Latest news with #draftstrategy
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Draft These 3 Defenses in 2025 Fantasy Football
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 27: Pat Surtain II (2) of the Denver Broncos celebrates making a tackle for a ... More loss on fourth down against the Carolina Panthers as Malcolm Roach (97) rejoices during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, October 27, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) One of the things that fantasy owners are constantly underprepared for year in and year out is what defense they should select. While it's not the most fun topic to discuss, if you're in a traditional league format such as an ESPN league, you likely have to start one for your 2025 fantasy football team. With a defense being part of your starting lineup, it's crucial you nail this pick. While most people know to go to the wavier wire in-season, many struggle with a draft strategy. Today, we'll be breaking down the top three defenses to draft in 2025 fantasy football. The plan is simple: since you're going to be streaming a defense most weeks anyway, target defenses that produced last year and also have a good week one matchup. The last thing you want to do is have two defenses on your team in week one. Starting with an elite defense, you have the Denver Broncos. Right now, the Denver Broncos are going as the number one ranked defense on FantasyPros ADP for a good reason. They finished as the number one defense last year with 10.5 PPG, and they're facing off against the Tennessee Titans in week one. The Titans allowed 9.4 PPG to defenses in 2024 fantasy football, which was 2nd in the NFL. Even with Cam Ward coming into town, this should still be a rough offense in week one. If you have the option to select the first defense, the Broncos should always be the pick. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going as the 4th ranked defense this year, and this is a more reasonable price point for you to target. Last season, the Steelers finished 4th in PPG at 8.6, and they have a solid week one matchup. Now, a lot of this is going to depend on T. J. Watt. In 2024, Watt had 11.5 sacks, but there have been some trade rumors around Watt recently. If Watt gets traded, the Steelers will be a fine pick still, but they might not finish in the top five. As of now, though, Watt is still on the team. In week one, the Steelers take on the Jets, who allowed the 9th most points to defenses (5.9 PPG) last season. From a passing perspective, Justin Fields should be considered a downgrade from Aaron Rodgers, and the team didn't get significantly stronger on offense. Expect the Steelers to be a good season-long play with the ability to have a massive week one. CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 16: Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a play ... More in the second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by) Similar to the Steelers, there's a lot up in the air with the Cincinnati Bengals. For reference, the Bengals are going as the 25th defense off the board in 2025. If Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart end up playing right away, the Bengals will be a great selection. That said, both players are possible candidates to hold out due to a contract issue. Aside from that, the Bengals could be a sneaky play in week one. The Bengals were fine last season, scoring the 16th most points in the NFL at 6.1 PPG. What makes them appealing is the week one matchup. The Bengals take on the Browns, who allowed the most points to defenses last year at 10 PPG. In the NFL Draft, the Browns passed on the right to select Travis Hunter, and they didn't take a quarterback until Dillon Gabriel in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. While the team has improved overall, the offense hasn't made any drastic changes. Expect the Bengals to have a big week one in 2025 fantasy football.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Avoid Drafting These 3 Players in 2025 Fantasy Football
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Ladd McConkey #15 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs after the ... More catch in the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by) Making sure you draft the biggest sleepers in fantasy football is always a good way to win your league. However, one of the most important things you can do is avoid landmines. You don't have to hit a home run on every pick you make, but avoiding certain players can give you a massive advantage. Below, we'll be breaking down three players you should avoid for 2025 fantasy football. Based on the current FantasyPros ADP (PPR format), they're being valued way too high. For that reason, I'll be avoiding these three players in my 2025 fantasy football drafts. James Cook is being valued as the RB14 on FantasyPros, which isn't ridiculously high. That said, when you look at the players behind him, this makes Cook a player you should pass on. Cook has outperformed this ranking, finishing as the RB8 last year and the RB12 the year prior. That said, there are a number of issues outside of just the contract dispute. In 2024, Cook had 16 rushing touchdowns, which is one of the most volatile stats you can look at. For reference, Cook had four total touchdowns on the ground in 2022 and 2023. Even though the Bills offense is great, expect that number to come down drastically. On top of that, Cook lost some of his involvement as a receiver. In 2023, Cook was still able to finish as the RB12 because he had 54 targets and 44 receptions. Those numbers would drop down to 38 targets and 32 receptions in 2024. If Cook sees a drop off in touchdowns, which is very likely, and his involvement as a receiver continues to fall, he's going to finish much closer to the low-end RB2 range. There's going to be a lot of people who disagree with this take, and that's okay. Ladd McConkey is a good player, and I'd be happy to have him on my team if he falls down draft boards. However, the WR11 price tag on FantasyPros is just too rich. On the surface, McConkey looks like a safe projection to outscore this rank. As a rookie, McConkey was the WR13 as he caught 82 passes (112 targets) for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. That said, one thing that people fail to realize is McConkey is already 23 years old. In comparison to another sophomore, Malik Nabers is only 21 years old. While McConkey is going to improve, he doesn't have as much room to grow as other second-year players. On top of that, the Los Angeles Chargers brought in more target competition in the form of Tre Harris. The Chargers selected Harris 55th overall (round two), but that's not even my biggest concern. With J.K. Dobbins as the Chargers lead back, the Chargers were still 13th in rushing attempts per game (26.7). Now that the run game has seen a drastic improvement expect the passing volume to drastically decline for the Chargers. Not only did the Chargers sign Najee Harris, but they spent a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton in the NFL Draft. Even though McConkey might improve as a talent, the situation is far from ideal. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts during an ... More NFL Football game against the Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by) To round out this list, we have another Chargers player. The same idea of talent versus situation applies to Justin Herbert. Although Herbert is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, the volume isn't enough to make him a good fantasy option. Especially with the Chargers run game seeing such a big upgrade, the passing volume should go down, which will hurt Herbert and McConkey. Although Herbert finished as the QB11 last year, that's tied for his highest mark in the last three years. Justin Fields, Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye are being drafted behind Herbert, but all of them should have a much easier path to getting rushing or passing volume.
