Return on Investment Players in Dynasty Leagues
We all want rosters laden with studs and explosive week-to-week output. However, that is often difficult to achieve. Finding the value plays; the players who can return a solid return based on their initial cost of acquisition, however, requires much more scrutiny and skill.
Here, we are going to look at three players who are set for a solid return on investment and what the cost of acquisition is.
Sam Darnold, QB CAR (QB 26; ADP 200.33)
Yes, ghost-seeing Darnold finished the 2020 season as the QB30 on the back of nine touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. I get it, gross. So why put him on this list? Allow me to explain.
Darnold’s situation improved the moment Adam Gase was presented with his walking papers and smelling salts.
Being freed from the developmental shackles of Gase and then traded to the Carolina Panthers gives Darnold a fresh start in a growing offense. The Panthers inked his fifth-year option and made no moves in the draft to indicate anything other than them being all-in on Darnold as their guy.
The supporting cast is where the hope of fantasy production is conceived. Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield with DJ Moore and Robby Anderson playing outside provides reliable playmakers on every level.
Teddy Bridgewater supported three top-25 wide receivers in this offense despite only finishing with 15 passing touchdowns. The move presents not just an upgrade in weapons, but also offensive line. Per Pro Football Focus, the Jets were the 29th-ranked offensive line while the Panthers were ranked 18th overall.
COST
In both single-quarterback and superflex startups, Darnold slots in at QB26 with an overall ADP of 200.33. All of the risk is part of the price as a late-round selection, especially in superflex formats where the inherent value remains higher.
Some of the trades on our Trade Finder tool are… interesting, to say the least.
There are some good examples to showcase how different leagues value players. Darnold is still fetching future first-round picks and being swapped in package deals for upgrades at other positions.
For managers interested in seeking to acquire via trade, it’s recommended to start with an asset and a future second-round pick and negotiate from there.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
I’m not here trying to convince anyone that Darnold is a top-12 option at the position. However, given the upgrade of weapons and offensive line, he can easily slide into the mid-range QB2 territory with room to grow in this offense.
For the first time in his young career, he has a full supporting cast that can make plays even off of mediocre production from under center. This is an opportunity for a young quarterback to ride the talents of his cast at the cost of his floor. He is a cheap QB3 option in superflex formats with prove-it growth potential.
Damien Harris, RB NE (RB 35; ADP 106.83)
Harris is better than his ADP suggests. From week four; when he assumed the starting role, through week 14, he had the ninth-most carries (137) and the fifth-most rushing yards (691) of all running backs. In that span, he had only one week with less than ten carries.
It’s not all sunshine, roses, and fantasy points for the second-year pro, however. He finished with only two touchdowns and a total of seven targets on the season; a feat Kareem Hunt completed in week 14 versus a stout Baltimore defense for the sake of comparison.
The lack of touchdowns is entirely based on one factor: Cam Newton. Newton finished the 2020 season with a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns, completely eviscerating Harris’ role in this regard. Newton had 14 rushing attempts inside the five compared to Harris’ singular carry from that range.
Temporary obstructions should not cloud a shrewd dynasty manager’s outlook. Newton is not the long-term signal-caller for the Patriots, who drafted Mac Jones in the first round as the heir apparent in Bill Belichick’s offense. When that shift occurs, Harris strolls into a significant uptick in goal-line looks making his RB35 price tag very appealing.
COST
In startup drafts, Harris is falling to what feels like an appropriate position as RB35 overall based on the previous seasonal finish of RB53. The current cost does factor in an increase in seasonal usage but remains low enough to be a value shot.
Moving into the realm of dynasty trading, here are some recent results available with the Trade Finder tool.
As with many dynasty trades, package deals with sprinkled picks equalize the field. If nothing else, this represents an idea of what can sway the deal if managers are eager to pursue adding Harris to their squad.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The moment the reigns are handed to Jones, Harris has back-end RB2 appeal. His volume should not only remain consistent with what we saw in his stretch last season but increase as the clear leader of this backfield.
