Tucker Kraft's season-ending ACL injury. Rico Dowdle's emergence over Chuba Hubbard in the Carolina backfield. The NFL trade deadline has seen Rashid Saheed and Jakobi Meyers moving on. An NFL week is never short of events that shift player values. We polled Dynasty staffers Jason Wood, Ryan Weisse, Dan Hindery, and Maurile Tremblay for their biggest Dynasty value movers of the week.

Dynasty Movement at Running Back

Rico Dowdle, Carolina

Wood: We upgraded Dowdle in an earlier update after his impressive fill-in work for Chuba Hubbard, and that move now looks justified. His performance earned him the lead-back role, with Coach Canales committing to Dowdle after several weeks of splitting touches. His age and lack of a significant contract still carry some risk, but if he maintains this level of play, the Panthers are likely to sign him to a multi-year deal as their starter and explore moving or releasing Hubbard.

Hindery: It's easy to get too focused on long-term projections in dynasty and overlook players like Dowdle, who can legitimately help win leagues this year. After a pair of monster outings in Weeks 5 and 6, Dowdle was surprisingly demoted to a backup role for two weeks, playing behind Chuba Hubbard and posting mediocre fantasy numbers. Dave Canales corrected the course before Week 9, giving Dowdle a true workhorse role (72% of snaps). Dowdle responded with arguably his most impressive performance of the season—141 total yards and two touchdowns against an excellent Packers defense. In his three starts, he's averaged 26.0 carries for 173 rushing yards and 4.0 targets for 31.7 receiving yards per game, with four total touchdowns. He's a top-10 running back for the rest of the season and should earn another starting opportunity next year.

Hicks: Despite rushing for 1000 yards for Dallas last year, out of nowhere, he was a free agent, registering very little interest. Carolina snapped him up to strengthen their backfield behind Chuba Hubbard. When Hubbard missed a couple of games, Dowdle went nuts, registering 473 total yards in two games. Relegated when Hubbard came back, the team could no longer hold Dowdle back against the Packers. His numbers are phenomenal. He cannot be stopped. Flies up rankings. 

Tremblay: Dowdle has been elevated from Chuba Hubbard's handcuff to Carolina's workhorse back. Back-to-back 200+ scrimmage-yard games against Miami and Dallas forced the Panthers' hand, and Week 9's bellcow usage in Green Bay confirmed the takeover. Despite being on a one-year contract while Hubbard holds a long-term deal, Dowdle's production has already prompted Carolina to sideline the larger investment. His multi-season value has upgraded from injury-contingent depth to proven feature back.

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina

Tremblay: Despite Hubbard's recent multi-year extension, a calf injury opened the door for Rico Dowdle, who responded with dominant production. Since returning, Hubbard has been highly inefficient and clearly relegated to secondary duties, in sharp contrast to Dowdle's continued explosiveness. When you factor in Hubbard's age (26), a contract that limits his real-life trade flexibility, and rookie Trevor Etienne lurking on a cheap deal, his profile has shifted from a relatively secure starter to an overpaid contingency option whose fantasy value now largely hinges on a Dowdle injury.

Weisse: Hubbard falls out of my Top 20 after a promising 2024, and it's all about the situation. He's lost the starting job to Rico Dowdle, and even if Dowdle moves on next season, Hubbard will be 27 and still face competition from Jonathon Brooks when healthy. The path to meaningful touches is crowded, and that limits his dynasty appeal. Hubbard can still produce in the right spot, but he's no longer a back you can confidently build around long-term.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington

Wood: I'm course-correcting on Croskey-Merritt, as the excitement around his rise has gone too far. As a seventh-round rookie, simply making the Commanders' 53-man roster and climbing the depth chart is an impressive achievement—he's already beaten the odds. However, his fantasy production since taking over as the starter has been underwhelming, and there's little reason to believe Washington views him as a long-term solution. History suggests they're more likely to invest in a higher-drafted running back or two next April.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans

Wood: It's never easy to move on from a cornerstone player, but Kamara's window is nearly closed. Now 30 years old, he remains one of the few proven offensive pieces in New Orleans, yet his production has fallen off sharply. Even in PPR formats, where his receiving ability once made him elite, he currently sits outside the Top 30 at his position. With his age, declining efficiency, and the Saints entering a complete rebuild, it's difficult to see a path where Kamara provides meaningful value either in your lineup or as a trade asset from now on. 

Ken Walker III, Seattle

Hindery: At the midway point of the season, Walker has logged just 214 snaps (44.7%). He isn't on the field enough to trust as a fantasy starter. His 10.4 PPG average in PPR formats is replacement-level production. Even more discouraging, there's no reason to expect a change—Seattle's offense is thriving with the current workload split. That setup leaves Walker with limited passing-game usage (1.2 targets per game over his last five) and minimal goal-line work (0.8 touches inside the 10-yard line over that stretch).

Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants

Hicks: Expected to be the lead back after a great rookie season, Tracy has been average at best. Cam Skattebo outplayed him to take the lead role before his season-ending injury. Now Devin Singletary is making Tracy look pedestrian. A new fantasy ranking has to reflect the disappointment. Life moves pretty fast in the NFL. Unless Tracy gets on track fast, his future is bleak. 

J.K. Dobbins, Denver

Weisse: Dobbins slides out of my Top 20, and this one's all about the context. He's been efficient, but his production has been a bit boring. Meanwhile, rookie RJ Harvey is steadily stealing the passing-down work and seems to be a threat to score every time he touches the ball. In a league that rewards dual-threat backs, that limits Dobbins' ceiling in fantasy. He's still a solid runner, but with Harvey carving out a larger role, his dynasty upside is clearly diminished.

Dynasty Movement at Tight End