What We Learned in the Fantasy Football Season (NFC)

There is still one week of NFL action left, but for most the fantasy football season ended in Week 17. The dust of the 2024-2025 season hasn’t even settled, but we are already planning for 2025 at FTN.

We have already gone through what we have learned during the fantasy season from the AFC teams, and today we will focus on the NFC. Check out the biggest takeaways for each team below.

What We Learned in the Fantasy Season: NFC

Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride Is a Top-2 Tight End in 2025

Brock Bowers will get all the love at tight end in 2025. That may force people to forget how impactful Trey McBride was for the Cardinals.

McBride posted 104 receptions for 1,081 yards and a touchdown in his third season. He functioned as the primary read in Arizona’s passing attack for most of the season even though Arizona drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. with a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The veteran tight end had 12 games with at least six targets and six games with 10 or more targets. He will also be a popular positive regression candidate due to his historic inability to find the end zone for most of the season.

The lack of touchdowns led McBride to finish as the TE3 in fantasy points per game (14.3), behind George Kittle and Brock Bowers. If he can have more touchdown luck in 2025, then he should be able to surpass that total easily.

Atlanta Falcons

Darnell Mooney Will Once Again Be a Value 2025

Darnell Mooney was an afterthought in fantasy drafts despite the Falcons prioritizing him in free agency. Fantasy managers were far more inclined to target Drake London (WR11) or Kyle Pitts (TE6) while ignoring Mooney (WR64).

The veteran receiver turned into the best value in Atlanta’s offense, finishing as the WR38 in fantasy points per game (12.2). Mooney will also finish 2024 with his second career season with 1,000 receiving yards and a career high in touchdowns (he currently has five, already the highest mark of his career).

Mooney averaged 6.8 targets per game and led the Falcons’ receiving group in 100-yard games in 2024 (2). His mark of 2.0 yards per route run was the same as Malik Nabers, Jordan Addison, Brock Bowers and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Fantasy managers will assuredly flock to Bijan Robinson, Drake London and (maybe?) Kyle Pitts once again in 2025, enticed by their upside with Michael Penix Jr. under center. However, Mooney could see further growth in this offense with a quarterback who has the arm to make every throw.

Don’t be surprised if he’s once again a value in next season.

Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young: NFL-Caliber Starting Quarterback

The initial hope that Dave Canales could fix Bryce Young after an uneven rookie season (59.8% completion percentage for 2,877 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions) seemed like it was going to fail.

Young was benched after two starts thanks to a 55.3% completion percentage with 245 yards and three interceptions. Andy Dalton took over the starting job but lost it after being in a car accident.

Bryce Young didn’t give the job back after that.

In Weeks 8-16, Young completed 60.6% of his passes for 1,492 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions. He also added 25 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Young was the QB20 in fantasy (16.6 points per game). He also posted two top-12 quarterback weeks, including a QB2 finish in Week 16.

Carolina will continue to stockpile talent on offense. Young should continue to grow and could flourish if the team can add some more talent at wide receiver.

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams Needs to Be More Consistent

Many expected Caleb Williams to immediately turn the Bears into a playoff contender after a successful collegiate career at USC and Oklahoma. However, a lame-duck coaching season from Matt Eberflus (and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron) combined with an underwhelming offensive line made the first overall pick look pedestrian in his first year.

However, not all of the blame can be placed on Williams’ situation. One of the concerns for Williams coming into the NFL was his penchant for holding on to the ball and playing outside of structure, which could lead to big plays and also very negative plays. That showed up plenty during his rookie season.

Chicago’s offense was credited with 196 pressures through 17 weeks. Williams took a league-leading 66 sacks on those plays. His 28.2% pressure-to-sack ratio was the second worst in the NFL in 2024, behind only Will Levis.

Williams still made plenty of highlight throws, but he wasn’t able to escape as efficiently as he did in college against NFL pass rushers. Williams was also the worst deep passing quarterback in the NFL, completing just 20 of 75 attempts for 606 yards and six touchdowns with five interceptions.

Recent history has shown us that rookies (even very talented ones) can struggle before finding their way in the NFL. Chicago will certainly exhaust all options this offseason to make sure that Williams has a stronger offensive line and a top-of-the-line offensive-minded head coach. However, there are some serious warts to his game that need to be ironed out, especially when it comes to being consistent and making the easy throws.

