Dynasty Trending Observations: Khalil Shakir, Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford

Khalil Shakir | Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Moore Posted On March 2, 2025

While most of the incoming rookie class takes center stage in Indianapolis this week, there are several veteran moves to discuss -and not necessarily ones that mean a new team. Below is what caught our eye on social media this week and how it could impact your dynasty plans.

Shakir It Out

The #Bills and WR Khalil Shakir agreed to terms on a 4-year contract extension worth up to $60.2M, including $32M guaranteed at signing, per me and @TomPelissero.

Deal negotiated by @EquitySports Co-Directors of Football Sam Mirza and Derek Hawkridge along with CEO Chris Cabott. pic.twitter.com/aSxpLmRVbF

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2025

Congratulations to those Khalil Shakir dynasty managers who held onto him this whole time. After seeing just 20 targets in his rookie season and then finishing outside the top 50 fantasy receivers last season, Shakir finally ascended to fantasy relevancy. He didn’t have eye-popping numbers in his third season but firmly established himself as quarterback Josh Allen‘s top target. His 100 targets, 76 receptions, and 821 yards all led the Bills by a wide margin. Buffalo has now, not only rewarded him but locked him into the Bills’ plans for the foreseeable future.

It’s fair to say this result was unexpected. Not so much because of Shakir but for the expectations the Bills had entering the season. After trading away Stefon Diggs and allowing Gabe Davis to walk in free agency, the Bills offense didn’t look as promising as it did in years past. Yet, with Allen taking his game to another level and Shakir leading the receiver room, the Bills offense finished second in the league in points per game and a four-point improvement from the previous season. So now that Shakir has secured the bag, what can he and the Bills do for an encore?

Dynasty Impact: Outside the elite receivers, Shakir is one of the few whose dynasty value is spot on with where he ended up in fantasy scoring.

Performing as the top Bills target during the season pushed his ADP to the top 40, much like his final fantasy ranking. This would put him as a WR3/4 on your dynasty team.

That should be where you value him going forward, whether he’s on your roster or you hope to acquire him. Even if 2024 rookie Keon Coleman improves or the Bills bring in another receiver via the draft or free agency, the financial commitment made by Buffalo to Shakir shows what they’re thinking.

If you’re looking to acquire Shakir, our DLF Trade Analyzer values him as a mid-second-round rookie pick this year. That sounds right, especially if you’re in a PPR league. This year’s rookie class isn’t exactly deep at receiver so swapping that pick for Shakir would be an immediate upgrade.

And if you’re a current Shakir manager and someone offers you more than that, take it. After all, every player has a price.

Used Carr

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis indicated the team will stick with Derek Carr as the team’s starting quarterback in 2025.

Story via @Kat_Terrell:https://t.co/CXrGbDONKD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2025

Few things would survive a nuclear holocaust – cockroaches and Derek Carr‘s career. Carr will enter his 12th season in the NFL, all of them as a starter despite throwing more than 30 touchdowns just once and leading his teams to the playoffs just twice. Despite all that, as the post above alludes to, his streak of starting in the NFL will continue.

Long associated with the Raiders, Carr moved on to the Saints before the 2023 season, where he’s had some success. He led the team to a 9-8 record last year, totaling 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns on his way to a top-15 fantasy finish. He failed to play most of his team’s games for the first time in his career this past season, leading the Saints to a 5-5 record in just ten games but was headed to another typical Carr season. He threw for 2,145 yards and 15 touchdowns in those ten games, which was apparently enough for the Saints and new head coach Kellen Moore to feel comfortable with Carr heading into the 2025 season. Of course, it helps Carr’s case that the Saints have no cap room, would be in even more dire straits by cutting him, and aren’t picking near the top of the draft. As mentioned, Carr knows how to stay just relevant enough to never leave.

Dynasty Impact: For all the shade about Carr above, he’s not a bad option as your QB2 in superflex leagues. Except last year, he’s managed to stay extremely healthy his entire career. And, statistically speaking, he’s been very consistent, never finishing lower than 20th among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring but also never higher than tenth.

You know what you’re getting with Carr, who is a reliable QB2 with no chance of becoming a QB1 but also unlikely to fall off a cliff. That has value.

According to our DLF Trade Analyzer, Carr would be worth a late-second round rookie pick this year.

Carr’s dynasty manager shouldn’t be your first call this off-season when shoring up your QB2 spot but they should be on the list.

Stafford Deviation

Matthew Stafford is here to stay.

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 28, 2025

After some flirting with the Raiders and Giants, Matthew Stafford is headed back to the Rams after signing a new contract. You could argue that Stafford was only the first quarterback domino to fall this off-season but no one doubts that he was the most important. In a free agent class that includes veterans like Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, Stafford was the most highly coveted when you factor in his age, his pedigree and his ability. And now that he and the Rams have teamed up for 2025, it’s time to properly evaluate his dynasty value.

Dynasty Impact: Knowing that Stafford will have another year with Sean McVay and Puka Nacua, his dynasty value is much more stable and much more valuable than if Stafford landed with the Raiders or Giants. Yes, he would have had elite players to target in either locale but no one would mistake either Brian Daboll or Pete Carroll for Sean McVay, at least when it comes to an offensive gameplan.

For dynasty purposes, we can’t expect Stafford to last more than 1-3 seasons. But that’s ok if Stafford keeps plugging along. His current dynasty ADP is actually lower than where’s actually finished in fantasy scoring, finishing 19th in 2024 compared to an ADP of 24.

As far as value goes, he’s still being treated as a late-first-round rookie pick in superflex leagues.

If you’re looking for a high-end upgrade at your QB2 position on your superflex team (unlike Derek Carr above, who doesn’t have the same upside), Stafford would be the pick at that cost.

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Michael Moore

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Michael has played fantasy football for over 20 years when his mom funded his first team in the fourth grade. He’s contributed to various fantasy football publications and most recently spent five years writing for the Fantasy side of things at Pro Football Focus.