Fantasy Football Player Notes
2025 Half PPR Draft Rankings
|
1.
Ja'Marr Chase
WR - (vs . CLE)
Chase was my WR1 heading into the 2024 draft season and he exceeded all expectations finishing as the WR1 overall while taking home the Triple Crown. 127 catches for over 1,700 yards and 17 TDs.
20 points per game in half-PPR, which was four points more per game than the next closest WR. He also led the NFL in red-zone targets which has been the clear signal for WR1 overall seasons. The past six No. 1 overall WRs finished first in the NFL in red-zone targets with Chase becoming the sixth to do so. |
|
28.
Tee Higgins
WR - (vs . CLE)
Tee Higgins is staying in Cincinnati - and that's a win for his fantasy value. When healthy in 2024, he averaged 15.5 points per game (WR3 behind only Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson) and had one of the highest WR1 finish rates in the league. Still, drafters shouldn't overreact to that efficiency. As long as Chase is active, Higgins' realistic outlook remains that of a high-end WR2 - a role he's consistently filled throughout his career. He's failed to finish as a WR2 just once in four seasons, though injuries have limited him to 12 games in each of the last two years. There's massive upside if Chase ever misses time again, but Higgins' true value comes with steady WR2 production with high-end WR1 insurance baked in.
|
|
29.
Chase Brown
RB - (vs . CLE)
Brown was Cincy's CMC last year after he took over the starting job. In Weeks 9-17, he averaged 23.7 touches and 116.3 total yards as the RB4 in fantasy points per game. He played at least 79% of the snaps in every game while ranking second in receiving yards per game, sixth in target share (12.5%), and tenth in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). As good as Brown was, I do have some small worries about his per-touch efficiency. Among 46 qualifying backs, he was 25th in explosive run rate, 26th in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 33rd in yards after contact per attempt. None of those numbers scream "ELITE PLAYER!" That doesn't mean that Brown can't continue to crush in fantasy in 2025 as Cincy's do it all back, but the inefficiency does create an avenue for another back to step up and siphon off work. I don't know if Zack Moss or Samaje Perine are up to the task, but maybe Tahj Brooks could. We'll see how camp plays out for Brown, but right now he looks like a rock solid RB1.
|
|
48.
Joe Burrow
QB - (vs . CLE)
One of the best pure passers in the game, Joe Burrow led the NFL last season in completions (460), passing yardage (4,918) and TD passes (43). Burrow completed 70.6% of his passes, threw only nine interceptions despite a league-high 652 pass attempts, and averaged 289.3 passing yards per game. Burrow finished QB3 in fantasy scoring last year. Could he be an even more valuable fantasy asset in 2025? It's not out of the question. Burrow has arguably the best WR combo in the league with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and the Bengals' defensive shortcomings could thrust Burrow into plenty of high-scoring shootouts. Burrow doesn't provide much in the way of rushing, but he's such a prolific passer that he's a top-five fantasy quarterback anyway.
|
|
181.
Mike Gesicki
TE - (vs . CLE)
|
|
215.
Andrei Iosivas
WR - (vs . CLE)
|
|
238.
Evan McPherson
K - (vs . CLE)
|
|
270.
Tahj Brooks
RB - (vs . CLE)
Brooks lands in Cincy via the sixth round of the NFL Draft. With the depth of his running back class, it isn't surprising to see him having slipped that far down the board, but it still sucks. Brooks has the talent that should have justified an earlier pick and would have had he come out last year. Brooks will need to hop Zack Moss (assuming health) and Samaje Perine on the depth chart to even be proclaimed as the direct handcuff to Chase Brown. I think he has the talent to do so, but it remains to be seen if he can achieve it. Texas Tech's run blocking was abysmal last year, and it hurt Brooks' tackle-breaking numbers. In 2023, he ranked 60th in yards after contact per attempt and 37th in elusive rating (per PFF). Brooks is a final-round pick/deep league dart throw.
|
|
287.
Zack Moss
RB - (vs . CLE)
|
|
330.
Jermaine Burton
WR - (vs . CLE)
|
|
350.
Samaje Perine
RB - (vs . CLE)
|
|
462.
Erick All Jr.
TE - (vs . CLE)
|
|
464.
Tanner McLachlan
TE - (vs . CLE)
|
|
475.
Tanner Hudson
TE - (vs . CLE)
|
|
532.
Cincinnati Bengals
DST - (vs . CLE)
|
|
563.
Kendall Milton
RB - (vs . CLE)
|
|
591.
Drew Sample
TE - (vs . CLE)
|
|
641.
Charlie Jones
WR - (vs . CLE)
|
|
|
700.
Jordan Moore
WR - (vs . CLE)
|
|
710.
Jake Browning
QB - (vs . CLE)
|
