If you are reading this message, hopefully it means you advanced to the second round of the playoffs (or had a first round bye). Even if you were not a playoff team, there’s always a reason to look ahead and acquire value for your team. 

Throughout the season, I’ll be highlighting players I believe are on the verge of breaking out. For you dynasty managers, you may want to acquire these players before their value spikes.

Ty Chandler, RB - Vikings

On the surface, this looks like box score chasing. However, I believe that second-year RB Ty Chandler did more than just “admirably fill in” for incumbent Alexander Mattison (ankle).

He straight up dominated.

With Mattison on the sidelines, Chandler took 23 carries and turned them into 132 rushing yards and a score. He also chipped in three receptions for 23 yards. His 23 carries were more than Mattison has received in any game this year and his 5.7 yards per carry is a mark that Mattison has only topped once this season.

Oh, and Chandler scored on the ground in Week 15, something Mattison has yet to do this year on 168 rushing attempts.

Looking back, Chandler was a four-year player at Tennessee before playing his fifth and final season at North Carolina. He racked up some pretty impressive stats over his collegiate career.

• 603 rushing attempts
• 3,138 rushing yards (5.2 YPC)
• 26 rushing TDs
• 73 receptions
• 681 receiving yards
• 4 receiving TDs

That receiving work is really what really stands out, but after watching him this week it’s clear that shouldering a larger workload is certainly within his skillset.

The Vikings drafted Chandler in the fifth-round in 2022 and the only work he saw came in Week 18 when he carried the ball six times for 20 yards. Throughout this season, he’s forced his way onto the field a bit more and he’s routinely flashed his 4.38 40-speed (98th percentile).

Week 15 was the coming out party.

Even if Mattison is cleared to return next week, there’s no putting Chandler back on the sidelines. At worst, it’s a split-backfield. At best, Chandler continues to show out and carry fantasy managers to the promised land.

Chandler currently has a dynasty ADP of RB51. That’s bound to change after his recent performance. Still, he’s worth acquiring in all league formats. If you are out of the playoffs, snag him for next season or (if you want) flip him to a contender for profit. You really can’t lose when it comes to Chandler.

Zamir White, RB - Raiders

Another second-year RB makes this week’s breakout list. Zamir White took advantage of Josh Jacobs (quad) missing the TNF matchup and had himself a career-day.

White posted career-bests in:

• 17 rushing attempts
• 69 rushing yards (nice)
• 1 TD

Actually, when you look at some of their physical traits, White and Chandler are fairly similar. Both have a 96th+ percentile 40-yard dash and a 92nd+ percentile speed score. They’re been premier backups since last season and both finally had a chance to show out when it mattered most for fantasy managers.

White, like Chandler, was a Day 3 pick (fourth-round) who failed to make much of an impact in his rookie season. However, it’s tough to fault White as Jacobs crushed his way to a 2022 line of 340 / 1653 / 12 on the ground with another 53 / 400 through the air.

It’s hard to get on the field when your teammate is dominating to that degree.

Unlike Mattison, Jacobs has been performing admirably this season and should retake control of the backfield if/when he returns. However, like Chandler, White did enough on a short week to earn more opportunities over the final weeks of the season.

Fantasy managers, specifically dynasty managers, know just how valuable RBs are, especially at this stage of the season. Also, the Raiders have been a balanced / run-heavy team this season so even if Jacobs returns, there should be room for White to earn some touches.

Currently, White is the dynasty RB59. It will likely jump up a bit following his latest performance but he’s finally demonstrated strong handcuff upside and standalone value when given the opportunity. Dynasty managers should take notice, following Jacobs’ status this week, and act accordingly heading into the semifinals of the fantasy playoffs.

Parker Washington, WR - Jaguars

Second-year RBs and rookie WRs are the name of the game this week. The Jaguars selected Parker Washington in the sixth-round out of Penn State. He posted an elite breakout age (18.5) and played at a power five school (Penn State) but is an average athlete with late-Day 3 draft capital.

Still, not all hope is lost. Eliot Crist had this to say about Washington back in April:

Washington burst onto the Big Ten scene as a true freshman, wasting no time in showcasing his talent. He dazzled with a remarkable 19.9% target share and 6 touchdowns, both career highs, culminating in an impressive 96th-percentile breakout age…Washington’s greatest asset lies in his exceptional body control…Washington is fearless, consistently attacking the ball in traffic. Ranking second in the class with a 71.4% contested catch rate…

The loss of Christian Kirk (core muscle) opened the door for Washington. In Week 13, after Kirk went down, Washington went 6 / 61 / 1 on six targets. In Week 14, he notched another receiving TD. He came back to earth in Week 15 but he is averaging five targets per game over the last three weeks.

Washington came in at No. 21 in our Rookie WR Model. Based on that, there’s not much of a case to be made for his long term upside in dynasty formats. However, he’s certainly made some noise over the last few weeks.

The Jaguars have Kirk under contract for two more seasons, although they have an out after this season. Calvin Ridley (28-years old) is an UFA after this season and Zay Jones (28) has one year left on his contract. Parker has a dynasty ADP of WR77 and could soon find himself an important, if ancillary, piece of this passing attack for Trevor Lawrence. Stash him now and see how the offseason unfolds.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR - Packers

For those of you who like deep dynasty stashes, this one's for you.

It’s well-known at this point that the Packers have the youngest offense in the league. There are flashes of brilliance (beating the Lions & Chiefs) and then stretches of growing pains. Still, the long term outlook of this offense is bright and every skill position player is likely undervalued.

Rookie WR Dontayvion Wicks is quietly putting together a respectable season. A fifth-round pick out of Virginia, he really didn’t stuff the stat sheet outside of 2021 when he posted a line of 57 / 1203 / 9. However, he did average north of 21 yards per reception and that’s certainly worth a look at the next level.

Wicks came in at No. 15 in our Rookie WR Model (one spot ahead of Puka Nacua). His lack of high-end college production, low draft capital, and absence of elite athletic traits all pushed him down the rankings. Still, he’s making an impact on the field.

Despite the up and down nature of the Packers’ offense this season, and the talent in front of Wicks, he’s managed to top 40 yards in seven games. He also has a pair of games with 90+ receiving yards and he’s averaging 15+ yards per reception so the big-play threat is there.

He’s also started to see his TPRR and target share creep up in recent weeks. While much of that can likely be attributed to the absence of Christian Watson (hamstring), it’s still worth noting that he’s capitalizing on his opportunities.

Wicks is the dynasty WR65 per ADP. He’s essentially free and worth a stash in all dynasty formats. The entire Packers’ offense will continue to grow and learn together under Jordan Love and Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and even Wicks will all see a bump in value. Act now before he ends up breaking off a stretch of big games before the end of the season.