Bold Predictions For AJ Brown and the Rest of the NFC East

Welcome to Sleepers, Busts and Bold Predictions for the 2025 fantasy football season. Our Colin McTamany and Daniel Kelley are going to go division-by-division around the league all summer. They’ll pick sleepers, busts and bold predictions for each team. Sometimes they’ll agree! Sometimes they will go completely opposite one another! And that’s fine, because they’ll defend their positions, and you can decide for yourself who to side with. Up today: The NFC East.

The East famously hasn’t had a repeat champion since the Eagles won it four straight times 2001-2004, but oddsmakers think that trend might be due for a change this year — per DraftKings Sportsbook, the defending champion Eagles are -135 favorites to go back-to-back in 2025. What does that mean for fantasy? Who will break out in 2025, and who will fall short? Let’s check it out.

Check out their answers below, and then scroll further for the explanations.

Check out the series so far: AFC South (more to come!)

2025 Sleepers, Busts & Bold Predictions: NFC East

The Answers

Sleepers

Busts

Bold Predictions

The Explanations

Sleepers

Giants

McTamany: Wan’Dale Robinson, WR

Very quietly last season, Wan’Dale Robinson logged 140 total targets, one of just 13 players to do so. More importantly, Robinson is one of just 20 wide receivers to average 8.0 or more targets per game. Unfortunately, the volume from poor quarterback play yielded just four games of 60-plus yards and three total touchdowns. With no additions to the passing game and an expected upgrade to the entire quarterback room, Robinson could be a high-volume every-week starter, especially in PPR leagues.

Kelley: Jaxson Dart, QB

When there’s any sort of position battle on a bad team, I like to ask myself “Could any of these guys do this job the next time this team is in the playoffs?” Jameis Winston has almost no chance of doing that in New York. Russell Wilson? I guess it’s theoretically possible, but not likely. Jaxson Dart is an unknown, but he at least has first-round pedigree. That doesn’t mean he’ll start in Week 1, but given the absolutely brutal schedule the Giants have this season (seriously, look at it — other than a Week 5 Saints breather, they don’t have an opponent who is even maybe easy until Week 13 against New England). The Giants’ 2025 season could be over very quickly. If that happens, why not look at the rookie who could be the team’s future? Dart’s legs will make him fantasy viable the second he sees the field.

Cowboys

McTamany: Javonte Williams, RB

Brian Schottenheimer is now the Cowboys’ head coach. He spent the last two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. Tony Pollard finished as the RB23 in 2023, while Rico Dowdle finished as the RB24 last season. They each logged at least 274 touches as Dallas’ lead back. Javonte Williams is only 25 years old, and has at least 246 touches in two of his three career seasons that didn’t end with injury. He should get first crack as the lead back over Miles Sanders and fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue. Williams was the RB38 selected in the ninth round of our recent 12-team, 1QB mock draft.

Kelley: Miles Sanders, RB

Do I believe in this one? Not really. I don’t think the Cowboys really have a sleeper running back, unless you are high person on Jaydon Blue, who is likely to be the team’s primary receiver out of the backfield. But the primary ball carrier is likely to be either Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders, and while Williams is getting most of the attention and buzz so far, it’s worth being curious whether he should be. Neither has been good in a while (Williams since 2021, before his ACL injury; Sanders since 2022, before his Panthers tenure). Williams is three years younger (25 vs. 28), but Sanders has the higher peak, with his 216.7 PPR points (12.7 per game) in 2022 besting Williams’ 204.9 (12.1 PPG) in 2021. They’re both on one-year deals for basically no money. Do I prefer Williams in fantasy? Yeah, probably. But with him going as a fringe RB3 and Sanders going basically undrafted, the gap is far too wide.

