4 new scoring rules for 2025!

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is expected to start the 2025 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would sideline him for the first four games as he recovers from ACL and MCL tears in his right knee that he suffered in October of last year, per 49ers Webzone's David Bonilla. The Niners have already said that Aiyuk won't be ready for the start of training camp on July 22, and he's unlikely to be ready to go for Week 1 against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7. However, the 27-year-old wideout has looked great during his rehab this offseason, which suggests there's still a chance he could be ready for the season opener. San Fran will likely play it safe with Aiyuk, who disappointed with 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns in 2024 before his injury. Even with Deebo Samuel Sr. gone, Aiyuk will face plenty of competition for targets when he returns, and will he even be the same receiver? His fantasy stock has taken a huge hit going into 2025.

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The Athletic's Colton Pouncy writes that Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has paused when discussing wide receiver Jameson Williams' future with the team, even though coaches have raved about him this offseason following a breakout 2024 campaign in which he caught 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. Pouncy adds that the Lions might not be able to afford Williams in the long run if he continues on his current trajectory. The 24-year-old former 12th overall pick in 2022 out of Ohio State is under contract through the 2026 season. If the Lions cannot get close to an extension with him before the start of next season, he could become a trade candidate. The volume is unlikely to be there for Williams in 2025, but he can still be an explosive WR2/3 in fantasy, especially if the Lions emphasize the deep passing game more under new coordinator John Morton.

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The Athletic's Joseph Person writes that Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu appears to be next up for a contract extension after the team has locked up core players such as Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn to extensions since Dan Morgan took over as general manager in 2024. Carolina already picked up Ekwonu's fifth-year option for 2026 that's worth $17.6 million. The 24-year-old former sixth overall pick in 2022 is the same dominant run blocker that he was at North Carolina State, but he could still stand to improve in pass protection. Pro Football Focus had Ekwonu ranked 126th out of 140 tackles in sacks allowed (seven) last year, even though he gave up four fewer sacks than he did the previous year. He'll enter the 2025 season as the presumed starter at left tackle for the Panthers.

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Dallas Cowboys All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who is heading into the fifth year of his rookie deal in 2025, said he will be with the team this summer for the start of training camp, whether a new deal has been reached or not. However, Parsons didn't say whether he'd participate in on-field work without a new contract, according to The Athletic's Jon Machota. If a new deal isn't reached by July 22, the first day of training camp practice for Dallas, Parsons will likely be a hold-in at camp. The 26-year-old linebacker is reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $200 million. Contract issues aside, Parsons remains one of the most attractive pass-rushers in IDP fantasy leagues. The former 12th overall pick in 2021 out of Penn State has been a Pro Bowler in all four of his NFL seasons and has at least 12 sacks in all four years.

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Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson, who turns 27 in July, is approaching the final year of his contract in 2025 -- he has a void year in 2026. Thompson has been a key defensive piece of Arizona's defensive backfield during his six years with the team, but The Athletic's Doug Haller writes that time is running out for him to get an extension. He finished third on the team in tackles in 2024 and has been productive and reliable in the desert, but Haller writes that the Cardinals seem to be grooming Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, a fourth-rounder last year, as Thompson's eventual replacement. Thompson had 100-plus combined tackles in 2021 and 2022 and almost returned to that mark a year ago with 98 tackles (61 solo). He could have some fantasy appeal in IDP leagues if he can stay healthy in what could be his last season with the Cardinals.

