Fantasy Friday: Winners and Losers at Each Position
- Fans Only Sportz Network
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen 8/29/2025 Sportz Nation
Zak
QBs
Winner: Lamar Jackson - BAL
This may be a cop-out because Lamar is QB1 or 2 depending on your rankings, but it's still true that Lamar Jackson put up the most points of any player in history last season. Lamar can get it done on the ground as probably the best scrambler in history, but last year proved that his passing is still getting better.
Drafting Lamar in Round 2 or possibly in Round 3 will assure you an easy 20 points every week, and consistency like that is what gets you to the playoffs and beyond.
Loser: Justin Fields - NYJ
Justin Fields is a very good player, but in his first year on the Jets, I can't see him having a career year. His rushing upside is pretty good, but as a thrower, he's just average, and on the Jets, I can't see Fields becoming a dangerous start in your fantasy league.
Falling now to QB14, Fields' ranking for the last month has been closer to QB10, and as a round 8 pick, Fields could be the reason your team doesn't even make the playoffs.
RBs
Winner: Alvin Kamara - NO
Especially in PPR leagues, Alvin Kamara should be putting up major points this season. The Saints may be a dumpster fire for most of the year, but that will be to his benefit as Kamara should see 200-250 carries this season and another 50-75 catches. New QBs Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough don't have much to throw to and should rely on check-downs to Kamara often, who is already game-planned into the system as one of the best receiving backs in the league.
Loser: R.J. Harvey Jr. - DEN
I'm here to tell you not to buy into the R.J. Harvey hype I've been seeing everywhere. A new backfield in Denver should get a lot of carries, but at the moment, I have Harvey as their 3rd best RB, and reports out of camp have had him as low as their 4th on the depth chart. A tough runner, Harvey may get the most touches by the end of the year, but in a crowded backfield, RB21 is much too rich, and I wouldn't touch him until round 9 at the earliest.
WRs
Winner: Ladd McConkey
With how good the start of the Harbaugh-led Chargers looked last season, and besides that playoff game, how great of a QB Justin Herbert is... I can easily make the claim that McConkey will be a Top-3 slot receiver in the league for the next decade. The Chargers didn't add enough on offense to signal to me they're going to make a lot of offensive changes in 2025, so expect McConkey to see another 150 targets or more as the Chargers' #1 option.
Loser: Drake London
Drake London peaked in 2024, and while still a great player, drafting him at his ADP of WR7 in the early 2nd round will ruin the rest of your draft. Besides having an unproven 2nd-year QB throwing him the ball, the Falcons' receiving corps is actually deep, and guys like Mooney or even Pitts could take a lot of targets away from London this year. Finishing at WR5 last year was impressive, but his numbers were EXTREMELY inflated by a TNF standout where Cousins threw for 500 yards and a Week 18 garbage time game. Stay away from London until the 3rd or even 4th round.
TEs
Winner: T.J. Hockenson
As TE, Hockenson is a guy I'm targeting every week. J.J. McCarthy looks pretty good in camp, but is essentially still a rookie, and what do rookie QBs love? Reliable tight ends. Hockenson's 2024 saw him miss the first 7 games of the season, but he averaged over 6 targets per game when he came back. Without a TD last season, Hockenson is assured to catch multiple this year and could easily be taken well above his projection, in as high as the 4th round, to me.
Loser: Tucker Kraft
Green Bay is suffering from the best problem you could have as a team, but one of the worst for fantasy: too many options. While receiver Christian Watson is out for the season and Romeo Doubs seems to be okay after a scare in training camp, the Packers still have four rotational wide receivers that will get a lot of targets and another tight end that will share snaps with Kraft in Luke Musgrave. As TE6, Kraft is an absolute pass for me, and I wouldn't be surprised if his end-of-year ranking is close to 15th for fantasy.
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Matt
QBs
Winner: Bo Nix
I am on the Bo Nix train in a big way. Coming off a fantastic rookie season where he passed for 3,775 (12th in NFL) and 29 touchdowns (6th in NFL), he finished last season as the QB7 in fantasy. Now, with a year under his belt, new weapons to work with, such as Evan Engram and JK Dobbins, Nix's production should, at the least, stay relatively the same as last season.
Not only that, but Nix has an ADP of 77 and is the 8th QB taken off the board on average. That is far too low for a QB with extreme potential, a good situation around him, and an easy schedule regarding fantasy QBs. Getting a guy like Nix could win you your league, since getting him at ADP will allow you to draft high-end talent early.
