Dynasty Buys - Quarterbacks, Tight Ends To Trade for in Fantasy Football Dynasty Leagues

Our Super Bowl LIX matchup is set. That means we are just about done with the 2024-25 NFL season.

For dynasty fantasy football leagues, this is a slower time of year until the NFL Draft and rookie draft season are upon us in a few months. However, dynasty gamers are in a prime position to take advantage of managers who haven’t been paying close attention since the regular season ended. This presents a great buying opportunity if we can identify the correct targets.

Make sure you follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Let’s take a look at five quarterbacks/tight ends you should buy in your dynasty fantasy football leagues.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings (redraft)
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings
• 2025 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy missed his entire rookie year after tearing his meniscus in training camp.

BREAKING: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season after undergoing a full meniscus repair this morning. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/GgpgfiNYRX

— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2024

Following McCarthy’s injury, Sam Darnold became Minnesota’s de facto QB1 and had an incredible 2024. He threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 passing touchdowns but came crashing down to earth in the season’s final two games.

Cobie Durant with a DIVING interception off Sam Darnold 🤯pic.twitter.com/jNUOzX5Nfq

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 14, 2025

Head coach Kevin O’Connell all but confirmed Darnold will not be with the team in 2025 following Minnesota’s Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That means McCarthy is set to take over as the starter.

There is some uncertainty surrounding McCarthy in the dynasty community since he missed his entire rookie season. However, this is still a quarterback with top-10 draft capital who is tied to a strong offensive coach and is surrounded by an abundance of talent. This is as good of a situation as a first-time starting quarterback can enter.

Likely, the McCarthy owner in your league won’t move him for a discount if they waited out all of 2024, but there might be a manager who sees him as an expendable asset.

If you need a quarterback, it’s certainly worth kicking the tires on a McCarthy trade. He is currently the QB22 in RotoBaller’s dynasty rankings. If his 2025 is anything close to Darnold’s 2024, then this could be the ideal time to acquire last year’s 10th overall pick.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons

Penix took over as the Falcons starter when Kirk Cousins began to struggle. He only went 1-2 in three starts and threw three touchdown passes against three interceptions. While the raw stats don’t blow you away, there are reasons to be encouraged for the future.

Regular season @PFF passing grades for this year's rookie QB class ...

Michael Penix: 87.6
Jayden Daniels: 83.0
Bo Nix: 72.8
Drake Maye: 64.9
Caleb Williams: 62.9

— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) January 13, 2025

Penix also showcased a big arm and stepped up late in a game against the Washington Commanders with Atlanta’s season on the line.

Michael Penix Jr. to Kyle Pitts on 4th down!! pic.twitter.com/PGbIR4nICx

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 30, 2024

Atlanta will now have an entire offseason to craft an offense catered to his skill set. It will also give Penix time to develop chemistry with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and the other Falcons skill players.

This situation is not quite as good as McCarthy’s, but things are set up well for Penix. He is an ideal trade target if you’re looking to tier down off someone like Kyler Murray or C.J. Stroud.

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes is coming off another subpar statistical season by his standards. He tied a career-low with 26 touchdown passes and averaged a career-worst 245.5 passing yards per game.

However, some of his advanced metrics were still strong. Among 47 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks, Mahomes ranked 15th in Pro Football Focus’ Adjusted Completion Percentage and was PFF’s 12th-highest-graded passer. It’s important to remember that he is still a generational talent and the best quarterback in the league.

MAHOMES TD TO KELCE AS HE FALLS DOWN

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ytEUsoGyin

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

KeepTradeCut (which crowdsources information from dynasty players to formulate rankings) has Mahomes currently ranked as the QB6. The community is beginning to devalue him based on his last two seasons, and that could be a huge mistake. We’ve already witnessed the elite upside Mahomes possesses on multiple occasions, so a drop in value because of two subpar years seems a bit reactionary.

This is a perfect buy-low opportunity on the former dynasty QB1, and it is certainly worth tiering down off the likes of Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, and Jalen Hurts (all of whom are ranked higher than Mahomes, according to KTC values) in exchange for Mahomes plus something else. The time to buy is now because once Mahomes has another elite season, the window will be slammed shut.

Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers

Kraft enjoyed a fine sophomore season in 2024 as he posted a 50-707-7 line. It culminated with a PPR TE10 finish.

What a catch by Tucker Kraft for the TD!

📺: #HOUvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/5cpzRJLlEj

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

With fellow tight end Luke Musgrave injured for the majority of the year, Kraft flourished as the team’s TE1. He even continued to function as the lead tight end once Musgrave returned healthy. Following Green Bay’s playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Matt LaFleur praised Kraft’s improvement and stated his desire to further incorporate him into Green Bay’s offense.

Tucker Kraft Could Have Bigger Role In 2025 https://t.co/gwfiVJgXzX

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) January 28, 2025

With the Packers lacking a true alpha WR1, they may choose to make Kraft a more prominent part of the passing game. That would be excellent news for his fantasy football value. Kraft is only RotoBaller’s 13th-ranked dynasty tight end, so there is a very real chance you can acquire him in a trade.

He could very well be another manager’s backup and might be easily acquired from owners who don’t stay current on the news during the offseason.

The third-year tight end is one of my favorite buy candidates this offseason, but savvy gamers should move quickly to acquire him. LaFleur’s comments will likely go viral as we get closer to the season and will drive up Kraft’s cost. He flashed upside last season and legitimately looks the part of a stud tight end. Acquire him now before the masses catch on.

Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears

Coming off a breakout 2023 season, Kmet took a major step backward this past year. He regressed across the board and was forced to fend off an early season challenge from Gerald Everett as Chicago’s TE1. In Kmet’s defense, the Bears offense struggled mightily in 2024. Much of that can be blamed on former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron failing miserably as a play-caller.

Chicago has hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the new head coach. His arrival is great news for the entire Bears offense. Sam LaPorta had two strong seasons playing in Johnson’s system, so it’s reasonable to expect Kmet to have a similar role for the Bears in 2025.

Keenan Allen is also set to hit free agency this offseason, and it’s unknown if Chicago will bring him back following his worst season since 2014. If Allen doesn’t return, that means more targets will go in Kmet’s direction.

Either way, Kmet should see a production bump in 2025 and is a great buy-low candidate at the tight-end position. With a little luck, he could produce another top-8 season similar to what we saw in 2023.

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