Dynasty Fantasy Football: 4 Biggest Winners of NFL Free Agency

The dust has settled for the most active period of NFL free agency, and there have been a flurry of moves that have altered the dynasty fantasy football landscape. While some players have seen their dynasty stock plummet to begin free agency, other players have seen their outlook improve moving forward.

Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, it's crucial to factor the signings or trades that have occurred to begin the new league year to determine what roster moves we need to consider in our dynasty leagues. When factoring the moves that have taken place early in free agency, which players have seen their dynasty stock trend upward?

Dynasty Stock Up After Free Agency

Justin Fields, QB, Jets

It still remains to be seen if Justin Fields can become a long-term franchise quarterback in the NFL through his first four seasons in the league. But over the last three years, Fields has shown he can be an ultra-productive fantasy quarterback when given the opportunity to start.

Following a rookie campaign in 2021 where he started in only 10 games, Fields was the QB6 in fantasy points per game in 2022 and QB12 in fantasy points per game in 2023. Although Fields hasn't shown much consistency as a passer, he's a lethal runner at the quarterback position, and we know how much of a cheat code mobile signal-callers can be in any fantasy format.

Just a season ago in six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being benched, Fields was the QB7 in fantasy points per game despite tossing only 5 touchdowns, as he contributed 289 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns on the ground. At the start of free agency, Fields has signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets, and he should be the starter for the foreseeable future under new head coach Aaron Glenn.

Fields will certainly need to show development through the air in the coming years, but he's still 26 years old and it doesn't hurt that he'll be targeting his former college teammate, Garrett Wilson, in the Big Apple.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Vikings

Barring the Minnesota Vikings signing Aaron Rodgers to complete the Brett Favre career arc for Rodgers, it seems like J.J. McCarthy will be handed the keys to the offense in 2025 -- and beyond. After getting a career year out of Sam Darnold in 2024 where he was the QB11 in fantasy points per game and the QB9 overall in fantasy, Darnold has signed a multi-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency.

Additionally, Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens -- who were the backups to Darnold to end last season -- have also signed with new teams this offseason. McCarthy is coming off a rookie season that ended before it even started as he tore his meniscus in the preseason, but it's hard not to like his supporting cast.

Besides having head coach Kevin O'Connell calling plays with a pass-catching trio that features Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings have been actively improving their roster in free agency. Since the start of the legal tampering period, Minnesota has bolstered the interior of their offensive line by adding center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts, and the Vikings have retained veteran running back Aaron Jones.

McCarthy will only be 22 years old at the start of the 2025 season, and Minnesota has done everything they can to put him in a position to succeed after using the 10th overall pick on him during the 2024 NFL Draft. Here's to hoping that the Vikings don't redshirt McCarthy for another season by bringing in Rodgers.

Whoever Starts at RB for the Bears

Another NFC North team that has been extremely aggressive when it comes to improving in the trenches is the Chicago Bears. Upon hiring head coach Ben Johnson -- whose offense is partly predicated on having a somewhat stout offensive line -- and watching Caleb Williams be sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024, the Bears have brought in Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman via trades and free agency.

Aside from liking a bounce-back campaign for Williams in 2025, whoever starts at running back for the Bears next season is going to see their dynasty stock skyrocket. Thuney was part of a Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line that was seventh in run-block win rate last season, Jackson has experience in Johnson's offense, and Dalman had the sixth-highest run-blocking grade among centers in 2024, per PFF.

Neither D'Andre Swift nor Roschon Johnson has done enough to secure the starting job in Chicago's new-look offense, so my bet is on the Bears taking a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft. This year's crop of running back prospects is regarded as a deep group, giving Chicago ample options.

Regardless of who is lining up alongside Williams in the Bears' backfield next season, I'll be targeting them aggressively in dynasty with Johnson calling plays and Chicago having a retooled offensive front.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills

Underwhelming is an adjective that has been used to describe Keon Coleman's rookie season with the Buffalo Bills. Coleman finished with only 29 receptions, 556 receiving yards, and 4 receiving touchdowns on 57 targets across 13 games in 2024, but I'm not ready to give up on him just yet.

Early in free agency, the Bills have signed Josh Palmer to a three-year, $36 million contract, indicating that the organization is content with prioritizing depth instead of taking a big swing at receiver for the second straight season. While Palmer improves the floor of Buffalo's aerial attack, he hasn't shown enough throughout his four-year career with the Los Angeles Chargers that he can be a consistent difference-maker in an offense.

As for Coleman, it was essentially a tale of two halves in his rookie season after being taken by the Bills with the 33rd overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft . Across the first eight weeks of the 2024 campaign, Coleman had the 5th-most yards per reception (18.9) and 21st-most yards per route run (2.07) among receivers with 25-plus targets during that span.

Coleman would then suffer a wrist injury in Week 9 that forced him to miss four games, and he wasn't nearly as productive upon his return in Week 15 through the end of the postseason. With the Bills needing someone who can attack a defense vertically and generate explosive plays in the passing game, I'm willing to trade for or hold onto Coleman in dynasty given Buffalo's current wide receiver room.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.