- Tee Higgins retains his quarterback state of affairs secure regardless of altering groups: The Chargers are in want of receiver assist and Higgins stands out as the prime prize in the marketplace.
- A number of robust operating again touchdown spots exist: Najee Harris and Aaron Jones spotlight this yr’s free company class for the place and preserve robust fantasy worth with their new touchdown spots.
Estimated studying time: 8 minutes
Earlier than the 2025 NFL offseason kicks off in earnest, it’s all the time enjoyable to go over some hypotheticals in an effort to maneuver round this yr’s crop of free brokers to go well with our fantasy soccer wants greatest.
As issues stand proper now, there are many key NFL gamers set to hit free company, and whereas there are certain to be franchise tags and gamers re-signing within the subsequent month or so, the way in which issues look proper now permits us to get artistic and picture greatest case situations for fantasy functions.
For the aim of this text, all gamers might be going to new groups and, for probably the most half, wage implications are thrown out the window, as we shuffle issues round.
QB JUSTIN FIELDS
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Tennessee Titans
Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold could be probably the most covetable names from an NFL perspective after each led their respective groups to the playoffs, however Fields, arguably, affords probably the most upside from a fantasy soccer perspective. The Titans aren’t essentially able to draft a quarterback in the meanwhile, and Will Levis is clearly not the reply in 2025, so this can be a possibility for an offensive-minded teaching employees, led by Brian Callahan, to herald a venture quarterback with upside to earn a spot as a starter as soon as once more doubtlessly.
It’s a low-risk transfer that might doubtlessly repay for either side, the place expectations are comparatively low, although there are items in locations that might assist this be a hit, together with Calvin Ridley, Chigoziem Okonkwo and a backfield duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. The Titans offensive line was a giant challenge this previous season and isn’t prone to be fastened in a single yr, so having a quarterback cellular sufficient to keep away from quite a lot of the doubtless strain allowed is critical and can doubtless result in the form of dashing success fantasy managers love from their quarterbacks.
Justin Fields in six video games as a starter in 2024 (Weeks 1-6):
| Metric | Worth | QB Rank |
| Fantasy Factors | 116.3 | 6 |
| Passing grade | 67.0 | 16 |
| Adjusted completion price | 78.8% | 6 |
| Speeding yards | 231 | 4 |
| Speeding TDs | 5 | 1 |
RB AARON JONES
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers may doubtlessly lose 90% of their staff operating again dashing manufacturing to free company if each Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren depart, leaving a big opening within the staff’s backfield. The mixture of Harris and Warren gave the Steelers two backs to deploy in particular conditions, however there’s a possibility to offer that function to at least one dependable participant and save assets to spend elsewhere.
Jones is coming off a season the place he totaled 408 receiving yards and 1,138 dashing yards – each of that are probably the most amongst any operating again on this yr’s free-agent class. At 30 years outdated, Jones isn’t a long-term choice but when they’re seeking to compete once more in 2025, giving the roster yet another go underneath Mike Tomlin, then a dependable every-down again like Jones makes probably the most sense. Jones getting yet another shot at one other full-time beginning function after ending as RB14 in 2024 fantasy soccer, ought to be sufficient to make Jones a weekly fantasy starter in 2025 as effectively.
RB NAJEE HARRIS
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have been the worst dashing staff within the NFL this previous season, rating useless final in PFF dashing grade as a staff (56.5) and dashing yards per try (3.6). Amongst this yr’s free-agent class at operating again, Harris is arguably the highest accessible starter (min. 120 carries) after incomes the highest dashing grade (77.5) of the group – a career-high for the 2021 first-round choose.
The Raiders have numerous staff wants that must be addressed, doubtlessly within the draft, and saving a vital draft choose by not spending it on a operating again and bringing within the 27-year-old Harris may make sense. Harris has run for over one thousand yards in all 4 of his NFL common seasons and affords sufficient passing down potential to deal with a big workload for a rebuilding franchise and be adequate in that function to ship weekly beginning fantasy manufacturing.
RB JAYLEN WARREN
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Minnesota Vikings
Doubtlessly dropping Aaron Jones and retaining Sam Darnold at quarterback creates a necessity at a place that Darnold and the Vikings’ passing recreation relied on fairly a bit in 2024, the place they’d be dropping 91% of their staff operating again targets – most of any staff previous to free company. Warren, who has dealt with nearly all of passing downs for the Steelers in recent times, hasn’t been totally deployed as an every-down again and would have a shot to take action for the Vikings.
