2025 Fantasy Football Awards

In 1989, I immediately knew that fantasy football had changed my fandom and life. Before playing fantasy, I would watch local games on TV at home in high school and go to bars to watch them with my friends in college. Winning the first fantasy championship thirty-seven years ago with wide receivers Andre Reed and Henry Ellard on my roster, I became compelled by the  Bills and Rams, which I had rarely in the past—my NFL viewing habits had forever changed.

Another transformation occurred in 2011 when I first subscribed to NFL RedZone. I could not believe the adrenaline rush of watching every game at once in the living room. There is no question that fantasy football has changed the viewing habits and love of the game for millions of fans across the country. I’m still surprised at how long it took the league to embrace our incredible hobby, but that is another story.

Finally, in 2020, I kicked off an annual fantasy football award series, and six years later, I am honored to present the sixth installment of the alternative-reality accolades column. Six writers—JT Brew, Zach Brunner, Bob Lung, Ignacio Gilbert, Ryan Stern, and Chris Wassel—joined me to vote on seven awards, and the 2025 winners are featured below.

Quarterback of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (22)

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots (21)

3. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (12)

Ladies and gentlemen, the tribe has spoken. Okay, it was only a group of writers. Anyway, the fantasy football quarterback of the year is none other than Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. Quite a bit went into the voting for the quarterback position, and the results indicate just how tough this category was to predict. A mere point separated Allen from Drake Maye. The second-year quarterback from the New England Patriots kept gaining steam all season long. He was excellent during the second half and the fantasy football playoffs.

As for Allen, he bested Maye by 1.8 Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG). However, Maye outscored Allen in two of the three playoff weeks. Allen’s best week was a 24.5-point performance in Week 15, but he had that dud against Cleveland (6.9 FPs). Meanwhile, Maye did not score below 20.5 points in the three playoff weeks and finished with a 32-point-plus bonanza against the New York Jets. The last game by the Pats' quarterback almost changed my vote. I did have Maye, a very close third to Matthew Stafford. Yes, I will take some heat for it, but that is life. There will be plenty of time for debate and Stafford’s playoff dud later. The overall body of work was the focus. It was not easy, as voting for these awards is never easy. 

All three quarterbacks were close in the voting. The trio was the only active quarterbacks who averaged over 20 Fantasy Points (FPs) per week. Brock Purdy was up there, but he did not play enough games to qualify. Several injuries derailed the early part of his season. Patrick Mahomes was above the benchmark, but his catastrophic knee injury ended his campaign. 

A final facet of the argument is the strength of schedule. New England had the most manageable schedule according to TeamRankings.com and Pro Football Reference. Buffalo was in the bottom quarter, with the Los Angeles Rams having the most challenging schedule in the NFL. Having three 11-plus-win teams in the same division pushed that higher significantly. Honestly, would Maye have done as well with Allen’s schedule or with Stafford’s? It’s a great question. What makes voting fun is that everyone has a different set of criteria for what they consider essential. Given how close the 2025 vote was, I cannot wait to see what happens in 2026. Congratulations to all three quarterbacks as this fantasy season comes to a close until the playoff pools start.

Chris Wassel, @ChrisWasselDFS

Running Back of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (35)

2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (18)

3. Jonathon Taylor, Indianapolis Colts (7)

If fantasy footballers broke the season down into two sections (almost halfway at Weeks 1-8), they would see that Jonathan Taylor was dominant over those first eight weeks. He ranked #1 in total FPs at 214.6. He was 18 points ahead of Christian McCaffrey and 58 points ahead of third place, De’Von Achane. Of course, he was 100% consistent through those games as well. 

Mr. Taylor finished third in the polls because of his poor second half. He was tenth overall with 141.8 FPs. He was 6-for-8 (75%) in consistency, which is good but not great. At the end of the fantasy campaign, Taylor ended up third in total points and tied for third in consistency at 88%. This has been an excellent season for Taylor; there’s no argument from me. But he still wasn’t dominant in the second half when fantasy teams needed him most.