Dallas Cowboys

Rico Dowdle Belongs on the Fantasy Radar

Many expected the Cowboys to target a running back during the 2024 NFL Draft. However, they didn’t land anybody. The only significant move they made in their backfield (aside from letting Tony Pollard walk) was bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Dowdle initially struggled to find a foothold in the backfield, failing to log a snap share above 50% in a split backfield with Elliott having a consistent role. Dowdle posted paltry stats (59 carries for 246 yards with 16 receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns) and was impossible to trust in fantasy (11.0 fantasy points per game).

The Cowboys flipped the backfield in Dowdle’s favor starting in Week 9, resulting in eight straight games with a snap share between 49% and 77%. He totaled 154 carries for 761 yards and a touchdown while adding 21 receptions for 106 yards and a receiving score. He jumped up to 13.2 fantasy points per game (RB22).

Dowdle will be a free agent in 2024, which adds some uncertainty to projecting him going forward. However, he showed that he could command a backfield and likely won’t cost a top-of-the-line contract. He has a chance to be a value once again next season.

Detroit Lions

Jameson Williams Has Some Fantasy Juice

Jameson Williams was finally healthy in 2024 and mostly stayed out of trouble (minus a quick two-game suspension). That allowed him to carve out a very valuable role in fantasy.

Williams was targeted 75 times in 2024. He caught 47 passes for 890 yards and six touchdowns. That was a significant jump for the third-year receiver, who also showed that he can be used in all parts of the field and not just as a deep shot artist.

All of Detroit’s key offensive weapons will return in 2025, although the team may lose prized offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Even so, Williams has shown that he’s a legitimate complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the passing attack. There is still a lot of boom-or-bust to his game, but he has at least shown the ability to earn enough targets to be a reliable weekly flex play going forward.

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs Is the Only Offensive Player You Can Draft with Confidence

There was plenty of excitement around Green Bay’s offense with an improved offensive line after a strong 2023 season from Jordan Love in his first season as a starter (64.2% completion percentage for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns with 11 interceptions).

Unfortunately, the passing offense regressed thanks to a run-heavy approach that was centered completely around free agent acquisition Josh Jacobs.

Through Week 17, Jacobs handled 234 carries for 1,285 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also added 35 receptions for 340 yards and a receiving score.

Conversely, the Packers didn’t have a player with more than 60 receptions or 900 receiving yards. Even the receiving touchdowns were split, with Jayden Reed (6) pacing the group.

Green Bay has excellent depth at the receiver position, but the team lacks a true No. 1 receiver. Their best option (Reed) was mainly utilized in three-receiver sets throughout the season.

Josh Jacobs may not get the same workload in 2025 (especially if 2024 third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd can stay healthy), but he’s still the best bet among Green Bay’s offensive players.

Los Angeles Rams

Kyren Williams, Volume King

Kyren Williams was one of the most divisive players before the 2024 season. He was being drafted as a first-round running back after a foot injury (and the Rams drafting Blake Corum) dropped him into the third round. It looks like the fantasy managers who stayed the course and drafted him were right.

Williams once again dominated touches in the Rams backfield, handling 316 carries for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 34 of 40 targets for 182 yards and two receiving touchdowns. The veteran running back wasn’t a very efficient runner but still logged a top-10 running back season (17.1 fantasy points per game) thanks to his volume and goal-line role.

The Rams backfield will be divisive again in 2025 as fantasy managers try to figure out if Corum will have a bigger role. Williams will likely be highly drafted, and it is hard to argue given how he’s owned this backfield over the last two seasons.

Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson Is Inevitable

Fantasy analysts and managers spent the summer poking holes in Jefferson’s offensive environment. Sure, he was still a first-round pick. But he was frequently available from pick 6 to pick 10 in the first round of the draft.

On one hand, the skepticism was fair. Jefferson was entering 2024 with either Sam Darnold or first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy under center. A knee injury made it where Darnold was slated to play the whole year.

However, Jefferson rewarded the fantasy managers willing to gamble on his talent by putting together another fantastic season.

The veteran receiver finished as the WR2 in fantasy, averaging 19.5 fantasy points per game. He had his fifth straight season with at least 100 targets and 1,000 receiving yards. He also had his second 10-touchdown season of his career.

