10 Fallers From The 2024 Season In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

Of course players fall off in perceived value all the time after poor seasons, but it can still be surprising to see some that were previously thought of as amazing assets become players that tons of teams are trying to sell during the offseason. But predicting the future is never easy.

This season, there were no shortage of surprisingly bad year-long performances and other issues that made Dynasty fantasy managers concerned with their players. Some weren't entirely the fault of the players, like injury issues and poor coaching, but even with good excuses, people become rightfully nervous.

Let's look at 10 of the biggest fallers from the 2024 season. At the end of the write-up for each player, we'll try our best to evaluate if they've fallen too far and are solid buy targets or if their fall was appropriate and they should be avoided.

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Isiah Pacheco, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs

Pacheco's season was obviously marred by the broken fibula he suffered in Week 2. He registered 18 touches in his first game of the season and had reached 24 in Week 2 (19 carries, five receptions) before the injury, so he looked to have been slotted right back into his workhorse role by Kansas City's offensive staff.

Isiah Pacheco injured fibula on this play vs. Bengals

Pacheco is now on IR and will miss the next four games or possibly longer. pic.twitter.com/pZP0w5OrS3

— Fantasy's Phinest (@FFPhinest) September 16, 2024

The team then signed RB Kareem Hunt, who served as the lead back until Pacheco's return. The problem was that after that return, Pacheco never reclaimed his old role, and the two served in a committee for the rest of the season. For the rest of the year, Pacheco never logged more than 14 carries, and he registered three contests with 10 or fewer touches.

As a result of both the injury and his disappointing usage and performances, No. 10's value has absolutely tanked, but it may be a case of overcorrection. Broken legs are difficult injuries to come back from, and players can return to play long before they're 100%. We recommend buying Pacheco.

Travis Etienne, Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars lead running back had an absolutely miserable season, and for a few games at least, it looked like his job was being taken over by backup Tank Bigsby. Injuries, a terrible offensive system, and bad offensive line play contributed to ETN's disappointing numbers, but that didn't stop his value from tumbling in Dynasty.

Anyway here’s Travis Etienne from Weeks 7-9 last season https://t.co/mJJ46StWi3 pic.twitter.com/Aq3q2RWAiK

— BTJ Enthusiast (@T4NKBIGSBY) August 23, 2023

Sometimes, it's worth it to step back, look at a player's tape from a previous season, and ask yourself if they look like the same guy that they were. In Etienne's case, the answer is clearly no -- he looked more explosive and much more like a complete back in 2022 and 2023. He's also 26 years old, so he hasn't hit the running back age cliff yet.

These facts, combined with the hiring of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who schemed up one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL last season, make Etienne an intriguing buy in Dynasty fantasy leagues. Of course, as the offseason wears on, undervalued players tend to see their stocks rise. But you should pounce on ETN now. You should be able to get a great deal.

Kenneth Walker III, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks

Walker dealt with his fair share of injuries this season, but that's not the only reason his value fell in Dynasty. For starters, he's dealt with a laundry list of injuries throughout his three years in the league, which is never a good sign. Some players struggle to put together healthy seasons in the NFL, as it's a brutal contact sport.

These jukes by Kenneth Walker 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ZLjHb0kikM

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) January 16, 2025

Also to his credit, the offensive line played terribly in 2024. But who knows if that will change -- the Seahawks don't seem to care that their general manager, John Schneider, has repeatedly refused to put together a competent OL, instead opting to pay as little as possible for one. The results have been predictable.

Santa Claus if he played the Seahawks Offensive Line https://t.co/118vHcfCvi pic.twitter.com/UCFIXR7uRf

— ᴅᴏxx ⚡️ (@new_era72) December 26, 2024

It's easy to understand this if you simply go back in time and watch the sacks that Seattle QBs have taken over the past decade. It's been a horrendous problem that Schneider creates himself. It's tough to see that changing, as they didn't fire him. Bad OL play almost precludes you entirely from a chance at postseason success, but who needs to win in the playoffs, right?

Also, the presence of backup Zach Charbonnet, who at times looked even better than Walker in the workhorse role, hasn't helped Walker's stock. And Charbonnet isn't going anywhere any time soon. It's hard to buy into Walker on this team for now, and he's certainly not undervalued in our eyes.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals

Easily the most regrettable decision Dynasty fantasy football managers made in 2024 rookie drafts was selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. with the first overall pick. Running back Bucky Irving, quarterbacks Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, and Ladd McConkey all seem to be better assets now (depending on the league you're in) than Harrison.

