Who will define the 2025 fantasy football season? To answer that question, we turned to our Featured Pros, who revealed their expert predictions for the players most likely to appear on championship-winning rosters this year. These insights highlight which breakout stars, draft values, and league-winners our experts believe will be the backbone of title teams in 2025. We then take it a step further, offering our early predictions on which players are most likely to headline top-five fantasy teams in 2026. Whether you’re looking to confirm the breakout stars that will carry managers to glory in 2025 or get a head start on next year’s draft prep, this list of expert-curated insights highlights the players you can’t afford to overlook.
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Fantasy Football League Winners: Championship-Winning Players
Which player will be on the most fantasy football championship-winning teams in 2025?
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
“Christian McCaffrey is a steal this year. You can grab him late in the 1st or early 2nd round. With so many injuries on the 49ers, he could be an absolute cheat code, if he stays fit, a risk I’m taking every time.”
– Luke Renton (The Franchise Tag UK)
“Christian McCaffrey will be the most-rostered player on 2025 championship teams. He is my projected RB-1 this season with an easy schedule, and so many of the 49ers’ offensive weapons are hobbled with injuries. And getting CMC in the latter half of the first round of drafts allows for a better chance to get the remaining top-tier talent in rounds two and three.”
– Chew Russell (Going For 2)
“Christian McCaffrey is an elite talent in the NFL. The only thing holding him back from having historical amounts of top 5 fantasy seasons has been injuries. Last year, he only played in 4 games due to nagging injuries. Now, fully healed according to most reports, he is slipping to the end of the first round of drafts. Owners who take the risk are getting a player who could be RB1 and pairing him with a top talent in the 2nd round. This is a year that Christian McCaffrey will be needed in San Francisco, due to all the injuries and trades, and this will be another year where he is a top-flight RB leading teams to their league championships!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
“Tetairoa McMillan finds himself in Carolina and in a spot that will produce fantasy success, no matter what. The Panthers have been starving for a dominant outside receiver for years, and now they finally have one in McMillan. HC Dave Canales earned his job in Carolina after utilizing the talents of a tall, dominant, outside receiver while offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That guy’s name is Mike Evans. The Panthers have their Mike Evans in the form of McMillan, and volume alone will make him outperform his ADP. Now, what he does with that volume is what will propel managers to the finish line, and he is still one of the best values around in drafts at this present standing.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)
“Braelon Allen. From everything we’ve heard, the Jets want to run the ball early and often. What’s more, it sounds like Breece Hall is no longer the lead back. I wouldn’t be shocked if Hall is moved outright, leaving the Jets’ backfield to Allen and Isaiah Davis. Built like a mythical creature, with 20+ touches/game in a backfield with Justin Fields, Allen’s managers will find themselves literally running away with league titles.”
– Lou Brunson (Optimus Fantasy Football)
Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
“Omarion Hampton isn’t the fastest RB, and he’s not the most elusive, but “The Hammer” is a battering ram who consistently bounces off would-be tacklers. And unlike many RBs, Omarion has the ability to be one of the few workhorse backs in the league with his build and his prowess to catch passes. Jim Harbaugh called Hampton a four-down RB. Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman want to impose their will at the line of scrimmage by running the ball. In addition, Omarion has a very good offensive line blocking for him. Ringo’s comp- Hampton reminds me of former Steelers’ all-pro RB Barry Foster.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
“It’s gonna be Jameson Williams. Right now, you can get a WR1 in the 5th round. It’s an absolute smash for a guy who has been hyped up by his entire team this entire offseason. We worry sometimes about the injury risk, level of talent, or situation for guys later in the draft. Kyle Pitts, Justin Fields, and Tank Bigsby could all qualify for this distinction for me because of their late-round value. But, for my money, only Jamo has fantasy-breaking talent and now seemingly the volume to stack with it. Now fully bought in to his team, who has fully integrated him into their scheme… 1200 yards and 10 TDs are now achievable.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)
Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB)
“Emeka Egbuka. If you’re going to win, you need a mid-to-late round value to smash. Egbuka is that dude. Godwin isn’t healthy, and the Bucs are going to throw a lot. Never mind Egbuka’s elite talent, he will have an opportunity right away to chase top 25 production.”
