Player values rise and fall all the time, especially in dynasty formats. Everyone is familiar with the idea of buying low and selling high, but let's focus on the second half of that idea.

Here are five players who have seen their stock increase in recent months. Let's break them down and see if we've reached the point to sell, or how close we are to that point, and how much to ask for in return.

Sell High on Brian Thomas Jr.?

Fantasy managers are going to have to make a decision on Brian Thomas Jr.

A stellar rookie season from the former first-round draft pick ended with him finishing as the WR4 in PPR formats.

 

It's already been declared that Thomas will be the focal point of the offense and his dynasty ADP has rocketed all the way up to WR6. At just 22 years old, it's hard to argue with the masses being so high on him, especially when you consider he's tied to Trevor Lawrence for the foreseeable future.

Thomas is now ranked ahead of every wideout not named Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers, CeeDee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

That's honestly wild to say (type) out loud.

I'm never usually a fan of selling players just to sell them because I enjoy having good players on my team and good players score more points than bad ones. That said, I think it's at least worth price-checking Thomas in your leagues.

If you can tier down to someone like Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, or Jaxon Smith-Njigba while also securing future draft capital, I think that makes a ton of sense. I'd rather have any of those other wideouts plus a future second-round pick instead of Thomas.

Second-Year Players To Hold In Dynasty Leagues

J.J. McCarthy, QB - Vikings

As of this writing, all signs point towards the Minnesota Vikings turning the reins over to J.J. McCarthy. With Sam Darnold (Seahawks), Daniel Jones (Colts), and Nick Mullens (Jaguars) all finding new homes, this QB room belongs solely to McCarthy.

McCarthy is walking into a ready-made team environment. From general manager and head coach to offensive weapons and solid protection up front, it's hard to imagine McCarthy not having some level of success from Day 1.

The big question is how high is his ceiling? We know McCarthy wasn't tasked with doing a whole lot during his time at Michigan (which isn't a knock on him, any QB would love to have that type of powerful rushing attack and stifling defense). Kevin O'Connell will have no problem scheming a fantasy-friendly offense for his new QB and talented arsenal.

How should fantasy managers approach McCarthy? For me, I'm fine riding his ADP even further up the boards. Currently, general consensus has him at QB15 and that feels right. The only short-term risk is the potential signing of Aaron Rodgers or another veteran option.

If you have McCarthy, I'd be holding strong. He's still only 22 years old, has the draft capital, and is arguably in the best environment for a young QB to develop. Outside of a massive offer, I'm not ready to move off him yet.

Ricky Pearsall, WR - 49ers

Ricky Pearsall was the sixth wideout taken in the first round (31st overall) of last year's draft and came in at No. 7 in our Rookie WR Model. After suffering a gunshot wound in August, he didn't make his debut until Week 7.

The 49ers offense was once again loaded with talent so Pearsall didn't really make his presence felt until the final two weeks of the season. However, for dynasty managers, it was a two-week stretch worth waiting for.

 

Looking ahead, the 49ers offense will look significantly different. Deebo Samuel is now with the Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a serious knee injury. Christian McCaffrey remains an injury question after he never really got going last year which leaves George Kittle as the only returning, viable pass catcher.

All this to say, Persall has all the opportunity in the world to establish himself as a consistent producer for both Brock Purdy and fantasy managers. Currently, his dynasty ADP sits at WR35. He's bracketed by Chris Godwin (WR34) and Mike Evans (WR36) and, outside of an obvious title push, I'm taking Pearsall there.

From a seller's perspective, if someone is higher than consensus on Pearsall, feel free to try and move him for a late first or a pair of early seconds. Even then, I almost always prefer to hold players with a path to upside in solid situations rather than rerolling the dice on someone new.

Buy or Sell These Free Agent Risers In Dynasty Leagues?

Chris Godwin, WR - Buccaneers

Much of his recent rise up the dynasty boards came on the heels of his three-year, $66 million contract extension that included $44 million guaranteed.

Before an ankle injury ended his stellar 2024 season, Godwin was an elite fantasy asset.

 

Averaging just shy of 20 points per game, Godwin was dominating the snaps, targets, and air yards to the tune of a high-flying fantasy producer. Yes, Evans is still going to be operating across from him but there's little reason to expect that Godwin can't return to form next season.

While Liam Coen is no longer there, the connection that Godwin has with Baker Mayfield should be enough to keep him relevant for dynasty managers.

For dynasty managers, you sort of have to make a decision on how well you think Godwin will recover and what his production will look like moving forward. The new contract suggests both parties feel he's got plenty left in the tank and I'm inclined to agree. As long as Evans can stretch the field, Godwin is free to decimate opposing defenses over the middle.

Normally, I'm a fan of tiering down if I feel a player's value has gotten too high. I'm not there yet with Godwin so I have no problem holding, or buying if the price is right.

Najee Harris, RB - Chargers

When it comes to RBs, availability is often the best ability, and Najee Harris has that in spades. Harris has the following benchmarks in each of his four seasons:

  • 250 rushing attempts
  • 1,000 rushing yards
  • 6 rushing TDs
  • 17 games played

The games played metric might be the most impressive. Harris is slated to replace J.K. Dobbins who is both a free agent and not someone who has been durable throughout his career.

Despite the ideal landing spot for Harris, the Chargers appear willing and able to add depth to the position via the NFL Draft. With the incoming class stocked with talented ball carriers, it appears as though Harris' ceiling might be the RB2 range he's been in for most of his career.

Harris carries a dynasty ADP of RB25 which feels about right. If you need a solid, early-down grinder as an RB2 or Flex option, Harris is your guy. However, I would be looking to cash out before the draft since, on paper, Harris is set to be the primary option for this run-heavy offense.