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Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (eye) suffered a superficial eye injury during a Fourth of July fireworks mishap that resulted in injuries to several attendees, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson. However, Harris is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season. It's unclear if Harris will be forced to miss any practices once training camp gets underway later this month, though. When healthy, the 27-year-old former Pittsburgh Steeler is expected to be a big part of the Chargers' run-first offense in 2025, although rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton, who was taken 22nd overall in April, will command plenty of touches himself. Harris has had 1,000 yards rushing in all four of his NFL seasons to this point, but he lacks the big-play ability that Hampton should provide. Fantasy managers won't be able to count on volume for Harris, who has become more of an RB3/flex.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Nick Nash went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft despite leading all college wideouts in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382), and receiving touchdowns (16). The Falcons added him as a priority undrafted free agent, and even though he has made some play this offseason, he's still likely on the outside of the 53-man roster bubble. "I worry about his chances at making the 53-man roster. The Falcons are in a pretty solid spot in regards to their receiver room. You have Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud, KhaDarel Hodge, Jamal Agnew, Chris Blair, Casey Washington ... just to name a few," Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com wrote. "You will be hard pressed to get more than five or six spots on the 53-man roster for receivers. And you already know you have to pencil in the first four names on the above list plus Agnew, who very well could be the Falcons return man." McElhaney noted that Nash could find a way to stick around on the practice squad. Unless the 26-year-old out of San Jose State draws positive reviews during training camp, he's likely safe to ignore for 2025 fantasy football leagues.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum was a popular fantasy sleeper heading into last season after being selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan. However, the 24-year-old failed to make an impact, logging just 58 carries for 207 yards and failing to score a touchdown. Corum did not look explosive in his limited action, but running backs coach Ron Gould said he is looking better this offseason. "He's gotten his speed back, so his explosiveness has come back," Gould said. "We had a chance to just see that, and then his ability to come out of cuts, which is something that we saw in the junior year and part of his senior year." While this is a promising development, the team's decision to draft Auburn's Jarquez Hunter in Round 4 of this year's draft does not express much confidence in the former National Champion. Kyren Williams should retain his starting role to begin the 2025 campaign, but whoever wins the RB2 job could be a premier handcuff for fantasy football and a potential league-winner should Williams be benched or suffer a long-term injury.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after a fantastic final season at Auburn. This offseason, the Rams coaching staff is pleased with his attention to detail and the way he has picked up the team's playbook. "He's a young man that's very focused on making sure he's doing exactly what we need him to do in order for him to take that next step," running backs coach Ron Gould said. "And then I was just very surprised at how quickly he picked up everything." The rookie will surely begin the season behind Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, but Williams struggled with explosiveness in 2024, posting just two 20-plus-yard runs on 316 carries. Meanwhile, Hunter ranked second nationally in runs of 10-plus yards per carry in 2024. With Blake Corum struggling to make an impact last year, Hunter could be the favorite to win the RB2 role. And if Williams continues to lack big-play upside, we could see a healthy mix of Hunter as a change-of-pace back. If he's the clear RB2 in Los Angeles, he has potential league-winning upside in the case of Williams injury.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said in an episode of the Netflix series "Quarterback" that he felt "a little bit misled" when the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. It came just after Atlanta signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed to be their starter in 2024 and beyond. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high," Cousins said. The 36-year-old led the team to a 6-3 start before injuring his right shoulder. After that, the Falcons lost four straight games, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdowns in that stretch. He was eventually benched in Week 16 for Penix, who heads into 2025 as the unquestioned starter, with Cousins backing him up. Cousins could get traded during training camp, but for now he's useless in fantasy as a backup.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said that the team has "outlandish goals" for the rushing totals in 2025, even after they lost 20% of their starting offensive line from last year. Robinson was third in the league in rushing in 2024 with 1,456 yards on 304 carries, and he's just one of four RBs with more than 2,400 rushing yards the last two seasons. Tyler Allgeier was 32nd in the NFL with 644 yards on 137 carries last year. If the Falcons' ground game is going to improve, it will primarily need to come through the air, and the coaching staff is optimistic that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make strides in his second year in the league. "As many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we're going to do it," Penix said about Robinson. Saquon Barkley is going to be the first RB drafted in most fantasy leagues, but Robinson should be right behind him as the workhorse for a likely run-first offense in Atlanta.

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson seems confident that rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III (undisclosed) will be good to go for the start of training camp later this month, according to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain. Burden was unavailable to take part in any of OTAs or minicamp this offseason after the Bears took him at No. 39 overall in April's NFL draft. The 21-year-old pass-catcher lost valuable development time heading into his first year in the NFL, but the good news is he should be ready to go when training camp kicks off this summer. Burden will be competing for the WR3 role in Chicago behind DJ Moore and second-year wideout Rome Odunze. The Bears also have tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, too, so there are plenty of mouths to feed in head coach Ben Johnson's offense. Burden was very productive in college, but don't expect a heavy workload in his first year in the NFL.

