When trying to identify dynasty fallers and decide when to move on from a player, there are a few criteria to consider. Is it the bridge quarterback who has one more year of value left in him before being replaced? What about the wide receiver coming off a career year due to positive game scripts and extra target opportunity? It can be that tight end who smashed in a productive offense, but his team drafted a younger, more athletic, soon-to-be-replacement. For me, I always start with the running backs who do not have elite skill levels in a productive offense.
While wide receivers and quarterbacks can defy Father Time with steady production into their 30s, RBs often plummet off a cliff with little warning once they hit the late-20s to early-30s window. Heavy workloads, accumulated wear, and the league’s endless supply of fresh, explosive young legs make identifying these depreciating assets the single most critical skill for long-term roster management.
Savvy managers obsess over this because RB value evaporates faster than any other position and is the first place to start when figuring out who the next dynasty fallers will be. A stud producing at an elite level one year can see his dynasty trade stock crater as age-related decline, injury risk, or committee dilution hits. Spotting backs approaching that cliff lets you sell high before the drop, reload with youth, and dominate future seasons. But spotting running backs with elite profiles who have excelled in great offenses is the absolute best cheat code.
Here, I identify two running backs that can be on the verge of replacement, and one wide receiver that can finally be placed into the dynasty busts category. Moving on from these guys before their value drops as fast as I do when they play “Back That Ass Up” at a wedding is an essential way to make one-year contenders into an elite “dynasty team.” Pun intended.
Bucky Irving- Tampa Bay Bucs
The 23-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back flashed elite promise in his 2024 rookie campaign, racking up 1,122 rushing yards (5.4 YPC), eight touchdowns, and 47 receptions for 392 yards across 17 games. He looked like a potential every-down workhorse with vision, burst, and receiving chops reminiscent of a budget Austin Ekeler.
Then 2025 happened. Now he might be one of the biggest dynasty fallers out there. Limited to just 10 games by shoulder and ankle injuries, Irving managed only 173 carries for 588 yards (a brutal 3.4 YPC, ranking near the bottom among qualified backs) and one rushing score, though he added 30 catches for 277 yards and three receiving TDs. His efficiency cratered, explosive plays dried up, and the workload concerns that always shadowed his compact 5’10”, 195-pound frame became impossible to ignore.
The age cliff is obviously not the issue with Irving, but Tampa Bay’s backfield overhaul is alarming. With Rachaad White gone, the Bucs signed Kenneth Gainwell to a deal that screams committee (two-year, $14M with significant guarantees), and Sean Tucker remains a vulture lurking nearby. Tucker remains one of my favorite late-round picks in best ball drafts this year. Irving is still the nominal lead back, but his path to 250+ touches—the kind that drive superstar RB value—now looks blocked
At just 23, Irving remains a talent with three-down upside and years of runway ahead. He’s the kind of player who could rebound hard and make you look like a genius—if he stays healthy. But in dynasty, where RB shelf life is shorter than a grocery store banana, the combination of injury history, efficiency regression, and committee risk has savvy managers hitting the sell button. His value has already slipped from early-round darling territory toward mid-tier RB2 prices, and it could keep sliding if training camp doesn’t clarify his role.
Kyren Williams- Los Angeles Rams
The Rams’ lead back delivered again in recent seasons with a grinder’s heart, vision, and surprising receiving chops that made him a fantasy workhorse. But at 26, Williams now stares down a backfield that’s suddenly feeling very crowded and is quickly becoming one of the biggest dynasty fallers. Corum, the former Michigan Wolverine and 2024 3rd-round draft pick, has emerged as a legitimate threat. Explosive, fresh-legged, and built like a bowling ball with afterburners, Corum is eating into carries, stealing goal-line looks, and reminding everyone why the Rams invested draft capital in him. I recently wrote about why I see him as one of the best “league winner” picks for this year.
It’s the classic “good player, better backup” nightmare that haunts RB values. Williams still gets the early-down nods, but Corum’s efficiency and big-play ability turn every snap into a committee coin flip. Dynasty managers are doing the math: why pay premium prices for a back entering his decline window when a younger, cheaper co-star is breathing down his neck? Williams isn’t washed—he’s just… shared. His touches are down, his workload is split, and his long-term outlook just got murkier. There are plenty of dynasty fallers, but Kyren Williams seems to be one of the sure-fire bets. Sell while you still can, or risk watching your roster Corum-ble. (I’m sorry for that joke)
Travis Hunter- Jacksonville Jaguars
The Travis Hunter hype never made sense to me. Expecting this kid to do something that no one has ever done at an elite level was asinine on so many levels. When looking at positional value and the team’s depth chart, I always thought it was obvious he would be viewed as a defensive back and a possible gadget player on offense. I know many still believe in him as a wide receiver, but I still can’t see the path. He is one of the biggest dynasty fallers in the league.
I think the problem most people have is that it’s obvious he can be a productive wide receiver in this league, but that doesn’t mean he’s better suited than at cornerback, and the team needs him more there.He also has a better chance of becoming an elite cornerback than an elite wide receiver, even if we are only talking about opportunity. There’s a case to be made that he is the 4th best wide receiver on his own team. I think the name is still sexy enough to cash in before one more disappointing year. Don’t hold out trying to recoup the value you used to draft him last year. Get out and cut your losses.
