That’s a wrap! We are officially done with the preseason and are headed toward the busiest fantasy draft weekend of the year. We now have pre-season football games, depth charts, sound bites, and training camp reports to help us solidify our rankings. Our rankings from May should not look like our final draft rankings heading into September.
Below are my top risers and fallers. Players are listed in no particular order, but each one is highlighted because I feel that there has been enough new evidence of a changing role, either positive or negative, that fantasy gamers need to adjust their rankings heading into their upcoming drafts. The list is not just an accumulation of players whose ADP’s have changed, but whose changed outlook appears so certain that they need to be viewed under a new lens.
Risers
Emeka Egbuka, WR/Cade Otton, TE, Buccaneers
There really is not anything else to be said about Emeka Egbuka that has not been repeated…the talented rookie has gone from looking like a luxury, high=profile #3 WR when he was selected in the first round, to now being counted on heavily going into the season, with Chris Godwin out until at least October and Jalen McMillan headed to IR with a neck injury. As much as Egbuka deserves to be skyrocketing up draft boards, don’t forget Cade Otton was the TE6 through Week 14 last season, including an absurd three games stretch where he averaged 20 PPR points per game (weeks 8-10). With Godwin and McMillan on the shelf, Otton will likely operate as the default third target in the receiving corps to start the season.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders
If there is one player that can challenge Emeka Egbuka for the title of biggest riser/most hyped/largest rocket ship emoji, it would be Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Washington’s seventh-round draft pick’s hype began building during training camp, as videos of him making plays began to surface. The hype reached its zenith with the trade of Brian Robinson for a 6th-round pick. It appears that Croskey-Merritt has the early-down role locked in. I do have my concerns about his ceiling, as Austin Ekeler should play a role on passing downs. If Chris Rodriquez were to earn goal line snaps, then we could be looking at an ugly committee, albeit one led by Croskey-Merritt.
Jerome Ford/Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns
Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson are both expected to play significant roles going into the season. There is still not a clear idea as to when Quinshon Judkins is expected to sign his rookie contract, making Ford and Sampson inexpensive best ball targets at the end of drafts.
Ollie Gordon, RB, Dolphins
All signs point to Ollie Gordon overtaking Jaylen Wright as the Dolphins #2 back behind De’Von Achane. As it stands, Gordon is more of a priority handcuff than a player that offers stand-alone flex value. However, Ollie Gordon was one of the more underrated running backs in 2025, as someone who could have been one of the first backs taken had he been available in the 2024 draft, before suffering through an injury-plagued final collegiate season.
Tyler Warren/David Njoku, TE, Colts/Browns
The Colts and Browns naming Daniel Jones and Joe Flacco as their starting quarterbacks may mean uncertainty for their team’s long-term outlooks, but for 2025, Tyler Warren and David Njoku both get bumps in the rankings as likely security blankets for the two-veteran pocket-passers.
Fallers
Joe Mixon, RB, Texans
Joe Mixon highlighted my Risers and Fallers article earlier this month and he stays atop the “fallers” section as he remains sidelined heading into the start of the season. At this point, it is fair to question if he will even play in 2025. I will only consider him if he was to fall in a league with deep benches, as a priority handcuff, and will continue to avoid him in best ball, not willing to take zeros from him each week with the hope he produces later in the season.
Brian Robinson, RB, 49ers
Brian Robinson goes from starting running back to priority handcuff after being traded to the 49ers. If you drafted early and have Robinson on your roster, he is worth holding onto as a potential bell cow in the San Francisco offense if CMC were to miss time.
Kenneth Walker, RB, Seahawks
Kenneth Walker sat out most of the preseason with a nagging foot injury but appears to be on track for Week 1. However, in his absence, Zach Charbonnet looked dominant each time he stepped on the field. It would not surprise me if Charbonnet earned more snaps going forward. Combine that with Walker’s extensive injury history and potential for his foot issues to flare back up, and I will be mostly avoiding the talented Seahawk back at his Dataforce ADP of around the 3/4 turn.
Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars
At this point, the fantasy community had hoped to get some clarity about how Jacksonville planned on using their running backs. There is still plenty of mystery heading into Week 1. It could be that the uncertainty becomes a week-to-week thing, making it a situation to avoid altogether in traditional redraft. Any of the three backs could be potential targets in best ball if they were to fall below ADP.
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Matthew Hill
Fantasy Sports Writer