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Folks have speculated that Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet is a potential trade chip ever since the team took Colston Loveland in the first round back in April. The Bears' depth chart at TE might look top-heavy right now, but The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain says he's unsure why the Bears would trade Kmet at this point. Kmet is only 26, his contract isn't in the top 10 at his position, and new head coach Ben Johnson hasn't been coy about his excitement to use 12 personnel with Kmet and Loveland on the field together. Kmet had career-highs in yards per target and catch percentage in 2024 with 47 receptions, 474 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts). He was efficient, but the overall numbers regressed from his 2023 campaign. The addition of Loveland certainly adds more competition for targets and gives Kmet less fantasy intrigue, but he could still be a big part of Chicago's offense.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan is hoping for a more balanced approach to the running game in 2025 between running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, writes ESPN's Turron Davenport. Pollard had a career-high 260 carries -- more than twice as many as Spears -- and gained 1,079 yards on the ground in 2024. "In a perfect world, it's a healthier division of labor [between Pollard and Spears]," Callahan said. Spears was expected to contribute much more alongside Pollard last year, but he missed five games due to a concussion, ankle sprain and hamstring injury. Some of the Titans' distribution in the backfield in 2025 will include either Julius Chestnut or rookie Kalel Mullings. Pollard has never been more efficient than when he shared the load with Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, but an inevitable drop in workload this year means fantasy managers need to target him as an RB2 and not as an RB1.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver is "going to have to earn his chances," according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Popper notes that the team added significant competition at outside receiver this offseason, signing veteran Mike Williams as well as drafting Tre' Harris (second round) and Keandre Lambert-Smith (fifth round). Popper previously reported that Johnston was working with the first-team offense during mandatory minicamp, so it appears as though he's still entering training camp as a starter. Johnston tallied 55 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games for the Chargers last season. He'll need regular playing time to be relevant in fantasy, so his role in Los Angeles is one to monitor over the remainder of the summer.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson could be "on the outside looking in" in regards to the team's backfield mix, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. The 34-year-old Patterson appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh last season, serving as both a kick returner and a gadget piece on offense (215 yards from scrimmage on 44 total touches). The Steelers added rookie Kaleb Johnson in the draft and former Philadelphia Eagles' back Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, so there is increased competition in the running back room. Patterson does have a history with Pittsburgh play-caller Arthur Smith dating back to their time together in Atlanta, which might make it more likely that he's still in the Steelers' 2025 plans.

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Cleveland Browns rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel may be battling each other "potentially for a roster spot," according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Although the Browns have an open competition for starting quarterback duties entering training camp, Jackson writes he would be "stunned" if either rookie can win the job. Cleveland used a third-round pick on Gabriel and a fifth-round pick on Sanders in this year's draft, so it would be surprising to see either player fail to make the roster. However, the Browns have two veteran options in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett who both appear to be ahead Gabriel and Sanders on the depth chart.

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New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson wants more opportunities to line up on the outside and make plays downfield, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Robinson almost exclusively received short-area targets in 2024, finishing the year with 93 receptions for just 699 yards. His 4.8-yard ADOT ranked 138th out of 141 receivers with a minimum of 100 routes run. For what it's worth, Duggan notes that Robinson's role did not appear to be much different during the Giants' spring workouts. Even if the 24-year-old Robinson gets a few more chances down the field, he still figures to be significantly more valuable to fantasy managers in PPR than in standard-scoring formats. He finished the 2024 season as WR46 in PPR per-game scoring but WR65 in standard leagues.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is known to be looking for a contract extension, but the team "will not pay top-market for a running back," according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Williams is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2025. He's coming off a highly productive 2024 in which he gained 1,481 yards from scrimmage and scored 16 total touchdowns. The Rams also leaned on Williams quite heavily, as he played over 700 more snaps than the team's next-highest usage back (Blake Corum). Los Angeles used a fourth-round pick in this year's draft on former Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter, but he seems unlikely to push Williams for RB1 status as a rookie. Rodrigue notes that Rams management has signed players to extensions during training camp in the past, so this is one to continue to monitor as the summer wears on.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.

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