PPR Rankings

Chase scored 403 PPR points last season, the fourth most ever by a wide receiver, and became the fifth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to win a receiving triple crown. In non-fantasy terms, he's been close to infallible since Cincinnati picked him fifth overall in 2021, grading out as elite in terms of speed (4.34 40), leaping (41-inch vertical), route-running and after-catch skills (6.2 career YAC average) -- all while sporting a denser-than-usual build (6-0, 201) for a wide receiver. He's never averaged less than 16.4 PPR points, yet there arguably was a slight element of disappointment for fantasy before last season, as he'd been unable to maintain the frequency of big plays from 2021 (eight TDs of 30+ yards) once the Bengals started feeding him a steady diet of short targets in 2022 and 2023. It was only a matter of time before he combined both elements in a single season, although the extent to which that was true last year may not have been predicted even by Chase himself. He now enters his age-25 season as the popular No. 1 overall fantasy pick, with a near-perfect setup for continued production after he and running mate Tee Higgins finally joined QB Joe Burrow in signing long-term extensions with the Bengals. The nature of Chase's 2024 production was such that he can lose 15-20 percent of it in 2025 and still be a successful No. 1 pick, giving him plenty of leeway for regression when it comes to stuff like touchdowns (17 last year) or team pass volume (38.4 attempts per game).

Much like Christian McCaffrey going from Carolina to San Francisco or Derrick Henry swapping Tennessee for Baltimore, the switch from the Giants to the Eagles made a huge difference in Barkley's output. Barkley has always been a high-volume running back who draws heavy workloads from scrimmage, but with the Giants their poor overall offense tended to fall hard on Barkley, limiting his efficiency as a result. As it turns out, Barkley is a lot harder to tackle when he has an elite offensive line and dangerous passing game giving the defense something additional to worry about. Barkley's rushing average jumped from 3.9 in his last year with the Giants to 5.8 yards per carry in 2024. The jump was propelled by a sharp increase in big plays, as Barkley's carries of 20-plus and 40-plus yards respectively rose from seven and zero in 2023 to 17 and seven last year. It's likely not sustainable for Barkley to average a 40-plus carry every two or three weeks like he did in his first season with Philadelphia, but the conditions that made him so productive remain intact, as it will always be profoundly difficult for defenses to show a proper amount of respect to both Barkley and the Philadelphia wide receivers at the same time.

Robinson was a rock in 2024 and demonstrated league-leading fantasy upside, crossing the rare combined threshold of 300 carries and 60 receptions and at plus efficiency both as a runner and receiver. That he accomplished this even in a somewhat dysfunctional Atlanta offense makes it worth pondering what Robinson might do if the Falcons offense were to improve, but even if things don't get better with Michael Penix at quarterback, Robinson already demonstrated in 2024 that he doesn't need good luck to compete for the RB1 distinction in fantasy. Robinson has produced with uncommon efficiency and elusiveness from scrimmage despite facing crowded boxes, pushing for 5.0 yards per carry despite posting just five carries of more than 20 yards. Robinson has yet to log a 40-yard carry in the NFL, too -- a trend that seems unlikely to persist given the abundance of other explosive indicators in his production. Robinson has the speed to split the safeties (4.46-second 40-yard dash), so the fact that he hasn't yet seems like a stat unlikely to hold much longer. It appears that Robinson's usage volume from 2024 is likely locked in, so if he can add just a few more big plays on that volume it would give Robinson a shot to emerge as the top overall fantasy asset in a given year.

Gibbs' rookie season was already excellent and set him up for higher expectations yet in 2024, yet it's probably safe to say Gibbs exceeded those expectations. Gibbs held up for all 17 games despite taking on a significantly bigger workload than his rookie season, including a three-game span in the fantasy playoffs where Gibbs took on a workhorse role while David Montgomery (knee) sat out. It's true that Gibbs wouldn't have had quite as many touches in 2024 if not for Montgomery's injury, and in general the Lions probably would prefer to not overwork Gibbs, but Gibbs was so dominant in those games that it might leave Detroit tempted to give Gibbs a bigger workload even when Montgomery is healthy. As much as Gibbs' carry count might decline if Montgomery stays healthy, it's worth remembering that (A) Gibbs will likely always be among the league leaders in yards and touchdowns per carry, slightly offsetting any volume limitations and (B) Gibbs showed a new level of pass-catching upside in 2024 and might push for 60-plus catches after logging 52 in both of his NFL seasons. At the very least, Gibbs otherwise showed that he can become a rare category of fantasy asset in the event that Montgomery misses any further time.

Kirk Cousins' departure from Minnesota last offseason dropped Jefferson from his familiar perch as an early first-round fantasy pick, leaving him as more of a mid-Round-1 guy amidst concerns about Vikings QBs Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. It ended up being good value, with an average of 18.7 PPR points representing Jefferson's lowest mark since his 2020 rookie season and yet still enough to finish second among WRs in total points and fourth in points per game. There seems to be less concern about a new QB this time around, after Jefferson and Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell coaxed 35 TD passes out of Darnold. We don't yet know if McCarthy, last year's 10th overall pick, will end up being an upgrade, a downgrade or about the same as Darnold, but it's safe to say the 22-year-old's statistics will look better than the reality of his performance. O'Connell not only likes to chuck the ball around but also is among the best at scheming it up, and the Vikings have talented ancillary pass catchers (WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson) to take some of the heat off Jefferson without truly threatening his volume. If Jefferson goes in the middle part of Round 1 rather than the early part this year, it's seemingly a matter of optimism regarding RBs Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs more so than fears about McCarthy. Early ADP feedback has Jefferson safely in the WR2 spot, behind only Ja'Marr Chase.