– Kevin Roberts (The DFS Build)
Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
“Trey McBride is a third-round pick right now. Getting one of the top tight ends is such a massive advantage. Brock Bowers is pretty pricey, and we have seen George Kittle have some inconsistencies. The touchdowns will come, and when they do, McBride will be a league winner. He is such a huge positional advantage, and getting him in the third is great for those drafting early. Getting Chase, Bijan, or Gibbs in the 1st to pair with a Kyren or JSN with McBride is a beautiful start.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Jayden Higgins (WR – HOU)
“Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins is a prime sleeper candidate to be on the most championship-winning fantasy football teams in 2025. With an ADP around 145, he’s often drafted late but steps into a starting role opposite Nico Collins in a high-powered offense led by C.J. Stroud. His college stats, including a 2.2% drop rate and 55.6% contested catch rate, suggest reliability and big-play potential. With Tank Dell sidelined, Higgins is poised to see significant targets, making him a steal who could evolve into a weekly WR2. His undervalued status and favorable situation give him league-winning upside for savvy managers.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)
George Kittle (TE – SF)
“If the man can stay healthy, George Kittle could be headed for the most targets (107) and catches he’s had since 2019 (85). As much as we like Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, Kittle could end up as the No. 1 fantasy tight end at season’s end. I’m willing to wait for Kittle and pass on the other two. The 49ers will be heavily and grotesquely reliant on Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian McCaffrey – with some Jauan Jennings sprinkled in – as they await the return of Brandon Aiyuk.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
“The player rostered on the most championship teams in 2025 will be Dak Prescott. If you are able to bolster your skill positions early in the draft and take a QB like Dak later in the draft, then you are already setting yourself up for success. In Dak’s case, he is being taken later in drafts as a back-end QB1, but has a clear path to outperform his ADP and ECR, and could finish top-5 at the position. With the now lackluster Cowboys defense trending downwards, a mishmash committee of RBs potentially increasing the need to pass, and the addition of star WR George Pickens, Dak is set up for a huge 2025.”
– Jacob Piccolo (TrueRGM)
Drake London (WR – ATL)
“Drake London. He’s a second-round pick who’s primed to provide first-round value. Fantasy managers fortunate enough to draft London in the second round will get a fabulous 1-2 punch out of their first two picks.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
“Chase Brown – From weeks 9-17 (when Brown was healthy and took over as the clear Bengals RB1), he was the RB5 in fantasy points per game. During that stretch, he had the 2nd most receptions per game out of backs. Despite being undersized, Brown was the Bengals’ exclusive goal-line back, taking 97.3% of the team’s carries inside the 20. The Bengals added no real competition to the backfield – Brown should continue to enjoy near bell-cow level usage in one of, if not the best offense, in the NFL. The Bengals had 43 passing touchdowns vs only 11 rushing scores last year; should that regress more to expectation, Brown’s upside could go even higher.”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)
“Chase Brown will be on the most championship-winning teams in 2025. You can pair him with an elite WR that you get in round 1, and maybe even an elite TE. If Chase Brown or one of the top 2 tight ends falls into the early 3rd round. Chase Brown is a high upside RB that is going as RB10, but I believe he can be a top 5 RB in the NFL. Chase Brown is a player I will be targeting in every draft this year.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)
Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
“Ashton Jeanty’s current ADP of 11 overall is going to allow the manager that drafts him to get a legit RB1 and WR1 on the way back with one of Puka Nacua, Nico Collins or Brian Thomas Jr. Pete Carroll has a well known history of allowing his RB1 to dominate touches, see Marshawn Lynch and Chris Carson, and Jeanty could be in line for 300+ opportunities in 2025. Talent plus opportunity will lead to elite production from Jeanty.”
– Shane Manila (Dynasty Football Factory)
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)
“New England Patriots Running Back TreVeyon Henderson is a player I have been pounding the table for since draft night. His play speed is different, pass protection is elite, and he’s the best Pats playmaker since Gronk. Several NFL teams had a first-round grade on Henderson. I’ll actually be disappointed if my exposure isn’t 100%.”
– Justin Jaksa (Dr. Roto)
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAC)
“Bhayshul Tuten. The Jags’ rookie RB will take off in the second half of the season and do his Bucky Irving impression as a 2025 league winner. The Jags (similar to Tampa Bay in 2024) have a very favorable schedule in the second half of the season to put their explosive RB in a position to score fantasy points.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
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