10+ Dynasty Must-Stashes at Every Position (Preseason Picks)

· 7 min read

Intro

Cutdowns and last-minute roster moves create cheap, high-upside opportunities in dynasty. These are the unsexy players you want on a deep bench or taxi — the handcuffs, claim-jumpers, and forgotten prospects who can win you a week or carry you through a stretch when starters get dinged. Below I run position-by-position through the most actionable stashes mentioned in our preseason conversation, the reasoning behind each pick, and exactly how to roster or trade for them without blowing your future value.

How to think about stashes

  • Priority = (opportunity × talent) ÷ roster cost. Low roster cost + plausible path to targets or touches = must-stash.
  • Put handcuffs and clear backup roles near the top. Speculative roster pipeline guys and young veterans who need an injury to pop go below.
  • Don’t overreact to cut/trade news. Patience is often the right move — sometimes doing nothing preserves upside.

Running backs: handcuffs, upside backups, and deep hopefuls

HIGHEST PRIORITY HANDCUFFS / BACKUPS

  • Dylan Samson
  • Tank Figsby
  • Ray Davis
  • Jets backup group: Isaiah Davis, Brillin Allen, Jaylen Wright

Why: These are classic replacement-level targets with a clear path if the starter gets hurt or underperforms. If you can add them cheaply, do it.

NEAR-TOP TIER & EFFICIENT BACKS

  • Sean Tucker — earned a one-year return and is worth rostering given upside if he sees a role.
  • Kendre Miller — efficient when healthy; Devin Neal is on IR which increases Miller’s short-term value.
  • Laquon Allen — solid handcuff-type with upside.
  • Chris Brooks (Green Bay) — carved out an opportunity in camp; likely to get touches early as the team ramps other pieces up. Brooks was highlighted as under-rostered in many leagues.

NOTES ON TRAITS AND STATS

  • Tank Figsby: preseason metrics discussed include explosive runs (7.9%) and high marks in yards-after-contact per attempt and missed tackles per attempt — traits that create big-play upside.
  • "D Marcato" (referred to in conversation) was noted for elite explosiveness — 11.4% explosive runs and 7.09 yards per carry in the referenced data — which explains why he’s productive when given a shot.

DEEP HOPEFULS / LONG-TERM WAIT-AND-SEE

  • Emanuel Wilson — liked by the hosts as a hold-and-wait candidate.
  • Jarz Hunter, Malik Davis, Kron Allen, Caleb Johnson — all are on rosters or practice squads and worth keeping in deeper leagues.
  • Pacheco — talent is present but injury risk reduces priority now.

Roster advice: Short benches? Prioritize the top handcuffs and Brooks. Big rosters/taxi squads? Add several of the second tier and deep hopefuls. Use these players as cheap throw-ins in trades — they carry value but shouldn’t cost core assets.

Wide receivers: overlooked targets and bounce-back lottery tickets

Top preseason pile (not tiered strictly):

  • Trey Tucker — forgotten by many but has sneaky preseason/early-season value in a crowded Raiders room.
  • Tory Horton — high upside if he stays healthy; long-term WR2 upside for Seattle.
  • Kyle Williams — now has a clearer role and suddenly regained relevance.
  • "Alec Aam Manor" / "Ela Manor" — described as a day-three talent who has improved route craft and could be a sneaky spike-week player; compare to a Romeo Dobs profile if he gets a clean role.
  • Pat Bryant — coach-backed player; if the staff wants him, don’t be quick to fade that.

Other stashable names called out:

  • Isaiah Bond — explosive playmaker, worth a stash despite crowded rooms.
  • DK Wicks — potential role for the Eagles if he can catch consistently.
  • CJ Daniels (Rams rookie), Malik Benson, Kevin Coleman (Miami), Malik Washington, Jordan Watkins, Cowing (SF), Jade Walker (Bears), Xavier Thomas, Barin Brown (Saints), Brennan Thompson, Trey Harris, Sydney Till, Jimmy Horn Jr.

Why roster these: Most are cheap, low-cost claims or trade throw-ins. If a WR in a three/ four-man rotation gets hurt, one of these guys spikes — and that’s often enough to win you a week in fantasy playoffs or get through a bye.

Trade strategy: Toss one of these names as a low-cost add-on to move a middling veteran. Example: attach a Brennan Thompson or Isaiah Bond to a minor pick to land a more valuable starter.

