Fantasy Football Third-Year Fades for Dynasty 2024

As dynasty managers we can often fall into a pattern of tying a player’s value to their initial cost or reputation, ultimately hindering our rosters. It’s important to recognize that players who haven’t established themselves as viable options by their third year are unlikely to suddenly become valuable assets. Keeping this in the forefront of our minds, let’s take a look at a few names who we should be fading as they head into their third year. These players should be on your shortlist to move on from before it’s too late.

Dynasty Third-Year Fades for 2024

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

Jameson Williams has developed a pattern of slow starts throughout his career. It took him two years and a transfer before he exceeded 154 receiving yards in college. However, in his third year at Alabama, he exploded for 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns before suffering a torn ACL in the College Football Playoff. Despite his impressive collegiate performance, Williams has struggled to make an impact in the NFL. In his two years in the league, he has failed to surpass 354 receiving yards or 2 touchdowns in a single season, accumulating just 395 receiving yards in his career thus far.

Williams plays alongside rising assets like Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jayhmr Gibbs, which may contribute to his stagnation so far. Last season, he garnered just 42 targets, even being outperformed by Josh Reynolds. Additionally, the offensive philosophy prioritizes top-tier assets over spreading the ball around in the passing game, further limiting Williams’ opportunities. While he managed a respectable 2.2 yards per route run, his lack of volume presents a challenge in achieving consistency. Considering all this, it seems wise to move on from Williams before another disappointing year.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans

Treylon Burks arrived in the NFL with considerable anticipation following a stellar college career at Arkansas. Accumulating nearly 2,400 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns, he showcased his talent and potential. After being drafted 18th overall in 2022, there was optimism that he could smoothly transition into the Titans’ offense, possibly filling the void left by A.J. Brown after he was traded. With his raw athleticism and imposing size, Burks boasted an impressive profile, sparking hopes of a high-end fantasy ceiling. However, his NFL journey has yet to meet these lofty expectations.

Burks has struggled to make a significant impact in the NFL, failing to surpass 444 receiving yards in a single season and scoring just one touchdown in two years. One notable factor in this slow start has been injuries — Burks has missed six games in each of his first two seasons. This lack of production has led to his irrelevance in fantasy football, as he has failed to finish inside the top 80 receivers and only cracked the weekly top 24 twice in half-PPR, both came as a rookie. With the recent additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to the Titans’ receiving corps, the hope for a potential breakout from Burks seems increasingly unlikely.

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

When the Packers drafted Christian Watson 34th overall in 2022, they were banking on his impressive raw athleticism outweighing his deficiencies in technique, though the verdict is still out on this gamble. Injuries have plagued Watson, limiting him to just 23 games in two years. This has hindered any opportunity for consistent improvement. As a rookie, he flashed glimpses of a high-end fantasy ceiling, finishing as the WR35 with 143.6 half-PPR points, notably ranking as the WR7 from Week 10 on. This production was heavily reliant on an exceptional touchdown rate, which accounted for 29% of his points, raising concerns for sustainable success. In 2023, injuries further derailed his season, resulting in him being largely irrelevant in fantasy football, finishing as the WR65 with a mere 65.3 half-PPR points.

With the Packers bolstering their wide receiver corps last year, it’s evident they aimed for more passing game options rather than relying solely on Watson. The additions of Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have proven significant, and when combined with Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, the situation becomes cluttered. Each of these players has demonstrated the ability to be a receiving threat and has earned notable target shares. Consequently, this has capped the ceiling for all involved, making many irrelevant to fantasy managers. Given Watson’s consistent injury concerns and the lack of potential volume, he appears to be nothing more than a flex player who could quickly fade from fantasy relevance. To top things off, he complicates start-sit decisions due to his volatility. Therefore, it may be wise to explore moving on from him while there’s still a market to do so.