NFL 2025 Year in Review: Christian McCaffrey Proves RBs Still Matter

Eventually, someone’s going to get in hot water for always telling me to get weird with these newsletter intros. Until then, may as well dance like no one’s watching.

Another fantasy chapter is in the books, leaving me wondering mostly what the heck went so wrong—but also if fantasy football is getting worse, or if it’s just me being a bitter old grouch. We’ve all heard the never-ending tropes about waning offensive firepower due to well-disguised zone schematics. So, of course, as a spreadsheet honk, I needed to see precisely what was presented in the 2025 data.

2025 Fantasy Football Year in Review

The end of the season is the best time to review otherwise boring leaguewide trends for clues that may boost the fortune of our fantasy futures. Hopefully, we discover at least one useful thing under these rocks—I honestly don’t know exactly what’s going to turn up. Here goes nothing …

Starting at the very top, scoring across the league plateaued at just over 23 points per game, despite the fewest fantasy points scored per game by quarterbacks in 15 years. Completion rate, yards/attempt and EPA all ranked similarly, though pass rates overall haven’t been this low since 2006. Interesting.

All historical rush metrics but one were in line with average norms and fluctuations. Yards before contact per carry, and subsequently rushing success rate, currently sit at 20-year highs. My explanation is the otherworldly agility at the O-line positions, and how it allows OCs to call more creative run-blocking schemes like backside long traps or pulling around the Horn. If you know, you know.

Pass rates settled just over 60%, up from recent historical lows in the high-50s, though ticked down from the spike above 62% between 2015-19. And worth noting, average target depth has remained fairly constant, anywhere between 7.7 and 7.9 yards for the sixth straight year. So, why the dropoff?

Alignment and target location have actually shifted quite severely—wide receivers scored fewer fantasy points only once in 17 years, while tight ends secured the most passes per game … ever. How? More playing time, of course. Coordinators across the NFL deployed multiple TE sets at a record pace in 2025.

Meanwhile, defenses continue leaning into more zone coverages than ever, featuring the dreaded two-high safety shell as a preventive measure against long scores. Blitzes came way down as well, with more disguised or faux pressure packages up front that drop would-be rushers into coverage.

Basically, by all intents and purposes, the offensive slowdown is here to stay—with a stress on high probability plays to sustain drives against deeper coverage.

2025 boasted the highest offensive EPA/play since 2014.
2025 sustained the longest average drives in over a quarter-century.
2025 produced a tie for the highest-scoring drive rate in at least 25 years.

But also …

2025 saw the fewest plays run per team since at least the year 2000.
2025 was the slowest teams moved regarding pace in at least seven seasons.
2025 created the fewest turnovers in over a quarter century.
2025 experienced a nearly 25% spike in 2-TE sets from 2023 alone.

Fantasy Football 2025 Takeaway:

While there’s still some work to do on the granular side before any definitive declarations …

QBs matter less than I thought: lean into consolidation at the position.
RBs matter more than I thought: keep the elite players healthy, and reap the benefits.
WRs will experience increased variance: only draft those who get moved around the formation early, then focus on WRs who can win deep against man coverage.
TEs will continue surging in value and closing the gap between the elite few drafted in the first two rounds. I’m out on early TEs next season.

MORE FANTASY LESSONS TO APPLY IN 2026

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Week 18 Rankings: It WAZ a Blast

A little different twist on the Week 18 rankings, as we wanted to pull back the curtain and do a quick tribute to Rob Waziak, who has been providing rankings for Fantasy Life since Week 2 of 2021. Here’s how the top 10 looked in our newsletter then.

Welp, like all good things and D-Hop being a top-10 play, Waz’s run is coming to a close. He’s looking forward to other non-fantasy football pursuits, “all good things,” he assured us, so these are his final rankings. Now, when you use his rankings to win some dough in DFS or if you’re still playing in a Week 18 championship, tip your hat to Waz. Thanks, Waz, it’s been a pleasure.

WEEK 18 RANKINGS

Dynasty Buy-Low Options: The Golden Child

Remember all the excitement in Green Bay after Matthew Golden was the first WR taken by the franchise in the first round in over two decades. What followed was not what was expected. He surpassed 50 receiving yards just four times. He had 3 or fewer targets eight times. Not exactly 2021 Ja’Marr Chase revisited. Yet now that we’re in the offseason, his low output may be why he’s a target in dynasty trades, so writes Sam Wallace:

“That's exactly what makes him a buy-low target as we head into 2026. Jordan Love is an objectively talented QB who has demonstrated the ability to play at an elite level. Romeo Doubs is a free agent at the end of this season, and it remains to be seen what happens with him. Tucker Kraft (ACL) will miss the majority of the offseason, which leaves Christian Watson as the only legitimate option ahead of Golden.

“We know Golden is talented and has the tools to thrive in the NFL. I firmly believe his situation and overall offensive environment will result in significantly more production in 2026 and beyond.”

Wallace makes the case for five players going into their sophomore campaigns as players we should consider trading for this offseason. Remember these names when your leaguemates are getting rookie fever as the NFL Draft approaches.

TWO QUARTERBACKS WHO COULD TAKE THE NEXT STEP