Big Blue View
A way-too-early look at the elite fantasy stars for ‘25
Welcome back, readers! The NFL offseason is rolling along and has officially entered the fun stage for us fans. Here’s where we are: The scouting Combine wrapped up on Sunday, the first big trade came down last week (Deebo to the Commanders!), the franchise tag window closed on Tuesday (Tee Higgins gets the tag for the second year in a row, while Sam Darnold is a free agent), and free agency opens next week (March 12). The main event – the 2025 NFL Draft - is heading our way in late April. So buckle up, friends. Yeah, MLB has its offseason “hot stove,” but by comparison the NFL has a nuclear reactor. Even with the start of its season a full six months away, the NFL has a unique ability to dominate headlines and hold our attention. I’m here for it.
Two weeks ago, I dropped my way-too-early first round fantasy football rankings for 2025, and today I’ve got my way-too-early top tiers at each of the main positions. I’ve written a lot in the past about why it’s so important to use tiers when you do your rankings, so I won’t waste time with it here. And while a lot can and will change between now and the start of the season, I’m confident that barring injuries, the top tiers I’m providing today won’t change all that much between now and the end of August.
The challenge in putting this together, in addition to the fact that it’s only March, is to avoid overreacting to the 2024 season. In listing the top tier of players at each position for the 2025 season, the goal is to identify the players most likely to put up elite production, and not just the players who put up the most points in 2024 (although in many cases, it’s the same players).
As a frame of reference, at each position I’ll also share my final top tiers from the 2024 preseason. It’s always interesting to see how this changes from year to year, and to see how players performed vs. expectations. That’s right, I had Dalton Kincaid in my top tier at tight end last season. Please accept my apology.
Let’s get to it. These are my top tiers for 2025 season-long, redraft fantasy football, using these settings: 1 QB starting, Half-PPR scoring, and 4-points per passing TD. Rankings within the tier aren’t overly important, and especially at this early stage. I did this exercise blind, without looking at anyone else’s rankings or tiers.
Quarterback
2025 Top Tier: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Jalen Hurts
2024 Top Tier: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Patrick Mahomes
Commentary:
Will Patrick Mahomes ever put up monster numbers again? Maybe, but after he finished as the QB1 in 2022, fantasy managers have been burned two years in a row, and name recognition will likely keep Mahomes overpriced in 2025. As long as KC has...
