The 2025 season is almost upon us, so it's time to make some stands.
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We asked the Footballguys staff to give their targets in the late rounds of drafts. Here's what they said.
QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Hutchinson Brown: Bryce Young will break out and step into the QB1 conversation in 2025. Last season, from week 13 on, Bryce Young's points per game mark would have landed him comfortably in the top ten. After he came back from his time on the bench, he looked like a whole new player who not only did the simple stuff well, but made some jaw-dropping plays as a passer, ran the football aggressively, and carried some serious swagger.
Dave Canales is entering year two as the coach for this offense, and we have some serious weapon upgrades to consider. Tetairoa McMillan should be a great possession receiver for Young to rely on, and then you have two late-round players in Jalen Coker and Ja'Tavion Sanders who stepped up as rookies that could blossom as they enter year two. Bryce Young is set up perfectly for a breakout season in 2025. With his sneaky rushing upside, he could definitely finish top fifteen at the quarterback position this season and be in some starting line-ups in 1QB fantasy leagues.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Andy Hicks: When the Cardinals drafted Benson with the 66th overall pick in the 2024 draft, it was expected he would transition into the role as the aging James Conner was phased out. Someone forgot to tell Conner, as he had a career peak in carries and yardage. Playing all games until the season finale helped. Historically, Conner has missed two to six games every year. Expect that to happen in 2025.
Pass protection was Benson's biggest concern in 2024, and the player and team have worked hard on that entering this year. Conner himself even projects a significant time share this season. Benson's ability was not in question. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 63 rushing attempts. It is now or never for the former Florida State Seminole. He has an excellent chance to easily outperform his ADP.
RB Tahj Brooks, Cincinnati Bengals
Meng Song: I'm not sure why Brooks hasn't received more attention from fantasy outlets. Camp reports have lauded the rookie for his vision as a runner, along with strong pass-blocking reps and reliable hands as a receiver out of the backfield. With Zack Moss gone, Brooks has immense upside in a potential three-down role if Chase Brown were to miss any time. There might even be a case for upside flex consideration with Brown healthy if Brooks can carve out a complementary role over Samaje Perine, who's still hanging around on the roster as a veteran presence. Brooks is practically free at ADP and should be drafted much earlier alongside other potential league-winning No. 2 backs like Trey Benson and Tyler Allgeier.
RB Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
Ben Cummins: The Bills' offensive environment is one we want to invest in. They led the NFL in both Expected Points Added per Play and Rush Expected Points Added per Play last season. Ray Davis is a very good player who has produced everywhere he's been. We already received a glimpse of his contingent upside should James Cook get injured. In Week 6 with Cook out, Davis played on 58% of the offensive snaps (Cook's season-high was 61%), carried 20 times for 97 yards, and caught 3 passes for 55 more yards. Davis is a heavy target in all forms of fantasy this season, including both redraft and best ball, due to the league-winning upside he possesses within his range of outcomes.