Christian Gonzalez vs Marvin Harrison Jr. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/GDPfcXywKz

— Boston Cream 🍩 (@itsbostoncream) January 18, 2025

Harrison was touted as the best wide receiver prospect in a generation, but his struggles with winning on vertical routes, down the field, and in contested catch situations contributed to his disappointing rookie campaign. Perhaps most shocking was his lack of explosiveness off the line. That will remain a problem throughout his career.

He has a fantastic skillset, but name recognition may still keep him valued to high to be worth trading for. It's likely that many Dynasty managers will hang on to him just to wait and see if he can become more productive. And the Cardinals are tied to quarterback Kyler Murray for now -- he hasn't been a great passer recently, which doesn't help things.

Trey McBride's 2023 per-route rates were historically elite for a 24 year old tight end.

He's only improved upon those rates in Year 3. https://t.co/K5gCthpgKx pic.twitter.com/O4MkBiNCx8

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) December 9, 2024

And for now, tight end Trey McBride is the primary pass-catching target for Murray. McBride also improved even further in 2024, and it's hard to see him not being tied to the team for a long time. He's one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and there's little reason for Murray to stop targeting him at a high rate, because he's produced well with his opportunities.

We don't recommend buying Harrison for now. You're better off chasing other assets. That's not to say Harrison won't have a great career, but the doubts about his explosiveness are just too strong.

Jaylen Waddle, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins

Waddle just completed his fourth season in the league, and much like his 2023 campaign, it was massively disappointing. His monster 2022 year continues to look more like a fluke as time goes on, but he wasn't helped by the entire offense taking a step back in 2024. His 2023 production can't be explained by that, though. Waddle was hyped as a fantastic asset to own, but his Dynasty value appropriately fell over the course of 2024.

Last time the Dolphins played the Jets, Jaylen Waddle went off for 142 yards and a touchdown. This was the one game Tyreek Hill didn’t play in last season. pic.twitter.com/9Jl5SF1weq

— FinsCentral (@finscentral) December 6, 2024

It's tough to evaluate Waddle. It seemed that head coach Mike McDaniel's schemes weren't as successful at creating separation down the field for his speedster receivers, though. And the offensive line took a big step back -- it's possible that McDaniel understood that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would have less time to throw and focused on getting the ball out more quickly.

We saw the offense build itself around running back De'Von Achane, with the star RB getting a ton of targets at the expense of the receivers. We also saw tight end Jonnu Smith look like the best receiver on the team for a stretch of games. And he's not going anywhere. And the injury to Tagovailoa tanked the entire offense for a stretch as well.

They said he couldn’t stay healthy

They say he couldn’t go a season without concussion

They damn sure didn’t think he’d lead the league in passing yards

Back to back playoff appearances because of HIM!

Dolphins w Tua > Without 🎤

PAY THE MAN! #GoFinspic.twitter.com/AfPKKv9XPA

— Miami Sports Vibes (@SportsVibes305) July 20, 2024

Tagovailoa has become the NFL's latest poster-boy for concussions, whether he likes it or not. And he's been injury-prone throughout his career. This has a further depressing effect on Waddle's Dynasty value, as he's unstartable in games without Tagovailoa. That won't change unless the Dolphins invest in a legit option at backup.

So we're not falling over ourselves to trade for Waddle in Dynasty right now.

Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Speaking of Tagovailoa, he's absolutely fallen in value over the 2024 season. His continued injury issues, as detailed above, and his worsened performance this year has understandably hurt his stock, and it's unlikely that it will rebound strongly.

Good morning.

This 49ers game was likely the last time Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill played together. I’d say it was a fitting way to end things if that’s the case. pic.twitter.com/Eskpaic5fK

— FinsCentral (@finscentral) January 6, 2025

A look at the tape tells us that aside from the very real injury issues, Tagovailoa's play didn't fall off a cliff. He still makes high-level throws and generally avoids terrible decisions. But the offensive line didn't play well enough for him to excel.

And if that doesn't get addressed, we don't see him as a good buy target. If he does, he's a bit better of a buy target, but not someone you should be jumping out of your chair to get. He has very little rushing upside, an aging WR1, and the trenches in front of him aren't manned sufficiently.

Dak Prescott, Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys

Another QB who saw his Dynasty stock plummet was Prescott. The partial hamstring avulsion that ended his 2024 campaign prematurely had something to do with it, but the offense he led was as a whole less productive and explosive than it was in years past.

The Cowboys' bad day continues...

Dak Prescott is picked off again and the Lions take it to the goal line!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/iaQhOi11Fd

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 13, 2024

Prescott's decision-making skills generally don't help him elevate his team against good competition, and he's now 31 years old. Also, the team let go its former head coach, Mike McCarthy, and replaced him with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who's done little to inspire confidence among fantasy managers.

