Coach: Sean Payton 6 PPG
QB: Kyler Murray 27 PPG
It was the first full season back for Kyler Murray, who suffered an ACL tear in 2022. He wasn’t 100% in 2023 and even reported not feeling fit last season. It was an encouraging step in the right direction to get his career back on track, which had been marred by ineffectiveness and work ethic issues dating back to his college days. Kyler’s fantasy profile is precisely what you look for with his rushing upside, as he has the wheels to contend for the rushing QB crown if he can be as mobile as he was pre-injury. Last year, Murray didn’t reach his ceiling, but still finished 4th in rushing yards with 572. (behind Lamar, Daniels, and Hurts) On the passing front, he was acceptable, with 3851 passing yards (11th in the NFL), 372 completions (7th), and 21 passing TDs (14th). There’s a ceiling here for 30 PPG, but I’m not sure we’re going to get that again as he begins to age. He’s been lowkey teetering on the franchise QB status, and if the season goes off the rails for Arizona, he could be looking for a new home. For now, he’s back in the back-end QB1 range.
RB/WR/TE: Saquon Barkley 30 PPG, AJ Brown 19 PPG, Drake London 19 PPG, Brian Robinson 17 PPG, Terry McLaurin 15 PPG 6th men: Nick Chubb 14 PPG, Roschon Johnson 12 PPG, AJ Dillon 8 PPG, Ja’Tavion Sanders 9 PPG
It took 84 long years, but Saquon finally delivered a season that fully showcased his upside. He was the #1 RB/WR/TE, compiling 521 points, ranking as one of the top 10 all-time seasons for the positions. It was everything you could ask for and more, with 2,005 rushing yards (1st in the NFL), 345 carries (1st), 13 rushing TDs (7th), and an incredible 5.81 YPC. He chipped in marginally in the passing game, with 33 receptions, 278 yards, and a couple of scores (around 30th for passing game RB usage). After 300+ touches and a Super Bowl run, I’m a bit hesitant to project a replication of his 32 PPG season. They possibly taper his usage, especially to begin the year, with both AJ Dillon and Will Shipley showing adequate talent to spell him. That being said, he’s the #1 overall RB/WR/TE heading into the year.
There was a noticeable shift in offensive philosophy last year for Philadelphia, with a hyperfocus on the run game. Saquon positively changed the dynamic, and it resulted in a Super Bowl win. That hurt AJ Brown’s ceiling a bit as did some injury woes. He missed three games after the week 1 tilt in Brazil, but still cleared 1,000 yards for the third straight season. His reception totals had him tied for 35th (67) but he concluded 17th in receiving yards. He’s always been efficient with his receptions, and if he were in an offense that needed him to be the centerpiece, his projection would be much higher. Instead, it’s sticking to what he did last season. That is not great news for GMs paying him to be a #1/#2 for their offenses, versus a quality #3 RB/WR/TE.
It took forever, but we finally got out of the doldrums of an Arthur Smith-led offense (sorry DK stans) and Drake London ascended into startability. Even with the precarious QB situation in Atlanta, he still delivered elite receiver numbers, and it appears consistency could be on the horizon. Drake finished with 100 receptions (10th in the NFL), 1,271 receiving yards (4th), and 9 TDs, an expected touchdown rate with his size (12th). His redzone usage checks out as well, tying for third among pass catchers. Everything is checking out for London to remain in the upper echelons of the wide receiver ranks, and he’ll be the focal point of the Falcons’ passing game, which doesn’t have much else.
Brian Robinson is one of those players who are delicious to build around, as his perceived value doesn’t match what he actually produces for our league. In reality, he’s been as stable a #3 RB/WR/TE as we’ve seen over the past three years, being the centerpiece of a middling Commanders’ rushing attack. That opportunity should continue as he heads into year 4 and if he can stay healthy a career year could be in store. BRob, despite missing three games tallied 187 carries (26th), 799 rushing yards (25th) and 8 TDs (16th). This was despite having a 1b in Austin Ekeler, who was a startable fantasy asset in his own right. Unless Jacory Croskey-Merritt does something unexpected, Robinson should be in line for another 16-19 PPG season.
