2025 Must Avoid Fantasy QBs

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  • By Robert Szolosi

    Must Avoid Fantasy QBs

      • 1. Patrick Mahomes II

     

    2024 Fantasy Finish: QB12

    Last Season Preseason Rank: QB1

    This Season Preseason Rank: QB11

    Schedule Outlook: 

    Easiest Opponents: Week 3 New York Giants, Week 7/18 Las Vegas Raiders, Week 16 Tennessee Titans 

    Hardest Opponents: Week 2 Philadelphia Eagles, Week 4 Baltimore  Ravens, Week 6 Detroit Lions 

    Patrick Mahomes was one of the most polarizing fantasy players throughout the middle of last season, but the reality is he was just droppable by midseason. He only hit our 20-point fantasy threshold four times last season and was incredibly inconsistent throughout the early part of 2024.  Some of that can be attributed to what is a really bizarre receiving core.  Tight end Travis Kelce is simply not the same player he once was. Even with a top 10 fantasy finish, rookie Brock Bowers was just so much better, and Noah Gray, the backup tight end to Kelce, also had some impressive fantasy games. The top three receivers also couldn’t really find much connection while also dealing with some injuries, namely in Rashee Rice, who tore his LCL last year.  Rookie Xavier Worthy is definitely a positive point, but not enough to make Mahomes himself a fantasy important this season.  While we know someone in fantasy leagues will likely draft him high, last season was such a massive concern that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mahomes finds his way on the waiver wire this campaign as well. 

    • 2. Justin Herbert

    2024 Fantasy Finish: QB11

    Last Season Preseason Rank: QB12

    This Season Preseason Rank: QB12

    Schedule Outlook: 

    Easiest Opponents: Week 2/13 Las Vegas Raiders, Week 4 New York Giants, Week 9 Tennessee Titans 

    Hardest Opponents: Week 1/15  Kansas City Chiefs, Week 10 Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 14 Philadelphia Eagles 

    Justin Herbert makes this list for the second year in a row, and it’s for the exact same reason as last year: this receiving core isn’t up to par.  Ladd  McConkey was absolutely spectacular in his first NFL season, finishing WR12. The rest of the course simply didn’t come close, with Quentin Johnston finishing WR39.  It looks like Johnson may be the fourth wide receiver on this roster with Mike Williams returning and rookie Tre Harris out of Ole Miss. While we are excited for Harris, we can’t expect the same production as McConkey provided last year. This was a problem the Chargers just haven’t been able to address after losing Keenan Allen last offseason, and while he’s still in free agency at the time of writing, it’s not like he’ll make a complete difference if he returns to Los Angeles.  Overall, Herbert is an excellent quarterback, but he is a victim of a group that simply doesn’t help him enough to be worth considering in fantasy drafts, especially considering the hardest opponents we’ve highlighted here, including the division rival Kansas City Chiefs, the spectacular Steelers defense, and the Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia Eagles. 

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    June 24, 2025, 10:08 am