Fantasy football continues to evolve with all kinds of different rules and scoring systems that vary from league to league. Most formats reward individual points for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and even kickers, based on their on-field production, while devaluing nearly two-thirds of the game and lumping defense/special teams into a single unit.
Although there are IDP (individual defensive player) leagues, which, as the name suggests, reward individual points for defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs, kick returners and punt returners are still grouped together, providing little to no value to your roster unless they find the end zone.
My favorite way to address this issue is by adding points for return yards, allowing players to score based on their contribution on special teams. Players who are only returners will still typically not be rostered; however, returners who also have an offensive role receive a significant boost by adding another way to score. Below are three such players to target.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Return Yards Targets
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
Tyreek Hill was one of the bigger disappointments in fantasy last season, coming off a career-best 2023 campaign and often selected as a top-three pick. He picked off right where he left off in Week 1, catching seven passes on 12 targets for 130 yards and a score, almost single-handedly erasing a 14-point deficit and leading the Dolphins to a come-from-behind victory against the Jaguars.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse after the opener, with Miami losing six of its next seven games, including three out of four without Tua Tagovailoa, who was placed on injured reserve (IR) after suffering his third concussion since entering the league in Week 2.
At the same time, Hill’s production plummeted and did not get much better with Tagovailoa back in the lineup, finishing as a WR3 or worse in 13 out of the last 16 (81.3%) games, exceeding 80 yards only three times during that span. He had been dealing with a wrist injury that required surgery this offseason, but looks to have made a full recovery and is set up for a bounce-back campaign.
Assuming Hill is still on the team, the departure of Jonnu Smith goes a long way in elevating his floor and ceiling, locked in as the clear No. 1 option of the offense. Since being traded from Kansas City, Hill has played 30 games, including the playoffs, with Tagovailoa active and without Smith. His averages in that split:
- 10.5 targets
- 7.3 receptions
- 0.7 touchdowns
- 22.5 PPR points
Although his contribution on special teams has been minimal under Mike McDaniel, it’s easy to forget Hill led the league in yards per punt return in 2016 (15.2) and 2018 (27.4), receiving first-team All-Pro honors and making the Pro Bowl as a returner before transitioning to a full-time wide receiver as a rookie.
Even with a compromised wrist, Hill returned three punts last season, which could increase with a full bill of health. It’s also worth noting that Braxton Berrios is no longer on the team, who led the Dolphins in both kick returns (21) and punt returns (30) over the last two seasons.
Rashid Shaheed (WR – NO)
Rashid Shaheed appeared in only six games before tearing his meniscus that would require surgery and ultimately end his season, but he was phenomenal when he was on the field, quietly overtaking Chris Olave as the No. 1 WR in New Orleans, leading the team in route participation rate (88.6%), targets (41), target share (22.0%), receiving yards (349) and receiving touchdowns (three). He did this despite getting most of his looks downfield, posting a league-high 50.3% air yard share in Weeks 1-6.
With Derek Carr under center, Shaheed found the end zone and finished as a top-15 receiver in three out of five (60%) games, averaging 3.8 receptions on 6.8 targets for 67.6 yards during that span. He caught one pass for 11 scoreless yards in Spencer Rattler‘s first career NFL start, but still saw seven targets despite playing through a knee injury that would ultimately require a full repair.
Fortunately, Shaheed’s surgery was early enough to make a full recovery before training camp. Per Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak, he has bulked up by adding 10 pounds of muscle, set to take on a larger role in the offense. Although the quarterback situation is less than ideal, featuring a three-headed competition between the aforementioned Rattler, Jake Haener and second-round rookie Tyler Shough, the risk is more than baked into Shaheed’s 12th round average draft position (ADP), currently being selected outside the top 140 picks.
Shaheed is one of the better deep threats in the league with the ability to win you a week on a single play, averaging 17.5 yards per reception last season, finishing third among all players with 20+ targets in average depth of target (aDOT) with a mark of 17.6. The offense isn’t exciting, but the addition of new head coach Kellen Moore should at least improve the situation, ranking top four in pace (seconds per play) in five out of six seasons as an offensive coordinator and yet to average fewer than 65 plays per game.
Shaheed added to his route tree and developed into a full-time receiver this past season, but he maintained his role as the primary returner, handling six kickoffs and nine punts through six games. Even in a limited sample, Shaheed did enough to make his first career Pro Bowl as a return specialist last season, leading the NFL in yards per punt return (15.9).
It’s easy to forget that although Shaheed was signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) in 2022, he was a prolific returner at Weber State, setting a school record in yards per punt return (29.9) and returning seven kickoffs for a touchdown, the most by any player in FCS history.
Marvin Mims Jr. (WR – DEN)
Marvin Mims Jr. opened the season in the same part-time role he had as a rookie, primarily used as a gadget player with schemed-up touches. He was held to fewer than 20 receiving yards and finished outside the top 50 among wideouts in each of the first 10 games, playing on only 20.3% of Denver’s offensive snaps and running a route on 22.4% of Bo Nix‘s dropbacks in Weeks 1-10.
However, Mims ended the regular season strong, scoring six touchdowns over his last seven games, averaging four receptions on 4.7 targets for 62 yards during that stretch. As a result, Mims started to earn more playing time, posting a season-high 62.7% snap share and 64% route participation rate in the Wild Card round. Although he was quiet in his playoff debut, catching two passes for 12 scoreless yards, Mims saw six opportunities against the Bills, trailing Courtland Sutton (36%) for second on the team in target share (16%).
If his usage holds, Mims could be in line for a huge year three breakout, after already being one of the most efficient players in the league this past season, finishing second in the NFL in fantasy points per route run (0.72 PPR points). The Broncos are deep at receiver, spending another Day 2 pick on Pat Bryant (No. 74) in the third round of the 2025 draft, but Mims looks to be locked in as the No. 2 WR based on his preseason usage, playing on 16 out of 19 snaps (84.2%) with Nix and the starters.
Mim’s offensive production may be sporadic week to week, but his contribution on special teams helps elevate his floor and ceiling in points per return formats. There aren’t many players as lethal and dynamic as Mims with the ball in their hands, especially in the open field, scoring his first career NFL touchdown on a 99-yard house call against Miami and finishing second, behind Rashid Shaheed (15.9) in yards per punt return last season (15.7).
At only 23 years old, Mims put himself in elite company, making back-to-back Pro Bowls as a returner and joining Von Miller as the only other player in franchise history to be named an All-Pro in each of their first two seasons.
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