Dynasty Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Ladd McConkey Is On The Rise

New faces in new places is the theme for this week's Dynasty Stock Watch, with a pair of risers either literally landing on a new team, or a new playcaller having a direct impact on a player who is already very popular in the early rounds of fantasy drafts. Let's see who's rising and falling.

Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers

Ladd McConkey | WR | Chargers

During his 2024 rookie campaign, Ladd McConkey enjoyed a true breakout season. He finished with:

112 targets
82 receptions
1,149 receiving yards
7 TDs
240 PPR points

That type of production was everything dynasty managers could have hoped for and more. Then, the sophomore slump happened, and now we're left wondering which version is the true McConkey. Thankfully, I don't believe there's much reason to be worried. Let's explore why.

First, the single biggest shift from 2024 to 2025 was the return of Keenan Allen. The longtime Charger spent one season in Chicago (2024) before coming back as one of Justin Herbert's favorite targets. Allen's 122 targets led the team, which certainly contributed to McConkey's decrease in overall production.

Now, Allen is a free agent, and there's no guarantee he'll be back in 2026. Even if, for some reason, he does return, he's a depreciating asset. The arrow for McConkey is pointing straight up, as he's tied to one of the best QBs and best offensive coordinators (Mike McDaniel) in the league.

For what it's worth, we don't even have Allen in our 2026 NFL player projections. We do have McConkey easily pacing the team in every receiving category and finishing well above 200 PPR points. Don't let a down season make you forget about his immense talent. McConkey is primed to rebound in a big way this upcoming season and his dynasty stock is starting to reflect that.

A.J. Brown | WR | Patriots

The trade that every fantasy manager was expecting finally happened early this offseason. The Eagles sent A.J. Brown to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 1st-round pick and 2027 5th-round pick. Now the undisputed WR1 for Drake Maye and the Super Bowl runnerups from last season, Brown is seeing his dynasty value tick back up.

To be sure, it's not as if Brown wasn't productive in Philly. Here are his season averages after a four-year stint with the Eagles:

130 targets
85 receptions
1,258 receiving yards
8 TDs

That's an elite run for one of the more talented wideouts on one of the more productive offenses over the last several seasons. Is the grass really going to be greener on the other side for Brown? It's certainly possible. Our projections for this upcoming season are right in line with latest four-year average:

131 targets, 85 receptions, 1,117 receiving yards, 7.8 TDs

As of this writing, Brown just turned 29 years old. There's no denying his physical talent and his role as the No. 1 target for the Patriots over the next several seasons. Even so, it's fair to wonder if he'll really be all that much more productive in a new uniform. Dynasty fantasy football managers seem to think so. Brown profiles as a sell-high candidate for dynasty teams that are looking to reset and don't need his high-end production given the current state of their roster.

Dynasty Fantasy Football Fallers

Romeo Doubs | WR | Patriots

Brown's ascension back up the dynasty rankings comes at the expense of fellow newbie Romeo Doubs. Doubs spent his first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he was a steady, albeit not flashy, contributor. He's coming off a season that saw him post a career high in receiving yards (724), and he's also averaged 6 receiving TDs over the last three years.

The Patriots signed Doubs as a free agent to a four-year, $68 million contract prior to the Brown acquisition. Doubs is in an interesting spot. He's not the physical specimen that Brown is and he won't make as many splashy, highlight-reel plays, but he's a reliable chain-mover who can keep drives alive.

Brown and Doubs complement each other well, but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Brown simply runs away with all the production this season. While our projections suggest a true WR1/WR2 split, Doubs is someone I don't mind targeting in dynasty formats. The general consensus (rightfully) favors Brown by a decent margin, but their different roles and stages in their respective careers—Doubs is only 26—means Doubs can be acquired at a relative discount.

We'll see if the Patriots can run it back this season with a bolstered receiving room. Both Brown and Doubs will be tasked with playing key roles in that venture, and there's likely some value to be had for savvy dynasty fantasy football managers.

J.J. McCarthy | QB | Vikings

This is such a tricky situation to evaluate over the long term. Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, all the signs were there for the Vikings to take a swing on J.J. McCarthy. He most notably wasn't asked to do a ton as Michigan ran its way to the CFP National Championship in early 2024, but Kevin O'Connell was considered the ultimate QB-whisperer.

He could make some magic work with McCarthy, right?

After what was essentially a lost rookie season due to injury for McCarthy in 2024, the Vikings moved on from Sam Darnold following a 14-win season and turned the keys over to their 10th overall pick. In Week 1, McCarthy played terribly for three quarters before rallying the team to 21 straight points in the fourth quarter and a win over the Bears in Chicago.

McCarthy appeared in only nine more games the rest of the season.

In response, the Vikings (wisely) brought in competition this offseason in the form of Kyler Murray. I recently wrote about Murray as a prime dynasty bounceback candidate heading into this season and that doesn't bode particularly well for McCarthy. Murray has a much stronger, more extensive track record of success both for an NFL franchise (and selfishly, for fantasy football).

I'm going to assume Murray will open the season as QB1 for Minnesota and will start the majority of games this season. Our projections are aligned with that sentiment, showing Murray starting 15.5 games and McCarthy just 1.5 games.

Even so, looking beyond the 2026 season, there's still a path for McCarthy to resurrect his dynasty value and become a starter in the league again. He's just 23 years old and has already been on a roster for two seasons. His learning curve might be a bit steeper than other young QBs, but he's absolutely in the right environment to become a bounceback candidate of his own sometime in the near future.