If there were a vote by only Bijan Robinson owners, I’m sure they would all rank him #1 overall after his stellar Monday Night performance versus the Rams to help bring home an alternative-reality title! However, that’s not how this system works. Bijan was very clutch for his owners—his 94% consistency tied him with Christian McCaffrey in second place.

So, why is Bijan in second place and not #1? Higher scoring consistency for McCaffrey. Bijan Robinson had nine games over 20 FPs (including five over 30 points). His average score in those nine games was 30.03 FPs. However, that means he had seven games with fewer than 20 FPs. The average of those games was 13.45. If I may quote Jerry Seinfeld, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Keep reading as I break down McCaffrey’s top games below.

Fantasy coaches who took a chance on McCaffrey in 2025, congrats, he played in 16 games. In addition, he was the McCaffrey fantasy zealot that all know and love. So, why was McCaffrey that #1 overall pick by a wide margin? Let’s break it down. As I noted above, Bijan had nine games over 20 FPs. McCaffrey had 12 games over 20 FPs for an average of 28.7 FPPG in those contests. He logged four games with over 30 FPs. The bigger fantasy performances are why McCaffrey was 40 FPs ahead of Bijan after Week 17. Even in the four games that he didn’t exceed 20 points, his average was 15.13 versus Bijan’s 13.45 FPPG.

While many Bijan owners won titles, many McCaffrey owners did as well. Of course, the burning question for 2026 will be, can he stay healthy two years in a row? He did it in 2022 and 2023. I’m not holding my breath.

Bob Lung, @bob_lung 

Fantasy Footballers on Fire!

Identify the fantasy football Waiver Wire Player of the Year:

TE Harold Fannin, Browns: 25%

QB Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals: 20%

RB Rico Dowdle, Panthers: 12%

WR Michael Wilson, Cardinals: 43%

Scholar’s Vote: I am torn in this poll. Both players in the Cardinals' electric pass-catch combo (Jacoby Brissett and Michael Wilson) are worthy. I decided that Wilson provided a bigger impact on fantasy rosters than Brissett down the stretch. Since November 15 versus San Francisco, Wilson is WR2 in fantasy production, trailing only Puka Nacua and averaging 21.2 FPPG. He tallied 51 catches for 676 yards and five touchdowns and led many fantasy mavericks to championships, including myself.

Wide Receiver of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (31)

2. Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (25)

3. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints (3)

Before the Week 13 kickoff, Jaxson Smith-Njigba appeared to be a runaway winner for the Fantasy Receiver of the Year. Unfortunately, the Seahawks' passing game sputtered down the stretch, which impacted Smith-Njigba’s fantasy production (more about it later). The door opened for Puka Nacua to thrust himself to the top of the poll by the voters. The Rams’ receiver was named the 2023 Fantasy Rookie of the Year, and two years later, he has captured his first Fantasy Wide Receiver of the Year award.

For the fantasy campaign (Weeks 1-17), Nacua established career bests in every statistical category with 119 catches for 1,639 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 23.3 FPPG.  He produced over 30 FPs three times, including a season high of 46.5 in the fantasy semifinals. He also added another six performances with over 20 FPs. Nacua recorded only one dud outing all season, when Baltimore held him to fewer than 5 points before he left with an injury. In the final four games of the campaign, he scored 125.8 FPs, which propelled him into first among receivers.

From Weeks 5 to 12, Smith-Njigba produced one of the great stretches of fantasy performances in my 37 years playing the game. He exceeded 20 FPs in each contest, including twice exceeding 30. He produced 183 FPs in those seven games and averaged 26.1 FPs on 54 catches for 911 yards and six touchdowns. While he still recorded nice fantasy numbers afterwards, the production landed him in second with 345 FPs for the season. In a distant third place, Chris Olave of New Orleans earned three third-place votes after a solid final three weeks with 20.5, 36.8, and 25.9 FPs in the playoffs. 

John Laub, @Gridironschol91

Tight End of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (35)

2. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (8)

3. Harold Fannin, Cleveland Browns (7)

There is a unanimous top tight end from the 2025 fantasy football season, and for good reason. Trey McBride was as big a positional advantage as fantasy coaches could find. In PPR scoring, he put up 302.4 FPs, which was over 100 more than the next-highest player. On top of his raw points, the Arizona Cardinal was consistent as well. He had just two poor weeks, and he was a top-three finisher in half of the games. 

