Five Dynasty Risers From Preseason Wk 2 (2025)
Welcome to my Five Dynasty Risers From Preseason Wk 2 (2025)
Another week, another round of dynasty risers! Although it is just preseason, there are still a lot of fantasy-relevant nuggets that we can take away from these games, and we can find some players that we otherwise may not have thought about before now.
In today’s discussion, we are going to go over five players from Week 2 of the NFL Preseason that caught my eye, and break down their potential fantasy outlook for this season and beyond, whether that be for redraft or dynasty. As was the case last week, none of the highly touted rookies will be included in today’s discussion, as we already know how talented those players are and how much excitement they provide for fantasy purposes. Instead, we will try to find players that are flying a bit under the radar in fantasy circles right now. Diamonds in the rough, if you will.
WR Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans
Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor is a player that I loved in the pre-draft process earlier this year, and he confirmed that love this past week vs. the Atlanta Falcons, hauling in 2 receptions for 47 yards for the Tennessee Titans. Ayomanor has been playing almost exclusively with Cam Ward this preseason up to this point, which means that Brian Callahan and staff have big plans for the player in this offense this season right off the bat as a rookie, which is very promising, because there is a lot of opportunity for him here in Tennessee.
Outside of Calvin Ridley, this Titans wide receiver core is VERY unproven, and there is a LOT to sort out here to say the least. Someone has to step up to the plate, and that very well could be Ayomanor. Elic Ayomanor is going to grow with fellow rookie Cam Ward. Excluding Chig Okonkwo at the tight end position, he will likely step up as the #2 option in this underrated passing game as soon as this season as a rookie.
RB Ollie Gordon, Miami Dolphins
Ollie Gordon was an incredibly fascinating prospect coming into the NFL earlier this year, as he had two vastly different seasons in college at Oklahoma State over the last couple of years. In 2023 at Oklahoma State, Gordon rushed for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns, showing off his potential as a sure-fire first-round pick in the NFL. In 2024, though, those numbers dropped significantly to 880 and 13. So Gordon has talent; he just has to find the proper role for it in the NFL, and he may have found that role with the Miami Dolphins.
Ollie Gordon racked up 50 rushing yards on just 10 carries this past week vs. the Detroit Lions, and if you ask me, Gordon has looked MILES better than fellow running back Jaylen Wright this preseason so far, and it has not been all that close, really.
Yes, indeed, De’Von Achane is clearly the lead back in Miami right now, but he is dealing with a lower body injury currently. Even though Mike McDaniel says that the player should be ready for week 1 this year, it is something to monitor and keep an eye on because of Achane’s smaller frame for a running back. Besides, De’Von Achane received a whopping 281 touches last season for the Miami Dolphins, but with his smaller frame, can he sustain that high amount of volume in the future? Probably not.
Plus, if the Miami Dolphins disappoint again this season, Mike McDaniel will likely be fired, and as a result, a whole new coaching staff will be brought in, and who knows what Achane’s usage will look like at that point. If Ollie Gordon can carve out a nice little goal-line role for the Miami Dolphins this season, this could be very interesting going forward.
WR Efton Chism, New England Patriots
Welp, the New England Patriots might have just done it again with an incredibly overlooked slot receiver—First Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and Danny Amendola, and now Efton Chism. Chism played college football at Eastern Washington, but he ultimately went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. That has not affected the rookie, though, as by all accounts the player has been turning heads in training camp this summer, and that continued this past week vs. the Minnesota Vikings when the receiver hauled in 6 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Chism’s high-level route running and technician mentality were on full display, and if this keeps up, there will be an opportunity for this player in this new look Mike Vrabel offense this year.
Outside of Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas, this New England wide receiver room is wide open, and it could clear out significantly by cutdown day next week. Two or three of Ja’Lynn Polk, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, and Javon Baker will not make this team, which will clear the way for Chism to make the team and contribute this season. We know how much Josh McDaniels loves the slot receiver in his offenses, so if DeMario Douglas were to go down with injury at any point this season, Efton Chism could be in line for a bigger workload than expected this year.
RB Woody Marks, Houston Texans
Woody Marks is a late-round dart throw to make in your drafts that could potentially provide a tremendous amount of upside as the season goes on this year. Joe Mixon is dealing with a pretty severe foot injury right now, and there is no timetable for his return, which means that the veteran will not be ready for week 1 this year, maybe not even beyond that. Nick Chubb is technically the starter in place of Mixon at the running back position in Houston right now, but based off of what we have seen in preseason so far up to this point, he looks slow and uninspiring.
Woody Marks, on the other hand, totaled 40 yards on the ground on just seven carries this past week vs. the Carolina Panthers, showing off his burst and elusiveness throughout the game. Marks may not be the most refined runner in the world just yet, but he is an elite pass catcher at the running back position, excelling at yards after catch and acceleration once he gets in the open field. So if Joe Mixon misses a significant amount of time this season and I am targeting a Houston Texans running back in drafts, it is going to be the upside play in Woody Marks, not Nick Chubb.
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is absolutely SOARING up draft boards right now, rightfuly so, because the rookie has a lot going for him now and going forwrad. On top of the extremely impressive training camp and preseason that Croskey-Merritt has been having this summer, there is heavy trade speculation surrounding starter Brian Robinson Jr. right now, and reports have even indicated that the Commanders might just flat out release Robinson if they cannot find a trade partner for him by cutdown day next week. That is how much the team believes in Croskey-Merritt as a high upside rookie.
The rookie running back totaled 46 yards and a touchdown this past week on the ground vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, showing off his efficiency and burst in the open field.
It may be a split backfield to start the season this year in Washington between Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler. Still, as the season goes on, Croskey-Merritt could pull ahead of Ekeler, as the rookie is the more explosive player at this point. Suppose the Washington Commanders do move on from Brian Robinson Jr. within the next week. In that case, you are going to have to pay up significantly to get Jacory Croskey-Merritt in drafts, but it will be worth it if you ask me.