Welcome to the Week 12 Dynasty Risers & Fallers. I highlight which players have had a huge rise or fall in their fantasy value this week.
Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers is one of the biggest topics in dynasty every season. It’s quick & easy to understand, translates to several different league formats beyond dynasty, and, most of all, it’s SEO-friendly. This season, Fantasy Sports Advice Network has allowed me to cover the biggest movers of our beloved fantasy football space each week! So without further ado, why don’t we talk about the players that made a splash (both good and bad) in Week 11 of the 2025 NFL Season!
Week 12 Dynasty Risers
Tetairoa McMillan, WR (Carolina Panthers)
Tetairoa “Tet” McMillan is rapidly becoming one of the biggest fantasy-football risers of the season, and Week 11 was his true breakout moment. In the Carolina Panthers’ divisional win over the Atlanta Falcons, he erupted for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 8 catches from 12 targets—fueling Bryce Young’s stunning 400-plus-yard passing performance. McMillan finished the week as the WR1 with 25 fantasy points, pushing his season average to 13.9 PPG, good for WR16 on the year. His production isn’t coming out of nowhere, either; he’s been the engine of the Panthers’ passing attack from day one, leading all Carolina receivers by massive margins—including 30 more receptions, 43 more targets, and nearly 500 more yards than Xavier Legette.
Across the full season, McMillan’s profile looks even stronger: 54 receptions, 748 yards, and 4 touchdowns, plus elite usage that places him top-10 in the NFL in targets, routes run, air-yards share, red-zone targets, deep-target share, receiving yards, EPA, and total fantasy points. Simply put, he checks every box fantasy managers look for—volume, efficiency, and big-play upside. The Panthers have every reason to be thrilled with their eighth overall pick, who’s already establishing himself as a cornerstone for their offense. Dynasty managers who drafted him should be just as ecstatic, as McMillan is not only producing now but also solidifying himself as one of the league’s most exciting young wideouts.
Brock Purdy, QB (San Francisco 49ers)
Brock Purdy’s return in Week 11 wasn’t a shocking breakout—it was simply a reminder of how steady and efficient he’s been whenever he’s on the field. After not playing since Week 4, there was even brief (and unrealistic) speculation that Mac Jones could somehow push him for the starting job, but Purdy immediately put that noise to rest. Against the Cardinals, he returned to form as the quintessential efficient operator of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The 49ers put up 41 points, and Purdy did it on just 19 completions—turning them into 200 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and zero turnovers, the exact brand of clean, controlled football he’s become known for.
Through his three games this season, Purdy is averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game, a mark that would place him inside the top 10 if he had a full-season sample size. It’s not a fluke either: he’s finished top 10 in PPG in back-to-back years and remains firmly in the top half of dynasty quarterbacks. Efficiency, stability, and consistent fantasy output are his calling cards. And with the 49ers’ offense rolling, Purdy remains one of the safest and most reliable options in both redraft and dynasty formats.
Jameson Williams, WR (Detroit Lions)
Jameson Williams is one of those players who always pulls you back in, and after labeling him a boom-or-bust faller earlier this season, he’s making me eat those words in the best possible way. Since the Lions’ bye week and their switch in play-caller, Jamo has delivered three straight boom weeks: 4/66/1 in Week 9 (WR19), 6/119/1 in Week 10 (WR2), and 4/88/1 in Week 11 (WR8). Over that stretch, he’s actually out-produced Amon-Ra St. Brown in both yards and touchdowns despite having two fewer receptions. The explosive traits that made him a first-round pick are finally showing up in the box score consistently—and this is the most sustained high-level usage he’s seen in his career.
With Sam LaPorta now on IR, Williams’ role only becomes more secure. He profiles as a locked-in fantasy WR2 for the rest of the season, with legitimate weekly WR1 upside thanks to his elite efficiency metrics. Jamo currently ranks WR6 in yards per target, WR2 in yards per reception, and WR2 in points per target—numbers that underscore just how dangerous he is every time he touches the ball. The boom-or-bust label isn’t gone forever, but right now Williams is squarely in “boom,” and fantasy managers should be thrilled to finally see the breakout they’ve been waiting for.
