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The article below details the 2025 NFL season’s biggest deciders, including positional representation among the top-12 skill position fantasy-point scorers, waiver-wire additions, consequential injuries and late-round quarterbacks. Relevant weekly timeframes are frequently factored into each listing.
Top 12 half-PPR scorers in Weeks 1-17
Among NFL skill position players in Weeks 1-17, seven running backs notched top-12 finishes, claiming the top-four point total finishes. Wide receivers account for four-of-twelve spots. A tight end finished 12th.
The top 12 half-PPR skill position scorers in Weeks 1-17:
PlayerPositionPoint TotalWeekly AveragePFF Offense GradeChristian McCaffreyRB356.922.378.3Jonathan TaylorRB334.420.978.6Bijan RobinsonRB325.520.386.7Jahmyr GibbsRB309.619.486.1Puka NacuaWR289.519.396.4De'Von AchaneRB289.318.189.6Jaxon Smith-NjigbaWR289.018.192.9James CookRB284.217.883.8Derrick HenryRB259.416.280.4Amon-Ra St. BrownWR246.115.490.7George PickensWR244.015.385.9Trey McBrideTE242.915.281.7Anchoring fantasy teams with an elite running back possessing a voluminous workload paid off.
Waiver-wire additions
WR Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals' nominal No. 1 wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., underwent an emergency appendectomy in Week 11, allowing third-year professional, wide receiver Michael Wilson to operate as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. Harrison’s availability remained in flux thereafter due to heel and foot injuries. Among 65 NFL wide receivers with at least 565 offensive snaps, Harrison’s 68.4 PFF offense grade ranks 38th. Wilson finished as the half-PPR WR11.
From Week 11 on, Wilson finished as a top-three player, positionally, in leagues ending in Week 17 (123.1 points) and full-season leagues running through Week 18 (141.5 points).
Among 32 NFL wide receivers with at least 40 targets in Weeks 11-18, Wilson ties for 11th in yards per route run (2.46, YPRR), ranks eighth in target rate (27.6%) while ranking in the top three in receptions (56), receiving yards (775), explosive pass plays (20), contested catch rate (66.7%), targets (87) and receiving touchdowns (six), ranking and/or tying for first in the latter two categories. He grades out as the 10th-best qualifying player (85.9 PFF receiving grade).
Among NFL wide receivers in Weeks 11-18, Wilson ranks fourth in centerfield targets, thrown 10-plus yards downfield and between the painted numbers (16), ties for fifth in red-zone targets (12) and third in end-zone targets (six).
Wilson demonstrated the ability to play efficiently and explosively via a high-volume, high-value workload in 2025.
WR Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington finished as the half-PPR WR33 in Week 7. The team went on bye in Week 8. Despite three WR4-or-worse performances thereafter, Washington established himself capable contributor. Critically, he finished as the half-PPR WR3, WR11 and WR7 in Weeks 16-18, respectively, while grading out as the third-best player (90.5 PFF receiving grade) among 35 NFL wide receivers with at least 15 targets in Weeks 16-18. He finishes as the half-PPR overall WR17 in Weeks 7-18 (121.8 points).
The third-year wide receiver posted career-bests in target rate (21.4%) and YPRR (2.06) this season.
Among 32 NFL wide receivers with at least 60 targets in Weeks 7-18, Washington ties for 26th in targets (65), 10th in catch rate (69.2%), YPRR (2.27) and explosive pass plays (21), while ranking 11th in yards after contact (126), sixth in slot-target rate (11.5%) and second in deep-target rate (32.3%).
Six Jaguars earned 40-plus targets this season, as the team dealt with multiple injuries to pass-catching weapons. The unit’s health-related variables cloud Washington’s 2026 prospects, but he delivered in fantasy football championship weeks this season.
RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
Panthers 2025 free agent signee, running back Rico Dowdle, stole the starting role by notching three top-two weekly finishes in Weeks 5-11. He finishes as the RB16 in Weeks 1-17 (194.8 points), yet he finished as the RB21, RB44 and RB28 in Weeks 15-17, respectively. Dowdle’s strong midseason showing likely powered active waiver-wire managers to the fantasy playoffs, though his late-season showing may have decided championship outcomes differently than anticipated. His 64.9 PFF offense grade ranks 32nd among 32 NFL running backs with at least 180 touches.
Dowdle’s 158 touches in Weeks 5-11 rank second among NFL running backs during that span. Carolina may have overly relied upon the 27-year-old running back after a 1-3 start.