Kyle Pitts was the second-place finisher, and he was also second in FPs at the position. To showcase how big the dropoff was, McBride averaged 18.9 FPPG, while Pitts averaged just 12.4. A strong final month of the season, excluding the fantasy championship, earned Pitts this position. But as a whole, he was a great showcase of the position’s volatility, finishing outside the top-20 on six occasions. 

In third, with just one fewer vote than Pitts, we have Harold Fannin Jr., the versatile rookie for the Cleveland Browns. Starting the season, Fannin had to compete for snaps wherever he could find them. However, after earning the praise from his coaches and the fantasy community alike, he was a clear TE1. From Week 8 on, Fannin finished outside the top 20 just once, and he was a top-10 TE four times during this span. 

Moving ahead to next season, McBride is a lock to be a first-round pick, and fantasy fanatics will find leagues where he might be selected 1.01 due to the positional advantage he has. As for the rest of the position, injuries, role, and quarterback play make it a toss-up for who to look at next, though Brock Bowers will likely earn his way back onto the podium in some fashion.

Zach Brunner, @FantasyFlurry 

Fantasy Footballers on Fire!

Who is the fantasy football Bust of the Year?

RB Saquon Barkley, Eagles: 7%

WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings: 51%

WR Brian Thomas, Jaguars: 34%

QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 8%

Scholar’s Vote: I was lucky to bypass Brian Thomas and Saquon Barkley in Drafts last year. But got burned by Justin Jefferson and Lamar Jackson after drafting both on various teams. I agree with the voters in selecting the Vikings’ WR as the Bust of the Year. He finished as WR26 on the season and disappeared down the stretch. In the final eight games, he exceeded 10 FPs only twice… that's correct, twice. Every week, the final two months, fantasy coaches had to consider benching the 2022 Fantasy Wide Receiver of the Year and consensus first-round fantasy selection over the summer. I still cannot believe how poorly Jefferson performed this season. 

Kicker of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks (33)

2. Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys (18)

3. Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans (9)

Kickers provide some of the most exciting moments in fantasy football, and playing without them is a disservice to both the game and the hobby. Those who have won or lost on a last-second field goal on Monday Night Football know precisely what is being described. The inaugural fantasy football league, started by Bill “Wink” Winkenbach, used kicking points, and a player had to be declared a kicker (the multi-position era of football). Fast-forward to 2025-26, and kickers are just as crucial to fantasy football as they are in reality.

Jason Meyers of the Seattle Seahawks was almost a unanimous All-Fantasy Team selection. After 17 weeks, his stats were 39 field goals made on 44 attempts. He also went a perfect 47 of 47 in extra points. He put the football between the uprights 16 times in weeks 14 and 15, cementing his status as All-Fantasy Kicker of the Year.

Second and third place were a Texas two-step. Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys finished second in voting, and his 35 made field goals were the fourth most of the 2025 season. Ka’imi Fairbairn returned to peak form, finishing third in voting with 38 of 42 made field goals. He was perfect on extra points, but only made 26, hurting his totals. However, it proved his actual value on a team whose success was built on great defense and special teams.

Ignacio Gilbert, @IDP_Iggy

Rookie of the Year (Poll Points)

1. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (11)

2. RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos (10)

3. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (9)

No award had a tighter outcome than the Rookie of the Year voting. Ten rookies received votes, and Jaxson Dart only appeared on three of the panelists’ lists. Yet. The Giants' dual-threat quarterback collected two first-place votes to finish atop the rankings.

Dart began the season on the bench behind Russell Wilson. He was elevated to the starter in the fourth game against the Chargers and never looked back, except for missing games against the Packers and Lions in November. He passed for 2,042 yards and tossed 13 touchdowns. From a fantasy perspective, Dart dominated with his legs, rushing for 442 yards and nine scores, averaging 17.0 FPPG. He exceeded 20 FPs five times and posted only one stinker against Minnesota when he did not score any points.

