The 2024 fantasy football season comes to a close for the vast majority of leagues, and we hope you were able to bring home a title! Given many situations will be irrelevant for Week 18 action and utilization trends have been long established, we’ll take a look at some data that could be helpful for 2025.
Running backs
Heading into 2025 drafts …
Be high on
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: The second-year pro showed his upside while filling in for Kenneth Walker III, likely good enough to earn himself a larger share of the backfield split in 2025. When it comes to fantasy efficiency, only two qualifying backs did more with their opportunities than Charbonnet. Walker ranked 14th, and the coaching staff would be foolish to not incorporate the UCLA back more in the upcoming year.
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: With backfield mate Raheem Mostert finally showing his age and ranking 42nd in fantasy efficiency this year, Achane separated himself as one of the few bright spots of Miami’s season. He ranked fifth in fantasy points per chance, and being a dual-threat option means he’s never out of the game plan if the script flips negative.
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Would you be surprised to know Irving wasn’t the most efficient back in Tampa this year? Rachaad White generated a smidge more production in relation to utilizations when compared to the rookie, but the duo both finished the fantasy season inside the top seven RBs. Low-volume, high-output works at this grueling position. The future is bright on the Suncoast.
Be wary of
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles: The sheer workload alone is terrifying for a back with Barkley’s injury resume. History has not been kind to backs with a workload on par with his 378 touches (through 16 games).
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: Much like with Barkley, Williams comes with considerable injury history and a massive workload to be worried about entering 2025 drafts. At least Williams has nearly three years of youth and far fewer miles on his odometer.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills: Only Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs was more efficient with his utilizations at the position, and Cook’s 17 total touchdowns is the primary reason why. It isn’t sustainable, so Cook surely can be an RB1 next year, though he’ll need to find more success in the non-TD fantasy stats.
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens: If anyone can buck a longstanding trend, Henry is that man, but wise gamers cannot ignore a 322 touches and counting on top of his career workload. His 324 utilizations led to the ninth-most efficient fantasy season, and we’ll have a risk-reward decision in 2025 drafts when Henry will be well into his 31st year of life.
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys: Dowdle was utilized 17.3 times per game in 2024, good for 22nd among qualifying running backs. He was terribly inefficient, rating 38th at the position. While one could argue it’s due to injuries galore around him, and that’s a fair point, Dowdle isn’t snappy enough to outdo his lukewarm breakout. His best likely has already been seen.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: Jacobs takes a weekly battering and has a history of nagging ailments. The last time he had a serious workload (340 in 2022), the next season was a mess, so be cautious with your willingness to invest in him in 2025.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans: Only … oh … 45 backs were more efficient than Pollard throughout the fantasy season, and he finished the year fighting a nagging ankle injury. The Memphis product has limited mileage overall on his body, and being a versatile back helps, but he turns 28 this upcoming spring.
Avoidable
Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: On the wrong side of his career trajectory, Chubb unsuccessfully returned from a gruesome knee injury suffered in 2023 only to break a foot bone and end another year on IR. He finished as the second-least efficient running back among qualifiers.
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers: The fourth-worst back in terms of fantasy efficiency, Harris is a plodder who loses too many touches to Jaylen Warren. The Alabama product is little more than a “break-in-case-of-emergency back” after struggling his way to mediocrity in consecutive seasons through system changes.
Wide receivers
Heading into 2025 drafts …
On the rise
Drake London, Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. has the arm talent to make London a strong WR1 to draft with confidence in 2025. Twenty-one combined targets went the receiver’s way in Penix’s two starts, good for a 20% increase in per-game involvement compared to when Kirk Cousins started. There’s absolutely room for growth, especially in fantasy production per opportunity, where London’s returns slightly dipped in the small sample size with Penix.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens: Historically, the old “third-year breakout” rule was a notable trend for receivers, but it just doesn’t pack the same punch any longer with the way the game has evolved. Flowers ranked 20th in targets and 22nd in fantasy points, leading to the 27th-highest efficiency metric. He has more than enough room to grow as a TD scorer, and profiles as a good bet to take a major step forward next season after essentially being the same producer as his ’23 rookie effort.
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs: Recency bias is very real, so it’s easy to get caught up in consecutive 20-plus-pointers from the rookie in the last two games, but his increased utilization is maybe more exciting. In the most recent three outings, Worthy has 31 total targets and eight rushing attempts. Expecting such utilization on a weekly basis is unrealistic, but the rookie’s arrow points due north in 2025 as he gets more comfortable and we continue to see Travis Kelce slowing down. Worthy will be a coveted WR2 selection.