Commanders

McTamany: Deebo Samuel, WR

Deebo Samuel looked significantly worse after a Week 6 pneumonia diagnosis last season that briefly landed him in the hospital. Prior to that, Deebo logged an average of 77.2 total yards (rushing and receiving) in his first five games. From Week 7 on, he averaged 56.1 total yards per game. He had two 100-yard receiving games pre-pneumonia and fewer than 25 receiving yards in six different games after. Samuel is now alongside Terry McLaurin in Washington with Jayden Daniels as his quarterback. Commanders general manager Adam Peters, the former 49ers assistant general manager, traded for Deebo this offseason. He’s worth the low-risk draft investment given his history as both a receiver who generates yards after the catch and logs touches out of the backfield.

Kelley: Brian Robinson Jr., RB

Brian Robinson Jr. is three years into his career and still hasn’t cracked 800 yards in a season (he’s gotten to 797 and 799, but never a number that starts with 8). That said, he’s gotten more efficient over the years, going from 3.9 yards per carry to 4.1 to 4.3, going from 2 rushing touchdowns to 5 to 8. Austin Ekeler’s continued existence means Robinson will never offer much as a receiver, but then he probably never would anyway. Per our StatsHub, Robinson’s yards before contact has fallen from 1.8 yards in 2022 to 1.4 to last year’s 1.3, but with the Commanders bringing in Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. for the O-line this offseason, Robinson should see a bump in pre-contact success in 2025, and that will lead to better overall numbers.

Eagles

McTamany: Will Shipley, RB

Saquon Barkley logged 482 total touches playing into mid-February last season. Assuming he can stay healthy in 2025, Barkley’s workload is probably dialed back slightly during the regular season. Behind him on the depth chart are A.J. Dillon and Will Shipley. After letting Kenneth Gainwell walk in free agency for less than $2 million, it’s a good sign that the Eagles like what they have in their current backfield. Dillon is a bruiser while Shipley adds more burst and can play in faster pace gamescripts. He should assume the role Gainwell leaves behind and is a high-upside stash on benches all season long in the event Barkley is unable to play.

Kelley: Will Shipley, RB

Is a sleeper a sleeper if he’s not getting drafted but everyone calls him a sleeper? The Eagles are the most top-heavy team in football, so finding a sleeper on this roster is hard. But of course, Saquon Barkley had approximately 48 bajillion touches last year, so no one would be surprised if he were to miss time in 2025 (not that we’re rooting for it!). Behind him are A.J. Dillon, who was last good in 2021, and Shipley, who only had 34 touches as a rookie (14 of them in Week 18 when Barkley sat) but had decent pedigree entering the league. The best odds are no one in Philadelphia is a surprise, but if there’s one, it’s Shipley.

Busts

Giants

McTamany: Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB

There’s not a ton of fantasy firepower on the Giants to begin with, so the options for potential bust are limited. Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the closest I can get. Tracy averaged 4.4 yards per carry on just 192 attempts as a rookie. In his final seven games following New York’s Week 11 bye, Tracy rushed for just 245 total yards on 85 carries, for a 3.45-yard average, failing to reach 60 rushing yards in any game. The Giants used an early fourth-round pick on Cam Skattebo If the rookie doesn’t completely take over the backfield, it may at least be an even split with Tracy.

Kelley: Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB

The presence of Cam Skattebo in New York is troubling enough for Tracy, but you know what worries me more? The continued presence of Devin Singletary. The Giants could have gotten away from Singletary this offseason for not a lot of money, but he’s still there. Tracy was pretty electric as a rookie, with over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 6 touchdowns. But Day 3 rookie backs can often do that in a year, and very often their teams move on anyway (read: Michael Carter, Dameon Pierce, Tyler Allgeier). The fact that the Giants drafted Skattebo and kept Singletary tells me they aren’t sold on Tracy repeating what he did last year.

Cowboys

McTamany: Jake Ferguson, TE

If he is a bust, drafting Jake Ferguson as your team’s starting tight end in the later rounds isn’t devastating. There are just other players going slightly before him or after him that have more upside. Over the last two seasons, Ferguson has performed significantly better with a healthy Dak Prescott. He’s averaged nearly 25.0 more receiving yards and 6.0 PPR fantasy points per game in 25 games with Prescott as opposed to the seven games without him. The Cowboys are adding a significant No. 2 target in George Pickens this season, as well. Ferguson is probably a streaming option in advantageous matchups.

