Time to dust off our crystal ball.
Fantasy football is about projecting today’s, tomorrow’s and perhaps the upcoming couple of months’ worth of NFL action. In essence, this game is all about predicting the future, something keeper and dynasty league managers know best. This group is constantly thinking beyond just the current season in question, a practice that ultimately heightens our scouting chops.
To have a little fun with the franchise-building exercise, and to help keeper and dynasty league managers, let’s turn the clock forward three seasons and see how well we forecast who might be the game’s top stars. Below, we present our All-2025 Team, which aims to predict the fantasy football leaderboard three years from now.
We’ve selected both first and second teams for this exercise, comprising a superflex-style, deeper-league lineup that includes two quarterbacks, two running backs, three wide receivers, two tight ends and a flex (which can be a quarterback for these purposes). Players are listed in the order we would rank them, projecting their final 2025 PPR fantasy point totals.
For you keeper and dynasty leaguers, bear in mind that this column aims to identify the very best players in the game, with an emphasis on the highest statistical ceilings. Use the lists however you wish — to upgrade your keeper/dynasty teams, to take notes of high-upside players you might want to track more closely this season, to debate with friends or simply to clip and save to check back with us in 2025 about which ones we got terribly, horribly, most embarrassingly wrong. It’s all good!
(Ages are as of Sept. 1, 2025, and are listed in parentheses.)
First Team
QB1 — Josh Allen (29 years old): To give you a sense of just how much this game can change over a three-year span, at the dawn of the 2019 season, I couldn’t have conceived of Allen becoming anywhere near the deep-ball passer he has been the past two years. His mobility was never in doubt, and predictably, he joined Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks in history to rush for at least 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in their first four NFL seasons. Allen became a bona fide big-play passer in Years 3 and 4, however, and through 60 career starts, his 1,289.70 fantasy points were second most to only Patrick Mahomes’ 1,381.16. Allen will be a prime-age 29 in 2025, young enough to still use his legs at a high level, and that dual-threat ability makes him the top quarterback to build around in fantasy through 2025 and beyond. — Cockcroft
QB2 — Patrick Mahomes (29): A scheme-transcendent quarterback — meaning he could function and produce in every system — Mahomes has logged 132.7 more fantasy points than any player in the league since 2018. He has also posted at least 37 touchdown passes and 60 rushing attempts in three of his four pro seasons as a starter. And we don’t really need to dive into the game tape here to see the talent. Mahomes is an elite player at the position. The arm strength stands out. There’s the natural movement skills, too. And his ability to go off script leads to more fantasy scoring opportunities. Remember, Mahomes will turn just 30 years old during the 2025 season, and I think you could make a case that he should be ranked ahead of Allen on the first team. — Bowen
RB1 — Jonathan Taylor (26): A durable, volume runner, with big-play juice, Taylor will be entering his prime playing years in 2025. Last season Taylor gained yardage on 81% of his carries while ranking third in yards per rush after first contact. That’s a combination of his ability to find open daylight, plus the power in his pads to run through defenders. And since Taylor entered the league in 2020, he has racked up a league-best 38 explosive-play rushes (rushes of 15 or more yards). That’s more than Nick Chubb, Dalvin Cook and Derrick Henry. While the Colts added 37-year-old quarterback Matt Ryan this offseason, Taylor is still the future of this team, in a system in which the run game is a foundational piece of the offense. — Bowen
RB2 — Javonte Williams (25): Melvin Gordon III might be back to cause headaches to Williams’ fantasy managers in 2022, but three years from now, Denver’s backfield should firmly be the Williams show. Williams brought surprising power to the table for his size as a rookie, leading the league with 31 broken tackles while amassing 760 yards after contact (eighth in the NFL), and he was plenty capable as a receiver, too, with 43 catches, 13th best among running backs. – Cockcroft
WR1 — Justin Jefferson (26): He set a rookie record with 1,400 receiving yards in 2020, then significantly stepped up his performance as a sophomore, scoring 330.4 PPR fantasy points (fourth among WRs) with a finish every bit as good as Cooper Kupp’s. Jefferson’s speed, burst and ability to adjust mid play are almost unparalleled, and there’s no player on this list I’m more confident in picking as the top name at his position. His 604.6 PPR fantasy points through two seasons were second most in history behind only Odell Beckham Jr.’s 614.3. Imagine what Jefferson might accomplish three years from now? –– Cockcroft