Warren has flashed potential as an every-down again in his three NFL seasons, however with out the chance to place that collectively, he hasn’t been in a position to ship as a constant fantasy asset. The Vikings roster might be the right match for Warren, who owns a robust 83.1 dashing grade and 80.4 receiving grade since 2022 – the one free agent operating again to earn at the least an 80.0 grade in each classes over that span.
WR TEE HIGGINS
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Los Angeles Chargers
Higgins goes to be one of the coveted free brokers ought to the Cincinnati Bengals be unable to increase him this offseason, and the Chargers considerably want to supply extra weapons to quarterback Justin Herbert after rookie Ladd McConkey was the one one able to being that choice in 2024. McConkey delivered 197 receiving yards and a landing within the staff’s one playoff recreation this season whereas the remainder of the roster mixed for simply 45 yards. This was the case for many of McConkey’s rookie season, which highlighted a evident gap within the Chargers passing recreation.
Including the 26-year-old Higgins to the combination would give Herbert two high-end receiving threats – every bringing totally different skillsets for the Chargers passing offense to make the most of. Higgins can also be coming off the very best receiving grade of his NFL profession (88.3) and landing whole (10) regardless of coping with accidents and lacking time in 2024. Maybe extra importantly, the Chargers had the fifth-highest drop price (7.6%) from receiving choices in 2024, whereas Higgins’ 2.7% drop price was one of the best of his profession and the most effective marks within the league. McConkey, Higgins and Herbert ought to all be capable of thrive for fantasy functions on this state of affairs.
WR CHRIS GODWIN
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers at the moment are in an fascinating place the place they need to really feel significantly better about constructing round 2023 first-overall choose Bryce Younger after he was benched earlier within the 2024 season. He bounced again and flashed that franchise quarterback potential within the again half of the yr. Whereas Younger’s passing grade and big-time-throw price significantly improved, he nonetheless wants some assist round him as his completion price and yards per move try, whereas improved, have been solely about common.
Including a viable No. 1 receiving risk like Chris Godwin to the combination for Younger will put that high-end passing potential to significantly better use and permit each gamers to prop one another up. Godwin could be the clear lead goal, and Younger would have a constant receiving risk who can succeed at totally different ranges of the sector to depend on, so long as he’s wholesome.
Bryce Younger’s splits pre and post-benching (2023 and 2024):
| Metric
(min. 200 dropbacks) |
Pre-benching
(2023 + 2024 Weeks 1-2) |
Submit benching
(2024 Weeks -7-18) |
| Passing grade | 48.6 (forty first) | 83.7 (sixth) |
| Massive-time throw price | 3.1% (thirty second) | 8.1% (1st) |
| Yards per move try | 5.4 (thirty ninth) | 6.5 (twenty fifth) |
| Completion price | 59.4% (thirty ninth) | 62.0% (twenty fourth) |
WR STEFON DIGGS
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
The picture of Diggs watching the Chiefs have a good time beating his Buffalo Payments within the 2022 AFC Championship recreation stands out because the catalyst for this “should you can’t beat them, be part of them” signing that might assist either side. The Chiefs might lose Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquise Brown, Mecole Hardman and DeAndre Hopkins to free company – accounting for 52% of the staff’s broad receiver targets from this previous common season, probably the most of any staff. On prime of a possible Rashee Rice suspension, the Chiefs may need Diggs’ companies.
Diggs is coming off a season-ending ACL harm and is on the again 9 of his NFL profession, however he’s not a participant that Kansas Metropolis will essentially want for the whole season. Getting Diggs, who was nonetheless performing effectively for the Texans previous to his harm, on this offense ought to enable for each Patrick Mahomes and Diggs to profit from each other’s play the place they ship constant fantasy starter manufacturing.
WR KEENAN ALLEN
Perfect fantasy touchdown spot: Washington Commanders
Zach Ertz’s veteran “know-how” and skill to make himself a quarterback-friendly goal for the younger Jayden Daniels was invaluable to the rookie quarterback’s growth in Yr 1, however since Ertz is a pending free agent and doubtlessly nearing retirement, Allen might be that subsequent veteran receiving choice to function an extra dependable receiving choice subsequent to Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders relied on a mixture of Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown and Dyami Brown exterior of McLaurin and Ertz in 2024, and it simply wasn’t constant sufficient to work. All three of these gamers at the moment are additionally pending free brokers, which opens up a giant alternative for somebody like Allen to step again right into a heavy workload and show that after a down yr in Chicago, he can nonetheless be that QB-friendly choice in an offense the place he doesn’t must function because the WR1.
