Yo-ho, all together, hoist the colours high; it’s flag planting time. I may be corrected, but I believe that the sea shanty was originally about fantasy football. We all know August is where we put our takes to the test and stand on business. I’ve been following the camp hype diligently and writing player takes all offseason, and these are my must-draft players.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Must-Have Players
Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB)
I would tell you to buckle up, but if you haven’t done that already, you’ve likely been thrown aside by the hype train. I’m not usually one to self-praise, however, with the amount of positive buzz lately, I want to show you the proof of purchase for my hype train ticket. On July 29th, I wrote a feature on FantasyPros discussing 18 Receivers with league-winning upside going outside of the top 30 at the position. Of the 15 experts, three picked Rome Odunze, three selected Jaylen Waddle and four selected Calvin Ridley. I say this because I was the only person to choose Emeka Egbuka, and I’m not leaving the hype train.
At this point, there have been plenty of reports discussing how amazing Egbuka has looked in camp. What originally caught my attention was hearing both Baker Mayfield and head coach Todd Bowles go on seemingly irrelevant tangents praising Egbuka. There is a lot of coachspeak that should be taken with a grain of salt, but when people go out of their way to say something positive, it’s worth taking notice. Plus, Mayfield is quoted as saying, “Egbuka is an absolute stud. He’s the real deal.” Mr Mayfield, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Where did all of this positive buzz come from? If these reports have come as a surprise, we need to revisit Egbuka’s prospect profile. Egbuka was a five-star recruit out of high school and was a top-10 overall prospect nationally at that time. In his second season at Ohio State University, he was selected for the All-Big Ten second-team and ranked ninth in the FBS with 1,151 receiving yards (74 receptions, 15.6 yards per reception, 10 receiving touchdowns). His ability continued to grow steadily over the next two seasons, leading the team in receptions in 2024. He was also selected as a team captain last season, when they went on to dominate their way to becoming National Champions.
With this kind of resume, it may be surprising that the fantasy community wasn’t on him earlier. Despite being selected with the 19th overall pick this year, his lack of flashy plays and limited athletic ability left the fantasy community relatively unfazed. With that in mind, does this remind you of anyone last year?
If you said Ladd McConkey, then you nailed it. Another receiver who is a quality player all around, but thrives on the less “sexy” route running and overall ability. That doesn’t get nearly the attention of highlight reel plays. If you put this in the Bucs offense, this should also sound eerily similar to Chris Godwin.
Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle in October last year. Unfortunately, reports indicate there has been some sort of setback, and it seems unlikely he will be out there for Week 1. In typical Godwin fashion, a classy team player who has been noted for high character, he has taken on the role of mentoring Egbuka.
Let’s not forget that Godwin (112.8) was second to Ja’Marr Chase (118.6) in fantasy points through seven weeks. This was a ridiculous pace, but it also shows the role Egbuka may have if Godwin isn’t ready for Week 1. Plus, when Godwin returns, it’s likely he won’t be at full strength.
I believe this role is primed for the taking, and with Godwin and Mike Evans aging, this could be the first of many great years to come. Last season, McConkey finished as the WR12 with 199.9 half-PPR points. I’m going to plant my flag and say Egbuka has at least 200 fantasy points this season.
Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL)
Darnell Mooney has been another player I have been leaving bread crumbs for all offseason. If you have followed the trail, it should be no surprise that I have him as one of my flag plant players.
Unfortunately, Mooney has yet to showcase his abilities with Michael Penix Jr. this offseason. That’s because he injured his shoulder in the first week of camp. Not much is known about the specific injury he is dealing with; however, the team believes it will be a few weeks before he is back to 100%.
Reports currently have Mooney’s availability in question for Week 1, but there hasn’t been concern for him missing an extended part of the season or for this injury to linger. As a result, I am writing this with the assumption he is back on the field early in the season, and will instantly show why he could be a league-winning depth piece.
The fifth-round selection by the Bears in 2020 has had a surprisingly productive career so far. Over five seasons (82 games), Mooney has managed to record five or more targets in 75% of games. That’s a pretty impressive target share considering he has played with multiple quarterbacks and two different teams.
This volume continued last year with the Falcons, where he had five or more targets in all but three games. What I believe was quietly impressive is that head coach Raheem Morris utilized Mooney heavily with both Kirk Cousins and Penix. We also saw Mooney expand his game as a better ball-carrier and route runner, winning on multiple outside routes and creating space.
Although Mooney has impressed me as a player, I am very excited for what Penix can provide for fantasy. This team will play at a faster pace, and Penix does not like taking sacks. Instead, he’d rather put the ball up and give his receivers a chance to make a play. That’s perfect for fantasy. Think Jameis Winston under center, but (hopefully) with more poise and accuracy.
Penix having a cannon for an arm fits Mooney’s versatile outside abilities perfectly, making him a surprisingly efficient fantasy performer. I expect teams will heavily cover Drake London and open up Mooney for both deep targets, along with schemed touches underneath.
If you struggle to see the path for Mooney opposite of London, let me remind you that he was the WR14 over the first five weeks of last season. That was also with a rapidly declining Cousins under center. He is currently being drafted as the WR52, and I’m planting my flag on him being a top-30 receiver in points per game as soon as he gets back on the field.
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