Tickle me worried for a Terry McLaurin fall off for 2025. (17 PPG in 2024) It all stems around the TD numbers, which were an astounding 13 TDs, a significant outlier from his career high of 7 from his rookie 2019 season. Despite playing in every game, he has a 4-year low in targets (117) and posted his normal 1,110 receiving yards. His 14 redzone looks as well don’t point to someone who can replicate those numbers either. Then there’s the hubabaloo about a new contract, and I am worried we’ll see more bust weeks than what we say in 2025. (He had 4 weeks of 9 points or less.) Even in an offense without consistent passing weapons outside of M1, he’s best served as your #5 RB/WR/TE.
PK: Harrison Butker 9 PPG
PN: Jordan Stout 9 PPG
DT: Quinnen Williams 14 PPG, Jonathan Allen 13 PPG
It was wheels up for Quinnen Williams, after a miraculous 12-sack 55 55-tackle 2022, which landed him the largest IFL DT contracts we’ve seen up to that point. Unfortunately, his sack totals fell off the following year, and in 2024, his tackle numbers did too, resulting in a barely startable 12.8 PPG. Can we ever see the heights we saw two years ago, or should we expect more of a Chris Jones-type of IDP player? Thankfully, we’re going to see a scheme change with Aaron Glenn entering New York, which at least opens the door for variance. He tallied 27 pressures, which certainly gives him a chance to reach double-digit sacks again if he continues that type of production. For now, he slots in right around the top 16 borderline, but there’s upside for another top 10 year.
It was a wasted year for Jonathan Allen, who missed most of 2024 with a torn pectoral muscle. It was his final season in Washington as they elected not to retain him, curiously for an interior that desperately needed talent. He’s now with Minnesota, signing a robust three-year, $51 million contract, which is essentially a two-year deal. Allen landed in an adequate spot for IDP production and has a very good chance to return to the top 16 ranks at DT, so long as he plays full-time snaps. Hopefully he’s not washed.
DE: Danielle Hunter 17 PPG, Keion White 15 PPG (Demarcus Lawrence 12 PPG Chase Young 11 PPG)
It was a season of transition for Danielle Hunter, who found himself in a new uniform for the first time in his career. After making a name for himself with the Vikings, he transitioned to Houston, where his production stats did not reflect his on-field performance. In 2023, he was a top 5 option, that was not the case last season, with regressing from 83 tackles to 46. The sack number still stayed in the double digits, keeping his value intact. With the new scheme, it appears Hunter is more of a low-end EDGE1 versus the hyper-efficient days of Mike Zimmer/Brian Flores. That’ll still get it done for our game.
I am cautiously optimistic we are in line for a career year from 3rd-year pro Keion White. The interior player is going to play along the best defensive front of his career, and there is a new scheme in town with HC Mike Vrabel. We’ve seen many successful IDP seasons with players like Denico Autry and Jeffrey Simmons, so I’m bullish. White was on the starting borderline as the EDGE28, tapering off a bit as the season wore on. Hopefully, he can stay on track with more consistent production and potentially flirt with 7-8 sacks. (he had 28 pressures and 5 sacks last year)
LB: Foyesade Oluokun 19 PPG, Lavonte David 17 PPG (Damone Clark 10 PPG, Jahlani Tavai, cut casualty)
After multiple overall LB1 seasons, Foyesade Oluokun took a step back. In fact, he didn’t even play 100% of the snaps in some games, resulting in fantasy managers ripping out their hair. Fear not, Foye-stans, Ryan Nielsen is long gone, and Foye is back to being a 100% player again. The tackle monster from Yale is ready to provide his fantasy owners another quality season and is only a year removed from a 170-tackle season. He’s regularly chipped in 4-7 big plays to boot. We’re in a bit of a reset in terms of his ceiling, but I’m hard-pressed not to project him as a locked-in top 10 option.
