 10th or so running back to come off the board. Irving finishes the fantasy year as the RB1 of the rookie class and RB15 of the league. He rushed for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. He caught 45 of his 47 targets for 397 yards. He remains a dual threat in a potent offense and has taken the lead running back role from Rachaad White. I'm not alone in seeing his dynasty value rise. The consensus among our experts has him as the RB10 in our dynasty rankings. Irving was a steal in the late third rounds of rookie drafts, but I expect he will be gone by then in next season's start-up drafts.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina

Jeff Blaylock: Many considered Brooks one of the top two running backs in the 2024 class, and he was typically selected in the late first or early second round of rookie drafts. Despite recovering from a significant knee injury and a limited collegiate resumé, many expected Brooks to claim the Panthers' RB1 role by season's end. He did not. Chuba Hubbard cemented himself as the bell-cow back and signed a four-year extension before Brooks saw the field. Brooks then re-tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on the ninth rush attempt of his season. 

Based on the timing and severity of the injury, he could miss all of the 2025 season. Dynasty managers with deep benches and a well of patience to match can likely buy him on the cheap in hopes his post-injury NFL career winds up closer to mirroring Adrian Peterson's than Deuce McAllister's. I was willing to accept his high re-injury risk during rookie drafts, but not now.

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina

Andy Hicks: On the same track as Jeff, I am going with Hubbard.

Due to Brooks's knee recovery, I had Hubbard rank considerably higher than most coming into the season. 

In 2021, Hubbard was a fourth-round rookie meant to be a backup behind Christian McCaffrey. He made Royce Freeman and Ameer Abdullah expendable and clawed his way to second on the depth chart just in time for McCaffrey to get injured. He performed admirably without wowing anyone.

In 2022, McCaffrey gets traded to San Francisco, but D'Onta Foreman outplays Hubbard. Hubbard has a few good games but doesn't look anything special.

In 2023, Miles Sanders came over from Philadelphia on an expensive free-agent contract. Once it became clear that Sanders was ineffective, Hubbard was again called in to start. He looks slightly better, but the team wants to upgrade the position.

In 2024, the team selected Jonathan Brooks 46th overall, the first running back off the board. His recovery from injury was expected during the season, but they had Hubbard to keep the seat warm in the meantime. Hubbard was not seen as a dynasty option but had a slightly higher ranking in Redraft and Bestball as an early-season option. 

After an average start in the first two games, Hubbard peeled off a four-game stretch of 90 rushing yards in every game and at least four receptions per matchup. They could afford to let Brooks take as long as he needed to see the field. By the time Brooks was ready, Hubbard was coming off a 28 carry for 158 yards against the Giants. And had earned a new contract. Brooks didn't last much longer, and Hubbard cemented himself as the running back moved forward. And a good one at that. He moved up significantly as a dynasty option, while Brooks must prove he can be fit and play at this level. Hubbard has demonstrated through hard work and determination that his new dynasty rating is justifiable. 

Jeff Haseley: Hubbard showed this year that he can be a reliable, productive running back and was rewarded with a multi-year contract. The draft selection of Jonathon Brooks looked to be a deterrent for Hubbard's growth and usage, but a second ACL tear to Brooks has Hubbard back in the crosshairs as Carolina's main rushing threat. They may add another running back while Brooks recovers, but all signs point to Hubbard being a mainstay in the Panthers backfield, anchored by a competent offensive line. 

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

David Zacharias: Thomas' pre-season PPR ADP was WR48. In Weeks 1-11, Thomas was WR30, averaging 13 PPR points/game with Trevor Lawrence at QB for the first nine games. In the five weeks following Jacksonville's Week 12 bye, Thomas' average weekly PPR WR ranking was 10.5 with Mac Jones at the helm. He put up an average of 24 PPR points/game in that span.

It could be the change at quarterback. It could be rookie maturation. Whatever, I expect Thomas' 2025 pre-season PPR ADP to see a significant climb from WR48. He's already Footballguys' consensus dynasty WR9.