We still don’t know whether Darnold will return in 2025 or if the team will turn to McCarthy. Once again, fantasy managers will question if Jefferson can maintain his production with uncertainty under center.

Believe in the track record and don’t overthink it by drafting the best player on a very good team.

New Orleans Saints

Believe in Chris Olave

Chris Olave was tabbed as the wide receiver most likely to take a significant step in 2024. Olave was coming off consecutive seasons with at least 70 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. The promise of a strong developmental season pushed Olave into the second round of fantasy drafts.

Things looked good to start the season. Olave earned a 17.4% target share with 32 receptions for 400 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, concussions ended his season after just eight games.

Olave was averaging a pedestrian 9.6 PPR points per game in his first eight weeks but had two WR1 finishes before getting hurt.

The Saints’ offense could look much different next year depending on how much they commit to rebuilding. However, Olave will likely enter 2025 as the team’s unquestioned WR1 and capable of taking the step we had hoped for this season.

New York Giants

Malik Nabers Is QB-Proof (But Hopefully He Gets a Better One in 2025)

It was a successful rookie season for Malik Nabers. Through 17 weeks, the rookie leads all wide receivers in targets (162) and target share (26.2%) despite playing in just 13 games. Nabers is currently the WR6 in PPR points per game (18.3) and in total points (256.2). According to FTN’s StatsHub, Nabers leads all wide receivers in a weighted opportunity rating (0.67) thanks to a 39.4% air yards share.

However, there is clear room for growth in his second season.

The rookie was able to produce that stat line despite playing with Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito under center. That group was able to get the ball into Nabers’s hands on short passes but generally struggled to utilize his playmaking ability down the field. Nabers was fourth among all receivers in air yards in 2025 (1,490) but was 53rd among all receivers in catchable air yard rate (55.1%).

New York figures to be active on the quarterback market this offseason, although Week 17’s win against the Colts complicated matters by dropping the team to the fourth overall pick. If New York can secure a quarterback who can deliver more on-target throws down the field, then Nabers should see even more fantasy production.

Saying a player can dramatically improve upon a top-10 fantasy finish as a rookie is promising a lot, but Nabers has another element to his game that was largely wasted in his first season with New York. There is an even greater ceiling that can be unlocked if New York can get the quarterback position right this offseason.

Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley Thrives in a Healthy Offensive Environment

What more can be said about Saquon Barkley? The veteran running back became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards this season. He hit the mark while logging the third-fewest carries of anybody on the list.

Unsurprisingly, Barkley’s explosiveness as a rusher was a perfect match with Philadelphia’s stellar offensive line. Barkley finished tied with Derrick Henry for yards per attempt (5.8). According to FTN’s StatsHub, Barkley led all running backs in yards before contact (3.0) and open field yards per carry (3.2) in 2024.

He finished as the RB1 in fantasy points per game (22.2) despite leaving touchdowns on the field. Barkley converted on just 2 for 17 on his goal-line attempts this season, yet he still scored 13 rushing touchdowns.

Four of Philadelphia’s five offensive linemen are set to return in 2025 with right guard Mekhi Becton set to be the only free agent. Barkley should be in the conversation of players worthy of being the first overall pick in fantasy drafts next season thanks to his offensive environment.

San Francisco 49ers

Brock Purdy Is a QB1 From Now On

For many, Brock Purdy was viewed as a product of San Francisco’s offensive playmakers generating big plays, which kept his 2024 ADP (QB11) from being higher.

In 2024, we actually got to see what Purdy was without two of his better playmakers for most of the season (Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk). The answer was still a top-12 fantasy quarterback.

Purdy is the QB12 in fantasy points per game in 2024 with 17.3 fantasy points per game. He accomplished this despite ranking 24th in attempts per game (30.0), 13th in passing yards (3,487) and 20th in passing touchdowns (17) heading into Monday night’s game against the Lions.

The third-year quarterback was able to get there in fantasy thanks to a significant increase in his rushing ability. Purdy set career-highs in attempts (63), rushing yards (311) and rushing touchdowns (4).