Injuries
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson concludes an injury-marred age-29 season. He strained a hamstring in Week 4, keeping him sidelined until Week 9. He was listed on the injury report due to a knee injury in Week 11, an ankle injury in Week 12, a toe injury in Week 13 and frequently received rest days thereafter. He missed the Week 17 fantasy football championships after suffering a back contusion in Week 16. The injuries severely impacted his rushing ability, resulting in seven weekly finishes as the QB17 or worse. Jackson finished as the overall QB3 or QB4 in Weeks 1-3.
Among Jackson’s health Weeks 1-4 games, his 55.8 PFF passing grade while averaging a 2.9% big-time throw rate, 9.2 yards per passing attempt, a 77.5% adjusted completion rate and a 3.15-second average time to throw. As a rusher, he earned an 84.7 PFF rushing grade while averaging 5.25 rushing attempts per game, 0.14 missed tackles forced, 5.0 yards after contact per rushing attempt, 7.9 yards per rushing attempt, a 47.6% first-down and/or touchdown rate and 47.6% explosive run play rate.
Among Jackson’s unhealthy Weeks 9-18, he earned a 74.5 PFF passing grade while averaging a 2.7% big-time throw rate, 8.1 yards per passing attempt, a 72.7% adjusted completion rate and a 3.17-second average time to throw. As a rusher, he earned a 68.4 PFF rushing grade while averaging 5.11 rushing attempts per game, 0.15 missed tackles forced, 2.2 yards after contact per rushing attempt, 4.0 yards per rushing attempt, a 30.4% first-down and/or touchdown rate and 10.9% explosive run play rate.
Jackson’s poor health derailed his 2025 campaign.
TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
49ers tight end George Kittle banked half-PPR overall TE8 results in Week 1 despite “fully” tearing his hamstring. He resumed playing in Week 7 and was later sidelined for Week 17 fantasy football championships after spraining an ankle in Week 16, yet still delivered overall TE1 results before leaving the game. He finished as the overall TE13 on the year, notching six finishes in the overall TE1-TE6 range. He finished TE15 or worse four times and was unavailable for seven games due to injury and/or bye weeks.
Kittle’s 2.15 YPRR average is the fourth-lowest among his nine NFL seasons yet ranks second among 34 NFL tight ends with at least 45 targets.
Kittle has suffered four recorded hamstring strains, including three in the last two years. This is concerning for 2026.
He remains a talent-based, high-end TE1, though his absences may have proven costly for fantasy managers in 2025.
WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Giants No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabersplayed through a labral tear in his shoulder and a turf toe injury before tearing, at minimum, an ACL and meniscus in Week 4. Nabers’ current state, post-op, coupled with his recent comment on the matter, indicates the knee sustained more damage than initially reported. Nabers earned a 71.4 PFF receiving grade while averaging 2.02 YPRR this season. Both figures fall short of the 87.1 PFF receiving grade and 2.17 YPRR he averaged as a 2024 rookie, yet Nabers’ 2025 YPRR figure ranks 19th among 111 NFL wide receivers with at least 30 targets.
He underwhelmed as a fantasy football performer when healthy, finishing as the half-PPR WR27, WR2, WR87 and WR74.
Late-round quarterbacks
QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye entered the season via a QB16, 11.06 average draft position (ADP). The second-year, elite dual-threat quarterback finishes as the Weeks 1-17 overall QB2 (343.2 points).
Among 36 NFL quarterbacks with at least 240 dropbacks in Weeks 1-17, Maye ranks ninth in big-time throw rate (4.9%), fourth in adjusted completion rate (79.5%) and first in yards per passing attempt (8.9). His 86.7 PFF passing grade ranks fourth.
Among 12 NFL quarterbacks with at least 55 rushing attempts in Weeks 1-17, Maye ties for 10th in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.09), ranks 10th in yards per rushing attempt, eighth in yards after contact per rushing attempt (2.4) and third in rushing attempts (98). His 73.1 PFF rushing grade ranks eighth.
QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the season via a QB25, 14.05 ADP. The elite veteran pocket passer finishes as the Weeks 1-17 overall QB3 (331.7 points) despite concerns over a preseasonback aggravation.
Among 36 NFL quarterbacks with at least 240 dropbacks in Weeks 1-17, Stafford grades out as the NFL’s premier passer (93.1 PFF passing grade) while leading the league in big-time throw rate (7.8%) and passing touchdowns (42), while ranking 10th in average time to throw (2.70), fifth in yards per passing attempt (8.0), third in average depth of target (aDot, 9.6) and second in passing yards (4,448).