• ShareCopied to clipboard

Fantasy Winners & Losers of 2025

January 5, 2026

Winners

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars, QB20 (Picks 170)

Not much was expected of the former golden boy this season. ADP had adjusted well to his recent letdowns so queue the insane bounce back that showed everyone that they were wrong. To be fair, Jacksonville has dealt with a lot of nonsense since Lawrence came to town. Liam Coen came in and immediately got to work on his QB and boy did it pay off. As the 20th QB taken off the board, he was more than likely a waiver wire hero. Emphasis on the “hero” with 12 total touchdowns and 872 passing yards in the playoffs. He has plenty of weapons to work with and the arrow is finally looking like it’ll be pointing up going into next season.

JSN, Seahawks, WR14 (Pick 37)

JSN ended the second half of last season on a red hot streak and brought it with him into 2025 with NINE 100 yards efforts. A change to the offensive coordinator did wonders and the QB upgrade from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold transformed the offense. A 1,700 yard and ten touchdown season in the third round did wonders for fantasy teams as well. He operated as the WR1 for the offense with DK shipped out and showed he could win from anywhere on the field. JSN was a strong contender for MVP on the year and came through for you nearly every single week. Remember, he posted absolutely elite scores at the combine in both the 3 cone and 20 yard shuttle. It has all translated to real life greatness.

George Pickens, Cowboys, WR29 (Pick 69)

If you waited on receiver even longer, you could have easily wound up with one of the biggest surprises on the year. CeeDee Lamb went down with an ankle sprain early and Pickens stepped right into the WR1 role for Dallas. He’d  go on to win many weeks with big time performances (aside from two questionable weeks towards the end) including 5 games of 100 or more yards. When Lamb came back, Pickens still essentially operated as Dak’s go to guy. If both the Cowboys and Pickens can find a way to keep him in Dallas, he may have finally found his home.

Jaylen Warren, Steelers, RB29 (Pick 84)

Warren is my guy here. Sure, there may have been bigger and better names but let’s give him some love. Why? Because he’s been operating behind Najee Harris the last few years despite clearly outperforming him. He finally got his chance in 2025 and showed he was so much more than just a pass catching back. He finished as a mid RB 2, blowing by his ADP and coming through for you on most weeks when you needed him. Both he and Kenneth Gainwell fended off rookie Kaleb Johnson with ease and could be the same tandem heading into next season as well.

---

Losers

CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys, WR2 (Pick 6)

Here’s the deal, we know Lamb is elite. Like stupid good. The guy oozes aura and skill whenever you see him on a field, but something has been off. Whether it’s injuries to him or his quarterback or taking a clear step back this season with George Pickens seemingly taking over. My point is, since his 23.7 ppg in 2023, he’s dropped to 9.7 in 2025. It’s also the way it has looked. There were clearly times when he was dogging routes, not running full stride, or just seemed completely checked out like in the Commanders game. I love this player so much, but he’s part of the problem going on in Dallas with his drops in big moments. A player getting big time money but not putting up big time numbers. I can’t see him going mid to high first round next season.

Justin Jefferson, Vikings, WR3 (Pick 4)

A lot of the concerns going into this year were the same as last season with Sam Darnold. Jefferson is QB proof, no one can throw him off, right? Uhh…maybe? Maybe not. The Vikings offense was off from the very beginning of the year. From JJ McCarthy to Carson Wentz and back to JJ, then to Max Brosmer. It was a roller coaster with frustrations all around. He posted an 11.4 points per game which is obviously not what you expect from your high first round pick. In fact, you probably lost a ton of games if you stubbornly left him in your line up. It’s sad but true. He’ll still go in the first first next season, but the Vikings are a situation worth monitoring because there will more than likely be safer/better selections available around his ADP.

Breece Hall, Jets, RB16 (Pick 51)

For a brief moment there was hope he’d be traded. Fingers were crossed, prayers were said.. Whatever you do was done. Please let the Jets ship him out. The fantasy community dreamed of Hall in an Andy Reid offense. Of course, that didn’t happen and Breece was phased out of game scripts for most of the second half of the season. He did finish with 13 points per game, his first 1,000 yard rushing season and 4.4 yards per carry. I’ll give him credit, he kind of came through in the playoffs. I’m just not sure how many people survived that long if they were relying on him to post RB 2 numbers.

Bucky Irving, Bucs, RB11 (Pick 22)

Bucky came out looking alright, but then missed a big chunk of the season to personal issues and injuries. Ultimately, the points per game came out nearly the same as last season, hovering around 14. It just didn’t feel that way when you’re missing your main guy when you need that difference maker in your lineup the most. It didn’t help that by the time he did come back, Sean Tucker had clearly carved out a role as the goal line back. With Rachaad White still in the picture, things just got muddy and the two backups stole opportunity from Bucky. He should be fine for next season, and this could perhaps be a buy in Dynasty leagues for any uncertain managers.

Keith, Author

Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.