2025 Veteran Dynasty Buys: Post-Draft

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft has passed and we’re in the midst of our dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts, I’ve compiled a list of the five veteran players I am actively targeting in trades.

A majority of these players can be acquired for a low price and slotted into lineups as immediate impact pieces for contending teams.

Tony Pollard, Running Back, Tennessee Titans (RB33)

BUY FOR: LATE 2025 2ND

Dynasty owners have been praying for a return to the highs Tony Pollard experienced as the change-of-pace RB2 for the Cowboys in 2021 and 2022. In that span, his YPC (5.38) and YACO/attempt (3.74) ranked first in what was considered a “limited” role (~13.0 touches per game). Last season, we saw an indication that Pollard can return to that league-leading efficiency in the RB1 role on the Titans.

Pollard’s bell cow role, in which he averaged the 10th-most touches per game last season (18.8), remains secure with the Titans failing to add any significant backfield talent this offseason. His usage relative to RB2 Tyjae Spears was quite favorable in 2024. Before Pollard’s Week 15 ankle injury, he commanded 59.0% of the team’s rush attempts (~RB10) and a 12.8% target share (~RB5) in games Spears was active.

The majority of game scripts were largely unfavorable for Pollard in 2024. His offensive output was smothered as the Titans were tied or trailed their opponents on 67.3% of his total rush attempts.

Rush attempts when tied/trailing opponents

Pollard was far more successful on a per-touch basis when the Titans were playing with any sort of lead:

Rush attempts when leading opponents

Pollard’s supporting cast also did him no favors in 2024. The crux of the Titans’ offensive problems began with the atrocious QB play from Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, who collectively had the 4th-lowest passer rating in the league (80.7). Hope for a brighter tomorrow rests on the shoulders of the No.1 overall pick Cam Ward, and I’m optimistic he can immediately improve what was the 6th-worst scoring offense (18.3 PPG) in the league last season.

The Titans recognized that their largely ineffective offensive line — which ranked bottom-3 in adjusted yards before contact per attempt (1.37) — would need to be addressed. They acquired Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler (4th-highest PFF run-blocking grade) in free agency and rookie Jackson Slate in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. Even if the O-line doesn’t improve drastically overnight, Pollard will remain one of the most effective backs in the league when little running room is available; he averaged the 2nd-highest YPC (4.10) and YACO/attempt (3.10) when seeing less than a yard before contact in 2024.

With fewer than 1,050 career rush attempts under his belt, a 28-year-old Pollard has plenty of mileage left in the tank. He has a shockingly low price tag for an RB who ranked 15th in XFP/G (15.0) last season, and I’d look to acquire him for a late 2025 2nd.

Jordan Love, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers (QB12)

BUY FOR: 2025 1.04 (SUPERFLEX)

Jordan Love began the 2024 season right where he left off after his QB5 finish in 2023. He was red-hot through his first 5 starts, ranking 2nd in passing YPG (270.2) and passing TDs (15), and 3rd in FPG (22.2). Over his first 24 career starts, Love ranks 4th in FP/DB (0.55), one of the most predictive metrics for QBs.

Love’s disappointing QB17 finish in 2024 was largely thanks to an early return from his Week 1 MCL injury. The subsequent groin injury he would suffer in Week 8 completely derailed the fantastic start to his season. This injury led HC Matt LaFleur to shy away from their passing game — Green Bay ranked last in pass attempts per game in Weeks 8-18 (24.2) — and Love would record only 203.8 passing YPG (29th), 10 TDs (23rd), and 13.4 FPG (29th) over the remainder of the season.

Weeks 1 & 4-7

Weeks 8-18

Even with the shift in their offensive scheme away from the passing attack last season, leadership recognized the need for an alpha receiver. The Packers' decision to draft Mathew Golden (in dramatic fashion) with the 22nd overall pick signals a likelihood of a return to a pass-heavy gameplan, in which Golden can stretch defenses as a true deep threat. Green Bay now has one of the most robust receiving rooms in the league, and they’ll look to help Love by improving on the drop issues they had in 2024. (They combined for the 4th-highest drop rate (7.1%) with a league-high 282 passing yards lost for Love.)

Love was well on his way to back-to-back top-5 fantasy finishes in his first two seasons as a starter before injuries took their toll. All signs still point toward Love being the heir-apparent, so I’d look to take advantage of any owners in doubt after one mediocre stretch of games. You can acquire Love for what is a relatively low price during an over-correction of the QB market — Love was ranked as the dynasty QB5 just 7 months ago and has dropped to a current QB12 ranking.

Calvin Ridley, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans (WR52)

BUY FOR: LATE 2025 2ND

I find myself wanting to double-dip into a potential Titans' offensive renaissance with Calvin Ridley being an extremely enticing buy. Ridley’s fantasy outlook is glaringly positive with a serious lack of target competition on the team, and Will Levis no longer starting at QB.

Ridley has dealt with some of the worst QB play in the league since his return to the NFL in 2023. We saw him suffer at the hands of Trevor Lawrence while on the Jaguars, as he posted the 22nd-ranked passer rating (88.5), the 9th-highest off-target throw percentage (18.3%), and the 4th-most interceptions (14). Ridley finished that year 28th in FPG (13.5) and nothing more than a volatile WR2.

