Coach: Mike Macdonald 5 PPG
QB: Justin Herbert 26 PPG (Justin Fields 25 PPG)
Justin Herbert has all the talent in the world to post MVP-level numbers, but the offensive scheme he finds himself in will likely restrict him from truly elite numbers. Last year was the Greg Roman special, with a top-16 QB season averaging 25 PPG. Herbert finished with 3870 passing yards (9th), 504 attempts (13th), 332 completions (13th), and 23 passing TDs (12th). He thankfully chipped in 306 rushing yards, which keeps him in the starting conversation. If there was any possibility with a potential pivot to a more pass-heavy offense, that was flown out the window, with the Chargers selecting Omarion Hampton in the 1st round and signing former 1st rounder Najee Harris. Herbs should continue to be efficient with his touches, but can’t be relied upon any longer as an elite fantasy option.
RB/WR/TE: Ashton Jeanty 23 PPG, Jaxon Smith-Njigba 20 PPG, Davante Adams 19 PPG, Jordan Addison 16 PPG, Evan Engram 15 PPG 6th men: Tyrone Tracy 15 PPG, TreVeyon Henderson 14 PPG, Jonnu Smith 14 PPG, Jarquez Hunter 6 PPG, Keaton Mitchell 10 PPG, Dyami Brown 8 PPG, Rome Odunze 13 PPG, Don’t’e Thornton 7 PPG
It’s generally tough to project rookies, as we don’t have much to go off of. However, Jeanty fits the bill of one of the best chances for instant production we’ve seen in IFL history. He joins a prestigious group of running backs selected #1 overall. (Zeke, 4Net, Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Najee, Breece, and Bijan). Seven out of eight have performed reasonably well, and even CEH provided his fantasy owners with at least one startable season. Jeanty will be the focal point of a run-centric offense, as Pete Carroll loves himself a physical, workhorse back. It’s a part of his team’s identity, hence the Raiders investing so heavily in the draft. Jeanty is a do-it-all back who was in the conversation to break Barry Sanders’ rushing record for much of the year. He’s going to be an absolute superstar at the next level and will more likely than not be in the top 5 RB/WR/TE conversation sooner rather than later. For now, he’s only getting a fringe top 10 projection. (oh darn)
It took a hot minute for startability, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is firmly in the startable options heading into 2025. He flirted with some big games and target shares through the first half of the year, but once he went for 7 receptions, 180 yards, and 2 TDs against the Rams, the passing game flowed through him. Their offseason moves reflected a commitment to JSN, as they parted ways with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Even starting the year as a tertiary option, he completed the season with 100 receptions (9th), 1,130 receiving yards (12th), and 6 TDs (tied for 35th). There’s optimism that those TD numbers go up as the primary option, but he had a reasonable 15 redzone looks in the old offensive scheme. As it stands, he’s one of the premier options for the receiving game in the IFL and a must start on a weekly basis.
Time rolls on, but Davante Adams still produces elite receiving numbers. Forging his reputation with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, he’s oddly now three stops post his original home. He joins another veteran QB who is on the 18th hole of his career, Matthew Stafford, who must be downright giddy that he gets to play with the future Hall of Famer. The Rams expect Adams to slide into the high-target role Cooper Kupp vacated, although it won’t be a 1-1 replacement. One thing that has always benefited Adams’ fantasy value is his redzone prowess, as he’s wrangled over 8 receiving TDs in 8 of the last 9 years. With the Rams, he’ll continue to be a quality #3 option for a championship team, so long as there’s no decline of play snags from either Stafford or Adams.
It took two long years, but we finally received news on Jordan Addison’s substance abuse policy violation stemming from a DUI. That’ll cost his GMs 5 games of our season. Addison is one of the most prolific secondary options and has rounded into a quality back-end option. Through 15 games, Addison concluded with 94 targets (43rd), 63 catches (46th), 875 yards (35th), and 9 receiving TDs (tied for 9th). He made the most of his redzone looks, which ranked 13th in the NFL with 17 targets inside the 20. Across the projection landscape, you’ll see regression projections for Addison, but I’m not expecting a steep drop off with that type of redzone usage. He can continue to be within the 6-9 TD range with those redzone looks. He’ll continue to be a #4 RB/WR/TE so long as JJ McCarthy can function the offense.
