Don't be surprised if ... these 19 things happen in 2025

The 2024 NFL play was rather eventful, afloat of surprises, some affirmative and negative. Fantasy football managers indispensable present determine what to judge and what not to judge moving forward. Perhaps we tin help. If immoderate of these thoughts travel existent for the 2025 season, well, don't beryllium surprised!

NOTE: All references to phantasy points are for PPR scoring.

Don't beryllium amazed if immoderate of these things hap successful 2025 ...

Caleb Williams becomes the archetypal Bears QB to walk for 4,000 yards

It's hard to judge that Erik Kramer boasts the franchise people with 3,838 passing yards successful 1995. The talented Williams volition interruption it this season. The dysfunctional Bears gave their young QB playmakers past season, but a shaky violative enactment and mind-boggling playcalling/coaching mostly torpedoed his rookie campaign. Williams remains a aboriginal prima and is simply a borderline QB1 for fantasy.

Drake Maye outscores Caleb Williams

Then again, if we similar Williams, past we truly similar Maye. It's each astir the moving quality here. Maye did not get overmuch assistance during his rookie campaign, but helium inactive averaged amended than 32 rushing yards per his 13 games. That fig should rise, and the summation of WR Stefon Diggs saves the passing game. A caller coaching unit and upgraded violative enactment fig to marque things easier successful Year 2.

Kyler Murray returns to top-5 QB status

Murray rushed for 819 yards and 11 TDs successful 2020 (his 2nd NFL season), but helium hasn't approached those numbers since. His 4.6 rushing attempts per crippled past play were a vocation low. Murray claims his 2023 season-ending genu wounded hampered him successful 2024, and that's believable. Murray volition tally much this season. The passing numbers are already there, truthful let's beryllium optimistic that helium truly runs similar helium utilized to.

Justin Fields leads the Jets successful rushing

This whitethorn look a spot wild, but lone 1 existent Jet has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards ... and it's Fields! He rushed for 1,143 yards successful 2022. RB Breece Hall hasn't done it successful his 3 NFL seasons, and helium whitethorn find it much hard with a moving QB (though helium volition drawback galore passes). Fields was the No. 6 phantasy QB scorer successful his magical season, though his Bears finished 3-14. These Jets are better, and Fields is simply a bully acceptable -- if they fto him tally (which they should).

C.J. Stroud passes for 4,500 yards

Awesome arsenic a rookie but moving for his proverbial beingness successful his 2nd season, Stroud is acold amended than helium showed successful 2024, and WR Nico Collins is simply a star. Stroud was sacked 52 times, 2nd lone to Caleb Williams. A sturdier violative enactment should licence Stroud to look overmuch much similar helium did successful his archetypal season, making him worthy securing arsenic a starter successful deeper phantasy formats.

Sam Darnold falls to QB3 phantasy presumption successful Seattle

Give Darnold recognition for resurrecting his career, but helium near the cleanable concern successful Minnesota, with a manager and discourtesy playing to his strengths, and elite WR options specified arsenic Justin Jefferson. Don't draught past season's stats. This is not Baker Mayfield, Part II. The journeyman Darnold won't revisit his 2024 statistic with a Seahawks squad that features the moving game.

Daniel Jones starts much Colts games than Anthony Richardson Sr.

Honestly, however overmuch much convincing bash you request that Richardson is not the reply successful Indianapolis? He missed fractional the games owed to wounded during his archetypal 2 seasons, and helium wasn't precisely a polished passer erstwhile helium played. There is small question the tantalizing Richardson tin run, but helium can't enactment connected the field. Jones isn't precisely awesome oregon durable, either, truthful this is simply a messiness you indispensable avoid.

Saquon Barkley falls extracurricular the apical 5 RB scorers

What an astonishing archetypal play successful Philadelphia for Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards, 22.2 phantasy points per crippled and a Super Bowl championship. Be cautious here, though. Of the 8 anterior moving backs to unreserved for 2,000 yards, Chris Johnson is the lone 1 to decorativeness among the apical 5 PPR RBs the adjacent season. None reached 1,500 rushing yards. Several missed aggregate games. Barkley entered 2024 with a way grounds for injuries, past helium carried the heaviest measurement of his vocation (378 touches) into February. The Eagles volition beryllium much cautious successful Year 2.

Derrick Henry rushes for 2,000 yards -- again

Henry was overshadowed by Barkley, but helium was besides a stellar acceptable with his caller team, rushing for 1,921 yards. There are differences here. Henry, though older than Barkley, is known for consistency and durability, prevention for a half-season successful 2021. Henry plays small relation successful the passing game. His measurement is much repeatable. Don't needfully prime Henry implicit Barkley, but it isn't outrageous to see it.

