Mike ClayJul 28, 2025, 07:07 AM ETCloseMike Clay is a senior writer for fantasy football and the NFL at ESPN. Mike is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. His projections power the ESPN Fantasy Football game, and he also appears on “Fantasy Football Now” and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.Follow on X
Mike ClayJul 28, 2025, 07:07 AM ET
CloseMike Clay is a senior writer for fantasy football and the NFL at ESPN.
Mike is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. His projections power the ESPN Fantasy Football game, and he also appears on “Fantasy Football Now” and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.Follow on X
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A newfantasy footballseason is upon us and — if you tuned out after February’s Super Bowl — you have a lot of catching up to do.
The 2025 NFL offseason had a flurry of action that will bring massive changes to this season’s fantasy landscape. There’s a new wave of rookie running backs (led by potential first-round fantasy pickAshton Jeanty),Davante Adamsteamed up withMatthew Staffordin Los Angeles, Derek Carr suddenly retired and several notable quarterbacks found new homes, includingJustin Fields,Geno Smith,Sam Darnold,Aaron RodgersandRussell Wilson.
This initial installment of The Playbook takes a thorough, position-by-position look at that landscape and offers advice and information that can help you make sound decisions on draft day.
The focus will be on average-sized, redraft leagues, but I didn’t forget the more nuanced leagues, including dynasty, keeper, superflex and best ball, which soon will be covered in Part 2 of The Playbook.
The Playbook is a strategy piece for beginners and advanced players that shows you how I apply all that I’ve learned during my many years as a fantasy player and an offseason of research. I originally published a version of this series in 2021, but it is a living piece that I update substantially each year.
Quarterback: The Big 4
Last season,Lamar Jackson(25.3),Josh Allen(22.3),Jalen Hurts(21.0) andJayden Daniels(20.9) finished among the top 6 quarterbacks in fantasy points per game. Those four are the clear-cut top 4 fantasy QBs in 2025, and my goal on draft day is to acquire any one of the four.
The reason these four make the cut andJoe Burrow(21.9) andBaker Mayfield(21.5) do not is simple: rushing ability. Burrow and Mayfieldcombinedfor 579 yards and five TDs on the ground last season; the “Big 4″averaged741.8 yards and nine TDs (none of the four had fewer than 531 yards or six TDs).
The quarterback position has evolved to where big passing numbers aren’t enough — these guys need to be nothing short of elite in that category to keep up with the true dual-threat quarterbacks. Burrow and Mayfield run a bit, but both needed 40-plus passing TDs to hang with the Big 4 last season.
Is that repeatable? Considering only seven QBs in league history have reached 40 passing TDs more than once (none has done it more than three times), it seems unlikely.
Burrow and Mayfield still have very good outlooks, so though I don’t view them as elite, they’re still solid, midrange QB1 options. And they’re not alone.Patrick Mahomes,Bo Nix,Kyler MurrayandBrock Purdyare also in that conversation, along with additional fringe QB1s such asCaleb Williams,Justin Herbert,Dak Prescottand dual-threatJustin Fields… oh, and breakout candidates such asDrake Maye,J.J.
McCarthy,Cameron WardandMichael Penix Jr.
Those players aren’t quite the same difference-makers as the Big 4, which is why, unlike in some years, I’m willing to spend up on a quarterback in 2025. “Spending up” in this case will generally cost a third- or fourth-round pick, which isn’t as expensive as years ago when superstar QBs like Allen would be a first-round pick in all fantasy leagues. The industry has wised up in that department, and casual drafters have caught on as well, which is why Allen, Jackson, Daniels and Hurts are palatable attheir current draft cost.
Source: Espnnfl
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