PPR Rankings

Chase scored 403 PPR points last season, the fourth most ever by a wide receiver, and became the fifth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to win a receiving triple crown. In non-fantasy terms, he's been close to infallible since Cincinnati picked him fifth overall in 2021, grading out as elite in terms of speed (4.34 40), leaping (41-inch vertical), route-running and after-the-catch skills (6.2 career YAC average) -- all while sporting a denser-than-usual build (6 feet, 201 pounds) for a wide receiver. He's never averaged less than 16.4 PPR points, yet there arguably was a slight element of disappointment from a fantasy perspective before last season, as he'd been unable to maintain his frequency of big plays from 2021 (eight TDs of 30+ yards) once the Bengals started feeding him a steady diet of short targets in 2022 and 2023. It was only a matter of time before he combined both elements in a single season, although the extent to which that was true last year may not have been predicted even by Chase himself. He now enters his age-25 season as the popular No. 1 overall fantasy pick, with a near-perfect setup for continued production after he and running mate Tee Higgins finally joined QB Joe Burrow in signing long-term extensions with the Bengals. The nature of Chase's 2024 production was such that he can lose 10-20 percent of it in 2025 and still be a successful No. 1 pick, giving him plenty of leeway for regression in terms of touchdowns (17 last year) or team pass volume (38.4 attempts per game).

Robinson was a rock in 2024 and demonstrated league-leading fantasy upside, crossing the rare combined threshold of 300 carries and 60 receptions, with plus efficiency both as a runner and receiver. That he accomplished this even in a somewhat dysfunctional Atlanta offense makes it worth pondering what Robinson might do if the Falcons were to improve. Even if things don't get better with Michael Penix at quarterback, Robinson already demonstrated in 2024 that he doesn't need good luck to compete for the RB1 distinction in fantasy. Robinson has produced with uncommon efficiency and elusiveness despite facing crowded boxes, pushing for 5.0 YPC even while having just five carries of more than 20 yards. Robinson has yet to log a 40-yard carry in the NFL — a trend that seems unlikely to persist given the abundance of other explosive indicators. He has the speed to split safeties (4.46 40) and the size (5-foot-11, 215 pounds) to run them over, and he's already shown a volume ceiling that few backs can match. Adding a few more big plays on similar volume might be enough to make Robinson the top scorer for fantasy in any given year.

Gibbs' rookie season was already excellent and set him up for even higher expectations in 2024, yet it's safe to say Gibbs exceeded those expectations. He held up for all 17 weeks, including a three-game span in the fantasy playoffs when Gibbs took on a workhorse role while David Montgomery (knee) sat out. It's true that Gibbs wouldn't have had quite as many touches in 2024 if not for Montgomery's injury -- and in general the Lions prefer dividing touches between the two RBs -- but Gibbs was so dominant in Montgomery's absence that it may impact the workload split for 2025 under new offensive coordinator John Morton. As much as Gibbs' carry count might decline if Montgomery stays healthy, it's worth remembering that (A) Gibbs will likely always be among the league leaders in yards and touchdowns per carry, slightly offsetting any volume limitations, and (B) Gibbs showed a new level of pass-catching upside in 2024 and might push for 60-plus catches after logging 52 in both of his NFL seasons.

Lamb's first four NFL seasons were marked by steady improvement, including a surge forward in 2023 when he scored 403.2 PPR points, the third most ever by a wide receiver. His momentum finally slowed last season, with Lamb dropping back to his 2022 rate of scoring (17.6 PPR average), although it took bad luck to push him down to what was still a high level, finishing eighth among WRs in both total PPR points and points per game. He might've finished as high as second or third, if not for the Week 9 game at Atlanta in which QB Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury and Lamb an AC joint sprain. The shoulder injury cost Lamb snaps in a couple other games and eventually led the Cowboys to shut him down for Weeks 17-18, although he first proved capable of putting up solid numbers with a backup quarterback, averaging 6.9 catches for 76.3 yards in the seven games both he and Cooper Rush started. Prescott should be ready for Week 1, but there's tougher competition for targets following a May trade for WR George Pickens. For all his merits, Lamb isn't on the same level as Justin Jefferson or Ja'Marr Chase as a downfield threat, which means he'll need to continue piling up cheap, easy receptions to get back toward his 2023 status as a tip-top WR1.

Much like Christian McCaffrey going from Carolina to San Francisco or Derrick Henry swapping Tennessee for Baltimore, the switch from the Giants to the Eagles last season made a huge difference in Barkley's output. He's always been a high-volume RB, but efficiency was an impossible task at times in New York while dealing with lousy blocking and poor QBs. It turns out Barkley is a lot harder to tackle when he has an elite offensive line and competent passing game giving the defense something additional to worry about. He improved from 3.9 YPC in his last year with the Giants to 5.8 in 2024, propelled by a sharp increase in big plays. Barkley's carries of 20-plus and 40-plus yards, respectively, rose from seven and zero in 2023 to 17 and seven last year. It's likely not sustainable for Barkley to average a 40-plus carry every two or three weeks the way he did in his first season with Philadelphia, but the conditions that made him so productive remain intact, as it will always be profoundly difficult for defenses to show a proper amount of respect to Barkley, QB Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia wide receivers at the same time.