Harris has been one of my favorite targets this off-season, especially in leagues that are lacking a high rookie pick. Harris is a buy-now for future production and goal-line appeal.
Gabriel Davis, WR BUF (WR56; ADP 115.33)
Davis quietly had an impressive rookie campaign. He was one of several beneficiaries of Josh Allen taking a serious step forward as a passer. Davis finished with the third-most targets (62) and receiving yards (599) for the Bills. His seven receiving touchdowns were second-most on the team and second-most among other rookie receivers. Among those rookies, Davis was ninth in targets, ninth in receiving yards and seventh in yards-per-reception. That is very respectable for a fourth-round pick.
Overall, he finished as the WR56 in PPR scoring formats.
COST
Davis slots in as the WR56 with an overall ADP of 115.33. He is currently sandwiched in between fellow sophomores Denzel Mims and Darnell Mooney.
On the trading side of acquisition, things get fairly interesting.
Noted, the number five trade here, Davis for 4.11 and 5.11, or the big package deal at number four on this chart. The cost via trade is a fairly open market, based on a page or two of results like the one pictured.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
No one is dethroning Stefon Diggs at the top of this depth chart. Cole Beasley has back-to-back 100+ targets in this offense and has the stranglehold on short-to-intermediate routes. This leaves Davis and recently acquired Emmanuel Sanders to soak up the remaining targets.
Beasley is 32 years old. Sanders is 34 and new to the offense. After the departure of John Brown, Davis is the most logical recipient of the bulk of the remaining targets from a quarterback that is not afraid of launching the deep ball. The two skill sets should converge more frequently this season.
With his home run potential and a perceived increase in targets, Davis will continue to grow in this offense. He enters this season with weekly flex consideration and should outperform the WR56 price tag fairly easily.
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Quinn Ewers, QB Texas - April 8, 2025
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: TreVeyon Henderson, RB Ohio State - March 17, 2025
- January Dynasty ADP Risers and Fallers - February 4, 2025
We all want rosters laden with studs and explosive week-to-week output. However, that is often difficult to achieve. Finding the value plays; the players who can return a solid return based on their initial cost of acquisition, however, requires much more scrutiny and skill.
Here, we are going to look at three players who are set for a solid return on investment and what the cost of acquisition is.
Sam Darnold, QB CAR (QB 26; ADP 200.33)
Yes, ghost-seeing Darnold finished the 2020 season as the QB30 on the back of nine touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. I get it, gross. So why put him on this list? Allow me to explain.
Darnold’s situation improved the moment Adam Gase was presented with his walking papers and smelling salts.
Being freed from the developmental shackles of Gase and then traded to the Carolina Panthers gives Darnold a fresh start in a growing offense. The Panthers inked his fifth-year option and made no moves in the draft to indicate anything other than them being all-in on Darnold as their guy.
The supporting cast is where the hope of fantasy production is conceived. Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield with DJ Moore and Robby Anderson playing outside provides reliable playmakers on every level.
Teddy Bridgewater supported three top-25 wide receivers in this offense despite only finishing with 15 passing touchdowns. The move presents not just an upgrade in weapons, but also offensive line. Per Pro Football Focus, the Jets were the 29th-ranked offensive line while the Panthers were ranked 18th overall.
COST
In both single-quarterback and superflex startups, Darnold slots in at QB26 with an overall ADP of 200.33. All of the risk is part of the price as a late-round selection, especially in superflex formats where the inherent value remains higher.
Some of the trades on our Trade Finder tool are… interesting, to say the least.
There are some good examples to showcase how different leagues value players. Darnold is still fetching future first-round picks and being swapped in package deals for upgrades at other positions.
For managers interested in seeking to acquire via trade, it’s recommended to start with an asset and a future second-round pick and negotiate from there.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
I’m not here trying to convince anyone that Darnold is a top-12 option at the position. However, given the upgrade of weapons and offensive line, he can easily slide into the mid-range QB2 territory with room to grow in this offense.
