Coach: Brian Schottenheimer 4 PPG
QB: Drake Maye 25 PPG (Matthew Stafford 23 PPG)
Alrighty, it was an interesting effort for Drake Maye, who indeed went through his growing pains. Naturally, we can brush them off and hope for better in year 2. The Pats secured their franchise blindside protector in the early 1st round and patched up other holes along the line. They also added Diggs and invested in an explosive 3rd down back/pass protecting savant, TreVeyon Henderson. All that being said, the offense still is a bottom-quartile unit. I’m also not convinced that Maye is a talent that can thrive in the NFL, and his 15/10 TD/INT ratio needs to improve if he’s to be a long-term solution. From a fantasy perspective, there will be big games. He’s too good a rusher not to have boom games, and he should thrive in garbage time. For now, he’s a barely startable option, just ranking in the top 16.
RB/WR/TE: James Conner 23 PPG, CeeDee Lamb 22 PPG, Joe Mixon 22 PPG, Puka Nacua 22 PPG, Aaron Jones 21 PPG 6th men: Rashee Rice 21 PPG, Malik Nabers 20 PPG, Stefon Diggs 15 PPG, Luther Burden 13 PPG, MarShawn Lloyd 8 PPG
There was a time when James Conner’s career was on the brink. While in college at Pittsburgh, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and it was actually discovered when he was recovering from a torn ligament. He entered the pros as a third-round pick for Pittsburgh and was a serviceable fantasy option most years when healthy. It wasn’t until he went to Arizona that a new level was unlocked, now profiling as an all-purpose workhorse. 2024 was a career high in carries (236) and rushing yards (1094), and he played in all 17 games. He is a very capable receiver, too, with 47 receptions and 414 yards. Even at 30 on the last year of his latest contract, he is one of the most unheralded fantasy gems in our game and can carry an offense any given week.
CeeDee Lamb was one of the most valuable assets two years ago, finishing 2nd in receiving yards and leading the league in receptions. 2024 was a significant step back, and that makes sense given the midseason loss of Dak. Here’s the issue with that: there was no regression or steep progression in PPG after his loss, and he really slid back into what was more in line with his 2022 numbers. Also, keep in mind that Lamb missed the last two games of the season and was dealing with a shoulder injury that hampered him for much of the year. I’m willing to give Lamb the benefit of the doubt, but I think it’s more likely than not that his 2023 will be his career high numbers. Especially with Schottenheimer being a questionable playcaller, I’m very sus in Lamb’s upside as a top 10 RB/WR/TE in the IFL. Still, these are elite numbers, in line with Amon-Ra and JJ, and that’ll equate to top 20 production.
Joe Mixon has been a superstud from pretty much day one. Yes, there have been some lows, like when he punched a woman in a Subway in college, but he has mostly stayed out of trouble from that point on. Joe was traded during the 2024 offseason to Houston, where he immediately became their starter and didn’t miss a beat. He tallied 245 carries (13th), 1016 rushing yards (15th), and 11 rushing TDs on a below-average 4.15 YPC. He still functions as a dual-threat player, too, with 36 receptions and 309 receiving yards. There is a litany of aging running backs, and the end is near for some. We saw Dalvin and Zeke fall off in recent years, and Mixon (29) is trending in an unfortunate direction. Ankle issues have marred his offseason, but he should be good to go for the regular season.
Puka Nacua is an absolute superstar, which is remarkable given his late 5th-round draft slot. The 2nd-year pro jumped right back into the starting lineup after missing 5 games with a PCL issue, and didn’t miss a beat. He was the IFL’s #12 RB/WR/TE the rest of the way, which included 8 of 10 weeks over 19 points. Puka will now benefit from Davante Adams playing opposite him, stealing away attention while Nacua can thrive across the formation. Something to keep an eye on is his TD production, which has only hit a career high of 6 across two years. There’s some more meat on the bone here, but I’m keeping Nacua at 22 PPG with an aging QB and a potential slight target decrease.
It was an incredibly healthy season for running backs around the league, and Aaron Jones was no exception. He tallied a career high in carries (255) and rushing yards (1138) in Minnesota right after he was cast away by the division rival Packers. As he has been his entire career, he was a prolific receiver, finishing with 51 receptions (8th among RBs) and 408 yards. Jones is to be 31 in December and now has a quality backup in Jordan Mason. Jones may lose some workload as the season wears on, but it’ll be tough for Minny not to ride him coming off arguably his best season.
PK: Jake Elliott 8 PPG
PN: Jamie Gillan 10 PPG
DT: Da’Ron Payne 12 PPG (Javon Hargrave 11 PPG, Jordan Davis 8 PPG, Moro Ojomo 8 PPG) (Christian Wilkins 16 PPG, I can’t in good conscience rate him as a starter)
After an 11-sack season in 2022, Da’Ron Payne hasn’t been a startable asset for fantasy purposes. There were thoughts that he would be an outlier after 5 years, but he hadn’t come close to that, and he hasn’t exceeded 4 sacks since. Still, he’s a serviceable bye-week filler who can crack the top 16, but last year was a pretty steep regression in the tackle department from his career norms. (42 tackles versus around 55-60). I’m creeping him up a bit, but we gotta keep in mind there was a scheme change with Dan Quinn that likely played a part in that. It’s probably best to look elsewhere for production.
