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Dynasty Football Stashes: 5 Players to Roster Before the 2025 Season
The days of me telling everyone I know to stash Brenton Strange on their bench have come and gone. Looking for the next current NFL player everyone will wish they had on their roster six months from now? Look no further.
For players to qualify for this article, they had to meet the following criteria:
- Owned in less than forty-five percent of Sleeper leagues
- Players I’m actively stashing or would make space to pick up in every Dynasty league I’m in
Dyami Brown
Dyami Brown is owned in 37 percent of Dynasty leagues on Sleeper. Brown scored 40.9 PPR fantasy points during the three playoff games the Commanders played (13.6 fantasy ppg). He was a third-round pick by the Commanders in 2021 and scored more points in those three playoff games than in any of the contests during his first three seasons.
The three-game blip of production in the playoffs is encouraging, but that’s just the start of why you should be excited to stash Brown. Brown signed a one-year, $10 million deal to join the Jaguars with the potential to make up to $12 million. That type of money isn’t shelled out to a player expected to ride the bench.
Evan Engram and Christian Kirk leaving the Jaguars vacates nearly 13 targets per game based on their 2024 usage. Brown and Brenton Strange will be the top recipients of those vacated targets.
To put the final nail in the coffin, new Jacksonville GM James Gladstone (the same guy who was a big fan of Puka before anybody else in LA) is a huge fan of Brown and was instrumental in the Jaguars’ acquisition of him. Check out this video of Gladstone raving about Brown and the potential he sees in him:
Jacob Cowing
Jacob Cowing is owned in only 28 percent of Sleeper leagues. He was incredibly productive in college, amassing 244 receptions, 3,236 receiving yards, and 27 touchdowns in his final three seasons. His College Dominator Rating, target share, and Breakout Age all rank greater than the 96th percentile, respectively. It was a bit surprising to see the 49ers draft Cowing in the fourth round last year after adding Ricky Pearsall in the first round to a receiving room that already included Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. But a year later, things look much differently in San Francisco.
Jacob Cowing Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Samuel is now a Commander, and Aiyuk is recovering from a significant knee injury. While he could be ready for Week 1, it’s not guaranteed. Regardless, he’ll be eased into action during his first few weeks and faces an uphill battle to reestablish the role he had before his injury.
Pearsall is in a great spot to break out in his second year, and Jajuan Jennings is no slouch either. However, Jennings is a physical player who gets dinged up, missing four games over the past two years and playing reduced snaps due to injury in several others. Besides Pearsall and Johnson, the wide receiver room is lacking depth.
In fantasy football, we always want to target talented players that are in an explosive offense. While San Francisco wasn’t the powerhouse many expected in 2024, they still ranked fourth in total yards and passing yards. This will continue in 2025, with Kyle Shanahan still at the helm with a plethora of offensive weapons. Cowing’s 4.38 40-yard dash is in the 96th-percentile, and he’s a great dark-horse candidate to become the next household name in the 49ers offense.
Tyler Higbee
Tyler Higbee just makes the cut for this article (44 percent rostered on Sleeper at the time of writing this). Higbee is a well-known player who many dropped from their rosters after tearing his ACL and MCL in the Rams’ 2023 wildcard round loss to the Lions. He missed the majority of the 2024 season, returning in week 16.
Higbee’s production upon his return was incredibly solid. Including the playoffs, Higbee averaged over 2 yards per route run, secured 100 percent of his contested catches, and garnered a 135.9 rating when targeted- all top-ten amongst tight ends. In the two playoff games he played, he averaged 14.6 PPR points per game.
Head Coach Sean McVay plays favorites, and Higbee was one of four players he referred to as studs during 2024 press conferences.
Higbee is a great player to target in tight end premium scoring, especially if the Rams don’t add a tight end in the draft. He has two top-10 seasons on his resume already, and if his end of 2024 is any indication, 2025 will be his third.
Stone Smartt
Stone Smartt is a deep cut, currently owned in only 16 percent of Sleeper leagues. Smartt is a former quarterback and wide receiver in college who is now a 226-pound tight end. He spent his first three seasons with the Chargers, playing mostly in a reserve role. In weeks 15 & 16 of the 2024 season, he played over 60 percent of snaps for the first time in his career.
Smartt signed with the Jets this offseason and currently has Jeremy Ruckert as his primary competition at tight end. Considering Ruckert didn’t have a game with over 20 receiving yards in 2024, it’s wise to bet on Smartt to emerge as the receiving threat at tight end for the Jets.
The Jets own eight picks in the 2025 draft, and everything points to them taking a tight end in the early rounds. That said, as long as the Jets have Woody Johnson involved as an owner, all bets of them making a logical decision are off the table. In other words, if there’s any team I feel comfortable betting on to have a player like Smartt walking into the season as their starting tight end, it’s the Jets.
Stone Smartt Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Kenneth Gainwell
Kenneth Gainwell is owned in 39% of Sleeper leagues. Gainwell has spent his career as a backup behind solid players like D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley. This offseason, he signed a one-year deal to join the Steelers, currently only sharing the backfield with Jaylen Warren.
While Warren has enjoyed more success in the NFL, Gainwell was far more productive in college and outperformed Warren in nearly every meaningful athletic measurement.
Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren Athletic Comparison
The Steelers gave up a 2nd round pick to acquire DK Metcalf, have no long-term answer at quarterback, and have needs to sort out with their offensive line. While they have six picks in the 2025 draft, they likely won’t pick up a running back till the later rounds or target one as an undrafted free agent. This scenario would open the door for Gainwell to establish himself as the more explosive back than Warren and take on a meaningful role in 2025.
This time of year is all about reflecting on past performance and projecting future success. It’s important to identify where you can cut bait on diminishing assets and reload on draft picks. Otherwise, target these players as potential difference makers for 2025.
