Blake Krass breaks down which players have been trending up and down in DraftKings NFL Best Ball drafts so far this offseason.
The NFL Draft is in the rearview, and now it is time to turn attention towards the upcoming season. Best Ball drafts have been taking place for a few weeks, and some players have already had dramatic changes in their average draft position. This is a look at this week’s biggest risers and fallers.
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The Commanders’ rookie wide receiver rocketed up draft boards after he landed in Washington. Outside of Terry McLaurin, the wide receiver room in Washington was desolate. Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown and Treylon Burks were among the WR2 candidates in Washington before Williams was drafted. McLaurin only played 10 games last season due to injury and the Commanders’ offense could not function without him. Deebo Samuel ended up being the team’s leading receiver, but the Commanders are letting him walk in free agency this spring.
Jayden Daniels’ rookie year was an incredible season for Washington, making the NFC Championship Game. Last season was the definition of a sophomore slump for Daniels and the Commanders, though injuries played a major role in the story of the quarterback’s own campaign. This season, they need to get back to competing for a playoff spot in the NFC East. Antonio Williams could play a huge factor in that. The third-round pick was a contributor in all four of his seasons at Clemson. He doesn’t have electrifying straight-line speed, but he has a great ability to make defenders miss tackles after the catch.
The biggest worry around Williams’ stock is the Commanders’ interest in Brandon Aiyuk. Washington is reportedly interested in trading for Aiyuk, but is also hoping San Francisco will just cut him so they can scoop him up for free. If Aiyuk comes to Washington, it would certainly cut into Williams’ projected target share. That being said, Williams is expected to play out of the slot at a high percentage. Williams would likely still be the starting slot receiver with Aiyuk and McLaurin on the outside. That would likely give Williams some advantageous matchups.
Chris Bell is another rookie in a favorable spot. Just like Williams, Bell was a third-round pick. He was not one of the top-tier receivers in the draft, but being a third-round pick proves that Miami has high expectations for him. Bell was a fantastic receiver at Louisville. He improved in every year of his career with the Cardinals, eventually catching 72 balls for 917 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season. Bell is a big-bodied receiver at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. However, he also has real quickness in his routes. The biggest concern around Bell is that he tore his ACL at the very end of his senior season. It is certainly a negative factor in his short-term upside, but he is expected to be fully healthy to start his rookie season.
It is a new era in Miami, with Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel both moving on this offseason. Malik Willis is expected to be the QB1 for Miami this season after he signed a big contract this offseason. It is also a new era in the wide receiver room, with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill also being traded and released. Currently, the team’s top two returning receivers are running back De’Von Achane and tight end Greg Dulcich. The team’s best returning wide receiver from last season is Malik Washington, who had 317 receiving yards in 2025-26.
There is a massive space to be filled in that wide receiver room with a brand new offensive coordinator and quarterback in town. That leaves the door wide open for a rookie wide receiver like Bell to come in and make a name for himself. If he makes a full recovery from his ACL injury, he could easily be the WR1 or WR2 on this team next season.
It was not a great rookie season for Shedeur Sanders. Among 40 eligible quarterbacks, he ranked dead last in adjusted EPA/play last season. He even finished below his fellow Browns rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Granted, Sanders was not put in a great spot last season. He didn’t have a lot of weapons to work with, and there seemed to be a bad culture in Cleveland. The Browns made a coaching change though, bringing in Todd Monken. Monken seems to be a big fan of Sanders, or is at least publicly supporting him. That is a big change from Kevin Stefanski, who seemed to disagree with the franchise drafting Sanders from day one.
That being said, there is still massive uncertainty around who will be the Browns’ Week 1 starter at quarterback. Deshaun Watson might finally be healthy and ready to start for the Browns. From legal issues, to injuries, to poor play on the field, the Watson era in Cleveland has been an unmitigated disaster. However, while he is still being paid big money via one of the worst contracts in the history of sports, the Browns might as well try to see what he can do next season. If Watson is healthy, he is likely to be the Week 1 starter. That leaves Sanders in a backup role, where he will be competing with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green for the QB2 spot. That makes it hard to trust him in a Best Ball draft.
Brandon Aiyuk’s NFL life is in flux. He is technically still a 49er, but has made it clear that he will not play for San Francisco next season. Aiyuk did not play at all last season. He was holding out for a new contract or a trade. After that didn’t happen, the 49ers eventually put him on the reserve/left squad list, ending his season. In 2024-25, Aiyuk was dealing with serious injuries and only played in seven games. So, over the past two seasons, Aiyuk has made a grand total of 25 catches in the NFL.
There are major red flags around Aiyuk’s approach to his contract situation and his health. That being said, he has proven that he is a great talent when happy and healthy. That is why the Washington Commanders want him. Washington seems to be his most likely destination, but the 49ers are giving him a taste of his own medicine by not releasing him. They are holding out, trying to force Washington to use a late-round pick to acquire Aiyuk in a trade rather than just cutting him loose. The whole messy situation has made him unattractive to Best Ball drafters.
All of that being said, if Aiyuk gets to Washington in the next few weeks and has a mostly full offseason with the Commanders, he should rise back up draft boards. If Aiyuk is healthy and motivated to contribute in Washington, he could end up having a big season. Jayden Daniels would probably love to work with a wide receiver duo of Brandon Aiyuk and Terry McLaurin. Along with the aforementioned Antonio Williams, this could be a dangerous passing offense if Aiyuk makes it to Washington.
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