Kelley: George Pickens, WR

The Cowboys don’t really have a great bust candidate. Nobody is valuing the running backs or Jake Ferguson at tight end very highly, so it basically leaves us with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Lamb is one of the best receivers in football and valued as such, and Prescott gets the best receiver duo he’s ever had. That leaves Pickens, about whom I do have some concerns. A notoriously volatile second-round pick entering a contract year without an extension with only 12 touchdowns in three years isn’t exactly screaming huge value. Even if Pickens plays all year, Lamb is likely to dwarf him on a weekly and season-long basis. Add in any questions about Pickens’ attitude in Dallas, and I don’t want to invest.

Commanders

McTamany: Brian Robinson Jr., RB

After a strong start to last season, Brian Robinson Jr. fizzled out big time. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry on just over 14 attempts per game with six rushing touchdowns across his first six games last season. In his final six games, including three in the NFL playoffs, Robinson averaged just 3.48 yards per carry on 64 total attempts and scored just two touchdowns. He adds nothing as a pass catcher (just 25 targets last season). Jayden Daniels is one of the more mobile quarterbacks, and Deebo Samuel will mix in some carries this season, which takes away valuable opportunities in the red zone from Robinson. The Commanders should be one of the better offenses in the league, but Robinson isn’t a big enough beneficiary to put your faith in week-to-week.

Kelley: Zach Ertz, TE

Zach Ertz rode “Catch the ball and fall down” to a TE7 finish last year. No shade there, he’s ridden that to a very successful 12-year career. But while there’s plenty of value in having a reliable target just a few yards down the field you can throw to when you just need those few yards and not necessarily a lot more, there’s even more value to having that same “few yards down the field” target who can also, you know, add more yards after that. That is (or at least should be, if he’s healthy) Deebo Samuel. Add in Austin Ekeler as yet another short-field target, and Ertz is getting squeezed on either side. Expect a much-reduced 2025.

Eagles

McTamany: Dallas Goedert, TE

Goedert took a $4 million pay cut to remain with the Eagles this season. He was allegedly on the trade block for the early part of the offseason. That’s not to say Goedert is washed, but this is likely his last season with the Eagles due to the inability to meet his future contract demands. Goedert has missed a total of 15 regular season games over the last three seasons. He’s maintained a steady average of just over 4.0 receptions per game made better if one or both of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith aren’t available. Goedert is more important to the Eagles than he is to fantasy football. Philadelphia has been a top-six team in rush attempts per game in every season since 2022. There’s just not enough for Goedert to produce regularly for fantasy football purposes.

Kelley: Dallas Goedert, TE

Dallas Goedert played all 16 games in 2018 as the No. 2 to Zach Ertz. He has played every game in a season exactly zero times since. He’s never scored more than 5 touchdowns in a season, and he’s averaged 3 per year in the last five, including 2 last year. His Q rating says he’s a star tight end, but his actual production says he’s not. If you want on tight end, don’t take Goedert’s low ceiling but high floor (when he’s healthy), take a ceiling play like Isaiah Likely, Dalton Kincaid or even (yeah, I’m saying it) Kyle Pitts.

Bold Predictions

Giants

McTamany: Jaxson Dart Starts 8 or More Games

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are entering their fourth season together in New York at 18-32-1 after three seasons. They both may be on the hot seat this season. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston signed one- and two-year deals, respectively, for a total of $15.75 million in guaranteed money. The Giants play six 2024 playoff teams in their first eight games. So, showing any sort of success with rookie Jaxson Dart may be a desperate play to save Schoen and Daboll’s jobs. Dart could start sooner than later so don’t assume a player like Malik Nabers is getting a full season from Russell Wilson or any playing time with Jameis Winston.

Kelley: The Giants Have a Top-2 Draft Pick in 2026

The Giants are not the worst team in football. But they are closer to that than anything else, and mix in their absolutely brutal schedule in 2025, and they’ll look worse than they are. The Titans get six games against an underwhelming AFC South. The Jets get the NFC South. So do the Saints and the Panthers, obviously. The Raiders have a brutal division, but a Pete Carroll/Geno Smith duo makes them way more competent than they’ve been in the recent past. No, the top two teams in the 2026 NFL Draft will be, in some order, the Giants and the Cleveland Browns. I think the Browns will go first (seriously, look at that roster and that schedule), but the Giants will be top two.

