Preseason football is in full swing and we are inching ever so closer to the 2025-2026 regular season. Some people might overreact to one preseason game, as a person is allowed to. I am more towards predictions, not overreactions, though. So, that’s why I am writing 20 bold predictions for the upcoming season, with five of them for each position, not including DSTs or kickers. Let’s get into it, shall we?
20 Bold Predictions for the 2025 Fantasy Football Season
Quarterback
1. Drake Maye Will Be a Top 6 Fantasy Quarterback
Just ask *NSYNC who my favorite fantasy football quarterback outside the top five is and they’ll tell you: “It’s gonna be Maye.” Last season, Drake Maye finished as QB23, but there are huge asterisks. He didn’t start until Week 6, he left early due to injury and didn’t play 99% of the snaps in three of those games. But in those nine games last season? Maye averaged 18.1 fantasy points, 271.5 total yards, 1.6 total touchdowns and 1.1 interceptions with only two of those games where he didn’t score at least 17.5 fantasy points. He also quietly put up 421 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns last season, so the rushing upside is also there! Surprisingly, he did that with little talent that catches the eye. Now, he has more talent like TreVeyon Henderson, Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams, plus two more rookies on the offensive line.
2. Justin Fields Will NOT Finish as a Top 10 Quarterback
I went over it in my “Freaky Friday” article but it’s more about the unknown of offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand for me. Justin Fields does carry certain streaks, like being QB6 in Weeks 1-6 last year, QB3 in Weeks 1-5 from 2023 and finishing QB6 in the 2022 season. Last season, it took an average of 18.5 fantasy points per game (PPG) to finish in the top ten for quarterbacks, and Fields was 9/18 in his last two seasons in surpassing that threshold. While he averaged 19+ PPG in those 18 games, he’s more of a streaming quarterback to me with “big boom” games, not a season-long starting quarterback. Particulary with the unknown of Engstrand, I’m not trusting Fields as much as others.
3. Cam Ward Wins Rookie of the Year & Will Be a Top 15 quarterback
Did you know that Cam Ward was the first overall pick? Because he might be the least talked-about first overall pick, especially at the quarterback position. It might be a good thing, though! He hasn’t seemed surrounded by constant pressure from the media about being the first overall pick, as many of his counterparts in recent years, have been. What also works in his favor is that in four of the last six years, a rookie quarterback has finished in the top 11, with a current two-year streak of Jayden Daniels finishing QB5 and C.J. Stroud finishing QB11. I like the rookie quarterback who averaged 323+ total yards, 2.7+ total touchdowns and 0.5 interceptions in two straight seasons at Washington State and Miami (FL).
4. Jared Goff Reverts to the Past & Does Not Finish in the Top 15
Losing Ben Johnson isn’t going to be great for Jared Goff. In the three seasons with Johnson as the offensive coordinator, Goff finished within the top ten in all of them! In the five seasons before that where he played at least 14 games, he only saw one annual finish in the top ten. The difference was night and day with Johnson; Goff averaged a yearly finish of 7.6 for quarterbacks with 4,547 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns and 10.3 interceptions. Without Johnson, his yearly finish went down to 14.8 with 4,065 passing yards, 24.2 passing touchdowns and 11.2 interceptions.
5. It Keeps Going Downhill for C.J. Stroud & He Won’t Finish in the Top 20
If you thought last season was bad for C.J. Stroud, think again. A bad offensive line and injuries to the offense derailed Stroud’s 2024 season, but let’s check in with the roster currently! Ah, they signed two new offensive linemen in free agency after trading the original ones, but are still near the bottom in terms of offensive lines. Joe Mixon has no timetable for when he’ll return from his foot injury. Tank Dell is likely gone for the year after suffering that horrendous injury last year. On the bright side, they have three new wide receivers to fight for the WR2 position in Iowa State rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, plus veteran Christian Kirk. It just sounds like more of what we saw last season and if that happens, it might get even worse for Stroud.
Running Back
6. Breece Hall Will Finish as a Top 10 Running Back
I don’t believe the Jets are going to take a Running Back By Committee (RBBC) approach like Aaron Glenn says they are. Breece Hall finished as RB2 in the 2023 season and led all running backs in receptions, targets and receiving yards, despite having fewer than 1,000 rushing yards. He did the same thing last season, finishing as RB16 with under 1,000 rushing yards but was top four in receptions, targets and receiving yards. To get a glimpse of how the running back will look in a Justin Fields-led offense, I looked closely at David Montgomery’s 2022 season and Najee Harris’s season from Weeks 1-6 last year when Fields was the starter. Montgomery was one of 11 running backs that season to have 800+ rushing yards and 300+ receiving yards. Harris was one of six running backs to have 300+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards in that span. Just imagine those numbers with what Hall did in back-to-back seasons!
