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USATSI

With the influx of a new rookie class and the undeniable fact that Father Time is undefeated, it's no easy task for a veteran to see his Dynasty ranking rise from January to July. Two of my top 12 QBs, and four of my top 20, were still in college when the 2023 NFL season ended. 25 position players in my top 150 are rookies were added to these rankings in May. With all of this new blood, the natural direction for a veteran to move is down in Dynasty rankings during the first six months of the year. This is especially true at wide receiver this season, where there are 10 rookies inside my top 50 including Marvin Harrison Jr. at WR5 and Malik Nabers at WR9. The players I find interesting this time of year are the veterans who buck this trend -- those players who have fought the tide of incoming rookies and age to move up the rankings. 

Also, if you want to find my complete top-150 overall Dynasty rankings, you can find them on Sportsline. You'll also find my Dynasty trade charts, projections and more content there.

Here are eight veterans who overcame the prevailing winds and rose in my Dynasty rankings this offseason. Hopefully, they aren't done rising yet:

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

January: QB5 July: QB1

You may be wondering how the best quarterback in the universe fell to QB5 in my rankings. Well, last year was his worst in terms of Fantasy production, he was barely a top-12 QB, and the Chiefs were still Super Bowl champions. I had legitimate concerns they were just fine winning the way they won in 2023. Then they went out and acquired both Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy, signaling that is not the case. In fairness, Mahomes probably still wouldn't have gotten to QB1 if it wasn't for the fact that Josh Allen lost Stefon Diggs. One thing to consider when comparing Mahomes to Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson: Historically, elite passers have aged much better than elite rushers at this position. Mahomes may have a future twice as long as the other guys when it comes to QB1 production.

Gardner Minshew, QB, Raiders

January: QB42 July: QB33

Last January I was thinking the Colts would probably try to hold on to Minshew as a backup to Anthony Richardson. The Raiders didn't give them that choice, signing Minshew to a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million guaranteed. We expect Minshew to win the job from Aidan O'Connell and start the majority of the games in Las Vegas this season. That doesn't move the needle much in one-quarterback leagues, but in leagues where you can start two, Minshew suddenly has value that looked like it would disappear once Richardson was cleared. Minshew will rise again when he's named the starter officially.

Zamir White, RB, Raiders

January: RB41 July: RB20

Minshew's new teammate had a great offseason. The Raiders brought in Alexander Mattison and Dylan Laube and took every opportunity to praise White and the work he's doing. We don't view Mattison and Laube as true threats, which should leave White positioned as a 24-year-old feature back in an offense that would love to run the ball 30 times a game. We saw White in this role the last month of the 2023 season when he compiled 93 touches, 457 total yards, and 60.7 PPR Fantasy points in the final four games. He has that kind of upside in 2024 and he's young enough that could have a three-season run as a starter. White is a good reminder that while expensive running backs are a risky investment in Fantasy Football, cheap running backs can turn a quick profit.

Joe Mixon, RB, Texans

January: RB40 July: RB29

You could have put Derrick Henry or James Conner in this section as well. When a running back hits this stage of their career they can disappear in a hurry and I was concerned one of these three might go the way of Todd Gurley or Dalvin Cook this summer. Instead, Mixon got an upgrade on the offensive line, going from Cincinnati to Houston. He also got a new contract that greatly increases the chances he'll get a chance to start in 2025. View Mixon as a high-end RB2 over the next two seasons, but recognize the risk that he is one major injury from seeing his value go to zero. I'm even more concerned about that risk with Conner and Henry.

Zack Moss, RB, Bengals

January: RB56 July: RB42

Mixon's replacement was the second-biggest riser of the offseason for me at running back. Moss parlayed his impressive performance in Jonathan Taylor's absence into a potential starting job with the Bengals this offseason. We expect Chase Brown to be his 1B, so Moss may not average quite as many touches as Joe Mixon has, but there was a legitimate chance back in January that Moss would have no chance to start at all. Moss played more than half of the snaps in six games for the Colts last year and totaled 524 rushing yards, 106 receiving yards, and four touchdowns in those games. We view him as a flex to open the year, but he has starter upside. His move isn't as big as White's because Moss will turn 27 in December. He's best viewed as a one-year rental in Dynasty.

Drake London, WR, Falcons

January: WR19 July: WR13

Because of what I said above about the rookie class, there are only two wide receivers on this list, and they didn't move near as much as the running backs. I'd also say I'm not sure these guys are done moving yet. London is a former top-10 pick who has experienced a coaching change and a major quarterback upgrade with Kirk Cousins joining the Falcons. We expect London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts to dominate touches in this offense that should throw the ball significantly more, which will give London a chance to finally live up to expectations. I am holding back a little bit because Cousins is coming off a major injury and London hasn't done anything in two years to deserve this ranking, but a hot month to start the season and he could easily move up another six spots by October.

George Pickens, WR, Steelers

January: WR22 July: WR17

There are very few places where I would say that Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith would both be upgrades over what the team had at quarterback and offensive coordinator the past two seasons. Pittsburgh is near the top of the list. But it's not just about that with Pickens, he also lost target competition with Diontae Johnson joining the Carolina Panthers. In the four games Johnson missed last year, Pickens averaged 8.3 targets and 89.3 yards per game. He's still just 23 years old and possesses an elite 10.2 yards per target average for his career. Pickens will be viewed as a consensus top-12 Dynasty wide receiver if he starts 2024 like he did 2023.

Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers

January: TE12 July: TE9

Pickens' teammate is also a winner for many of the same reasons. If anything, Smith's offense may be an even bigger boost to the tight end. Last year, Smith's Falcons ranked number one in the NFL with a 34.3% tight end target rate. We've already seen Freiermuth flash red zone prowess with seven scores in his rookie season, and 100-target potential with 98 in his second season. Often the surprise top-five tight end is a guy who finishes second on his team in targets and that is the projection for Freiermuth right now. I won't be alone in ranking him as a top-10 Dynasty tight end if he puts it all together in 2024.I