The NFL trade deadline has come and gone. This was an especially busy one, with some MASSIVE, impactful trades — most of which were on the defensive side of the ball. While big-name trades involving Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams sent ripples across the NFL, they do not have much of an impact at all on us in fantasy football — besides, of course, making the Jets defense much more generous to opposing offenses.
Names like Breece Hall, David Njoku, Jaylen Waddle, and the always-fun, albeit somewhat ridiculous, rumor of AJ Brown were floated for weeks. Hall almost was sent packing to greener pastures in Kansas City - but the Jets would not move him for a fourth-round pick (they wanted a third).
There were, however, two big deals that will make an impact in fantasy football — dynasty included.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Rashid Shaheed lands in an ideal situation in Seattle. He’s now attached to the league’s best deep-ball passer in Sam Darnold and reunites with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Under Kubiak in New Orleans, Shaheed posted four games with 16.3 or more fantasy points — in just six games played last season.
He goes from catching passes from Tyler Shough to joining an ascending Seahawks offense led by Darnold. The 27-year-old could parlay the remainder of the 2025 season into a significant contract extension with Seattle this offseason.
This move feels like a clear upgrade and a massive opportunity. Shaheed has been an underrated fantasy asset for multiple seasons and could gain dynasty value quickly if he brings his trademark spike-week upside to Seattle.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jakobi Meyers was trending downward in Las Vegas, posting five straight games with single-digit fantasy performances, but now he has a real chance to turn things around quickly in Jacksonville. Meyers is a polished, reliable pass catcher with a long track record of NFL success — he’s hauled in 158 receptions over the past two seasons combined.
The Jaguars’ wide receiver room is decimated: Travis Hunter is on injured reserve, Dyami Brown has missed time with a concussion, and Brian Thomas Jr. is set to miss Week 10 — with the potential for an extended absence. His already frustrating sophomore campaign could get even bumpier.
Meyers will step into an immediate role on the outside but has the versatility to move all around the formation. I’m intrigued to see how he performs under Liam Coen and whether this change of scenery can spark a strong second half.
Stock Up
Justin Herbert, QB, LA Chargers
Don’t look now, but Justin Herbert is leading all quarterbacks in yardage. Not passing yardage — he’s only second in that category — and he’s also second overall in touchdown passes with 18. No, we’re talking rushing yards. Herbert now has 305 on the season and needs just one more yard this week to shatter his previous career high of 306.
He currently sits as the QB5 overall in PPG, far exceeding his redraft ADP and climbing in the dynasty rankings. There was significant concern in the dynasty community when Jim Harbaugh took over as Chargers' head coach, bringing the run-heavy Greg Roman with him. But Herbert has thrived under this leadership and direction.
The Chargers have invested heavily in the skill positions — and it’s showing. Herbert now has the best collective set of receiving weapons of his career, and his trajectory is pointing straight up. Expect plenty of buzz surrounding him heading into the 2026 season.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Drake London was one of “my guys” this summer at Fantasy Points, and I seemingly talked him up multiple times a week as a player I was targeting in all formats — including dynasty. Early in the season, things looked rough, as London failed to deliver big numbers, topping 13 PPR points in just one of his first three games.
Since then, though, London has been ramping up in a major way. On Sunday, he erupted for a 9-118-3 line — good for 38 fantasy points — as Atlanta narrowly lost 24-23 to New England. London now has 10 or more targets in four straight games and is thriving in a low-key Cooper Kupp 2021-style role under OC Zac Robinson, a Sean McVay disciple.
London’s dynasty value has soared. He’s passed several receivers drafted in a similar range and is knocking on the door of the top-six WR tier in dynasty. Last season, London had a breakout year as a pro, but this season he’s taking his game to another level — averaging 19.1 PPG, the fifth-most among all wide receivers.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson continues to be the RB whisperer in churning out player after player at the position that puts up fantasy numbers.
