How do we really define the Fantasy MVP? Is it
Saquon Barkley, who delivers week-winning stat lines almost every Sunday? Or
Ja’Marr Chase, who finished as the overall WR1 despite being drafted behind several other wideouts? The truth is, probably neither. The real Fantasy MVP usually isn’t the top overall pick who performs exactly as expected, it’s the mid-to-late-round selection who smashes their ADP and turns into a difference-making, every-week starter. Or it’s the player who is drafted outside the top-10 of their position and finishes in the top-5.
Heading into 2025, let’s take a look at a few players who have that same profile.
How do we really define the Fantasy MVP? Is it
Saquon Barkley, who delivers week-winning stat lines almost every Sunday? Or
Ja’Marr Chase, who finished as the overall WR1 despite being drafted behind several other wideouts? The truth is, probably neither. The real Fantasy MVP usually isn’t the top overall pick who performs exactly as expected, it’s the mid-to-late-round selection who smashes their ADP and turns into a difference-making, every-week starter. Or it’s the player who is drafted outside the top-10 of their position and finishes in the top-5.
In 2024, we had
Bucky Irving, who was a borderline league-winner. Snagged off waivers or taken late in drafts, he keyed countless league-winning rosters by finishing as an RB1 despite entering the season outside the top 150 in ADP. That’s what makes a Fantasy MVP: accessibility. Unlike Barkley or Chase, who only one team in every league can roster, a player like Irving was available to everyone who had the foresight to grab him.
Heading into 2025, let’s take a look at a few players who have that same profile.
4 Fantasy Football MVP Candidates to Target
Jayden Daniels isn’t just a promising young quarterback, he is the Fantasy MVP in waiting. After an historic rookie season, Daniels is still somehow undervalued, being drafted as a top-5 QB when he should be the clear QB1 on every draft board. Daniels averaged an electrifying 21.5 fantasy points per game and finished as the QB5, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Still, what truly sets Daniels apart is his game-breaking rushing ability. No quarterback outside of
Lamar Jackson is more dangerous on the ground, and Daniels’s 52+ rushing yards per game prove it. Even more impressive, he completed 69% of his passes as a rookie, mastering the NFL passing game faster than most veterans. With
Brian Robinson Jr. traded, the entire Washington offense will revolve around Daniels. The opportunity and talent are perfectly aligned, so don’t miss out. Draft Daniels as your QB1, and watch him deliver a league-winning season.
If you want a running back who can single-handedly tilt your league, Chase Brown is your guy. The volume and environment are both in his favor: from Week 9 on last year, Brown took over as Cincinnati’s workhorse, commanding an impressive 18.8 carries and 4.75 catches per game. That’s elite opportunity, and the Bengals’ high-powered offense, driven by necessity thanks to their leaky defense, makes Brown’s upside nearly limitless. He averaged 17.3 half-PPR points per game in that span, finishing as the RB5. With zero competition for touches this offseason, Brown is locked in for 17-20 opportunities every game. He’s being drafted as the RB11, but that’s a steal as he has top-five, even league-winning, potential. Draft Brown with confidence and reap the rewards.
The only reason Travis Hunter is being drafted as the WR32 is because the fantasy community thinks he will be a part-time offensive player. I am projecting him for a 75% snap share, making him an elite target, and he has the potential to be a league-winner. Even if you don’t want to speculate on his playing time, Hunter is a generational athlete, and he is stepping into an offensive environment that should be much improved in 2025. Despite
Trevor Lawrence‘s struggles last season,
Brian Thomas was still a top-8 receiver. Jacksonville’s new HC, Liam Coen, made Tampa Bay’s offense one of the best for fantasy, particularly at the receiver position. Add it all up, and there is potential for Hunter to finish as a WR1. There aren’t many receivers going around ADP 75 that you can make that case for.
Warren, to me, is the easiest selection of this group. The tight end position is shallow so it wouldn’t take Warren much to standout, but he should be going higher than ADP 95. Warren is coming off a dominant college season, where he was heavily featured in the Penn State offense. He had an absurd 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, then tacked on 218 rushing yards and two scores for good measure. Indianapolis looks like they aren’t going to shy away from using him all over the formation and if he ends up getting some goal-line looks, we could be talking about a double-digit touchdown season. Add in the fact that
Daniel Jones locks on to his first read with regularity and Warren could be fed this year. With Shane Steichen fighting for his job, he will be doing everything he can to utilize every weapon the Colts have. If Indianapolis is even a league-average offense, Warren will be a huge part of it.
Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.
