Fantasy football players know that the type of scoring makes all the difference in which players they want to draft. In non-PPR leagues, fantasy players want to start running backs in their flex spots. Meanwhile, they want to start wide receivers in their flex spots in PPR leagues.
Furthermore, your league’s scoring type impacts which players you want to target in your fantasy football drafts. Some players are elite regardless of the scoring format, like Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, and Saquon Barkley. However, other players can be outstanding in one format and average in another.
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- 2025 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Players to Target in Non-PPR Fantasy Football Leagues
Let’s look at five players I’m targeting in non-PPR leagues but fading in PPR leagues this year.
Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
- 2024 Non-PPR Finish – RB2 | 18.7 Fantasy Points Per Game
- 2024 PPR Finish – RB4 | 19.8 Fantasy Points Per Game
While many thought Henry would finally show signs of decline last season. Instead, the future Hall of Famer had the best non-PPR fantasy year of his career, totaling 317.4 fantasy points. More importantly, the veteran had 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, setting the second-best marks of his career despite splitting the rushing workload with Lamar Jackson. Henry has never been a significant factor in the passing game. Yet, the superstar had a career-high two receiving touchdowns on only 22 targets in 2024.
Henry is a year older, but fantasy players have no reason to expect his production to fall off a cliff this season. While some will call for him to see touchdown regression, the superstar has been a scoring machine his entire career. However, he likely won’t average anywhere near the career-high 5.9 rushing yards per attempt from last year. Yet, Henry is a top-seven pick in non-PPR scoring leagues and a top-20 guy in PPR drafts.
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI)
- 2024 Non-PPR Finish – RB52 | 4.4 Fantasy Points Per Game
- 2024 PPR Finish – RB54 | 5.5 Fantasy Points Per Game
There wasn’t much fantasy players liked about the Bears’ backfield last season besides D’Andre Swift on the depth chart. The veteran had 253 rushing attempts, accounting for nearly 200 more than Johnson. Yet, both running backs had six rushing touchdowns. Furthermore, the former Texas star was the team’s preferred guy at the goal line. All six of Johnson’s rushing attempts from the one-yard line resulted in a touchdown. By comparison, Swift had two rushing touchdowns on his three attempts at the goal line.
Chicago hired Ben Johnson this offseason and significantly improved their offensive line. Furthermore, the team waited until the seventh round of the NFL Draft to add a running back. Therefore, fantasy players shouldn’t be surprised if Swift and Johnson turn into the Bears’ watered-down version of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. While the former Texas star likely has little value in PPR scoring this season, barring an injury to Swift, Johnson could be a touchdown-or-bust flex option in non-PPR leagues.
Mike Evans (WR – TB)
- 2024 Non-PPR Finish – WR7 | 11.9 Fantasy Points Per Game
- 2024 PPR Finish – WR14 | 17.2 Fantasy Points Per Game
Unfortunately, Evans missed three games last year with a hamstring injury. Yet, he was the WR4 on a points-per-game basis in non-PPR scoring after ranking fourth in the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns. However, the veteran wide receiver finished 28th in the league and 22nd among wide receivers in receptions (74). The future Hall of Famer has never been a high-catch player, totaling 79 or fewer receptions in nine of 11 seasons. By comparison, Evans has always been a high-touchdown producer.
The star wide receiver has averaged 9.6 receiving touchdowns per year in his career, totaling 11 or more six times, including back-to-back seasons. While fantasy players should draft Evans as a weekly starting wide receiver regardless of scoring format, the veteran is more valuable in a non-PPR league. The Buccaneers re-signed Chris Godwin and drafted Emeka Egbuka this offseason to pair with Jalen McMillan. While that will cut into his target volume, Evans should have double-digit receiving touchdowns for the third consecutive year.
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
- 2024 Non-PPR Finish – WR13 | 10.3 Fantasy Points Per Game
- 2024 PPR Finish – WR22 | 14.1 Fantasy Points Per Game
Last year, the Lions were the only team to have two wide receivers finish in the top 15 in non-PPR scoring. Amon-Ra St. Brown was the WR3, while Williams was the WR13. After dealing with injuries and suspensions over his first two seasons, the former Alabama star became one of the NFL’s top big-play wide receivers. He was one of 21 wide receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards last year. Yet, Williams ranked 42nd among wide receivers in receptions (58).
Furthermore, the star wide receiver had only eight more targets than Sam LaPorta last season. However, that won’t be the case in 2025. Head coach Dan Campbell has hyped up Williams all offseason, calling for him to have a breakout year. He had the second-highest yards per reception (17.3) among qualifying players last season. Williams could outscore St. Brown in non-PPR scoring this year with some touchdown luck. Yet, there is no chance of that happening in PPR scoring leagues, barring injury.
Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL)
- 2024 Non-PPR Finish – WR30 | 7.6 Fantasy Points Per Game
- 2024 PPR Finish – WR40 | 10.3 Fantasy Points Per Game
After struggling to stay healthy and earn consistent targets early in his career, Bateman had a breakout year in 2024. He set career highs in nearly every category, including targets (72) and receiving yards (756). More importantly, the veteran turned into a scoring machine, totaling nine receiving touchdowns on 45 receptions, the ninth-most in the NFL and eighth among wide receivers. By comparison, Bateman had four receiving touchdowns on 93 receptions in his career heading into last season.
While the Ravens added DeAndre Hopkins in free agency, the veteran is a threat to Mark Andrews’ touchdown production, not Bateman’s. Last year, only two of the former Minnesota star’s nine receiving touchdowns came in the green zone. By comparison, over half of Andrews’ receiving touchdowns came from 10 yards out or less. Baltimore will remain a run-first offense despite Lamar Jackson’s breakout as a passer. Unless he has significant touchdown regression, Bateman will have more fantasy value in non-PPR than in PPR leagues.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
