The NFL offseason is a short one, and that's also true in dynasty leagues. You're always trying to find the next big thing before someone else in your league does. There are more misses than hits, but the successes are especially sweet.
Two years ago, Kyren Williams was picked up off the waiver wire, before he had his breakout season. Rico Dowdle, Jonnu Smith and Jauan Jennings were players anyone could have rostered last summer that wound up ranking in the top 25 (in the case of Jonnu, much higher) at their positions.
Waiver wires are locked in my dynasty leagues, but looking don't cost nuthin'. Here are some players available in mine who I'll consider adding when the calendar allows. Perhaps some of them, or similar lesser lights, are available in yours, too.
1. Greg Dulcich, Giants. Dulcich was a late-season add by the Giants last year, after Sean Payton kicked him to the curb. Dulcich flopped with the Broncos, at least in part because he was never healthy. But he was a third-round pick who averaged nearly 18 yards per catch at UCLA, with 5 TDs in each of his last two seasons, and the Giants have precious little at the position (Daniel Bellinger, Theo Johnson).
2. Jonathan Mingo, Cowboys. Dallas gave up a fourth-round pick last year to bring in Mingo, who the Panthers selected 39th overall in 2023. Evidently Dallas liked him coming out of college, because he'd done absolutely nothing in the NFL to warrant such a pick. Mingo has caught 60 passes in 32 games and is still looking for his first touchdown. He didn't exactly set the world afire at Ole Miss, either, though he did average nearly 16 yards per catch. Anyway, in Dallas it's in the realm of possibilities that he emerges as the No. 2 across from CeeDee Lamb. Not likely, but possible. Worth rostering in dynasty.
3. Daniel Jones, Colts. The Colts gave the former Giants and Vikings quarterback $14 million for one season. That's kind of a lot, even in today's NFL, for a backup quarterback. It suggests not only a competition with Anthony Richardson, but that the team expects him to start some games this year, maybe a lot of games. Jones in the lineup averages 31 rushing yards, and he has 10 rushing scores in his last 32 games.
4. Israel Abanikanda, 49ers. Any running back anywhere on the depth chart with the 49ers could potentially come into value at some point, as Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason have proved over the years. All of those guys are gone, leaving San Francisco -- currently -- with Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo and the former Jet fifth-rounder who's flashed some talent in the preseason. (San Francisco also has Patrick Taylor, but I think we could see last year when he got his chance that that's not gonna happen.) McCaffrey was hurt all of last year and is a heavily used 29-year-old. Guerendo, for that matter, also picked up some bumps and bruises as a rookie. Abanikanda won't necessarily even be on this roster in 2025 (San Francisco usually drafts a running back), but the No. 2 at some point is also in his range of outcomes.
5. Joe Milton, Patriots. New England's sixth-round pick a year ago appeared in one game as a rookie, passing for 241 yards and a score and running for another touchdown in the Week 18 game against Buffalo. There were people around the team who wanted him to get a shot even before the team had put Drake Maye in the lineup. Maye of course was very good when he got his opportunity, so Milton has no future in New England. The Patriots signed a veteran backup (Josh Dobbs), which has sparked trade rumors. I thought there was a story where his agent criticized the team recently, but I can't find it so it's possible it was just a fever dream. Anyway, Milton might be a starter for some other team at some point this season, and there's some potential if so.
6. Jordan Mims, Saints. It needs to be a very deep dynasty league to invest in Mims, who at best will be the No. 3 running back behind Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller. But Kamara turns 30 this summer while Miller's greatest impact his first two years in the league has been making a dent on the injured reserve list and frustrating former coach Dennis Allen. Obviously, I'd prefer to have Miller in dynasty. But he's enough of a question mark that the No. 3 in New Orleans merits consideration for a roster spot. It might not be Mims in August, of course.
7. Grant Calcaterra, Eagles. Philadelphia is apparently trying to trade Dallas Goedert. He's 30, and he does get hurt a lot, missing 15 games across the past three seasons. Calcaterra is four years younger, and when he got to start four games in the middle of last season, he caught 13 passes for an average of 40 yards. If the Eagles do trade Goedert they'll certainly be looking at other options, including in the draft, but Calcaterra is a potential Week 1 starter on the Super Bowl champs.
8. New York Jets tight end. Speaking of tight ends, the Jets allowed Tyler Conklin to leave in free agency, leaving them a roster of Jeremy Ruckert and free agent signing Stone Smartt at the position. Ruckert is a former third-round pick who has kissed the stat sheet with all of 35 catches in three seasons, but he could potentially start for the team this year. Otherwise it could be Smartt, who has 31 grabs in those three years. Not much to see here, which is probably why a lot of mock drafts have New York selecting one of the two elite tight end prospects in the draft. But New York might also be looking at quarterbacks and won't necessarily come out of the draft with a better option. A situation to monitor, with Ruckert or Smartt maybe the team's No. 1 this year.
It's possible none of these players will have any value this season. But in typical dynasty leagues with 25-plus roster spots, they're worth a look. Happy shopping.