We are in an era of old ass linebackers thriving into their 30s. Lavonte David is on the Hall of Fame track as one of the best and continues to lead the Bucs defense into contention. The 35-year-old, who is clearly better than Luke Kuechly, was excellent for fantasy, finishing as an incredible LB7. He rallied for 122 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 INT. That is big play delux, which SOMEHOW didn’t get him to even a Pro Bowl. Big plays aren’t new, as he’s averaged 4-8 every year of his career, but that many is a bit of an outlier. He’ll likely regress a bit, slotting in closer to a mid-range LB2.
CB: Devon Witherspoon 12 PPG, Jalen Ramsey 11 PPG
It’s been a stellar pair of years for the 2023 #5 overall pick from Illinois, who has turned in back-to-back top 10 cornerback seasons. Last year solidified his standing as a tackle machine, with his second straight season of over 79 tackles. (last year he had 98) The big plays took a step back from his rookie season, but we know it’s there. What will be interesting to watch is what his usage looks like with Nick Emmanwori in the fold. Will he lose slot snaps? Time will tell.
It’s been a wild career for Jalen Ramsey, who joins his 4th team in 9 years. The Steelers recently traded for his services, marking a rather unceremonious end to his tenure in Miami. He was not a fantasy factor with the Dolphins, posting a disappointing 10 PPG through 17 efforts. He still notched over 50 tackles, but over 17 games, there just wasn’t a ceiling to warrant startability. What is VERY encouraging is the early reports of Ramsey playing all over the defense, playing wide corner, slot and safety snaps. Ramsey has also been very productive during his time as the STAR in LA. I’m not ready to anoint him out of the opportunity options, but he should certainly be rostered.
S: Julian Love 14 PPG, Harrison Smith 13 PPG, Quan Martin 13 PPG (Jordan Fuller 10 PPG, Percy Butler 5 PPG)
It was another excellent campaign for Julian Love, who has developed into one of IDP’s most underrated assets. 2024 marked the third straight season of over 110 tackles, and he’s routinely provided 4-6 big plays annually to boot. Love will be one to watch in terms of his snap alignment with box safety delux Nick Emmanwori in town, but it’s unlikely he falls out of the top 20 options. Fire him up with confidence weekly.
Remarkably, Harrison Smith only posted two games with fewer than 10 points in 2024. That is just stupid for a 36-year-old safety. While his ceiling wasn’t exactly prime Smith, he’s still good for 80-90 tackles and a few big plays. We’ll see if he’ll continue to play 100% of snaps at his advanced age, but there’s no reason to expect regression at this point. Just ride him to S2 numbers til the wheels fall off.
Quan Martin ascended into a startable asset in 2024. Through full-time snaps, the free safety tallied 87 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and an INT. That was good for a S27 finis,h and he did so playing over 75% of his snaps at deep alignment. With Jeremy Chinn out of town, there are rumors Quan could be playing a bit more of a versatile role. Hopefully, that comes with more snaps near the line of scrimmage, which could mean a progression in his counting stats. He’s getting a small bump in PPG.
Off: Washington Commanders 14 PPG
PPG: 323
X-Factor: Finding solutions for the backend of the defense.
W-L: 7-10
Dean-0 has a compelling roster that will continue to keep him competitive. On offense, he’s built around the two Eagles superstars and has upside at QB in the mobile Kyler Murray. Defensively, it’s centered around the IDP superstar Foyesade, who should return to stardom after a reprieve in 2024. What needs to be strengthened is the back-end of both the offense and defense, which lacks the oomph to be competitive for a full 17. Injuries could really impact Dean as his depth isn’t present, especially at linebacker. As it stands, it’s going to be tough for him to recreate the magic of 2024, but if Barkley can be a 500-point player again, he’s going to win many games.