Christian McCaffrey lets you down -- again

A steadfast McCaffrey is simply a fantastic player, arsenic astir precocious seen successful 2023, but the 49ers -- and phantasy managers -- simply cannot number connected his attendance. The 49ers indispensable show his workload and anticipation for the best. This is simply a atrocious operation for idiosyncratic apt to beryllium an early-round draught pick. Perhaps McCaffrey, 29, returns to a precocious level of show and carries the 49ers and your phantasy team, but he's been a top-10 RB successful lone 2 of the past 5 seasons.

Two Seahawks RBs decorativeness among the apical 20 scorers

Nothing against Kenneth Walker III, a proven standout who added much receiving enactment during an injury-plagued 2024 season, but Zach Charbonnet tin bash those things, too. New violative coordinator Klint Kubiak whitethorn transcript the Lions' strategy of utilizing 2 moving backs successful tandem, possibly decreasing Walker's measurement to support him healthy. Each RB tin and should thrive, but Charbonnet would beryllium the amended draft-day value.

Chase Brown delivers RB1 numbers

Brown proved helium could grip a large workload, averaging amended than 23 touches per crippled implicit the last 8 games, erstwhile helium was among the apical 5 phantasy moving backs. And determination is small crushed to expect the Bengals to unit him backmost into a timeshare. Only 4 moving backs caught much passes, and Brown did astir of that harm from November on. He volition beryllium a draft-day bargain.

Tyreek Hill returns to top-3 WR production

One disappointing, injury-plagued play and present Hill falls retired of everyone's apical 10. It conscionable seems excessively convenient an excuse. Hill caught 119 passes successful each of his archetypal 2 Dolphins seasons, reaching 170 targets with QB Tua Tagovailoa. He is recovered from offseason wrist surgery, helium and his offensive-minded caput manager are motivated to beryllium skeptics wrong, and we've already seen however Hill tin transportation phantasy managers.

Deebo Samuel Sr. is simply a bust successful Washington

Samuel enters his seventh NFL play with a caller franchise and is astir apt a spot overrated by phantasy managers. Samuel has finished among the apical 25 phantasy WRs successful 2 of his six seasons, buoyed by rushing accumulation helium whitethorn find challenging to replicate with the Commanders. This squad has a moving QB, a coagulated RB timeshare, and an elite WR already successful place.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is simply a harmless WR2 option

Harrison's rookie play was statistically disappointing, arsenic helium didn't attack 1,000 receiving yards, but his usage should lone emergence successful Year 2. The Cardinals request Harrison to mean acold amended than 2.6 yards aft the catch, among the lowest figures successful the league, and determination is ample crushed to expect improvement. Harrison isn't Malik Nabers oregon Brian Thomas Jr. (better rookie producers from the 2024 draft), but springiness him time.

Rome Odunze becomes an WR2 option, too

Chicago's discourtesy is going to improve, and Odunze, a top-10 prime successful the 2024 draught (five spots aft Harrison), has overmuch to summation statistically. As noted with Caleb Williams, everything has changed with the Bears, and with WR Keenan Allen (and his 121 targets) gone, Odunze volition spot much chances downfield and successful the reddish zone. Expect 75 catches and 1,000 receiving yards, astatine least.

Lions TE Sam LaPorta outscores WR Jameson Williams

LaPorta starred successful his rookie season, but helium spent the archetypal fractional of Year 2 warring for targets, mostly with the emerging heavy menace Williams, portion apt dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries. LaPorta had a large 2nd half, earning six oregon much targets successful each crippled aft Week 10. These are 2 vastly antithetic playmakers. Williams averaged 17.3 yards per catch, astir doubling LaPorta's average, but the choky extremity is much reliable and much of a reddish portion target.

Trey McBride scores 10 touchdowns

McBride would person finished his 3rd NFL play arsenic fantasy's apical choky extremity if helium had a spot much luck adjacent the extremity line. He sailed past 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards, but helium didn't people his archetypal TD until Week 17. Then helium scored again successful the play finale. McBride saw ample reddish portion targets, and his champion phantasy play awaits.

T.J. Hockenson returns to top-5 TE status

Hockenson was ever apt to disappoint anxious phantasy managers successful 2024 arsenic helium fought backmost from a superior genu wounded precocious the anterior season. Frankly, we should disregard Hockenson's 2024 numbers and retrieve his interaction successful 2022 and 2023. Don't interest astir caller QB J.J. McCarthy. A steadfast Hockenson volition easy eclipse 100 targets.