Loser: Patrick Mahomes
I will die on this hill; I just do not see Patrick Mahomes as a worthy selection at his ADP of 60 and QB6. Mahomes' production dipped significantly last season, which concerns me mightily as he starts the season with an aging Kelce and without his WR1 in Rashee Rice.
Due to the name recognition, Mahomes will likely get drafted as an everyday starter. For those who do that, luck will have to be on your side if you want to make it anywhere in your league. To win a championship, your QB needs to be the guy that gets you over the hump; Mahomes, though fantastic in real life, is not that guy anymore in fantasy. Do NOT fall into the trap!!
RBs
Winner: Chase Brown
This is my most confident league winner on my list. Chase Brown is an RB with zero competition on what will likely be the highest-powered offense in football. His volume was evident last season once he took over the starting job in Cincy, and with his ADP in the 2nd-3rd round, he will be a steal at whatever selection you take him.
The best part about Brown is that he is a dual-threat running back, meaning he will impact the passing game as well as the running game. This type of player, who, again, has no true competition at the position, makes it even more of a must-draft to pair along with your 1st-round pick. If Brown falls to you in late round 2 or early round 3, take him; you will not regret it.
Loser: De'Von Achane
Achane, though maybe having one of the bigger upsides in fantasy, is more lkely to disappoint in my eyes. His small frame makes me skeptical about how effective he will be between the tackles. Plus, Achane is coming into the season already with hamstring issues, which is extremely concerning for a player expected to get the workload he is.
I do expect the Dolphins offense not to be the dumpster fire it was last season, but that does not mean I think drafting Achane in round two is a reach. The lack of size, between-the-tackles rushing ability, and health concerns will deflate your team quickly. Drafting Achane at a round 2 ADP is a mistake.
WRs
Winner: Terry McLaurin
With the contract extension saga officially in the past, McLaurin can now focus solely on repeating what he accomplished last year with his star QB Jayden Daniels. With elite target potential and touchdown upside, McLaurin's ADP of 35 is enough to become of of the steals of the draft.
With his ADP as low as it is currently, you could draft him as your WR2, creating an elite duo with him and whomever else you drafted earlier. McLaurin's WR1 upside is too good to pass up, making it all the more likely he will be a league-winning selection in most leagues.
Loser: Puka Nacua
Hear me out...
While I do believe Nacua will have a good year, I also think there is a lot working against him. Puka has never had competition like he will have with Devonte Adams this season. Sure, Cooper Kupp stole some targets, but he was past his prime and mostly injured anyway. Not only that, but his QB, Matt Stafford, has not been able to practice for most of the offseason with back issues. For a guy who is 37 years old with a history of injuries, that is extremely concerning.
All of these are hypothetical, but it is too risky to simply ignore Nacua's ADP in the first round. There are plenty of other talented players that are just as valuable but safer, whom you could draft in round 1 instead of Nacua.
TEs
Winner: Mason Taylor
I am going a little outside of the box for this one, but I think the Jets' TE Mason Taylor could be one of the biggest surprises of the season. With no competition at the position, Taylor is in a unique spot to contribute right away. The offense is new, with QB Justin Fields likely to look for check-downs while he gets settled into the offense. Who are common check-down options? Tight Ends.
Multiple sources, such as ESPN's Rich Cimini, have reported that Taylor could have a major role in New York's offense this year. So, regardless of how the Jets' offense looks, Taylor will likely have a significant spot that no one is really paying attention to. He is going undrafted in most leagues, so getting him with your last or near-last pick in drafts could allow you to stash him in the short term. This is the definition of a league-winner in my eyes.
Loser: Sam Laporta
Coming off a down 2nd season with the Lions, I just don't see Laporta improving to the extent to which his ADP lies (around 56 and as the TE4). With OC Ben Johnson's departure, Detroit has to figure out a brand-new offensive identity. While that is happening, I could see the Lions being a run-first offense, which will defer Laporta to more of a blocking role.
With talented tight ends like T.J. Hockenson, Evan Engram, Travis Kelce, and David Njoku behind him in ADP, overdrafting LaPorta is not the move this season. Until the Lions prove they can still be a high-powered offense without Ben Johnson, LaPorta is on my no-draft list and could end up causing multiple teams to miss out on other great players.
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-Z.D.
-Matt Hylen
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