WR2 — Ja’Marr Chase (25): A receiver with game-changing ability, plus the rugged catch-and-run traits to produce in space, Chase posted a breakout season as a rookie. Now, think about three more years of pro development here, when Chase will be just 25 years old (on the front end of his prime years). Nasty stuff. An easy pick for the first team, Chase registered a 6.2% catch rate over expectation last season — more than double the rate of Justin Jefferson — and he’s the clear top target for Joe Burrow in the Bengals’ pass game. In 2021, Chase logged 17.3% more yards per target than teammate Tee Higgins, with 10.5% more yards per route. He’s the alpha in this Cincy offense, with the complete skill set to push for the top fantasy receiver spot in 2025. — Bowen
WR3 — CeeDee Lamb (26): The Dallas Cowboys might not yet have fully unleashed him through his two NFL seasons, but watch the kid play and you’ll be convinced he’s a superstar in the making. It’s Lamb’s show to begin 2022, with Amari Cooper now in Cleveland, meaning this is probably your last chance to buy in at an affordable price. Lamb is versatile, tough to bring down (12 broken tackles!) and exceptional on contested catches. — Cockcroft
TE1 — Kyle Pitts (24): Fantasy managers have a way of shying away from the rookie who falls short of outrageously lofty expectations, especially members of clear rebuilding organizations such as these Atlanta Falcons. To be clear, you couldn’t be making a bigger mistake in a keeper or dynasty league than discounting Pitts. One year ago, he was being hailed as potentially the greatest tight end prospect in history, and I’ve cited time after time the difficulty players at this position have adapting to NFL play. Pitts’ rookie campaign was plenty historic, his 184.8 PPR fantasy points fourth most by any rookie at the position all time, and that was despite a terribly unlucky performance in the touchdown department. Simply put, he’s going to be a star, and by 2025, he’ll have already begun rewriting the positional record book. — Cockcroft
TE2 — T.J. Hockenson (28): Injuries — he has missed nine games already through three NFL seasons — and his place in one of the league’s hardest-luck franchises make this a seemingly tough call. Hockenson earns my vote because of his steady catch-rate improvement, top-of-the-position raw ability and my hope the Detroit Lions will begin to figure it out by 2025. A lot of this might come down to their quarterback, but three years is plenty of time to get that straightened out. –– Cockcroft
Flex — Breece Hall (24): Hall’s inclusion here is because of his potential upside in a developing Jets offense that leans on misdirection and zone schemes in the run game, plus the dual-threat ability he brings to a pro system. Think scoring opportunities here, for a back who produced 50 rushing touchdowns during his college career at Iowa State, and six more scores on 82 receptions. A smooth runner with home run ability on the tape, Hall played with more finishing power in his final season for the Cyclones. dropping his pads at the point of attack. And I expect a route tree that will expand in New York, deploying Hall on backfield releases, plus routes from flexed alignments. I compared Hall to former NFL running back Matt Forte during the draft process, as he has the physical tools and pro frame to handle 20-plus touches a game in the league. — Bowen
Second Team
QB1 — Joe Burrow (28): With two legitimate receivers who will be under 27 years old at the start of the 2025 season — Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — I’m all-in on Burrow given his traits as a passer. Those include ball location, anticipation and pocket mobility to reset his throwing window. He sees it fast, too. Last season, Burrow was on target with a league-best 78.6% of deep passes (15 or more air yards) in a season in which he passed for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. And he did that behind a subpar offensive line (sacked 51 times) with young talent in the pass game. With Cincinnati’s offseason approach to upgrading the offensive front, however, plus the anticipated growth/ceilings of Chase and Higgins, I expect Burrow to be one of the league’s best fantasy quarterbacks of the future given his skill set and the offensive structure in Cincinnati. — Bowen
QB2 — Justin Herbert (27): A personal favorite, Herbert has been everything I’d hoped for and then some through two NFL campaigns. Pressed into starting duty in only his second week in the league (due to a last-minute injury to then-starter Tyrod Taylor), Herbert has scored 713.60 fantasy points in his first 32 starts, the fourth most by any quarterback in history through that many starts. He’s not the runner some of his positional brethren are, which is why he’s here and not in a higher spot, but I’d place his passing ability alongside anyone not named Patrick Mahomes. — Cockcroft
RB1 — Bijan Robinson (23): Robinson caught 25 passes for the Texas Longhorns last season, from multiple alignments, so we know he has the route-running traits to be used in an NFL passing game. He can uncover from the slot, produce in the screen game or create matchups underneath. Plus, Robinson has the skills of a pro ball carrier at 6 feet, 214 pounds. This past season, Robinson forced 81 missed tackles in just 10 games played. He can push through contact or shake defenders. And he can get loose in the open field, too, as he posted 15 explosive-play rushes. Based on the tape, I see a running back here with three-down ability and PPR upside. Want to take a look? Watch the Texas-Oklahoma tape. You’ll see it. — Bowen