D’Andre Swift is having his best season since 2021, but the development of Monangai could take this offense to another level down the stretch, with two backs providing weekly fantasy utility. A seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, Monangai put up huge numbers as a collegiate (3,221 rushing yards —second most in school history), but fell in the draft. While the round was not ideal, the landing spot was. With Swift out last week, Monangai went nuclear against a bad Bengals run defense, finishing 26-176 on the ground while adding 3 catches for 22 yards.
Could Swift/Monangai be the next Jamaal Williams/Swift or even a lesser version of Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery down the stretch? Maybe. The Bears offense is trending up.
Monangai is an eye of the beholder player for dynasty managers — you can sell high on him, cashing in on a cheap dynasty rookie draft pick, or keep using him and hoping that you can get more usable weeks down the stretch. Either answer is acceptable.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase isn’t the only Bengals wide receiver benefiting from the Joe Flacco bump in production. In Flacco’s four starts, Tee Higgins is averaging 19.2 PPG. In Sunday’s wild loss to Chicago, Higgins went off for 7-121-2 and now heads into Cincinnati’s bye week with plenty of good vibes and strong momentum — setting up a potential finish reminiscent of his 2024 surge.
Chase is a phenomenal talent and one of fantasy football’s true week-winners, but Higgins is no slouch. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted seven games with 19.8 or more fantasy points and hauled in 16 touchdown catches across his previous 21 games played. The Chase–Higgins duo has contract insulation and should continue to thrive well into 2026. Higgins’ dynasty value is very stable.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
A few weeks back in this column, I identified Tyler Allgeier as a player who could gain considerable dynasty value this offseason through NFL free agency. This week, let’s shift the focus to a 25-year-old wide receiver who posted 824 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024 — and is now on pace for over 1,000 yards this season.
If that player interests you, consider this: he’s a former second-round draft pick with 4.4 speed at 6'3". Alec Pierce has been shedding his “better in best ball” reputation and has emerged this season as a popular waiver-wire add in redraft leagues. He’s averaging 20.9 yards per reception — the most among all players with at least ten catches — after leading the NFL with a 22.3-yard average in 2024.
Pierce is an impending free agent and is about to get paid. There will be plenty of teams that view him as an instant-impact starter with long-term viability. Consider trading for him in your dynasty league if the current manager still views him as a short-term asset.
Stock Down
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Where will Kyler Murray be at the start of the 2026 season? Right now, it’s looking less and less likely that it will be with Arizona. Jacoby Brissett’s strong play and Murray’s lingering foot injury have led to Brissett being named Arizona’s starting quarterback, with Murray headed to injured reserve.
Brissett has unlocked Arizona’s offense, finishing as a QB1 in three straight games — a significant upgrade from Murray. In five starts, Murray has zero QB1 finishes. The 28-year-old is now officially at a crossroads. There will be a market for him — but to what extent? Most likely, he’ll enter 2026 as a bridge QB — a far fall from the franchise-quarterback status he once enjoyed throughout his career in the desert.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Listing Jayden Daniels as a faller is more a reflection of how highly he was valued this past offseason than what his current on-field play dictates. Daniels was often selected as the first overall pick in dynasty startup drafts — ahead of players like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and elite skill-position talent such as Ja’Marr Chase. In hindsight, the marketplace should have been more cautious about a mismatched collection of offensive pieces that punched well above their weight class in 2024, when Daniels went completely nuclear and led Washington to the NFC Championship Game.
Now, the Commanders are being exposed — too old at wide receiver, not good enough at running back, and unable to overcome difficult circumstances. Daniels has also dealt with multiple injuries through the first half of the season, raising questions about how many more games he’ll play before it’s over. Washington won’t risk its long-term future on a 3–6 football team.
Daniels remains a highly valuable dynasty asset, but the question is: would you still take him over Drake Maye at this point? Over Lamar Jackson? In a high-stakes FFPC $750-entry Triflex league, I recently saw a trade where Daniels and a first-round pick were dealt for Jackson and a third-round pick — the kind of deal that simply didn’t exist in the fantasy football universe a month ago.
