3 Fantasy Football League Winners: QBs & TEs (2025)

Finding league-winning upside in your fantasy football draft is what separates contenders from champions. In a recent FantasyPros podcast, Ryan Wormeli was joined by Derek Brown (DBro) and Jake Ciely to break down the 2025 players they believe can tilt fantasy leagues. The crew organized their picks into tiers by draft range, from early-round anchors to late-round flyers with explosive upside.

Let’s dive into their top calls across every phase of the draft.

Fantasy Football League Winners to Draft

J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)

This was DBro’s boldest call of the episode: “J.J. McCarthy is going to be a QB1 this year. I have him top 10.” He cited the Kevin O’Connell system, which has churned out 4,000+ yard passers from Kirk Cousins, Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and even Sam Darnold.

McCarthy’s accuracy, mobility (projected 300+ rushing yards), and weapons, Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, all set him up to smash.

Ciely isn’t quite as high but sees the case. “The ceiling’s higher than Justin Herbert‘s,” he said. Even moderate improvement in McCarthy’s passing touchdowns would push him inside the top 12.

“J.J. McCarthy is going to be a QB1 this year. I have him top 10.” – Derek Brown

Trey McBride (TE – ARI)

McBride quietly posted elite usage in 2024 but didn’t cash in on touchdowns. He ranked second among tight ends in expected fantasy points per game, and if regression swings his way, he could be the TE1 overall. DBro calls him a “league-defining” player and said he’s building draft strategies around landing McBride in the second or third round.

Ciely is slightly more skeptical, pointing to Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s massive end-zone target share, but admits that if touchdowns swing McBride’s way, he could be “the guy.”

George Kittle (TE – SF)

While many are chasing Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, Ciely and DBro both make the case for George Kittle as a screaming value. “Last year’s TE1 in points per game is being drafted as the TE3. Why?” DBro asked. Kittle’s price is cheaper than McBride and Bowers, but his production might match or exceed them.

Ciely notes that with injuries to Pearsall and Aiyuk in flux, Kittle could lead this offense in targets again. “We know who the answer is. It’s staring us in the face,” he said.