Everyone defines “hype” differently. For this article, I’m going to use the loosest definition possible and say it means a player who has underperformed and is a sleeper candidate to do well in the future.
A lot of players on this list are only here due to injury, which isn’t fair, but since I’m writing this, I get to decide the rules. With that out of the way, let’s look at who I think will be in line for a dynasty boost in value from their current valuation.
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Post-Hype Dynasty Sleepers
Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)
There aren’t many quarterbacks hyped more than Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. In 2023, Richardson was seen as the next Lamar Jackson. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to injury. Last season, he only played in 11 games, again due to injury. This is largely why his value has cratered to QB19 in FantasyPros’ dynasty expert consensus rankings (ECR). However, I think this is probably about as low as it gets for him.
There aren’t enough quality quarterbacks in this draft and the free agents are all aging out rapidly. I would fully expect the Colts to bring in some competition. Ultimately I think Richardson wins that battle. He should be 100% healthy again for the start of the season. If his legs are truly back, he should be able to beat his QB19 ranking. As fantasy managers focus on the few shiny new signal-callers, I’m trying to acquire Richardson at a discount heading into 2025.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
I went back and forth on including Christian McCaffrey on this list. It’s not fair to call him a “post-hype sleeper” since his hype was entirely warranted, but the shine is gone. This is due to injury; not bad performance.
McCaffrey has plenty left to offer for fantasy. His dynasty RB15 ranking seems about right but his upside is top-10 if he can stay healthy. It’s a little cheap to include him on this list, but I think he’s someone people are passing on a little too hard at the moment.
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAX)
Travis Etienne is much further down the list of running back rankings at RB25. There’s a lot of speculation he gets traded. For now, he’s on the Jaguars, which lowers his value. Similar to McCaffrey, he isn’t a perfect definition of a post-hype sleeper, but I’m calling him one anyway.
If and when Etienne gets moved, his value should shoot up immediately. The hype on him has worn off, but I think this is a bounce-back year for him.
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
Surprisingly, Rome Odunze is the current dynasty WR19. He’s ahead of teammate and Bears No. 1 WR DJ Moore, likely due to his younger age. The Bears should see a lot of improvement on offense with Ben Johnson as the new head coach.
Odunze should see the most increase in his dynasty value. Caleb Williams should take a step up as long as the offensive line improves. That should translate to a boost for Odunze, who was the WR3 in last year’s rookie class.
Chris Olave (WR – NO)
In his third season, Chris Olave disappointed his fantasy managers. He missed nine games and averaged only 9.6 PPR points per game when he did play. The hype is all but gone for him, but I look at 2025 as a perfect time for him to hit the reset button.
The Saints should see a change at quarterback, which should help Olave. His current dynasty WR26 ranking feels about right, but I think he will outperform that and will become a solid fantasy starter again in 2025.
Tank Dell (WR – HOU)
It was a terrible 2024 season for Tank Dell, suffering a season-ending knee injury that impacted his ACL, MCL and LCL. There’s a chance he will miss the entire 2025 season. This explains his current dynasty WR55 ranking.
I know I keep highlighting injured players, but Dell is on another level. He’s one of those players I feel is being undervalued, even if he misses all of 2025. Whether he comes back this season or not, he should be good to go in 2026. He will be worth more than his WR55 pricing when he returns. If you can hold on long enough, you’ll be rewarded.
Jonnu Smith (TE – MIA)
Let’s finish on a high note. Jonnu Smith is a prime candidate for this post-hype sleeper list, and it’s entirely based on staying true to the name. Smith was hyped up when he played in Tennessee in 2020 but went to New England and sputtered. Then he went to Atlanta for a season and became somewhat relevant again.
In 2024, Smith finished as the fantasy TE5 in Miami and was a league winner. For some reason, the hype seems to have worn off again, or maybe it never took. He is the current TE15 in dynasty rankings, but it’s easily possible he will finish as a top-10 tight end again. I’d love to add him at any sort of discount if you can get one, although that could be rough given his 2024 performance.
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Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his profile and follow him @AndrewHallFF.