Blackjack Split Backfields, NY Jets and Tennessee Titans
Did you have dynasty rosters with Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis? How about ones with Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears? Handcuffing backs in dynasty is smart — and occasionally can lead to huge returns when a starter switches teams and his backup takes on the starting role.
During the ramp-up period before the trade deadline, dynasty managers envisioned Hall wearing a Kansas City jersey and becoming a top-8 RB for the rest of the season, while Davis stepped in as a PPR cheat code providing locked-in RB2 numbers. For now, fantasy managers of these players will endure more of the same. But keep handcuffing your backs — someday you’ll enjoy a blackjack split.
Watch List
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft’s season-ending injury has opened the door for a full-time weekly role for Musgrave. A second-round pick in 2023, Musgrave initially brought great promise to dynasty managers thanks to his top-tier athletic profile and potential for an immediate role in the offense. However, injuries — along with a breakout from fellow 2023 Day 2 pick Kraft — derailed Musgrave’s early career trajectory. This season, he’s the healthiest he’s been as a pro and is now in line for a potential rise in the dynasty TE rankings if he can deliver down the stretch.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, NY Jets
Mitchell gets a new lease on life — and a much-needed change of scenery — arriving in New York as part of the Gardner mega-deal. The uber-athletic 2024 second-round pick had fallen out of favor with the Colts coaching staff, and his short- and long-term prospects for carving out a meaningful role looked slim with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and star TE Tyler Warren all entrenched in the offense.
In New York, however, the target pecking order behind Garrett Wilson is wide open. The Jets’ players and front office seem genuinely excited to have Mitchell on board for the rest of the season. There’s a real chance he can establish himself as the team’s WR2 opposite Wilson for the remainder of the 2025 season and heading into 2026.
Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints
Vele was traded to New Orleans this past offseason for a 2026 fourth-round pick - a higher valuation than most teams had for him. Now, he will get thrust into the spotlight after the Shaheed trade. Vele has an opportunity to be New Orleans' #2 target in the passing game. Stylistically, Vele is very different, but the target volume (Shaheed is 15th among all WRs) could be similar.
Games to Watch
A new weekly feature in the Market Report! I’ll single out a few games dynasty managers should watch, including at least one college football matchup. Our 2026 dynasty rookie drafts are only eight months away—between now and then, we’ll get you fully up to speed on the prospects you need to dominate and make the right picks. This week, we get to see one of the draft’s top QB risers in a big home game against a rival.
Every NFL game matters to us as dynasty managers, but some tilt us more than others. This week, we wake up early for a Berlin game featuring some of fantasy football’s top players.
LSU at Alabama, 3:30 PM EST Saturday
How much will NFL teams care about Alabama’s Ty Simpson and his lack of starting experience? The way this QB class is shaping up — not that much. Simpson has only eight career starts, but he’s done a lot in a very short amount of time.
He’s been a red-hot riser at the position, impressing many with his skill set, awareness, and production in his first season as the Crimson Tide’s starter. Simpson has thrown 20 touchdown passes (second in the SEC) and only one interception for a 7–1 Alabama team that’s firmly in the College Football Playoff hunt.
This week, he’ll face off against an unranked — but still dangerous — LSU team. A big performance here could continue to propel Simpson up the rankings, as he trends toward becoming a top-ten pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons, 9:15 AM EST Sunday
Europe games are polarizing. I personally love them — but some NFL fans do not (shoutout to you West Coasters specifically). This week, however, it won’t be hard to get fantasy managers motivated early, as Atlanta and Indianapolis face off in Berlin, Germany.
There are plenty of locked-in fantasy starters in this matchup, paired with a healthy 48.5-point total. The headline showdown features Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson (my dynasty RB5 and RB1 overall) going head-to-head.
Put on a pot of coffee and enjoy this one.
