Fantasy Football Player Notes

Wilson has started his NFL career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, overcoming terrible quarterbacking in his first two seasons, and being forced to share targets with Aaron Rodgers' bestie Davante Adams last year. Now, Wilson is being reunited with former Ohio State teammate Justin Fields. By no means is Fields a great passer, but he could nevertheless be an upgrade for Wilson.

Hall is young (24), talented and versatile, but new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn keeps talking about using multiple running backs this season. It's also worth noting that Hall had trouble against good run defenses last year. He faced four run defenses that were top 10 in DVOA against the run last season and averaged 34.8 rushing yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry in those four contests. Hall has amassed nearly 3,000 yards from scrimmage over the last two years, but he looks like a somewhat risky play for 2025.

Over the last three seasons, when he has been a starting quarterback, Justin Fields has finished inside the top ten fantasy quarterbacks in fantasy points per game (QB7, QB9, QB5). Last year, in his six starts for Pittsburgh, he was the QB7 in fantasy points per game while averaging 9.2 carries and 38.5 rushing yards per game. If Fields had kept up that rushing pace for the entire season, he would have finished fifth in rushing yards per game among quarterbacks, immediately behind Jalen Hurts. He also took a step forward as a passer last year. In Weeks 1-6, among 31 qualifying quarterbacks, he ranked 17th in CPOE, fourth-best in highly accurate throw rate, 12th-best in catchable target rate, and he boasted the ninth-lowest turnover-worthy throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). The weapons surrounding Fields aren't amazing, but he's not being asked to work with a totally barren skill cupboard, as Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, & Mason Taylor should all be dependable receiving options. The Jets also have an offensive line that should have no problems buying him time in the pocket. Fields is a locked-in top-ten fantasy quarterback this season because of his rushing production.

Braelon Allen is in the running to be Breece Hall's backup for 2025, but I won't be surprised if Isaiah Davis beats him out. Last year, Allen averaged 6.5 touches and 28.3 total yards in backup duty. Among 70 qualifying backs, he ranked 51st in missed tackle rate and 35th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Davis, with fewer carries, produced better per-touch numbers last year. I don't mind taking shots on Allen late in deeper leagues, but I wouldn't go crazy with my exposure across multiple leagues.

The Jets addressed an offseason need at tight end by spending a second-round pick on LSU's Mason Taylor, the son of former Dolphins sack artist Jason Taylor. The younger Taylor has good size (6-5, 250) and athleticism, and he'll have a chance to contribute immediately. But considering that Taylor never had more than 546 receiving yards or three TD catches in any of his three college seasons, we should probably keep expectations in check for his rookie year.

Adonai Mitchell is a dark-horse Year 2 breakout candidate after flashing elite efficiency in limited action as a rookie. He posted a 28% target rate per route run - a mark that would've ranked top-20 among WRs if he had qualified - and consistently created separation in his routes. The challenge in 2025 will be earning more consistent playing time in a crowded Colts receiver room featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and deep threat Alec Pierce. But with his ability to command targets and get open, Mitchell is a strong upside stash who could explode with an expanded role.

The Jets should enjoy a bounce-back season on defense in 2025 with Aaron Glenn at the controls. They were the fourth-worst fantasy defense last year, despite ranking 11th-best in pressure rate and fifth-best in quarterback hurry rate. Sauce Gardner remains one of the best corners in the NFL, who should have his fair share of interceptions this season.

With a new regime in New York calling the shots for the Jets, it's possible that Isaiah Davis can overtake Braelon Allen as the team's RB2. Yes, I know he only had 30 carries last year, but his per-carry numbers were quite nice, and they trumped Allen. Davis had a 6.7% explosive run rate, a 20% missed tackle rate, and a whopping 3.10 yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). If this is truly an open competition in camp, Davis could be the RB2 on the depth chart before Week 1.