Falling just one point behind Dart, RJ Harvey appeared on only three ballots with one first-place nomination. The Broncos’ runner only scampered for 512 yards and seven scores. Nevertheless, he made his fantasy impact as a pass-catcher out of the backfield with 46 receptions for 351 yards and an additional five touchdowns, scoring 12.5 FPPG. 

Many fantasy fanatics might disagree with Ashton Jeanty finishing among the top three in the rookie class. Is the argument narrative or statistically based? As the sixth pick overall in the NFL draft, fantasy expectations were sky high, including mine. He landed with a run-based coach in a system that highlights backs. Regrettably, the Raiders organization was a disaster, and the team completely collapsed, finishing with the league's worst record.

Despite the culture surrounding Jeanty, he rushed for 888 yards and five touchdowns in a workhorse role with 240 carries. He also snatched 52 passes for 339 yards and another five scores. He twice exceeded 30 FPs (Houston and Chicago) and posted a 24.8 performance versus Cleveland. On the negative side, he failed to reach even double-digit FPs seven times, while averaging 14.5 FPs. Third appears to be the proper ranking for the Raiders’ rookie.

John Laub, @Gridironschol91

Fantasy Footballers on Fire!

Who was the fantasy football Rookie of the Year?

QB Jaxson Dart, Giants: 34%

TE Harold Fannin, Browns: 43%

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers: 17%

RB Ashton Jeanty, Raiders: 6%

Scholar’s Vote: Among the rookies in the quartet, I voted for Harold Fannin. I liked Fannin at Bowling Green and won two CFF championships with him on my roster. He was my fourth-ranked TE prospect going into the Draft, but I hated his landing spot in Cleveland. He clearly proved that my concerns were ill-placed. He earned an amazing 107 targets with 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 11.7 FPPG and scored double-digit FPs in nine games, finishing the season as TE5 in fantasy.

Fantasy Football MVP (Poll Points)

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (23)

2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (20)

3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (7)

Many factors come into play when trying to decide who should be named Fantasy MVP. I consider three main criteria: total production, consistency, and draft value. First, and most apparent, is total production. Next is consistency. Finally, we have the overall draft value. While there were several Draft Day values and Waiver Wire gems, the three most valuable players did come from the early rounds of drafts.

Puka Nacua finished in third place in our panel's voting. At a consensus ADP of 2.01 as the WR6, Nacua led all receivers in FPs despite missing almost two complete games. The only time he failed to score 13 PPR points was in Week 6, when he left the game early on with an injury that would keep him out the next week as well. His ability to produce huge games and week-winning performances in critical playoff weeks made him a clear MVP contender, demonstrating both high upside and resilience. 

Finishing second in the voting was the lowest drafted player (3.03/TE2) of the top candidates for Fantasy MVP, Arizona Cardinals Tight End, Trey McBride. While he wasn't necessarily close to the overall points leaders, McBride lapped the field at his position. McBride broke the single-season reception record for a Tight End with 119 through 16 games. He finished with an astounding 103.4 more points than the next highest scorer at the position (Kyle Pitts, Sr.) and 3.5 more points per game than the closest to him (George Kittle). His achievement shows how late-round picks can become game-changers, inspiring readers to value perseverance and opportunity.

To me, it was no surprise that the winner of the Fantasy MVP was San Francisco 49er running back Christian McCaffrey. CMC finished as the overall points leader in PPR scoring formats, no matter the position. Only once was McCaffrey held below 10 FPs in a single week, and that was 9.8 points against the vaunted Houston Texans defense. He had no other week with fewer than 15.7 points. To put that in perspective, if he had averaged his worst performance outside the Houston game, he would still be the RB11. Averaging a crazy 2.6 FPPGs higher than his closest competitor, Bijan Robinson, not only was he high scoring, but he was consistent as well, finishing all but two weeks as a top 12 RB. His RB2 and RB4 finishes in the fantasy semis and championships were the icing on the cake.

Ryan Stern, @rstern33 

Voting:

1st Place = 5 points

2nd Place = 3 points

3rd Place = 1 point