Before diving into our takeaways from the 2024 Fantasy Football season, be sure to check out our rookie rankings for the upcoming draft and the 2025 Fantasy Football season!
Takeaway 1: Talented Running Backs in High-Scoring Offenses Lead To High Fantasy Upside
While this advice may seem obvious and straightforward, let me put this into perspective for you. If we look at the top 10 fantasy running backs this season, five came from teams with significant touchdown equity: Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, James Cook, and Chase Brown. All of these players were on high-scoring offenses, and because of that, this was able to lead to higher fantasy production. Touchdowns, more often than not, are a deciding factor in a player's fantasy value. It is a lot harder to rely on a running back that might only find the end zone every so often, no matter how skilled they are. What is the takeaway here? Prioritize talented running backs on teams with high-scoring offenses; they will help with winning fantasy leagues.
Takeaway 2: Believe in Wide Receiver Talent Over Quarterback Situations
Another critical insight from this season: trust the talent of wide receivers, even if their quarterback situation is less than ideal. A prime example is Malik Nabers, who finished as a top-6 wide receiver in PPR leagues during his rookie season. Despite catching passes from an uninspiring quarterback rotation—Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle—Nabers posted impressive stats:
1204 receiving yards
109 receptions
7 touchdowns
170 targets
Similar to Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. was also another one of those wide receivers that also had a less than ideal situation, and still was able to put up numbers similar to Malik Nabers, in his rookie season. Talent will always trump everything, and there is more to a wide receiver than just who is throwing them the ball.
Building a Winning Strategy for 2025
The 2024 Fantasy Football season gave us valuable lessons to carry into the 2025 draft. First, prioritize talented running backs on high-scoring offenses. Talented running backs on high-scoring offenses, as you saw this year, have league-winning upside, as I was able to list five that’re all on top offenses from the 2024-25 season. Second, do not overlook elite wide receiver talent, even if the quarterback situation is less than ideal. Players like Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. both proved that great receivers will be able to thrive regardless of who is throwing them the ball.
If you focus on these key takeaways, you will have a much better chance at building a competitive fantasy roster and winning the fantasy football championship. With this, let’s have a successful 2025 Fantasy Football season!