Even in the heat of the playoffs, dynasty managers should always be looking ahead for the best fantasy football stashes, and Jonathan is here to help:

The fantasy playoffs are here. Hopefully, you're still in the running for your league championship, but if not, it is never too early to get a jump on 2025. Every dynasty manager loves rookie evaluations and NFL Draft prep, but there will be plenty of time for that after this season is over.

Today, we're focused on the best fantasy football stashes for dynasty leagues. These are players who are on the end of dynasty rosters or even waivers in some leagues but might still have their best days ahead of them. If you see these guys on waivers they should be a priority add, and they also make for great trade 'throw-ins' when you want just a little bit more value before hitting accept.

Three Dynasty Fantasy Football Stashes To Target

Tutu Atwell - WR, Rams

I was not a fan of the Rams drafting Atwell when they did, and most people would agree he hasn't lived up to the expectations of a former second-round pick. After struggling to get on the field much in his first two seasons Atwell has quietly put together two solid seasons as a rotational WR for Los Angeles. He had 521 receiving yards and four TDs in 2023 and just crossed 500 receiving yards for this season despite only running about 43% of available routes. Most notably, his 2.49 YPRR so far this season is an extremely strong number that points to actual progress as a player.

There was a time when I thought Atwell might never play real snaps on offense, but to his credit, he has developed into a functional NFL player. He just turned 25 in October, too, so he could continue to improve as he enters his prime playing years.

After this season he will be a free agent which creates the kind of uncertainty that I like to embrace as a dynasty manager. The best case scenario would be if a team decides to pay him to be their WR3 and he gets more playing time moving forward. If he got to around 70% route participation he would be a valuable bench piece in dynasty leagues who could be started when bye weeks and injuries hit.

If he re-signs with the Rams then he has a chance to build on his last two seasons and could earn more snaps depending on what the Rams do for depth behind Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

Either way, I think this offseason will tell us a lot about how Atwell is viewed in NFL circles and I believe fantasy managers are discounting him more than NFL GMs are. Keep an eye on his status in your dynasty leagues and don't be afraid to flip a late-round rookie pick for him if you need to take swings at the WR position.

Izzy Abanikanda - RB, 49ers

Hand up, I'll admit that I was too excited about Abanikanda in dynasty before the Jets drafted Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis this offseason. I liked Abanikanda as a prospect and thought he could be a solid backup to Breece Hall, but clearly the Jets had different plans.

I've had to adjust my expectations since he didn't even make it two seasons with the team that drafted him, but there are still reasons to hold out hope that he could develop into something down the road. Abanikanda is still one of the youngest players in the NFL having just turned 22 years old in October. He's also extremely athletic and finished with the highest athleticism score of all RB prospects at the 2023 NFL Combine per Next Gen Stats.

Getting cut is never ideal, but in Abanikanda's case, it worked out as well as he could have hoped after signing with San Francisco. The Shanahan scheme is famous for getting the most out of the talent they have so I'm excited to see what Izzy can do if he gets shot this season. 

Beyond this year San Francisco's RB situation is up in the air with a 28-year-old Christian McCaffrey battling Achilles tendonitis that may never fully heal (not a professional medical opinion). Jordan Mason performed well to start the season but is on IR now and Isaac Guerendo looked good in Week 14 but also suffered an injury.

Other than CMC, San Francisco has invested very little in the other RBs on their roster so if Abanikanda impresses he could easily stick beyond this season. Even if he doesn't end up back in San Francisco, putting live game reps on tape in this system should only help his chances of landing with a team in 2025.

There's a decent chance Abanikanda was cut in your league earlier this year so be sure to check waivers and put in a claim if he is still available. All it takes is one good game to get fantasy managers excited so I want to get ahead of that if possible.

Parker Washington - WR, Jaguars

Things are getting desperate in Jacksonville with their season effectively over and injuries mounting. While you probably don't want to be starting Jaguars in the fantasy playoffs this year, these games can be valuable experience for young players trying to earn a bigger role in future years.

One player who fits that description is second-year WR Parker Washington. With Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis both out for the year Washington has stepped into a bigger role with a route participation of at least 90% in three of his last five games.

Washington's career could already be considered a success for someone drafted 185th overall as he has appeared in 22 games for Jacksonville and has recorded 15-plus receptions in each of his first two seasons.

Those stats may not jump off the page, but it's better than most 6th-round picks and he is likely to finish this season strong. Washington is the WR2 behind Brian Thomas for the rest of this season and put up career highs for targets (12), catches (6), and receiving yards (103) in Week 13. He'll continue to be a full-time player and has a great opportunity to make his case for being part of the team's plans beyond this year.

Washington's outlook could get slightly more complicated if Jacksonville fires Doug Pederson after this year as expected. A new coaching staff means a new system to learn and a blank slate for building up trust, but this could work in Washington's favor if Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis aren't able to participate in offseason activities while recovering from injury. Depending on what Jacksonville does at the WR position, Washington could serve as the WR2 for most of the offseason.

It's also worth noting that Christian Kirk was rumored to be a trade candidate before his injury and will be in the final year of his contract (with a big cap hit) in 2025. Kirk's days in Jacksonville seem numbered and Washington is more of a natural slot replacement than anyone else that has gotten real playing time for the team this season.

The Jaguars have plenty of holes on their roster so if they feel good about Washington heading into next season they may choose to spend their draft capital and salary cap at other positions, leaving him poised for a bigger role in 2025.

Most fantasy managers aren't paying much attention to Jacksonville right now, but that could be their loss. We're going to see what Parker Washington can do in an expanded role and I'm optimistic that he has the upside to be fantasy relevant if things break the right way. I already have him on two of my dynasty rosters and am actively negotiating a trade that includes him in another. If he closes the season as strong as I'm expecting, it will be a lot more difficult to get him for next to nothing so now is the time to make a move.

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