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-catch skills (6.2 career YAC average) -- all while sporting a denser-than-usual build (6-0, 201) for a wide receiver. He's never averaged less than 16.4 PPR points, yet there arguably was a slight element of disappointment for fantasy before last season, as he'd been unable to maintain the 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 15-20 percent of it in 2025 and still be a successful No. 1 pick, giving him plenty of leeway for regression when it comes to stuff like touchdowns (17 last year) or team pass volume (38.4 attempts per game).

Kirk Cousins' departure from Minnesota last offseason dropped Jefferson from his familiar perch as an early first-round fantasy pick, leaving him as more of a mid-Round-1 guy amidst concerns about Vikings QBs Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. It ended up being good value, with an average of 18.7 PPR points representing Jefferson's lowest mark since his 2020 rookie season and yet still enough to finish second among WRs in total points and fourth in points per game. There seems to be less concern about a new QB this time around, after Jefferson and Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell coaxed 35 TD passes out of Darnold. We don't yet know if McCarthy, last year's 10th overall pick, will end up being an upgrade, a downgrade or about the same as Darnold, but it's safe to say the 22-year-old's statistics will look better than the reality of his performance. O'Connell not only likes to chuck the ball around but also is among the best at scheming it up, and the Vikings have talented ancillary pass catchers (WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson) to take some of the heat off Jefferson without truly threatening his volume. If Jefferson goes in the middle part of Round 1 rather than the early part this year, it's seemingly a matter of optimism regarding RBs Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs more so than fears about McCarthy. Early ADP feedback has Jefferson safely in the WR2 spot, behind only Ja'Marr Chase.