For the first time in his young career, he has a full supporting cast that can make plays even off of mediocre production from under center. This is an opportunity for a young quarterback to ride the talents of his cast at the cost of his floor. He is a cheap QB3 option in superflex formats with prove-it growth potential.
Damien Harris, RB NE (RB 35; ADP 106.83)
Harris is better than his ADP suggests. From week four; when he assumed the starting role, through week 14, he had the ninth-most carries (137) and the fifth-most rushing yards (691) of all running backs. In that span, he had only one week with less than ten carries.
It’s not all sunshine, roses, and fantasy points for the second-year pro, however. He finished with only two touchdowns and a total of seven targets on the season; a feat Kareem Hunt completed in week 14 versus a stout Baltimore defense for the sake of comparison.
The lack of touchdowns is entirely based on one factor: Cam Newton. Newton finished the 2020 season with a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns, completely eviscerating Harris’ role in this regard. Newton had 14 rushing attempts inside the five compared to Harris’ singular carry from that range.
Temporary obstructions should not cloud a shrewd dynasty manager’s outlook. Newton is not the long-term signal-caller for the Patriots, who drafted Mac Jones in the first round as the heir apparent in Bill Belichick’s offense. When that shift occurs, Harris strolls into a significant uptick in goal-line looks making his RB35 price tag very appealing.
COST
In startup drafts, Harris is falling to what feels like an appropriate position as RB35 overall based on the previous seasonal finish of RB53. The current cost does factor in an increase in seasonal usage but remains low enough to be a value shot.
Moving into the realm of dynasty trading, here are some recent results available with the Trade Finder tool.
As with many dynasty trades, package deals with sprinkled picks equalize the field. If nothing else, this represents an idea of what can sway the deal if managers are eager to pursue adding Harris to their squad.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The moment the reigns are handed to Jones, Harris has back-end RB2 appeal. His volume should not only remain consistent with what we saw in his stretch last season but increase as the clear leader of this backfield.
Harris has been one of my favorite targets this off-season, especially in leagues that are lacking a high rookie pick. Harris is a buy-now for future production and goal-line appeal.
Gabriel Davis, WR BUF (WR56; ADP 115.33)
Davis quietly had an impressive rookie campaign. He was one of several beneficiaries of Josh Allen taking a serious step forward as a passer. Davis finished with the third-most targets (62) and receiving yards (599) for the Bills. His seven receiving touchdowns were second-most on the team and second-most among other rookie receivers. Among those rookies, Davis was ninth in targets, ninth in receiving yards and seventh in yards-per-reception. That is very respectable for a fourth-round pick.
Overall, he finished as the WR56 in PPR scoring formats.
COST
Davis slots in as the WR56 with an overall ADP of 115.33. He is currently sandwiched in between fellow sophomores Denzel Mims and Darnell Mooney.
On the trading side of acquisition, things get fairly interesting.
Noted, the number five trade here, Davis for 4.11 and 5.11, or the big package deal at number four on this chart. The cost via trade is a fairly open market, based on a page or two of results like the one pictured.
POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
No one is dethroning Stefon Diggs at the top of this depth chart. Cole Beasley has back-to-back 100+ targets in this offense and has the stranglehold on short-to-intermediate routes. This leaves Davis and recently acquired Emmanuel Sanders to soak up the remaining targets.
Beasley is 32 years old. Sanders is 34 and new to the offense. After the departure of John Brown, Davis is the most logical recipient of the bulk of the remaining targets from a quarterback that is not afraid of launching the deep ball. The two skill sets should converge more frequently this season.
With his home run potential and a perceived increase in targets, Davis will continue to grow in this offense. He enters this season with weekly flex consideration and should outperform the WR56 price tag fairly easily.
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Quinn Ewers, QB Texas - April 8, 2025
- 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: TreVeyon Henderson, RB Ohio State - March 17, 2025
- January Dynasty ADP Risers and Fallers - February 4, 2025