7. RJ Harvey Will Be a Top 15 Running Back & the Rookie RB2
R.J. Harvey might be RB5 on the Broncos’ unofficial depth chart but he’s at least RB15 in my rankings. I think there are big plans for the rookie running back in Denver and J.K. Dobbins isn’t hindering any of it. In Harvey’s past two seasons at UCF, he averaged 127.2+ total yards per game, alongside 1.3+ scrimmage touchdowns per game. Sean Payton has historically favored his running backs and the fact that they had the chance to draft Omarion Hampton in the first round and passed on him bodes well. I think they showcase Harvey and he will finish as the second-best rookie for running backs behind Ashton Jeanty, passing Hampton just like Denver did.
8. Jordan Mason Will Have Double-Digit PPG & Finish in the Top 35
Jordan Mason’s trade went under the radar and similarly, I believe he is a viable fantasy option that is also going under the radar. Last season, Mason had his best season between starting and playing behind Christian McCaffrey, averaging 9.6 fantasy points per game and finishing as RB41. Then, the 49ers shipped him to the Vikings and there are already rumors speculating that it’ll be an even 50/50 split with Aaron Jones. While it might not have been exactly an even split with Jones, last season from Weeks 9-18, Cam Akers, who the Vikings traded for, ended up finishing as RB36, averaging 26.8% of the snaps in that span. If Mason does see more action as rumored and as I expect, it’s going to be Mason’s best season yet and he can thank Kevin O’Connell!
9. The Browns RB1 Will Be Dylan Sampson & He’ll Finish Inside the Top 40
Dylan Sampson should be given the keys to starting in this backfield. Quinshon Judkins is currently dealing with court cases and off-the-field issues, plus he’s the only rookie not to sign his contract. Let’s give the other running back the Browns drafted a chance, because it sounds like others aren’t. The rookie from Tennessee didn’t flash his first two years behind Jaylen Wright but he broke out in the 2024 season with 1,491 rushing yards (ninth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS) and 22 rushing touchdowns (tied for fifth-most in FBS). It’s too bold to predict he’ll have that kind of season in the NFL, but I do think he can get at least half of that with 746 rushing yards. However, it’s definitely too bold to see him score 11 rushing touchdowns because of the horrendous Browns’ offense.
10. Bhayshul Tuten Will be the Worst of the Three-Headed Jaguars’ RBBC
One of the most puzzling questions that we have is what to do with the Jaguars’ Running Back By Committee, which consists consisting of Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten. Personally, Tuten doesn’t excite me in this offense, at least not yet. With Liam Coen’s offense and how he dealt with the Buccaneers’ three-headed RBBC last year featuring Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, Tuten reminds me of the Tucker role. If he gets the opportunity, he can boom like Tucker’s 192-yard, two-touchdown game he had last year, but I don’t see how Tuten will get the multiple carries if he’s playing behind Etienne and Bigsby. Maybe if we see the same struggles that we saw with Etienne last year, but I’d only demote him to RB2 behind Bigsby. For Tuten, my hopes are more focused on the future years, not this year.
Wide Receiver
11. Emeka Egbuka Will Be the Buccaneers’ WR2 & Finish in the Top 35
With Chris Godwin not being activated off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list yet for the dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 7 last year, Emeka Egbuka has been blowing up in training camp/ It’s hard to scroll on Twitter/X and not see his name pop up and I can see why. As an Ohio State Buckeye, he had 1,000+ receiving yards and ten touchdowns in two of his last three seasons. I believe it’ll be hard for Godwin to come back from this season, and the timetable is unclear for when he will. The fact that they didn’t address the defense and instead added to their receiver core when it wasn’t necessary means they have big things for the rookie. I expect Egbuka to boom like a bazooka and replace Godwin for at least this year, as Evans and Godwin have both finished in the Top 35 from 2022-2024 and would’ve likely done it in 2025 if Godwin wasn’t injured.
12. Cooper Kupp Will Average a Career-Low of 10.5 Fantasy PPG or Fewer This Season
This is not the same Cooper Kupp who won the triple crown in 2021. Sure, he’s never averaged fewer than 11.7 PPR fantasy points per game, but I believe the writing is on the wall for him. Ever since that 2021 season, it’s been downhill for Kupp and it’s been particularly evident in the last two seasons, when he was more transitioned behind Puka Nacua. Kupp averaged 14.5 and 13.7 fantasy points per game in those seasons, not finishing higher than WR38 in those seasons due to injury. Another thing to keep in mind is that, although it’s a different quarterback with Sam Darnold, when Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out in Week 9 last season, DK Metcalf only averaged 10.2 fantasy points per game in that span. If a monster like Metcalf put up those subpar numbers in this offense, Kupp can get stymied too.
13. Stefon Diggs Puts Up Lower Numbers Than His 2015-2019 Slump Seasons
Stefon Diggs is going to the Patriots, his fourth different team ahead of this season, after averaging 15.2 PPG with the Texans last season in 2024. In 2020-2023, playing on the Bills, he averaged 18.3 PPG. On the Vikings from 2015-2019, he averaged 14.4 PPG, with three of those seasons averaging 14.1 PPG or fewer. Although I’m very high on Drake Maye, the opposite can be said for Diggs. There’s a multitude of things surrounding him that I have concerns about. He might be ahead of schedule after suffering a torn ACL last year and not being placed on the PUP list. However, some statistics find that it can be harder to come back from those injuries as you get older, and Diggs will turn 32 in November during his 11th NFL season. Maye had good chemistry with DeMario Douglas, who is now alongside two more rookies to help in the passing game with TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams.