Will Levis was even worse in 2024, ranking 31st in passer rating (81.4), 37th in ANY/A (4.61), and 2nd in off-target throw percentage (21.9%). Levis had an incredible knack for making horrible decisions and erratic throws that negatively affected receiver production. In games they played together, Ridley’s 60.8% catchable target rate ranked 99th, resulting in only 10.5 FPG (44th).

Deep usage often comes with lower success and catchable target rates, which has been the case for Ridley over the last two seasons. He saw the 78th-ranked catchable target rate in 2023 (71.6%) and the 84th-ranked catchable target rate in 2024 (67.5%). ^[1] The blame lies mostly with the QB play, as Ridley has the most uncatchable air yards in the league over the last two seasons (1,158 yards). That is an unprecedented level of volume left on the table for a receiver who is still playing at a high level — Ridley recorded the 6th-highest YPRR against man coverage and the 13th-best Average Separation Score (.101) against zone coverages last season. Dare I say that an unproven rookie QB should be a serviceable upgrade from this two-year-long nightmare Ridley has endured?

No.1 overall pick Cam Ward led the nation in completions over 20+ yards (74) and had the 5th-highest PFF deep passing grade (95.0) in 2024. That makes Ward an ideal match for Ridley’s playstyle as a deep-threat receiver (15.7 aDOT) who recorded the 5th-highest air-yard share last season (44.4%). I expect these two to get acquainted early and often with the lack of talent on the depth chart below Ridley.

Our analysts agree that better days are ahead for Ridley with Ward at QB, projecting him as the WR24 for 2025. Flipping a late 2025 2nd round pick for a receiver who will see 120+ targets is a no-brainer.

Jonnu Smith, Tight End, Miami Dolphins

BUY FOR: LATE 2025 2ND

The Dolphins' offense experienced a significant downturn in 2024, but it was 29-year-old Jonnu Smith who stood out as one of the lone bright spots, setting several single-season tight end franchise records.

We saw the injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ awful offensive line — allowing the 4th-quickest QB time to pressure (2.41 seconds) — greatly limit HC Mike McDaniel’s ability to draw up explosive downfield passing plays ^[2]. After a 2-6 start, McDaniel looked for other ways to sustain drives and opted to get the ball out of Tagovailoa’s hands as quickly as possible. From week 11 onward, we saw Tagovailoa’s average time to throw drop to a league-low 2.22 seconds, leading to an increase in his total pass attempts per game (from 31.2 to 40.5).

This new approach was wildly successful, with Smith being the biggest benefactor of that jump in passing volume. He went on to lead the team in targets per game (8.1), receiving YPG (67.1), and receiving TDs (7) over the remainder of the season. The fantasy result was Smith putting up WR1 numbers in that span — 18.7 FPG (2nd) and 0.64 FP/RR (2nd). His utilization as essentially a slot receiver was lucrative for both fantasy owners and the Dolphins' offensive efficiency — his 0.139 1D/RR ranked 5th-best among receivers, and his 2.23 YPRR ranked 3rd-best amongst TEs.

McDaniel's scheme will favor whichever player gives the Dolphins' offense the best chance of success. Without competent O-line play to allow downfield routes to develop, that player was Smith in 2024 — his 2.3 FPG on screens tied for the most by a TE in Fantasy Points Data history. With the Dolphins failing to improve their O-line in any meaningful way this off-season, I expect Smith to be featured prominently in the passing game again in 2025.

Smith may have had the advantage of an abundance of “hand-fed” targets, but make no mistake, he’s been historically effective with those opportunities.

To the dismay of Dolphins fans everywhere, trade rumors have been circling for Smith on a potential move to the Steelers. Smith stated he prefers to stay in Miami under a reworked deal after being their lone Pro Bowl selection in 2024.

You might be able to acquire Smith at a hefty discount if owners are worried about him possibly reuniting with Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh. I’m more than willing to risk a late 2nd or early 3rd-round pick on a tight end that our analysts project to finish top-6 in 2025 should he stay in Miami.

Joe Mixon, Running Back, Houston Texans

BUY FOR: MID 2025 2ND

Despite the macro data being largely against Joe Mixon — historically, RBs who switch teams via free agency perform worse than their peers — he was dominant when on the field in 2024.

In his healthy games, Mixon was one of the most valuable RBs in fantasy football before his Week 14 bye, averaging 24.5 touches per game (1st), 11 TDs, and 22.7 FPG (2nd). The Texans leaned on Mixon heavily near the goal line, where he saw 90% of the team’s rush attempts inside the 5-yard line (3rd).

Thanks to their top-tier defense, the Texans saw the 3rd-lowest percentage of offensive plays when trailing (25.2%) last season. I expect that trend to continue in 2025 with the Texans retaining key defensive players and adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson to their secondary. Mixon was much more productive in games when he was healthy, and the Texans won:

Versus games in which the Texans lost:

With how poorly Stroud played last season — 5.44 ANY/A (27th), 71.4% catchable throw percentage (33rd), and 21.2% off-target throw percentage (4th-highest) — I expect new OC Nick Caley to lean on Mixon heavily. With only Woody Marks added in the 4th round of the NFL Draft, Mixon’s bell-cow role and red-zone rushing dominance likely remain secure.

Mixon has been one of the most reliable RBs in the league, having finished as the RB17 or better in six straight seasons and not having fumbled on any of his last 926 carries (since Week 13 of 2021). Our analysts project another big season for him with an RB12

ranking, and you can acquire him for a reasonable price: a mid-2025 2nd.