As the 2025 fantasy football season nears, participants search for the brightest NFL stars. They are convinced that these athletes should still be drafted, even in light of recent controversies. Among them, tight end David Njoku, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey, and wide receiver Chris Olave stand out as candidates for success or caution. Each athlete presents a unique combination of potential upside and downside. This combination makes them thrilling picks for your fantasy leagues!
Njoku’s Consistent Performance
Fellow teammate David Njoku proved that he was a capable TE1 in the offense. Last two seasons combined, he’s top five in tight end total targets. His performance on Sunday highlights his growing role in the offense. This becomes particularly evident when you consider his average of almost eight targets per game over the 2023 & 2024 seasons.
Njoku was taken with the 11th overall pick in 2022. He has more than justified that investment. In just his second season, Moore went over the coveted 1,000-yard threshold with 1,151. The way he teamed with quarterback Joe Flacco was most impressive. When they hooked up in 2023, Njoku was an All-Star, turning in over 90 receiving yards in three of Flacco’s five starts.
Fantasy owners are getting ready for their drafts. With Njoku’s reliable target share and steady production, he’s a highly undervalued player at tight end.
The Case for Jahmyr Gibbs
They took Jahmyr Gibbs early with the 35th overall pick in 2022. Even after such a disappointing beginning to his career, he’s still a fascinating player. In his rookie 2021 season, Gibbs had a tough time doing so and dominating the backfield. That created uncertainty about his ceiling. He rebounded strongly, though, in 2024, catching 52 passes and generating an efficient 1.81 yards per route run.
Gibbs’s ability to make an impact as both a rusher and receiver is going to make him a huge boom asset for fantasy teams. Analysts think he can develop into a dynamic playmaker out of the backfield. His advanced stats from last year back up this rosy projection.
“The recency bias of last year’s injury coupled with his age (29) will make some nervous, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take, given his proven resilience in post-injury years, his work ethic and his unrestricted,” said Stephania Bell regarding players like Gibbs and others facing similar concerns.
Chris Olave’s Potential and Concerns
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is another individual receiving extreme hype from fantasy darlings right now. In 2024 he was limited to only eight games due to concussions, and Olave’s play was affected by injury. Now with a new offensive playbook in place, the buzz is surrounding Olave’s potential for a breakout season in 2020. Their 26-year-old rookie quarterback certainly contributes to that optimism.
As it stands, Olave has an early ADP of 38th among wideouts, indicating some wary hopefulness by fantasy managers. If he can remain healthy, he should be able to thrive with the new offensive schemes in place. We know he has the potential to put up monster numbers.
Murray and McCaffrey: High-Risk, High-Reward Picks
The playmaking ability on defense has surrounded running back Murray’s emergence as Offensive Player of the Year, writing him into the conversation. In 2024, he was getting an average of almost five rush attempts per game. He accumulated 572 rushing yards and had five rushing touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, these rushing yards represented 29% of his fantasy points for the season. His historical level of production suggests he will be a great asset to fantasy teams. Anyone trying to improve their running back corps in 2024 should take a hard look at him.
Likewise, after heaving surgery on his plantar fascia last season, Christian McCaffrey is set up for a resurgence entering the 2023 training camp with no limitations. His previous performances leave him as a juicy target for fantasy drafters. These drafters are much more willing to gamble on players coming back from injury.
“The recency bias of last year’s injury coupled with his age (29) will make some nervous, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Bell added regarding McCaffrey.
Emerging Talent: Odunze’s Promise
Finally, wide receiver Odunze has become a popular pick to exceed the 1,000 receiving yard threshold in 2025. As teams evaluate their rosters ahead of the draft, players like Odunze represent opportunities to acquire emerging talent that could pay dividends in the coming seasons.
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