It seems but mere moments ago that I was knee-deep in NFL Draft coverage, waiting with baited breath to see which rookies would land in ideal scenarios for them to blossom. I’ve blinked twice, and somehow it is already July, which means the bulk of us will be drafting in home leagues within short order. I know that I am not alone in feeling like 2025 has been a total whirlwind, and the vast majority of last season’s fantasy football season (and accompanying statistics) have been locked away in the recesses of my mind.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Bounce-Back Fantasy Football Quarterback Targets
From the quarterback position, here is a quick recap of what you may have forgotten from 2024.
- Lamar Jackson finished as the QB1, throwing for a career-high 41 passing touchdowns and 4,172 yards. His final fantasy point total (434.4) represented the highest total at the position since FantasyPros began keeping track in 2002.
- Rookies Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix finished fifth and seventh, respectively, at the position, with Caleb Williams (16th) and Drake Maye (23rd) rounding out their class.
- Baker Mayfield continued his career resurgence by ending up as the QB4, with 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. This was essentially without Chris Godwin all year, and a hobbled Mike Evans.
- Patrick Mahomes finished outside the top 10 at the position for the first time since becoming a starter in 2018. This included career-lows in yards per attempt (6.8), passing yards (3,928) and touchdowns (26).
- In 15 starts, Brock Purdy ended up as the QB15 for 2024, despite San Francisco’s receiving corps being the equivalent of The Walking Dead. No receiving option on the 49ers caught more than 78 passes, with George Kittle being the only player to break 1,000 receiving yards. Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall all missed significant time dealing with injuries.
- No quarterback was sacked more often or dealt with more pressure than Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who finished last year with an astounding 68 sacks. The next closest total was C.J. Stroud with 52.
- Jalen Hurts (14) and Josh Allen (12) led all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns, followed by Jayden Daniels, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson with six.
- Joe Burrow led the league in passing touchdowns (43), passing yards (4,918) attempts (652), and completions (460).
Hopefully, these tidbits jogged your memory somewhat. Now we must turn to the present and wonder: How will 2025 be any different? Which quarterbacks are primed for a bounce-back campaign after failing to live up to expectations last year? What variables or factors will figure into their resurgent efforts?
Quarterbacks to Draft
Here are a few quarterbacks I’m keeping an eye on to improve in 2025, including several that represent a significant value at their current average draft position (ADP) marks.
C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU)
C.J. Stroud was a revelation in his 2023 rookie season, finishing as the QB11 with over 4,100 passing yards and a sparkling 23:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Pegged as one of the next big things at the position, expectations were sky-high heading into last year. Unfortunately, Houston’s offensive line was an utter sieve that provided Stroud little to no time to throw within the pocket, and injuries decimated his wide receiver corps.
Nico Collins missed Weeks 6-10 with a hamstring issue and was never able to recover fully. Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and Tank Dell suffered a similar fate in Week 16. Stuck with a rotating cast of backup options, Stroud finished as the QB18, a bitter disappointment to his fantasy managers who were counting on more production.
Thankfully, we can put last season behind us and flip the page. Houston completely revamped their offensive line during free agency, signing tackles Trent Brown and Cam Robinson, while also shoring up the interior guard positions with Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson. Additionally, the Texans drafted Aireontae Ersery from the University of Minnesota with a second-round selection, providing them much-needed depth and a swing option. Houston made it a priority to protect Stroud and spent handsomely to do so.
With Dell expected to miss all of 2025 while recovering and veteran Diggs heading to New England on a multi-year deal in March, Houston double-dipped from Iowa State in the draft, selecting Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Higgins is a size-speed marvel at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, with an 80-inch wingspan. He offers Stroud another large target opposite Collins as a downfield threat. His counterpart, Noel, is a smaller-stature slot option capable of moving the chains when passes are thrown his way, in addition to contributing on special teams as a returner.
Both rookies will complement additions Christian Kirk and Justin Watson, forming one of the most well-balanced and deep receiver rooms in the NFL. Stroud will have a field day picking apart opposing defenses when working out of a spread formation, and stands to benefit strongly from the healthy return of alpha-option Collins, who has been a top-10 fantasy receiver on a points per game (PPG) basis since 2023.