I’m so f$cking tired of hearing the word Joker when it comes to Sean Payton’s offense. Evan Engram is now their Joker, I guess, the do-it-all offensive playmaker who will be featured in their offense. Or maybe it’ll be RJ Harvey. Or Pat Bryant. Bleh. Anyway, Engram revitalized his career in Jacksonville, where he occasionally was their primary option in the passing game. 2023 saw him catch 114 targets and hit 963 yards, so a 300+ point season is within reach. 2024 saw him miss half the year with hamstring and shoulder surgery, and he was subsequently released by the Jags in March. I’m a bit skeptical about what his role will be in this offense. Perhaps he can be a secondary option in the passing game, but he’s never been a red-zone weapon (6 TDs in his rookie year was his career high). I’d bet he’ll be a stable #5 when healthy.
PK: Chris Boswell 10 PPG
PN: Jack Fox 10 PPG
DT: Zach Allen 18 PPG, Leonard Williams 16 PPG (Byron Murphy 11 PPG)
I bet without looking, you wouldn’t have guessed that Zach Allen finished 2nd in pressures in 2024. Even with missing one game, he finished ahead of many of the game’s elite pass rushers. Granted, some of the best names, Parsons, Bosa, and Crosby missed time, but this is notable nonetheless. Allen only notched 8.5 sacks on his 47 pressures, which is a fantastic sign that there is still plenty of meat on the bone here. Allen is a dark horse to finish as the overall DT1, especially if he gets off to a strong start again, as he did in 2024. The Broncos seem to think he’s elite as well, recently signing him to the third-highest interior defender contract in the NFL.
It was a career year for Leonard Williams, who put it all together for the Seahawks. They desperately needed his presence, too, as the defensive line went through their annual injury soap opera. Not big Leo tho, who only missed one game, while tallying 64 tackles, 11 sacks, 1 INT, and a TD. That was good for DT1 numbers, which were surprising given his career numbers. Williams has done this before, notably in 2020 with New York, but he has primarily been a low-end DT1. In 2023, he finished with similar tackle numbers, with only 5 sacks. This projection has him finishing with between 11 and 5 sacks, ranking him as a top 10 option.
A lot different than your motley crew of DTs last year
DE: Trey Hendrickson 17 PPG, Bradley Chubb 15 PPG (Nolan Smith 14 PPG, Chop Robinson 11 PPG)
We finally received clarity on the Trey Hendrickson situation. He’s staying in Cincy! Who would have thought Hend-0 would be staying put while Parsons was the one traded? Anywho, Hendrickson incredibly posted back-to-back 17-sack seasons and has eclipsed 13 sacks in four of the past five years. He was far and away the most prolific pass rusher in the NFL with 54 pressures, 7 more than second place (Zach Allen). His profile has always made me a bit scared of regression, as his tackle numbers sit between 40 and 50. For at least one more year, he slots in as a mid-range EDGE1.
It was only two years ago that Bradley Chubb was a top-20 pass rusher, finishing with 11 sacks, 6(!) forced fumbles, and 73 total tackles. He was a 21.6 PPG player, and all was right with the world. Sadly, he tore his ACL at the tail of the season and couldn’t get right in 2024. So what’s left in the tank for the 29-year-old? Can he reclaim the prestige of being the 2018 5th overall pick? Or will he slowly fade away on a descending Miami squad? Somewhere in the middle, if I had to bet. The Dolphins will likely ease him into full-time action as they have three capable EDGE rushers in Chubb, Phillips, and 2nd year pro Chop Robinson. If Chubb can be a startable, top 25 player, I think his owners should be pleased. Obviously, the upside is much higher, but for now, he’s an EDGE2.
LB: Logan Wilson 19 PPG, Edgerrin Cooper 18 PPG, Lavonte David 17 PPG (Christian Rozeboom 15 PPG, SirVocea Denis 14 PPG)
Logan Wilson was having another typical, quality season before a knee injury pumped the breaks in week 11. The 2020 3rd round pick out of Wyoming has been the mainstay in Cincinnati’s defense since 2021, and has been the linebacker they’ve elected to build around through the decade. Now 29, Wilson will be expected to lead the unit through a defensive transition and continue to be a tackle-eater. He routinely put up top 20 tackle numbers, and there’s no reason to expect anything different.
