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New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Top 5 fantasy football breakout quarterbacks, including Caleb Willams and two more former No. 1 picks
Who's next? We ask this question every year in fantasy football. Who's the next breakout quarterback or surprise QB1? While it's nice to draft a super stud and eliminate any worries, there is a bit more joy in finding late-round value that returns Top 10 numbers. Not only do you look smart, you get to lord it over your league mates, as you didn't have to sacrifice early-round value at RB or WR. Here are my Top 5 potential QB breakout candidates for 2025, with a 'likelihood' score of it happening. Case For: We saw improvements in Williams when Thomas Brown took over after the Shane Waldron firing nine games into the 2024 campaign. Now Ben Johnson arrives from Detroit, bringing his offensive mind, plus weapons Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland were added in the draft. And let's not forget, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze were already in the fold. With Johnson as the offensive coordinator, the Lions were Top 8 in passing yards per game in 2022, then second in 2023 and 2024. Williams' 2022 season at USC was otherworldly, with 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns through the air, as well as 382 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. The ability, surrounding talent and coaching give Williams real Top 5 upside. Advertisement Case Against: As was the case in his final season in college, Williams ran around in the pocket (instead of upfield) and tried to force plays too often. That included ill-advised heaves downfield, often turning into interceptions. I made the argument that Williams had the best group of weapons for a rookie quarterback, and yet, he still struggled. While there were improvements after Waldron was let go, Williams regressed somewhat down the stretch. It's common for quarterbacks to need a half to a full season before showing complete improvement with a new offense or coach. QB1 Likelihood: 7/10 Case For: Rushing upside. Maye has Lamar Jackson upside. Now, don't pick up your pitchforks yet — I merely mean on a per-touch basis. Maye won't run for 1,000 yards, but he can sit in the 700-800 range with a handful of touchdowns. The Patriots added Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, TreVeyon Henderson and help on the offensive line. Weeks 6-16 of Maye's rookie season — excluding Week 8 when he was concussed — he averaged 16.6 fantasy points per game, which would have been QB13 in FPPG, ahead of Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa … and with one of the league's worst receiving corps. Case Against: Given his health and off-field concerns, Diggs is no guarantee to help. Williams is an intriguing rookie, but not without concerns, and could be no more than a Zay Jones type. Among QBs with a minimum of 100 attempts, Maye had the 12th-highest off-target percentage (12.1% — tied with Spencer Rattler and just behind Will Levis at 12.3%). The Patriots offense could limit Maye's ceiling with one of the heavier rushing attacks and lower-scoring offenses, given head coach Mike Vrabel's tendencies — the Titans ranked higher than 22nd in plays per game just once in his tenure and were in the bottom four in four of his six seasons. QB1 Likelihood: 6/10 Case For: Young was Top 8 in fantasy points and FPPG from Weeks 13-18. The Panthers drafted the consensus top wideout, who also doesn't play corner, in Tetairoa McMillan. Promising wideouts Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker enter their second seasons, plus Adam Thielen is back. We saw Young's comfort level improve, especially during those final six weeks, when his air yards per attempt was 9.6 (8.8 career). Young was relaxed and smart, throwing a touchdown in every game from Weeks 8-18, and he ran for 208 yards and five touchdowns over his final eight games. Advertisement Case Against: The rushing upside appeared to be part of his potential, but he never achieved it in college or through his first 22 NFL games. Young still makes some errant throws, as evidenced by his 60.3 completion percentage, which dropped to 38.9% when attempting passes of 15+ air yards. The league is leaning more into zone coverage, and Young was one of the worst performers against it with just 64.8 Comp% (40th among QBs with a minimum of 40 attempts) and 9.2 yards per completion (42nd). McMillan should be great, but he's a rookie, and Legette or Coker needs to make a significant improvement this year … or Thielen could dip his toes into the fountain of youth. QB1 Likelihood: 4.5/10 Case For: Liam Coen + Travis Hunter + Year 2 Brian Thomas. Coen is a significant piece of the Baker Mayfield resurgence story. Lawrence was one of the most highly touted quarterbacks of the past decade. There is a rushing ceiling he still hasn't hit, as Lawrence has the ability for 500+ rushing yards and a good chunk of touchdowns … if he ever finds his Clemson comfort level. There were signs of it finally clicking for Lawrence before his injury last season, particularly with a low OFFTGT% for throws of 15+ AirYD (21.1%, ninth lowest of 34 qualified QBs). Case Against: It's been three and a half seasons of Lawrence looking like a replacement-level quarterback. He had the fourth-worst passer rating and was just 26th of 34 QBs in touchdowns per attempt when not pressured. If Lawrence doesn't run more, he'll need 4,000+ yards and close to 30 passing touchdowns to reach QB1 status. QB1 Likelihood: 3/10 Case For: Penix is a great passer with similarities to Matthew Stafford, and he shows nice ability with downfield throws. Albeit in a limited sample, Penix was second in AirYD/ATT at 10.2 (behind only Anthony Richardson at 12.2) and fourth in yards per completion at 12.7. Even more impressive is Penix's YD/Comp jumped to a league-high 17.3 when under pressure. Clearly, he has a strong rapport with Drake London, targeting him 39.8% of the time in three starts, with just 15.4 OFFTGT% and a production line of 22-352-2 on the 39 targets to London. Also, Bijan Robinson is a legit threat in the passing game. Case Against: Atlanta has one of the more questionable receiving rooms with London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud (or Khadarel Hodge) as the top three options. Kyle Pitts is part of that group, but he's looking to save his career after bombing every year since his rookie season. Even with Zac Robinson coming over from the Rams, the Falcons still had the ninth-lowest passing rate last year (54.4%). Again, it's a small sample, but that number dropped with Penix at the helm, to just 51.0% — sixth-lowest — in those final three games. Lastly, Penix offers very little on the rushing side, likely to add 150 or so yards and a touchdown or two. QB1 Likelihood: 2/10 (Top photo of Caleb Williams: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DJ Moore & Rome Odunze like 'perfection' Bears coach Ben Johnson demands
DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are spending a lot of time together, lately. The Bears dynamic duo spent Sunday working with kids at Moore's annual youth football camp in Deerfield. Kaitlin Sharkey caught up with the star wideouts ahead of this week's mandatory minicamp to see their first impressions of new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and what to expect in Year 2 with Caleb Williams.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gervon Dexter dubbed Bears' most underrated player in 2025
The Chicago Bears have some big names on their roster, led by quarterback Caleb Williams, receiver DJ Moore, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and defensive end Montez Sweat. But there are some talented players who've flown under the radar, including defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Dexter, a second-round pick in 2023, was a pleasant surprise on defense in his first full season starting last year. He set career highs across the board in total tackles (51), tackles for loss (4), sacks (5.0), QB hits (19) and fumble recoveries (2). Unfortunately, Dexter's production took a hit after the loss of Andrew Billings. But he's still established himself as a key player along the defensive interior. Gennaro Filice dubbed Dexter the most underrated player on the Bears roster. Dexter started last season on a tear with four sacks and 10 QB hits in Chicago's first five games. He only recorded one sack and nine QB hits in his final 10 games, though, missing two contests due to a knee injury. To be fair, the second-year pro didn't have much support on the Bears' defensive interior, especially after fellow DT Andrew Billings suffered a season-ending injury in early November. But Ryan Poles fortified the D-line in free agency (adding Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett) and the draft (second-round pick Shemar Turner). With that influx of talent, Dexter could be set to move around the front more as a more versatile weapon in new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme. Dexter has shown plenty of promise, and he stands to learn from a pair of veterans in Billings and free-agent addition Grady Jarrett, who should help elevate his game. The Bears defense is undergoing some changes with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who's looking to employ and aggressive style of defense, and having a disruptive interior pass rusher like Dexter will do wonders for this unit. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Gervon Dexter dubbed Bears' most underrated player in 2025
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Buy Chicago Bears Tickets: 2025-26 NFL Regular Season
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The NFL schedule for the upcoming season was released on Wednesday, and fans can purchase tickets now to secure their seats at the best games during the 2025-26 season. NFL Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to DJ Moore #2 (not pictured) against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Soldier Field on October 06, 2024 in... Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to DJ Moore #2 (not pictured) against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Soldier Field on October 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. MoreThe schedule for the 2025-26 NFL season was officially released on Wednesday, May 14th, at 8 p.m. ET, and now is the time of year when fans frantically check their calendars to see which games they can attend. The Chicago Bears have some fantastic matchups on the docket for this upcoming season. On top of playing each of their divisional rivals twice as usual, there are many great out-of-division and out-of-conference games lined up. BUY: Chicago Bears Tickets for the 2025-26 Season No league in the United States is more popular than the National Football League, making the schedule release an extremely exciting day for the sports world. After months of anticipation, the wait is finally over. Wednesday also officially marks the day that non-season ticket holders can start to get tickets to the games they want to see in person. There is no better experience than spending the day at your favorite team's stadium or even hitting the road to watch the squad play in one of the many iconic away stadiums across the league. NFL Wide receiver DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears carries the ball during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field on January 5, 2025 in Green... Wide receiver DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears carries the ball during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field on January 5, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. MoreNFL tickets are a hot commodity, especially this time of the year. Make sure to claim yours now before the best seats are gone or the prices rise as the hype surrounding certain matchups heightens. The early bird gets the worm, and you do not want to be late to the party. Vivid Seats Promo Code Use promo code NEWSWEEK20 to get $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200 or more (before taxes and fees). Offer valid for new customers only. BUY: Chicago Bears Tickets for the 2025-26 Season If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears Star Draft Pick Leaves Practice With Potential Injury: Report
The Chicago Bears secured arguably the steal of the NFL draft by selecting wide receiver Luther Burden III out of Missouri early in the second round (No. 39 overall), but the team got some unfortunate news on him Saturday. Burden was participating in rookie minicamp at Halas Hall on May 10 when he caught a pass deep down the field and landed awkwardly. According to a report from 670 The Score in Chicago, Burden may have suffered an "injury to his midsection." Advertisement "Burden hauled in a deep pass down the sideline toward the end of the Bears' second practice of rookie minicamp while landing awkwardly on his side," Chris Emma reported. "It wasn't immediately clear whether he felt discomfort or suffered an injury." Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden Bush-Imagn Images The team afforded media members access to new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle following the conclusion of the practice, though he referred their questions about Burden's health status to head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson did not speak to reporters on Saturday. However, the last time Johnson did speak about Burden in any context, he raved about the 21-year-old's physical abilities. Burden figures to be the frontrunner to win the team's No. 3 receiver spot and start in the slot alongside veteran DJ Moore and second-year pass catcher Rome Odunze on the outside. Advertisement Matt Miller of ESPN dubbed Burden the steal of the 2025 draft, calling him the second-best receiver behind Travis Hunter, who Miller classified in a different category since the No. 2 overall pick may play both wideout and cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie in 2025. Burden finished last season with 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns after producing 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns at Missouri the year before. Related: Bears Share Injury Update on No. 10 NFL Draft Pick Colston Loveland