Tight ends: thin position, stash high-floor TE2s and breakout rookies

Priority stash group:

  • Pat Freiermuth — big name but confidence is low; excellent buy-low target if you can grab him cheaply.
  • Ayo (Seahawks prospect mentioned) — tough matchup, can be a late-developing weapon.
  • Michael Mayer — contract year and expected to be more involved; high-upside stash.

Injury/opportunity driven picks:

  • Theo Johnson — talented, a little banged up; worth a hold.
  • Elijah Higgins — converted WR with receiving upside and a year left on his deal.
  • Rookies to watch: Matt Heidner (Ravens) and Marlon Klein (Texans) — both got positive camp reviews and could be future security once Schultz or Mark Andrews situations change.

Depth stashes: Eric All (Bengals candidates referenced), Mitchell Evans (Carolina buzz), JT Sanders, Cole Kmet — all names that become more valuable if injury or scheme changes open snaps.

Why these TEs: Tight end production is volatile and thin. Holding a contract-year TE or a rookie who’s catching on in camp often provides big ROIs.

Roster advice: If you can hold one premium TE + one rookie/backup TE, do it. TE depth can be a matchup winner late in the season.

Quarterbacks: upside arms, development candidates, and cheap backups

Top stash — upside lottery

  • Anthony Richardson — still the number-one quarterback stash in this discussion. He’s young, tantalizing, and if coached right he has top-end fantasy upside. If you can pick him up cheaply, he’s worth the bench slot.

High-upside developmental or backup plays

  • Drew Allar — strong preseason vibes running through a developmental QB room with coaching pedigree.
  • Joe Milton — hot preseason but was cut by Dallas; keep him low-cost in case of reclamation.
  • Davis Mills — proven backup who wins games and is in "bag season"; useful as a short-term starter or trade bait.
  • "Milroe" — organizational fit and improvement have been mentioned; stash if depth allows.
  • Bennett — praised for in-camp play; worth a deeper-league flier.
  • Jack Strand — small-school star who’s looked very good; possible late-season spark if given opportunity.

Deep hopefuls / bargain rolls

  • Jaylen Daniels — made his team and looks like a near-term QB2 in Tampa Bay. Must-own if your league is deep enough.
  • Quinn Ewers (now in Jacksonville) — new scenery can flip value.
  • Talen Green, Dylan Gabriel (IR), Spencer Rattler, Garrett Nussmeer, Will Levis (available), Curtis Roor — all pocketed as cheap trade fodder or emergency weekend starters depending on landing spots.

Trade & roster notes for QBs:

  • In dynasty, a low-cost development QB can be swapped for later-round rookie picks or used to sweeten trades without giving up core assets.
  • Prioritize mobility + arm traits (Richardson, Strand) and organizational fit (Allar, Jaylen Daniels). Don’t overpay for perceived short-term depth in shallow formats.

Actionable dynasty takeaways

  • Stash priority: 1) Clear handcuffs and defined backups (cheap, near-term paths); 2) Contract-year or rookie TEs with positive camp buzz; 3) Developmental QBs with runway in good coaching environments; 4) Deep WRs with athletic traits in crowded rooms; 5) Longshot RBs with elite explosiveness metrics.

  • Use stashes as trade sweeteners, not centerpiece assets. Throw in one of these names to move a middling starter at minimal cost.

  • Be patient. Cuts and preseason noise don’t always reflect final upside. Don’t panic-sell a player just because they didn’t stick with Team A; many players revive value with better fits.

  • Bench construction: In deep dynasties or taxi formats, hold 2–3 RB stashes, 3–4 WR stashes, 1 TE stash (plus a premium TE if you own one), and 1–2 QB developmental flier slots.

  • Monitor injuries and early-season usage: A single injury to a starter (especially at RB or TE) turns many of these names from speculative to immediate starters. Be ready to add on first-week waiver claims.

Conclusion

Cutdown week and training-camp churn are the best times for low-cost dynasty upgrades. If you can add the right handcuffs and developmental pieces now, you buy optionality on the cheap. Prioritize opportunity-first: stash the RB handcuffs and early-season backups, pick up WRs with explosive traits in unsettled rooms, lock a TE with positive camp/contract leverage, and roster one or two developmental QBs if you have the bench space. Finally — and most importantly — don’t overreact to noise. Often the best move is to do nothing and let others exhaust their chips.

Want a shorter checklist you can screenshot and use during waivers/trades? Grab the top 3–5 names at each position above and keep them in your trade binder as low-cost sweeteners. Good luck — these are the cheap pieces that quietly win weeks and salvage seasons in dynasty football.