See player, hit player. That is Edge Coopers’ motto, for better or worse. His athleticism is exceptional for the position, and the Packers are in the process of developing the potential superstar. Toward the end of last year, the light came on for the 2nd rounder from Texas A&M, finishing the fantasy season with 3 games over 20 points. Despite missing three games, he compiled 87 tackles, 1 FF, 1 INT, and 3 sacks. The Packers want to put Cooper in a position to make plays while minimizing his weaknesses, which can arise in coverage. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a Devin White early career arc and year 2 should be the year he joins the upper tier of backers.
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: Byron Murphy 12 PPG, Jaycee Horn 11 PPG (Tarheeb Still 11 PPG)
It was another stellar season for Byron Murphy, who continues to be near the top of the corner rankings in Minnesota. He’s sticking around through 2027, after inking a new deal. Byron plays about a third of his snaps in the slot and is a tackle machine in Brian Flores’ defense. He notched 81 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 6 INTs, and 14 PDs, good for a CB3 finish. The INTs will be hard to replicate, but the rest is manageable. He’s a must-start.
Jaycee Horn finally played a full case of games, and we saw what he was fully capable of. He finishes as the CB12, despite missing the final game of our season. (week 17). He tallied 68 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, and 13 PDs. The Panthers’ defense was absolutely atrocious and didn’t have many tackle eaters around him like they have in years past. With Derrick Brown and decent linebacker play around him, he should return back into an opportunity option as a boundary corner. Still, it’s possible he keeps his high tackle trend alive, so he’s certainly worth rostering to find out.
S: Nick Cross 16 PPG, Brandon Jones 16 PPG, Trevon Moehrig 15 PPG (Tyler Nubin 15 PPG, Craig Woodson 11 PPG)
Nick Cross went supernova for IDP last year. It was one of the most surprising IDP seasons, certainly for the safety position. The soon-to-be 4th-year player totaled 146 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 3 INTs, and 1 sack. He finished as the S2, ahead of guys like Brian Branch and Jessie Bates. A new scheme is coming into town for Indy. Even if it were the same scheme, Cross would be due for a regression; however, this makes the situation even more precarious. Still, he’s slated for a box safety role and has clearly shown he is a physical player capable of impacting the game in all phases. If he does it again, he’ll climb up dynasty safety boards after struggling over his first two seasons.
It was an incredible tackle-laden season for Brandon Jones, who has showcased a prowess for such seasons since he got his start as a box safety delux in Miami. In 16 games, he totaled 114 total tackles, 1 FF, 3 INTs, and 10 PDs, finishing the year as the overall S4. Two things stick out a bit to a regression. One, Alex Singleton is returning, who is a tackle eater in his own right. The other is his usage, which sees him play a free safety alignment for the majority of his snaps. Jones is still a top 16 option, more likely than not.
Trevon Moehrig signed a massive deal to become a pillar of the new-look Panthers defense, one that was historically bad in 2024. He was irrelevant for IDP through two years in Las Vegas, playing deep center field and not compiling enough tackles to be anything more than waiver wire fodder. That changed in 2023, playing more as a hybrid safety, trending up to totaling over 100 tackles over his last season. There are questions about what Trevon will be tasked with doing in Carolina, but he can be a versatile defender. Depending on who wins the spot opposite of him can determine his usage a bit, but for now, he’s slotted as a top 20 safety.
Off: Denver Broncos 12 PPG
PPG: 346
X-Factor: Knowing what moves need to be made in-season to make the push.
X-L: 12-5
Incredibly, Blake has rebuilt the Panthers in just two years, which has a very rich history, back into a contender. Offensively, there is young, multi-year star power opening his championship window in Ashton Jeanty and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Defensively, Blake WENT TO WORK through offseason trades, bringing in Leonard Williams, Zach Allen, Trey Hendrickson, Christian Rozeboom, Lavonte David, Tyler Nubin, Brandon Jones, and Trevon Moehrig. The next step for Blake will be to determine what moves will be needed in the season to compete by December. It’s snagged up many new contenders in years past, and that will be the x-factor for his 2025 season. Exciting times!