Be wary of
Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns: To his credit, Jeudy surpassed basically everyone’s expectations this season, but most of his best work came with Jameis Winston under center. Deshaun Watson (Achilles) restructured and will return next year, perhaps with a QB competition to win, but that’s not a positive sign. Jeudy has proven to be easily hobbled, and he reeks of an overvalued player next summer.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions: The receiver is still growing in his role, which certainly could expand in 2025, but his ceiling is capped as long as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta are healthy. Furthermore, there’s a high probability OC Ben Johnson becomes a head coach elsewhere in the offseason. Despite a strong Week 17 showing, Williams erratic role as a vertical weapon makes him reliant on doing more with less work.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers: A wide receiver with suspect hands (that’s being kind) is always a liability, but so is one whose game is largely predicated on finding the end zone on deep balls. That’s automatically a recipe for weekly as well as year-to-year volatility.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers: While it’s not entirely fair to pin all of his issues on the receiver himself, Deebo not being force-fed utilizations following the loss of Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is criminal. We’re talking about one of the most talented, versatile playmakers in the game, and he saw 10-plus utilizations twice in nine games post-injury.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts: As long as Anthony Richardson is in the plans for being Indy’s QB1, Pittman’s ceiling is low and a lack of consistency will be troublesome. There’s still time for Richardson to develop as a passer, but he has a looooooong way to go yet.
Avoidable
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams: The 2024 season wasn’t all bad for Kupp by any means, but he has shown incapable of staying healthy for three straight seasons — often injuries in the same areas of his body — and will be 32 before next season. Having been thoroughly overshadowed by Puka Nacua, the volume-reliant Kupp will be a difficult player to count on with a diminished target share.
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks: Formerly one of the most consistent receivers in the business, Lockett is long in the tooth and checked in as the 56th-most targeted receiver entering Monday night with no one in sight of passing him. The veteran showed no signs of improvement down the stretch and is officially irrelevant.
Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears: Soon to be a free agent entering his age-33 season, Allen likely departs from the Bears in pursuit of a final chance at winning a championship elsewhere. The inefficient, volume-based receiver will struggle to find a WR2 gig on a true contender.
DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs: Nuk had a prime chance to show he can still get it done but faltered down the stretch. The well-traveled veteran turns 33 in June and will be a free agent in March, so his prospects for a legitimate role will be low.
Tight ends
Heading into 2025 drafts …
Be high on
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers: While his path to a 46-671-7 line wasn’t the most consistent, the relation to opportunities was elite. Only George Kittle and Mark Andrews did more with their chances, it we’re talking about just 8% and 13% advantages, respectively. Kraft has all of the makings of top-five TE material for years to come.
Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders: There’s no guarantee the Raiders will keep the current coaching staff intact, but Bowers is quarterback- and system-proof. Even though it will be difficult to match his historic season, the star rookie will be the top fantasy TE drafted next year — and rightfully so.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions: The rookie star of 2023 entered this season on the mend and was not fully himself until roughly the midpoint, which coincided with LaPorta returning to form. Expect Year 3 to resemble his first season, barring an injury setback or Detroit really screwing up with the offensive coordinator hunt if Ben Johnson indeed becomes a head coach.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans: The talent has always been there, and the system has historically produced fantasy success at the position in spurts. Okonkwo simply looked more comfortable down the stretch than at any point in his short career.
Be wary of
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: Only four TEs averaged more utilizations per game than Kelce’s 8.4 opportunities, and the 35-year-old was surprisingly efficient (3rd-highest rating) despite visibly showing his age lumbering about the open field. Kelce’s best days obviously are behind him, but his massive target share should only continue to decrease with Rashee Rice returning and Xavier Worthy ascending.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins: How much confidence can you reasonably place in a breakout season from an age-29 player? Smith turns 30 next summer, and he benefited down the stretch from injuries hampering WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle bolstering his target share.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots: The team’s leading receiver should see regression in his role next year as Drake Maye improves as a passer and the Pats presumably bolster their young receiving corps with outside talent.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars: Engram had done a fine job of staying healthy while with the Jags after an injury-ravaged stint in New York, but ending the year on IR doesn’t help instill confidence in what will be his age-31 season — possibly under a new coaching staff.