Fantasy Football: 5 offenses to be all in on and 5 to avoid this draft season

Yahoo

18 hours ago

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As you're surveying the NFL landscape this summer, trying to figure out your fantasy leans, one word pops up over and over again.
Trust.
Which teams do you trust? Which play designers do you trust? We're always trying to learn who a quarterback trusts — who does he throw to in a key spot, or what back will he rely upon for a critical blitz pickup?
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Today's assignment is simple enough — let's run through some offenses I trust and don't trust as we close in on the 2025 season. This isn't a strict ranking of the fantasy offenses — we tackled that earlier this summer and revisit the list during the season — but this will be a handy guide as you sharpen up your cheat sheets.
Offenses in the Circle of Trust
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson quickly became a star in his pro career, winning MVP in his second season. But last year we saw his experience and maturity catch up to his physical talents, and the result was the highest scoring fantasy season (in basic scoring) of all time. Zay Flowers joined Jackson on the Pro Bowl roster, Derrick Henry sprung for 18 touchdowns and a silly 5.9 YPC, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman combined for 20 touchdowns. There are so many right answers here.
Cincinnati Bengals
The setup was perfect last year, and it looks perfect again. Joe Burrow is an elite quarterback, capable of challenging for MVP. The offense is tied to three dynamic skill players — Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown — and the distribution is narrow. The Cincinnati defense is a leaky unit, likely to force regular shootouts. And star DE Trey Hendrickson isn't happy about his contract. Carnival life for the win.
Detroit Lions
We have to acknowledge a pair of big losses — OC Ben Johnson left to take the Chicago head coaching job, and star center Frank Ragnow retired. But Jared Goff is entering his fifth year in Detroit, he's not going to forget all the successful plays they've run. Goff is working with perhaps the best skill talent in the NFL; I'll sign off on any of the six primary Lions this year.
Dallas Cowboys
Nobody trusts their running back room and the defense could be a mess, too. But that can turn into a fantasy positive, with veteran QB Dak Prescott throwing the ball all over the yard, focusing on star receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. It's possible the market is underrating TE Jake Ferguson, a possible Third Amigo in this passing game.
Philadelphia Eagles
Last year they ran all over the NFL en route to a title, with Saquon Barkley going off and Jalen Hurts scoring a bunch from the 1-yard line. I suspect the Philly passing game might be a little underappreciated this season, given that last year's extreme run rate (driven by ideal game flow most weeks) could be hard to replicate. A.J. Brown is one of the most talented receivers in the world, and DeVonta Smith has been a screaming draft value all summer.
Two sneaky offenses I like more than the market
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence has been frustrating so far, but he's mostly been set up to fail. Now he adds HC Liam Coen and WR Travis Hunter to an offense that already has star receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Giddy-up.
Los Angeles Chargers: It hurt to lose star lineman Rashawn Slater, but the Chargers have so many other boxes checked: head coach, quarterback, alpha receiver, feature back.
Offenses Outside the Circle of Trust
Miami Dolphins
Last year everything fell apart, mostly because of a poor offensive line and an injury-prone quarterback. Unfortunately, the Dolphins are mostly running it all back again. Tyreek Hill didn't have a 30-yard catch after Week 1, and you get the idea he's not bought into the current regime. I suspect this is Hill's last season in Miami — and I wouldn't be surprised if he were traded in the middle of the year.
New York Jets
The most exciting thing here is the running of Justin Fields — give him a full season and he could easily collect 1,000 yards on the ground. Unfortunately, when a mobile QB runs, no one else on the roster really benefits. We do acknowledge that Fields' athleticism will widen defenses and open running lanes for the New York backs, but the Jets might use a cumbersome three-headed monster (Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis) on game day. Garrett Wilson reminds me of a younger Terry McLaurin — a star receiver held down by the limitations of his ever-changing quarterbacks.
New Orleans Saints
There's look-out-below potential here. The Saints probably don't have a legitimate quarterback on the roster, and you can talk down the skill talent (Alvin Kamara is losing efficiency and just turned 30; Chris Olave has dealt with regular concussions; Rashid Shaheed tore the meniscus in his knee midway through a breakout season). The New Orleans dream is that they're in pole position to draft Arch Manning next year (or someday), but what if Manning doesn't want to play for a franchise this empty? We've seen that story before.
Cleveland Browns
Say this for the Browns, they like to throw different quarterbacks at us. Last year Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe all started games for Cleveland. Any surprise they went 3-14? Now aging Joe Flacco is the temporary starter, with three quirky options behind him (for now) on the depth chart: Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. I like Kevin Stefanski as a coach, I really do. But I don't see how you turn this into a winning hand. Cleveland will try to turn every game into a low-scoring rock fight; that's not optimal for fantasy.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Just ask yourself a simple question — when's the last time OC Arthur Smith or QB Aaron Rodgers added anything favorable to your fantasy life? Pittsburgh is another team that would sign up for a season of 13-12 final scores right now, if given the chance.
Two tricky offenses I like less than the market
Chicago Bears: New coach Ben Johnson can do good things with QB Caleb Williams but give it time; the Vikings and Lions could present a rude opening to the season. The Chicago depth chart has clusters of talent, but that could be vexing for fantasy managers, unsure where the ball is going.
Los Angeles Rams: Everyone loves offensive wizard Sean McVay, but if Matthew Stafford's back isn't right, this could all fall apart. Don't forget Stafford is 37 years old. Why doesn't star receiver Puka Nacua shine at the goal line?