RB2 — Najee Harris (27): Harris, who led the NFL in touches as a rookie (381), is a volume grinder with pass-catching ability. In fact, Harris is just the 11th player in NFL history with a 300-carry/70-reception season on his résumé. He plays downhill in the run game and wins with scheme and talent as a receiver. And as the Steelers transition from Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, in an offense that will use more motion and movement, Harris is a fit as an inside/outside runner with true third-down value. He can release on the angles, flats and choice routes to beat linebackers, while giving Kenny Pickett a higher-percentage throw to move the sticks in the 2025 season. — Bowen
WR1 — Jaxon Smith-Njigba (23): At 6 feet, 198 pounds, Smith-Njigba put on a clinic in the Rose Bowl last season, posting 15 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged almost 17 yards a grab last season, too, totaling 1,606 yards receiving — all while playing alongside first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. And I see the ability on tape. He stretch defenses vertically and gets free after the catch. He can also be deployed as a motion/movement target. Smith-Njigba has pro-ready skills, and he’ll fit in today’s pass game. — Bowen
WR2 — Deebo Samuel (29): Samuel is a running back in a wide receiver’s uniform. Last season, he gave us our first glimpse of what he can accomplish, and with some injury luck, he’ll be on the fast track to stardom by 2025. He’s a yards-after-the-catch machine, and there’s a very real chance he’ll have a 20-touchdown season in his relatively near future. — Cockcroft
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WR3 — DK Metcalf (27): Few keeper or dynasty managers are going to be thinking of Metcalf as a building-block type, with Russell Wilson now in Denver and the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterbacking future clouded. This represents a trading opportunity, as Metcalf still brings the skills, with his blazing speed and ability to make quick adjustments to the ball. That will probably earn him a top-of-the-position fantasy point total at some point in his career. By 2025, he’ll have had his first taste of free agency, if the Seahawks haven’t answered their quarterback question by then. So buy into the skills, not the role, here. — Cockcroft
TE1 — Michael Mayer (24): With a big-body frame at 6-foot-4, 251 pounds, Mayer can win as a post-up, red zone target, where he caught five of his seven touchdowns for Notre Dame last season. But don’t sleep on his route-running traits. Playing in a pro system with the Irish, Mayer has shown the ability to eat up the cushion of safeties in coverage and creates matchup issues for linebackers at the second level. He can stretch the seams, win on crossers and flex outside, where he brings size as a boundary X target. There’s lots of upside here for a tight end with formation flexibility in the NFL game who caught 71 of 96 targets in 2021. — Bowen
TE2 — Pat Freiermuth (26): One of the more complete tight ends among the league’s younger group, Freiermuth brings elite blocking ability and immense size, which he used to pace all tight ends with 20 red zone targets in 2021 (tied with Mark Andrews and Zach Ertz) despite a more limited role in the season’s early weeks. If you’re looking for best bets to pace his position in touchdowns come 2025, Freiermuth should rank high on, if not atop, the list. – Cockcroft
Flex — Lamar Jackson (28): The league’s most electric player with the ball in his hands, Jackson has averaged 70.9 rushing yards per game in his three seasons as the primary starter for Baltimore. He has been more aggressive as a thrower, too, with the percentage of attempts traveling 20 or more air yards increasing each season of his career. And entering the 2025 season, Lamar will be only 28 years old. Take the dynamic ball carrier traits — with his ability to cut at top speed — and pair that with Jackson’s ability to target second- and third-level windows off play-action. Given his high-end, dual-threat ability, which creates consistent issues for opposing defenses, we still expect Jackson to produce top-five QB numbers in three years. — Bowen
Sleepers
QB — Bryce Young (24): An accurate thrower who can create space in the pocket, Young passed for more than 4,800 yards and 47 touchdowns in 2021 — on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. While his slight frame (6 feet, 194 pounds) will create some discussion during the draft process, Young has excelled in Alabama’s pro route tree and will fit in the league as a timing/rhythm thrower who can produce on dropback or play-action concepts. Young will have a high fantasy floor in the NFL. — Bowen
RB — Jahmyr Gibbs (23): The Georgia Tech transfer has some Dalvin Cook to his game. That’s what I see on the tape — vision, burst, receiving skills. He can scoot and win in space, and he has modern-day traits to produce in the pros. Gibbs averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season for Tech, and we expect the overall usage and production to jump this season in the Bama offense. He’s a riser with an RB1 ceiling in the NFL. — Bowen
WR — Skyy Moore (24) Moore was one of the 2022 draft’s best values, landing in a dream situation with Mahomes in Kansas City, and his FBS-leading 26 broken tackles (among WRs) underscore his elusiveness. — Cockcroft
TE — Albert Okwuegbunam (27) Okwuegbunam found himself in a dream scenario this offseason following Russell Wilson’s trade to Denver, and he brings both the size and blocking ability to develop into one of the position’s top talents in short time. — Cockcroft