Week 12 Dynasty Risers- Honorable Mentions
Christian Watson, WR (Green Bay Packers)
Sean Tucker, RB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Jacoby Brissett, QB (Arizona Cardinals)
Week 12 Dynasty Fallers
Michael Penix Jr, QB (Atlanta Falcons)
Michael Penix Jr.’s season came to a devastating end in Week 11, as the Atlanta Falcons’ already-disappointing season somehow managed to sink even lower. With Drake London suffering a sprained PCL and Penix tearing his ACL—his third ACL tear and fifth season-ending injury dating back to college—the franchise watched two of its brightest young stars go down. While the “injury-prone” label is one I’m typically cautious to use, Penix’s medical history is impossible to ignore. This latest setback requires reconstructive surgery and will keep him sidelined for at least nine months, raising real questions about his long-term durability and development curve.
The uncertainty extends well beyond Penix himself. Atlanta sits at 3–7, third in the NFC South, with a bottom-tier offense (27th in points scored) and a coaching staff and front office likely headed for turnover—Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot both appear to be on the way out. Penix finishes the season as the QB26 in fantasy, ranking poorly in key metrics: 20th in passing yards, 26th in passing touchdowns, 28th in PPG, 24th in EPA, 35th in completion percentage, and 31st in passer rating. For Superflex managers, he’s still a speculative buy-low simply because quarterbacks with draft pedigree rarely become cheaper. But confidence should be low. The Falcons lack a first-round pick next year, face a complicated salary-cap situation, and aren’t exactly an appealing landing spot for new leadership—leaving Penix’s outlook as murky as any young QB in the league.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB (Washington Commanders)
Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt’s early-season breakout was a fun storyline, but like the Commanders’ broader collapse, it has come crashing back to earth. Since his 27-point eruption in Week 5, he’s totaled just 24.9 fantasy points across six games, a stunning falloff for a player who briefly looked like a backfield takeover candidate. The touches have still been there, averaging 12.5 per game, but the efficiency has vanished. Week 11 highlighted the problem clearly: Chris Rodriguez Jr. handled 15 carries for 79 yards, while Croskey-Merritt managed only 28 yards on his 9 attempts. In an offense floundering under Marcus Mariota, the entire backfield has become difficult to trust—but even projecting forward, it’s hard to imagine Croskey-Merritt reestablishing control with how poorly he’s performing.
The advanced metrics paint an even bleaker picture. Croskey-Merritt ranks outside the top 25 in nearly every meaningful category: #44 in snap share, #32 in opportunities, #23 in rushing yards, #51 in receiving yards, #27 in touchdowns, #59 in points per opportunity, #43 in PPG, #29 in yards per touch, #27 in evaded tackles, a disastrous #135 in EPA, and #31 in yards created. It’s a profile that screams inefficiency and replacement-level production, raising real concerns about whether Washington was right to ship off Brian Robinson. Unless something dramatically shifts—either in scheme, quarterback play, or Croskey-Merritt’s own effectiveness—he looks like a bench stash at best and a fantasy faller who’s trending in the wrong direction fast.
Matthew Golden, WR (Green Bay Packers)
Matthew Golden looked like he was on the verge of a legitimate breakout earlier this season, but the last four weeks have completely derailed that momentum. The timing isn’t a coincidence—this downturn lines up exactly with Christian Watson’s return to the lineup. In those four games together, Golden has totaled just 74 receiving yards, and his reception count has literally decreased week by week: 4 to 3 to 2 to 1. Meanwhile, Watson has reclaimed the WR1 role in Green Bay, putting up 12 receptions for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns in that same span. Across nine games, Golden sits at just 24 receptions for 286 yards and still hasn’t found the end zone, a stark contrast from the three straight double-digit fantasy outings he posted earlier in the year.
The talent is still real, and from a dynasty perspective, there’s no need to panic long-term—but for now, Golden is undeniably trending in the wrong direction. His early-season flashes showed promise, yet his involvement has cratered as soon as the Packers’ receiving corps returned to full strength. With Watson commanding volume and Romeo Doubs also mixing in, Golden has slid down the pecking order in an offense that distributes targets inconsistently. He may rebound down the line, but at this moment, he’s firmly a fantasy faller and a player who belongs on benches until his role stabilizes again.
Week 12 Dynasty Fallers- Honorable Mentions
Rachaad White, RB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Kimani VIdal, RB (Los Angeles Chargers)
Justin Fields, QB (New York Jets)
For more articles from FSAN, check out the Fantasy Football Home Page. If you loved this article, head over to FSAN Twitter and tell us what you think. Follow me on X and Instagram @JFootballtrell. You can also check out our Buy-Low & Sell-High video for more dynasty strategies.
