It's the end of June, which means beat reporters are getting ready to dismantle any dynasty buy-low candidates value-savvy dynasty fantasy football managers have identified over the course of the offseason. You know how it goes: a few highlights are posted of a player practicing in shorts and a pinnie. The following day, positive coach speak is reported about how important a player is to their team's scheme. An "official" depth chart is released, affirming or resetting our fantasy expectations.

Dynasty Buy-Low Candidates Before Training Camp

The fantasy hive mind quickly spreads its opinions, and your favorite buy-low candidate is suddenly priced at his ceiling, and you've missed your window to acquire a player at a discount. Beat the beat, and check out a few of my favorite dynasty buy-low candidates!

Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City Chiefs)

Up until September of 2024, Patrick Mahomes was a top-two consensus QB in the league alongside Josh Allen. Sure, Mahomes has had worse finishes, but his consensus value is officially a backend QB1. Mind you, Mahomes has never finished outside of QB1 territory since becoming a starter, and is currently in a "downswing" of his career.

In 15 starts last year, Mahomes finished as a top-five QB six times. This is a buying opportunity to access an elite QB talent. At the first sign of positive training camp news, or a video of Mahomes slinging it around, people are going to pump the price of Mahomes back up. Reach out to the managers in your league to test his current value. If the asking price is a 2027 first, pay it. Convert your theoretical value into a known commodity.

Mac Jones (QB, San Francisco 49ers)

Who? My younger self would be proud of me for fitting that cultural reference into a written publication. Mac Jones has had two successful appearances filling in for QBs who've been injured in back-to-back seasons. Jones will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027 and will get to choose his own landing spot after trade rumors have swirled about NFL teams inquiring with the 49ers on Jones' price tag.

This isn't going to be the early-career Jones who was thrown into the fire to fill the shoes of Tom Brady, with receiving weapons that even the best Nick Saban's Alabama defense could've shut down. Jones can be acquired for a backend second-round rookie draft pick. In this range of rookie drafts, you're looking at a bunch of "meh" QB prospects who will undoubtedly have very little production to start their careers.

Jones, if you can wait a year on him, will most likely be a starting QB in 2027 capable of putting up QB2 numbers.

If Brock Purdy gets injured in 2026, as he has in three of his four seasons, Jones will be the QB in an offense with Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, George Kittle, and Ricky Pearsall.

Don't wait for other fantasy managers in your league to become privy to Jones potential, hit him up on the low, even calling 281-330-8004, and there's a chance he might be sitting in your free agents.

Geno Smith/Cade Klubnik (QBs, New York Jets)

The more I think about how bad the New York Jets were in 2025, the more I realize we're carrying that putrid season over into 2026, where the Jets look a fair bit different. The Jets had three different starting QBs in Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and rookie Brady Cook. Justin Fields had fewer than 20 pass attempts in four of his nine starts. Tyrod Taylor spent two-thirds of his starts without Garrett Wilson, who sprained his knee in week six and was shut down for the year.

And Brady Cook, I mean, poor Brady Cook.

Anyways, this offense has been completely rebuilt over the past few years and is oozing with young talent at its skill positions and in the trenches of the offensive line. The team is an average QB away from potentially supporting a QB2 season, and that average QB might be Geno Smith or Cade Klubnik. Geno was solid during his last year in Seattle when he had weapons to throw to, which wasn't the case last year on a dysfunctional Raiders team.

Klubnik was praised by many as a top-two QB in the 2026 draft class until he suffered ankle and wrist injuries that plagued his final season at Clemson. Geno and Cade might be cheap throughout training camp and would likely be "throw-ins" to a larger trade you can make. If you need QB depth or want to buy into an offense on the upswing, it's hard to beat to find a lower buy-low than these two.

Mark Andrews (TE, Baltimore Ravens)

Mark Andrews is still in the prime of his career at 30 years old and has the opportunity to be a top 2 target in a Lamar Jackson-led offense. Everything went wrong for the Ravens last year after Lamar got hurt in September. Jackson is healthy, and Isaiah Likely signed a monster contract with the Giants this offseason, leaving only two late-round rookie TEs behind Andrews on the depth chart.

The potential for a monster target share for a TE is there for "M"Andrews, who is already Jackson's preferred red zone option. When fantasy managers consider drafting a backup TE with their late second-round pick, they might be better served trading that pick for Baltimore's starting TE, who has been a TE1 in five of his eight NFL seasons.

Veteran RBs at a Discount

Talk about a perennially undervalued group.

David Montgomery (Houston Texans)

Montgomery signed a 2-year $16.5M deal to be the Texans' feature back, with only Woody Marks standing in his way from a massive workload.

JK Dobbins (Denver Broncos)

Dobbins will continue to run behind one of the best offensive lines in the league after signing a 2-year, $20M contract to remain with the Broncos. Dobbins averaged 5 YPC in 2025.

These next two might be nearing their final years of dynasty relevance, but they might give you one more flex-worthy season if you need RB depth.

Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans)

Pollard is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and will be the best running back on the Titans in 2026.

Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings)

The Vikings offense is hoping to bounce back in 2026, and the lead RB on a potentially potent Kevin O'Connell offense will have fantasy value.

Fantasy managers are starting to come around on the value of David Montgomery. The other three RBs might have 1 more fantasy-relevant season in them. These buy-lows will all start the season leading their backfields, despite costing the equivalent of a late 2026 second- or early third-round rookie pick.

Travis Hunter (WR/DB, Jacksonville Jaguars)

Travis Hunter is quite the enigma in fantasy football circles. Despite Hunter dismissing the offseason reports that he will primarily play DB, the fantasy community has decided he has similar value to that of Jonathon Brooks, who hasn't seen an NFL snap in two years. Hunter has been seen running 22 MPH this offseason, and all reports out of Jacksonville have been positive as he rehabs an LCL he tore in October of last year.

Hunter was fresh off an eight catch, 101-yard and one TD performance before the injury.

The former #2 overall pick's elite agility and change of direction were on display to start the season. To me, he looked to be on the trajectory to put up a WR2 level of production in the back half of his rookie year.

The crowded Jacksonville WR room, the fogginess of his role, and the injury are giving us a discount on Hunter. He's potentially the best WR on this team full of WR2s, and at 23 years old, he has plenty of runway to develop and increase his fantasy value.

As values change throughout the fantasy offseason, the team at Optimus Fantasy will keep you informed on market trends to help you build a championship-caliber roster. Stay tuned for future buy-low articles from my colleagues, and thank you for reading. If you want to talk about your favorite buy-low candidates, you can reach out to me on Bluesky.

Cam White is a Senior Analyst & Host at Optimus Fantasy. You can find more of his work on our YouTube channel, and make sure to follow him on Bluesky.