14. Christian Kirk Goes Back-to-Back Years With Season Lows in PPG, Finishing As WR3 in Houston
In the three years Christian Kirk played as a Jaguar, he went from his best to his worst. He averaged his season-high 14.2 PPG in 2022, but in 2023, he transitioned to WR2 behind Calvin Ridley and averaged 12.5 PPG. It got even lower last year with only 8.8 PPG, his season low. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Kirk to get traded to Houston and fill in the Tank Dell role while he rehabs from that injury. Then they drafted Jayden Higgins in the second round and that all changed. See, when Dell was playing alongside Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs, Dell averaged a measly 7.4 PPG. They figured out the Dell replacement, but I’m sensing more of the same as what we’ve seen from Kirk over the past two years.
15. Tre Harris Will Finish As the Chargers’ WR4
The hype for Tre Harris has become non-existent nowadays. He was supposed to complete the young pairing beside Ladd McConkey but now I just don’t see it. There hasn’t been much hype about him in training camp and the Chargers just signed Keenan Allen on August 5. Ladd McConkey was and always will be the WR1. I don’t see Tre Harris beating Allen, who finished 26th in receptions among wide receivers last year with the Bears. I also don’t see him surpassing Quentin Johnston, who scored eight receiving touchdowns, which was tied for 12th most for wide receivers and more than McConkey. Sadly, Harris is just the odd man out here. There’s always next year!
Tight End
16. David Njoku Will Not Go Three Straight Seasons Scoring 12.5+ PPG
We know what David Njoku can do, but there are a multitude of reasons that make me worry about him. One of those is health, and in two of his last three seasons, Njoku missed at least two games. Then, the obvious one is the quarterback problem. We saw a small sample size with Joe Flacco and Njoku from Weeks 13-17 of the 2023 season and Njoku was outstanding as TE2, averaging 18.2 PPG. The issue is that I don’t believe Flacco will last that long as a starter and in that case, Njoku will see those numbers plummet. If that happens, I’d sense the opportunities will shift more to Jerry Jeudy or Cedric Tillman Njoku.
17. Tyler Warren Will Not Finish as a Top 10 Tight End
Sorry, Tyler Warren. It’s not only the quarterback issue of Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. The Jim Bob Cooter (yes, that is his real name) offense doesn’t end up well for tight ends. All of us should agree that Warren is the TE1 of this offense and by a long shot. The problem is that Cooter’s offense has not produced a top-11 tight end in points per game in any of his five total seasons as an offensive coordinator. In 2016-2017, he had snagged the tenth overall pick in Eric Ebron and still couldn’t get him to finish in the top ten. Warren is likely better than Ebron, but I’m not expecting immediate results with the Colts’ offensive coordinator and quarterback woes.
18. Dallas Goedert Will Finish as a Top 12 Tight End
Let’s keep it simple. Dallas Goedert has finished as a top 12 tight end in points per game for six straight seasons. He hasn’t averaged fewer than 9.6 PPG in those seasons! If he stays healthy and stays in this offense, which is rumored to see a bit more passing than last year, this seems like all but a shoo-in for Goedert to make it seven straight seasons!
19. After Being Touchdown-Less Last Season, Jake Ferguson Will Score Seven or More Touchdowns This Season
Why is the number seven important in this context? Well, Jake Ferguson has scored exactly seven receiving touchdowns in his career. Brian Schottenheimer was the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator when Ferguson scored five touchdowns in 2022. The last time Dak Prescott had two wide receiver weapons similar to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens was in 2021, when he had Lamb and Amari Cooper. The tight end that year was Dalton Schultz, who scored eight touchdowns that season. While I think Ferguson’s receptions and receiving yards will be down from his 2022 season, the touchdown upside is there.
20. Colston Loveland Will Not Finish as a Top 15 Tight End
Everybody is hyping up the rookie Colston Loveland. He was drafted tenth overall and the comparisons to Sam LaPorta began immediately. LaPorta finished as TE1 in his rookie season with Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator, but for Loveland, I’m lowering that expectation. There are too many mouths to feed in this Bears offense and while that’s great for Caleb Williams, it’s not great for the individual receivers. Chicago still has another tight end in Cole Kmet, who can steal some targets. Then, we can add in the triple threat of wide receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and the rookie Luther Burden III. There are too many good players in this offense and some people have to suffer. Unfortunately, I think Colston Loveland will suffer the most between him and the three wide receivers.
Thanks for reading “20 Bold Predictions for the 2025 Fantasy Football Season.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Paul Rutherford — USA TODAY Sports*