Brock Purdy (QB – SF)
As indicated above, 2024 was a disaster for San Francisco, primarily because they continually dealt with a crippling number of injuries at key positions all over the field. Despite the overwhelming odds and stacked deck against him, Brock Purdy still finished last year with a respectable line, passing for nearly 3,900 yards in just 15 starts.
Additionally, Purdy flashed upside as a scrambling option, more than doubling his total from the prior year, finishing with 323 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Though he will never be within the same tier as Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts in this regard, his ability as a runner will need to be respected by opposing defenses moving forward.
Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings all enter 2025 fully healthy, providing Purdy with a solid group of receiving threats at all levels of the field.
The healthy return of McCaffrey alone changes the entire dynamic of this offense, instantly making them more explosive in all aspects. Fantasy managers may suffer from the “once bitten, twice shy” syndrome during drafts when it comes to McCaffrey, but would do well to remember he was healthy in both prior seasons (2022-23). When on the field, he is a featured back capable of elite numbers. There are only a handful of players in the NFL who can rival his ability as a dual-threat.
Jennings and Pearsall will step into a more prominent role in 2025, after the departure of Deebo Samuel to Washington and Brandon Aiyuk starting the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list while recovering from his ACL tear. Jennings proved in 2024 that he can handle the spotlight after essentially serving as a depth player for the prior three seasons in San Francisco. A jack-of-all-trades option capable of being a Swiss Army knife for head coach Kyle Shanahan, Jennings offers Purdy a solid set of hands that can work any route.
Pearsall missed the start of 2024 recovering from a gunshot wound to his chest, but flashed in the final two weeks, catching 14 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona and Detroit. Selected as the 31st overall pick in the 2024 draft, Pearsall has the pedigree to become a fundamental factor in this offense, even with all of the mouths to feed.
Little needs to be said about Kittle. He has been a top-four option at the tight end position in fantasy in six of the past seven seasons and was the TE1 last year. A yards after the catch (YAC) monster who invites contact and is an exceptional blocker, Kittle does not appear to be slowing down at all, even though he enters the season at 31 years old. He represents the most stable option in this passing game and has an outstanding rapport with Purdy.
Provided that this receiving core stays healthy for 2025, Purdy is in a prime spot for a bounce-back season and should finish the year as a mid-tier QB1. Fantasy managers can currently acquire his services at a discount, largely based on his tough-luck 2024.
Caleb Williams (QB – CHI)
The top selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams essentially took a backseat to counterparts Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels in fantasy last year, due to matters that were primarily out of his control. A turnstile offensive line and horrific play-calling under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron crippled Williams’ upside, causing many to forget how explosive and exceptional he was at USC.
Thankfully, the leading causes of Williams’ failure in 2024 have been rectified, as the Bears brought in the top coaching candidate of the offseason in former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, coupled with Chicago significantly upgrading its offensive front.
Johnson is known for being a creative mastermind capable of pushing the ball downfield. During his tenure in Detroit from 2022-24, the Lions ranked third in yards per play (6.0), first in passing yards per game (258), fifth in rushing yards per game (136.8) and first in red-zone touchdown percentage (66.7), according to CBS Sports. Johnson’s presence will instantly elevate Williams’ game, and I have complete confidence he will design a playbook capable of utilizing his strengths as a rushing threat and play-action passer.
Johnson made an immediate impact during Chicago’s draft, selecting stud tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan and shifty wideout Luther Burden III from Missouri with the team’s first two selections. When one factors in DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet into the mix, Williams has one of the most well-rounded casts of weapons in the NFL at his disposal.
The Bears traded for offensive guards Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams and Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs, then inked center Drew Dalman to a multi-year deal during free agency. These veterans will provide a much-needed anchor up the middle for Williams to play behind, allowing him time to develop plays. Additionally, the team drafted Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round, giving them a road grater capable of generating massive holes in the running game. Chicago’s offensive line play last season was atrocious (by far the worst in the league), and these additions will go a long way towards prolonging Williams’ career.
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