In fantasy football, as in life, it can be hard to forgive. A common sentiment among fantasy managers is “I’m never drafting that guy again,” referring to a player who has let them down in the past. And I get it, I do. Watching an early-round pick sink your roster week after week or your favorite breakout candidate simply fail to break out is an incredibly frustrating experience. And didn’t Einstein say that doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?
But here’s the thing. Einstein didn’t say that, and last year’s results are not this year’s results. To err is human, and to forgive is even more so. Plus, betting on previously disappointing players is a great way to find some value in your draft. The key is picking out which former busts are primed to bounce back.
That is the goal of this article: To identify the previously disappointing players worth giving another chance to in your fantasy football drafts this year. Hopefully, this can also be a cathartic experience for those of you (myself included) who were saddled with these disappointments last year. Here we go.
In fantasy football, as in life, it can be hard to forgive. A common sentiment among fantasy managers is “I’m never drafting that guy again,” referring to a player who has let them down in the past. And I get it, I do. Watching an early-round pick sink your roster week after week or your favorite breakout candidate simply fail to break out is an incredibly frustrating experience. And didn’t Einstein say that doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?
But here’s the thing. Einstein didn’t say that, and last year’s results are not this year’s results. To err is human, and to forgive is even more so. Plus, betting on previously disappointing players is a great way to find some value in your draft. The key is picking out which former busts are primed to bounce back.
That is the goal of this article: To identify the previously disappointing players worth giving another chance to in your fantasy football drafts this year. Hopefully, this can also be a cathartic experience for those of you (myself included) who were saddled with these disappointments last year. Here we go.
Second-Chance Players for 2025 Fantasy Football
This isn’t Christian McCaffrey’s first second chance. After he played just 10 games combined in 2020 and 2021 for the Panthers, plenty of fantasy managers swore off the former All-Pro as “too injury-prone.” McCaffrey proceeded to be traded to the 49ers, stayed healthy for all 17 games and finished as the overall RB2. And that was just an appetizer, as he followed that season up with a monstrous 2023 that saw him outscore the next-best running back by over 100 half-PPR points.
Will history repeat itself in 2025? Maybe not. McCaffrey did just turn 29 years old, and the mysterious Achilles tendinitis that cost him most of 2024 could rear its ugly head again. On the other hand, McCaffrey returned from that issue before his season was ended by a PCL injury in Week 13. Two injuries aren’t better than one, but the timeline for recovering from a PCL injury is widely known and should leave McCaffrey ready to go for Week 1.
All indications out of San Francisco so far are that McCaffrey is fully healthy and back to his old self. If we do simply get the old McCaffrey back in this Kyle Shanahan offense (which has less competition now than it did before), getting him at the end of the first round will be a legitimately league-winning move. It’s not for the faint of heart, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take more often than not.
Honorable “Former First-Overall Fantasy Pick” Mention: Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
It’s a testament to how much hype Marvin Harrison Jr. generated as a prospect that his rookie stat line of 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns was widely considered a massive disappointment. His 116 targets still ranked 11th among rookie wide receivers since 2020, and the 10 names above him are a who’s who of the league’s best young receivers.
Now, I’m not saying that we should be drafting Harrison in the early second round again (or that that was ever a good idea to begin with). But his current average draft position (ADP) is in the late third round. Harrison does have plenty of risk at that price tag, but he also has incredible upside. We’re still talking about a 22-year-old second-year player, who was a generational prospect and the fourth-overall pick in the draft. When the receiver right after him in ADP is Terry McLaurin, that’s a bet worth taking.
Honorable “Year 2 WR Breakout” Mentions: Rome Odunze (WR – CHI) & Keon Coleman (WR – BUF)
While we’re talking about Harrison, we might as well talk about his quarterback. Thanks in no small part to hype over Harrison’s arrival, Kyler Murray was drafted as the QB8 in 2024. While he did eventually finish as the QB10 in total points, Murray ranked as just the QB12 in points per game and failed to meaningfully separate himself from the large pool of borderline QB1 options. His positional ADP has fallen just one slot to QB7, but his overall ADP has dropped by nearly two full rounds, from 66 last year to 89 this year.
That is a dip worth buying. At the end of the day, Murray’s combination of rushing ability and passing upside makes him a clear standout in this year’s loaded group of backend QB1s and high-end QB2s. This upside isn’t just theoretical, either, as Murray posted back-to-back top-five seasons in 2020 and 2021, the height of the quarterback scoring era. He has also already indicated he plans to run more this season, another year removed from the knee injury he suffered in 2022. Especially if Harrison takes a step forward, Murray has a shot to reemerge as an elite dual-threat fantasy quarterback. If not, his rushing ability still means his floor is higher than those of the pocket passers around (and in some cases, above) him in ADP.
Honorable “QB Who Used to be a Fantasy Stud” Mention: Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
I must admit that this pick isn’t as exciting as the first three players. Even at his peak, Michael Pittman Jr. was never more than a reliable backend WR2. Last year, he wasn’t anywhere close to that, finishing as the half-PPR WR43 despite playing in 16 games. But here’s the thing. Five weeks into last season, Pittman was tied for 20th among receivers with 36 targets. Those targets hadn’t turned into many fantasy points, but the blame for that lies at Anthony Richardson‘s feet (or arm, more accurately). After Week 5, it was announced that Pittman was headed for the injured reserve (IR) with a fractured back. Instead, the veteran receiver suited up in Week 6, and for the rest of the season, revealing after the year was over that he simply played through his literally broken back.
Now, Pittman is healthy heading into his age-27 season. Believe it or not, he ranks ninth in the league in targets over the last four seasons, even after last year’s relative dud. The Colts look poised to start Daniel Jones, who at least represents a massive accuracy upgrade from Richardson. Even if he doesn’t return to his old WR2 self, Pittman has demonstrated excellent target-earning ability, and volume is king in fantasy football. Given that he is priced down as the WR50 and outside the top 100 overall picks, drafting him is a low-risk way to potentially add a solid weekly player to your roster.
Honorable “Maybe They Were Just Hurt” Mentions: Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC) & Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