The team doesn't appear to be set up for major success. They'll likely lose offensive guard Zack Martin, perhaps the best player ever at his position, to retirement. And without elite offensive line play, Prescott has often struggled. He's not the best buy target right now.

Rhamondre Stevenson, Running Back, New England Patriots

Stevenson's fantasy value absolutely plummeted in 2024. The major culprits for this were likely poor offensive coaching and the complete lack of good offensive line play this year, though. It's hard to blame the skill-position players on an offense with the literal worst offensive line in the league for the team's deficiencies at moving the ball.

Pass protection composite ratings

Oh my goodness Patriots pic.twitter.com/hELCu5MPnG

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 27, 2024

There's a sea of tape you can dive into if you want to see missed blocking assignments, absolute whiffs in 1-on-1 pass protection reps, and inability to create creases for Stevenson to run through. Quarterback Drake Maye was under constant duress, and the former University of Oklahoma running back didn't have the benefit of extended drives and short-yardage situations to boost his stats.

But while he's not blameless, New England has a ton of work to do to overhaul their roster. They should probably replace at least three of their linemen with better options, and that's no easy task considering their massive need at wide receiver.

People seem to forget that Rhamondre Stevenson is an all world running back.

5 yards per carry.

Top 5 running back in the NFL pic.twitter.com/IL1h0HYovB

— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 14, 2023

It's easy to forget what he looks like with even competent blocking. The situation may take some time to work itself out, but he's actually a solid buy target for fantasy managers that aren't in win-now mode and have some patience. And new head coach Mike Vrabel loves to run the ball.

D.J. Moore, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears

The ushering in of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams filled Dynasty fantasy managers with hope that Moore would be even more impressive in his 2024 season than he was during his 2023 campaign. The opposite came to pass, and Moore's fantasy value nosedived this year. The addition of veteran WR Keenan Allen didn't help and neither did Williams' massive struggles.

It's as bad as you think....

All 22 QB Breakdown: Caleb Williams pic.twitter.com/f9YgvoZb90

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) November 5, 2024

Tune out all the noise that Williams is the "most hated" QB in the league because "everyone hates the Bears", which clearly isn't true, and flip on the tape, and you'll see why. CW regularly missed open receivers, and while former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron deserves plenty of blame, it simply wasn't possible to have a good offense with the rookie at the helm last year.

Pass protection composite ratings

Oh my goodness Patriots pic.twitter.com/hELCu5MPnG

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 27, 2024

And once again, taking a look at the offensive line composite rankings, we can see that the OL was not at fault here. In fact, they've been consistently an average-to-good unit over the past few years, but it just happens that both Williams and former Bears QB Justin Fields constantly run themselves into sacks.

The arrival of former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator D.J. Moore changes things, though. It remains to be seen how much he can compensate for Williams deficiencies and how coachable the first overall pick will be, but Moore should rebound with Johnson's genius propelling him forward. Moore's Dynasty managers will have to hope the team lets Allen go first.

He's not a bad buy target, but the arrival of Johnson could cause managers to demand more in trades for him than they would have otherwise. It's worth at least putting out feelers and seeing if you can get a good deal.

Sam LaPorta, Tight End, Detroit Lions

LaPorta was seen as the best possible tight end to own in Dynasty fantasy football after a monster rookie campaign in which he was league-winner across all PPR formats. The problem wasn't that his play fell off in 2024, or even injuries, but that his usage simply decreased due to a variety of factors.

OH MY GOD SAM LAPORTA
pic.twitter.com/0UJOcjX4IJ

— Barstool Detroit (@BSMotorCity) January 19, 2025

Any idea that he's not an elite player can be quickly dismissed by some of the ludicrous plays he makes, though. This one-handed diving touchdown catch is a prime example. There are other reasons to be nervous about LaPorta's value, though.

The emergence of wide receiver Jameson Williams, who struggled his first two years in the league but finally put everything together this year, didn't help. Jamo finished the season being targeted 91 times, and gaining 1,001 yards receiving and scoring 7 touchdowns through the air.

JAMESON WILLIAMS. THIS GAME IS OFF THE RAILS.

📺: #WASvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/k3NjfxDSCY

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

He also saw gadget play usage, and the team preferred to run the ball heavily with their tandem of running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. When the defense held up, it was bad news for LaPorta. Of course, the team's 2024 offensive and defensive coordinators, the aforementioned Johnson and now New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, are both gone.

It's hard to envision what will happen moving forward. It's hard to see the team's new OC running such an elite unit, but the defense taking a step back could force quarterback Jared Goff to throw the ball more. And the team has a great offensive line. LaPorta probably isn't the best buy target, because while he's not valued as highly as he was after 2023, it's still hard to trust tight ends to consistently dominate the stat sheets.

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