4 Players Trending Up & Down (2025 Fantasy Football)

As we inch closer to fantasy drafts, pre-season fantasy football rankings are getting more fluid. From injuries to free agent signings, there are plenty of developments that will move a player up or down rankings. Below are a few examples of players to watch and their average draft position (ADP).

Fantasy Football Players Trending Up & Trending Down

Trending Up

J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN) | ADP: RB41

No one doubts that J.K. Dobbins has an injury history and is, therefore, a risk in fantasy leagues. But he’s been so good that he’s worth the risk, especially now that he’s being viewed as the starter. The Broncos made some tweaks to their backfield this offseason, letting go of veteran Javonte Williams and bringing in rookie RJ Harvey and Dobbins. They also have Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime leftover from last year, but, a team typically doesn’t use a second-round pick and sign players if they are happy with their current position group.

For Dobbins, the real battle will be with Harvey for the starter snaps. The rookie is coming off an impressive college career that saw him finish in the top six in the country in rushing yards and touchdowns. He followed that up with a good combine that ultimately led him to being drafted with the 60th overall pick. If Broncos head coach Sean Payton leans towards one back or another, Dobbins could lose out.

However, this is the same coach who consistently utilized two running backs in New Orleans, making both fantasy relevant. Remember 2017? When Payton coached both Alvin Kamara (Harvey?) and Mark Ingram (Dobbins?) to top-10 fantasy running back seasons. Granted, that was a best-case scenario, but even when Payton had the likes of Latavius Murray paired with Kamara, the former still performed better than what Dobbins’ ADP is at now.

Dak Prescott (QB – DAL) | ADP: QB12

With reports that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be all systems go for training camp, his fantasy stock is sure to rise. And why not? In each season Prescott played in all 16 or 17 games, he’s been a top-12 fantasy quarterback. And in the only full season Prescott played under former offensive coordinator/now head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Prescott threw for 4,516 yards and a career-high 36 touchdowns to finish as a top-three fantasy quarterback and second in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.

Of course, Prescott has the same injury bug reputation as Dobbins. He missed half of last season due to a hamstring injury, he missed five weeks in 2022 with a thumb injury, and in 2020, he suffered his most severe injury, fracturing his ankle after only playing in five games. If we’re going by the trend that Prescott alternates between a healthy year and an injured year, 2025 is scheduled to be a good one.

Jokes aside, Prescott has always been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks. He has a familiar coach (Schottenheimer) and is again paired up with All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb as his top target. Dallas also added receiver George Pickens to the group, who will instantly be the most talented second receiver Prescott has ever had. In short, there’s no reason (besides an injury) that Prescott shouldn’t be a top-12 fantasy quarterback once again.

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Trending Down

Baker Mayfield (QB – TB) | ADP: QB7

Baker Mayfield’s professional and fantasy arc has been a roller coaster. From being the first overall pick in 2018 and leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 to being cast off and part of four different teams in three seasons, Mayfield has seen it all.

Until recently, Mayfield had settled into the best situation of his career in Tampa. Named the starter before the 2023 season, he proceeded to throw for 4,000+ yards and 28 touchdowns and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He followed that up in 2024 with an even better season, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, and another Pro Bowl appearance. In both seasons, he’s been a top-10 fantasy quarterback.

Why is he trending down? For starters, he’s losing the offensive coordinator who not only oversaw the best statistical season of his career in 2024 but also the one who’s partially responsible for his resurgence in 2022 with the Rams. Liam Coen, now head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was with Mayfield in both Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, and is viewed as partially, if not mostly, responsible for Mayfield’s turnaround. He was poached away to Jacksonville and replaced with the Tampa passing coordinator Josh Grizzard. There will be some continuity, but there’s still a risk that Coen was the brains behind the operation.

Another blow came this week when left tackle Tristan Wirfs was tapped to start the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and miss the first four weeks of the season. Wirfs has been one of the best offensive linemen in the league since being drafted in 2020. Not having him on the blindside, along with a new play-caller, is not the ideal situation for Mayfield and his fantasy managers, making it hard to justify his fantasy football ADP.

Terry McLaurin (WR – WSH) | ADP: WR16

Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin was already trending down, but his protracted contract dispute certainly doesn’t help. McLaurin had the best season of his career in 2024, totaling 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a whopping 13 touchdowns, and is, rightly, asking for more money. While his 13 touchdowns are certainly impressive, it looks like an outlier season, seeing as McLaurin only averaged five touchdowns a season before that. A regression to the mean is in order.

There’s also the addition of receiver Deebo Samuel, a much-needed addition to the Commanders’ receiving corps, but someone who could siphon off targets and/or touchdowns from McLaurin. Washington only ranked 21st in pass attempts to begin with, and McLaurin was, far and away, the top target on the team with 117. The next pass-catcher on the list was Zach Ertz with 91, and the next receiver was Olamide Zaccheaus with 64. It’s not as if there’s an abundance of targets for Samuel to pick up. Watch out for a decline from Scary Terry, at least when it comes to his stat line.