Cowboys

McTamany: Dak Prescott Throws a Career-High 40 TD Passes

Dak Prescott has a strong set of weapons in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson and even Javonte Williams out of the backfield. It was just two seasons ago that Prescott threw for over 4,500 yards and 36 touchdowns. His then offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, is now his head coach. Dallas’ 2025 opponents were 161-128 in 2024 giving them a tougher schedule than most. The combination of weapons and pass-heavy gamescript could work in Prescott’s favor. He might go undrafted in 1QB fantasy leagues. If you don’t target a top tier player at the position early on, Prescott should be underlined, circled and starred on your draft day cheat sheet.

Kelley: Dak Prescott Is a Top-8 Fantasy QB

Dak Prescott has played 16 or 17 games in a season six times in nine years. He’s never finished worse than QB11 in those years, and that QB11 season was back in his 2017 sophomore campaign. He’s averaged at least 20 fantasy points per game in four of the last six years. Last year was a low point for him even before the injury, but then his offense was basically just CeeDee Lamb. Despite all that, he’s QB18 by early ADP. Add George Pickens to that and it’s the best group of receivers he’s ever had, and maybe the worst group of running backs anyone in the league has. Dak’s going to have no choice but to throw the ball and tally up fantasy points.

Commanders

McTamany: Deebo Samuel Logs Over 100 Touches

Deebo Samuel has been close over the last three seasons but has only done this once before — 2021, when he had 77 receptions and 59 carries for the 49ers. I know I’m heavy on the Deebo propaganda, but he is the clear second option in the 2025 Commanders’ passing game. Last season, Zach Ertz was second in targets with 91 targets, behind only Terry McLaurin and his 117. There’s probably more of an emphasis on getting the ball primarily to McLaurin and Deebo this season as the team’s top playmakers. Samuel should see some touches out of the backfield, especially in the red zone, to protect Jayden Daniels and bring a spark to a lackluster run game.

Kelley: Ben Sinnott Is the Fantasy TE1 in Washington

Piggybacking on my “Zach Ertz, bust” talk above, Sinnott was a second-round pick a year ago, but he did almost nothing as a rookie, playing all 17 games but only catching 5 balls for 28 yards and a score all year. But this is the same guy who had 676 yards and 6 touchdowns in his last year at Kansas State and was the second tight end off the board a year ago. Ertz is a catch-and-fall merchant who is well past his prime, and John Bates is a blocker. As Ertz’ skills continue to deteriorate, Sinnott will rise.

Eagles

McTamany: A.J. Brown Sets Career-High in Receiving Yards and TDs

Brown’s current career-highs are 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns, both in 2022, his first season with the Eagles. Only two wide receivers have an average of 80.0 or more receiving yards per game in each of the last three seasons: Justin Jefferson and Brown. It’s worth noting that Brown will have his fourth different offensive coordinator in as many seasons this year, too. Brown averaged 3.3 yards per route run in 2024, something only eight different receivers have done in nine different instances over the last three seasons. In a 17-game season with potentially a pass-heavier approach in one of the league’s toughest 2025 schedules, Brown can have a career year.

Kelley: DeVonta Smith Sets a Career-High in Yards

Smith had 1,196 yards in 2022, the first year A.J. Brown was in Philadelphia. He’s fallen each year since, to 1,066 in 2023 and only 833 last year (he missed four games). But as mentioned above, (a) Saquon Barkley carries big overwork risk this year, (b) Dallas Goedert is more name than performance at this point, and (c) the Eagles are the top-heaviest team in the league. If Barkley goes down and/or Goedert doesn’t rise to the challenge, it’s not going to be Grant Calcaterra and Jahan Dotson reaping the benefits. It’s going to be the former Heisman Trophy winner who has averaged over 1,000 yards in his career.