The veteran quarterback unlocked a new element of his game in 2024. If he can continue to run effectively while utilizing McCaffrey, Aiyuk, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel Sr. (if he remains on the roster) in the passing attack, then we should continue to see a QB1 in fantasy at a modest price in 2025.

Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Justifies His Status as a First-Round Draft Pick

Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s rookie season was wildly disappointing given what we have come to expect from wide receivers selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Smith-Njigba caught just 63 of 93 targets for 628 yards and four touchdowns while struggling to find a consistent role in Shane Waldron’s offense.

There was plenty of skepticism for him heading into 2024. Would he be able to take a step in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense? Could he be a better fantasy option given his role as a slot-specific player? The uncertainty helped suppress his ADP (WR40) this summer.

Thankfully for the fantasy managers who gambled on his pedigree, the answer to both of those questions was yes.

Smith-Njigba emerged as one of the best value wide receivers in fantasy in 2024, catching 96 of 132 targets for 1,121 yards and six touchdowns. Smith-Njigba ranked top 10 among all receivers in the NFL in targets, receptions and receiving yards while finishing as the WR15 in fantasy points per game (15.5) and WR7 in total points (247.7).

Grubb was able to scheme up creative ways to get the ball to Smith-Njigba in the slot, which was the main reason for his success. According to FTN’s StatsHub, the second-year receiver led all wide receivers in slot rate (82.1%) and posted a top 10 mark in EPA in his second season (46.61). Smith-Njigba excelled as a zone beater (59.4% zone coverage rate).

Smith-Njigba went from a bust to a solid WR2 in fantasy within one season. As long as he has an offensive coordinator who can scheme him open looks in the slot (and a quarterback like Geno Smith who isn’t afraid to hit tight window throws) then he will be a reliable fantasy option.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield Is Perpetually Underrated

Baker Mayfield was excellent in 2023, setting career highs in completion percentage (64.3%), passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28) while throwing just 10 interceptions. He rightfully earned an extension with Tampa Bay after his performance.

However, there was concern that he would stagnate or regress after offensive coordinator Dave Canales left the Buccaneers to become the Panthers’ head coach. The Buccaneers replaced him with Kentucky’s offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who had ties to Mayfield from their time with the Rams but was unproven as an NFL playcaller. As a result, Mayfield was drafted as the QB21 in fantasy.

Mayfield vastly outperformed his preseason ADP in fantasy, turning in another phenomenal season.

Through 17 weeks, Mayfield ranks second in passing yards (4,279) and passing touchdowns (39). He’s the QB5 in fantasy points per game (22.4) and total fantasy points (359.2) despite his lack of rushing ability. Even more impressive is the fact that Mayfield achieved this ranking while missing Mike Evans (13 games played) and Chris Godwin (7) for stretches of the season.

Coen is becoming a popular name for teams looking for an offensive-minded head coach, which means Mayfield and the Buccaneers could be looking at a third offensive play-caller in three seasons. However, things have seemingly clicked for Baker in Tampa Bay.

Mayfield will likely go overlooked in fantasy once again next season, passed up by mobile quarterbacks and players who are viewed as “more consistent”.

Don’t be surprised if Mayfield, a top-10 fantasy quarterback in each of the last two seasons, is once again a value.

Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels Is the Next Great Dual-Threat QB

What more can be said about Jayden Daniels’ rookie season? The frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year immediately revitalized Washington’s football team, earning a playoff berth in his first season under center.

From a fantasy perspective, Daniels was somehow better. Daniels is currently the QB4 in fantasy points per game (22.5) in his first season. He also fit the definition of a “league-winning quarterback,” the QB1 during the fantasy playoffs (30.9 fantasy points per game).

FTN StatsHub shows that 19 of Daniels’ 32 end zone attempts resulted in a touchdown with zero interceptions. He was also top 10 as a passer in touchdown percentage (5.1%) and accuracy rate (78.2%) in his first NFL season.

What truly separated Daniels was his rushing ability. The rookie led all quarterbacks in rushing yards (864) as a rookie and scored six rushing touchdowns.

Daniels will surely be drafted higher than his 2024 ADP (QB10) next season. Washington figures to add weapons to their offense to complement Terry McLaurin at wide receiver. It makes a lot of sense to start thinking of Daniels as the QB4 in fantasy drafts next season (behind Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts) with the upside to finish as the QB1 overall in just his second season.