Jeff Haseley: The Jaguars have struck gold with their prized rookie wide receiver. He has not only shown talent to be a force in the league, but he has also done so regardless of which quarterback is under center. Jacksonville may have some holes to fill to be a competitive team in the AFC South, but wide receiver is not one of them, especially with Christian Kirk returning in 2025 to be a complementary role to Thomas.

Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Meng Song: Even before his breakout performance on Monday Night Football, Pearsall had shown flashes of his potential. Plus, the argument was always that the 49ers would likely part ways with one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel Sr. before the 2025 season. Samuel seemed to slow down in a major way this year and is likely gone, and though Aiyuk will remain in San Francisco, he may not be fully healthy until late next season. On top of that, George Kittle will turn 32 next year so that Pearsall could lead a Kyle Shanahan-led offense in targets in Year 2.

It might seem like buying high after his blow-up game against an injury-riddled Lions defense. However, Pearsall's dynasty value is undervalued relative to his enormous fantasy ceiling. Heading into this offseason, anything less than a mid-first-round rookie pick in 1QB leagues would be a bargain. Pearsall may go overlooked in a loaded 2024 wide receiver class full of names like Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Rome Odunze.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Meng Song: This one might seem obvious, but too many dynasty managers feel the need to chase value with injured or underperforming players. While Dell had an electric rookie season, his short career thus far has already been marred by two significant injuries. The latest is a gruesome, multi-ligament knee injury that could keep him out for all of 2025 and potentially even end his NFL career.

Dell is undoubtedly a hold in the IR spot for dynasty managers who are unlucky enough to have him already, but don't fall for any "buy low" narratives this offseason unless the price is truly low. Everyone should be rooting for Dell to bounce back and have a successful career for his sake, but the time value of rookie picks dictates that anything more than a late third-round rookie pick isn't worth the dead roster spot for a year or more.

Jeff Haseley: Sometimes, unfortunate events occur to good people. Dell is a talented and hardworking individual who has now been unfortunately struck by a severe injury two years in a row, with the most recent being the most serious and potentially career-threatening. Dell suffered significant damage to his left knee, the same leg that was fractured in 2023. The injury entails a torn ACL, a dislocated kneecap, and additional damage to ligaments such as the MCL and LCL, along with a possible meniscus tear. In summary, he faces a long recovery and a significant challenge if he wants to continue his career. He may have played his last game in the NFL, and even with a full recovery, which may not occur until 2026, he might not return to being the player he once was. 

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

Josh Fahlsing: Headed into 2024, Williams' value was as volatile as any player's. His first two years as a pro were inauspicious at best, but as we move toward the 2025 season, his value hasn't just stabilized; it has increased. He might not be my biggest mover, but he'll be my most significant when we write the book on the 2024 season.

It wasn't unusual in the offseason to see Williams ranked in the 40s or even 50s among WRs. Our Footballguys consensus ranking currently places him as the 34th wide receiver. However, in PPR scoring, he sits as the wide receiver 23 between Zay Flowers and DeVonta Smith. With one game left to play, Williams is on the verge of his first 1,000-yard season and has put himself solidly on the fantasy wide receiver two radar. He can definitely be a boom/bust play, but he is still only 23 years old. If he can continue to round into a complete receiver, his floor will go even higher. Changes could be coming to the offensive staff in Detroit, but don't sleep on Williams heading into 2025. The Dawn of Jameson is here.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta

Jeff Haseley: The Falcons have found their future at quarterback with Penix. He is not a finished product, but he gives Atlanta a better chance to compete in the open NFC South. Penix has shown the ability to make NFL throws and be a competent offense leader in limited action. He still has some growing pains to work through, as all rookie quarterbacks do, but he has earned his keep and should continue to grow and develop in the Falcons organization.

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay

Rachel Tootsiepop: Coming into this season, it was thought that Luke Musgrave was the Green Bay Packers tight end to draft. Because of Musgrave's unfortunate ankle injury, Kraft had the opportunity and took advantage of it. This year, Kraft averaged 41.9 receiving yards per game and had seven touchdowns. He was on the field over 85 percent of the snaps, becoming one of Jordan Love's top targets.  As the ninth-best tight end on the season, Kraft is someone whose dynasty value has increased dramatically. He wasn't a tight end that was drafted last year. Now, he's worth consideration at the high end of second-tier tight ends.