DE: Harold Landry 15 PPG, Kyle Van Noy 13 PPG (Rashan Gary 12 PPG, Josh Sweat 12 PPG)
I’m very worried about Harold Landry. Not necessarily from an opportunity standpoint in the near term, but he struggled to register pressure on full-time snaps. 18 pressures on 882 snaps is not great, but understandable given he was on one of the worst teams in the league. Do I think those pressure numbers will go up on another below-average team in New England? No. His 9 sacks are likely to decrease as well. The major thing Landry must keep up is his tackle numbers, which should stay around a healthy 65-70 as he’s played in Vrabel’s 3-4 scheme in Tennessee before. He’s best served as a #2 EDGE, as I think regression is coming.
Kyle Van Noy was signed off the street and turned back the clock for a pass-rush-needy Baltimore squad. He hit 12.5 sacks in 16 games, which was a career high in his accomplished 11-year career. That total came on 25 pressures, so it was a bit of a mirage, but still encouraging at 33 years old. The Ravens did add some young talent to the room, but KVN should retain a healthy snap share. He’s a bit of a boom/bust option, but will be an adequate #3 EDGE.
LB: Robert Spillane 18 PPG, Cody Barton 16 PPG, Tyrel Dodson 15 PPG, Tyrice Knight 15 PPG (Jack Sanborn 14 PPG, Omar Speights 9 PPG)
Robert Spillane has been a mainstay of the IDP scene since joining the Raiders in 2023. The UDFA out of Western Michigan got a third contract to lead the New England Patriots defense through another coaching transition under Mike Vrabel. Spillane is a tackle monster, exceeding 150 stops in back-to-back years, while throwing in 4-6 big plays annually. While those tackle numbers may go down a touch for the Pats, he’s still locked in as a top 16 option.
Cody Barton wasn’t supposed to be a full-time player for the Denver Broncos last year, but that changed once Alex Singleton tore his ACL in week 3. He then went on to be a pretty adequate LB3 and pitched in some boom games, too. Barton is one of the worst starting linebackers in the NFL, but is passable as a run defender. He is expected to be the backer the Tennessee Titans rely on, so he should be an IDP factor again in 2025.
It looks like Tyrice Knight is going to settle in as a quality 4th linebacker for the IFL. His opportunity is similar to Drue Tranquil, who is not a full-time player. The Seahawks just signed Ernest Jones to a multi-year deal to man the middle of their defense for the next couple of seasons. Knight was able to provide a decent floor of tackles, with two 25+ games in 10 games he played, the type of snaps expected in 2025. Hopefully, he can begin to throw in additional splash plays; otherwise, we’ll be stuck around 13-15 PPG for much of his early career.
CB: Christian Benford 12 PPG, N/A 10 PPG (Nohl Williams 5 PPG, if starter 11 PPG )
Nothing is better than tracking who the starting corners are for the Bills, who regularly turn in top IDP performances. Christian Benford, the 4th-year 6th-rounder out of Villanova, is now a priority starter. Since he’s taken over as a starter in 2023, he’s been a top 20 option. Through last year’s 16 regular-season games, he notched 64 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 2 INTs, 1 sack, and 10 PDs. 2023 was also marked by 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions, which is very encouraging; he can continue to contribute a few of those annually. Throw him in your lineups for a stable floor and don’t think twice.
S: Derwin James 16 PPG, Tyler Nubin 15 PPG (Minkah Fitzpatrick 12 PPG, Jaden Hicks 11 PPG)
New scheme in LA, and we saw Derwin’s stats take a step back. Particularly in the tackle category, James regressed to 93 versus hovering around the 115-130 mark he’d usually score. Derwin’s big plays still remained strong, registering an INT and 5 sacks. Now 29, I’m curious to see if last year’s regression will remain or if he will return to higher tackle numbers. He’s staying at last year’s PPG output, which is still a top 10 safety.
It took a few weeks for rookie Tyler Nubin to get going, but when he did, he became a tackle machine. In just 13 games, he compiled 98 tackles and 1 forced fumble, averaging a quality 14.5 PPG. Heading into year 2, we must see a progression in other statistics, but his tackle floor is highly encouraging, allowing him to maintain S2 production. Especially on a defense that’ll likely be on the field quite a bit, Nubin is a quality player to build around for our dynasty teams.
Off: Pittsburgh Steelers 10 PPG
PPG: 324
W-L: 8-9
X-Factor: Patching those holes outside of the absolutely loaded offense.
I have some mixed feelings about Mark’s squad. I love the offense, which has been a staple of his builds for years. Then…. we’re so back with questionable QB choices for Mark. Maye and Stafford both don’t profile as top 16 options. Then… the annual injury bugs are already coming to the surface, already with Stafford, Mixon, and Christian Wilkins. He’s also relying on many questionable IDPs, including perhaps the worst D-line in the AFC and poor real-life linebackers. Like Cory’s squad, I struggle to provide a W-L that is indicative of his PPG. If some of the holes are filled by player progression or trades, there’s a range of outcomes where Mark could make a serious run.
