In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Bud Light:
The Eagles running game was so potent and the defense was staunch this season, so the Eagles didn't need to pass much.
The passing game averaged 25.9 pass attempts per game, which was last in the NFL.
Jalen Hurts Did It Before
Hurts passed for 154 and 121 yards in the playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl in 2022 against the Chiefs. Being conservative wasn’t going to work and Hurts delivered.
The biggest question facing the Eagles last week was the lack of a strong passing game. Jalen Hurts was held to less than 200 passing yards in five of the previous six games in which he played the full game before facing Washington in the NFC Championship game.
Hurts went 20-for-28 for 246 yards with a touchdown and made critical throws when needed against the Commanders. He also ran in three scores. Now, comes the tough task against Kansas City. The Chiefs will focus on slowing down Saquon Barkley and Hurts needs to take advantage.
Hurts went 27-for-38 for 304 yards with a touchdown and rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries and 3 touchdowns and the Eagles still lost, 38-35. As we know, it’s a tough task beating the Chiefs.
The Eagles haven’t turned it over in the playoffs and forced 10 takeaways. Avoiding mistakes against the Chiefs is critical since they often capitalize.
While the Chiefs go for history seeking a three-peat, Hurts aims to become the first quarterback since John Elway 27 years ago to lose their first Super Bowl appearance and later win one—Elway did it in his fourth try in a 31-24 defeat of the Packers. Hurts already had a big game against the Chiefs. Can he do it again?
The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:
🆘 Malik Nabers needs help … but will it be a rookie or a vet?
⭐️ Arian Smith runs in the 4.2s. Nailed his comp.
👀 Guess who’s up-and-down Senior Bowl won’t bring down his draft stock?Projecting a Raiders draft-day surprise.
👏 A one-handed toe-tap TD?! You’ll know this TE soon.
🪨 Rock Chalk, Jayhawk RB continues to shine.
⚡️Thor has some fans. One of them knows an Avenger when he sees one.
🎧 So that’s how you say Tetairoa McMillan.
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A New Batch of Fantasy Football Stars On The Way …
By Jonathan Fuller
Two of our great analysts here at Fantasy Life, Ian Hartitz and Chris Allen, joined a slew of other industry experts to do what they do best. You can read all about the way-too-early mock draft, including a breakdown of Chris and Ian's teams, their favorite picks, and early trends they noticed.
There was just one problem: They forgot the rookies! That's why I'm here today to answer the all-important question: Where should the rookies have gone?
I am using Thor Nystrom's most recent NFL mock draft as a baseline for landing spots and which players will earn Round 1 draft capital.
Draft capital expectations for everyone else are based on a combination of my own scouting and what I have seen from sources I trust.
With that in mind, let's dive into where the rookies should have been drafted.
Ashton Jeanty, RB—Boise State
Where should he get drafted in fantasy football? 2nd Round
Jeanty has some of the best contact balance I've ever seen and should be able to immediately step in as a workhorse for his NFL team. His production in the passing game fell off during his final season, but he did have 43 catches in 2023, so don't overlook his ability to be a three-down back at the next level.
Based on how the mock draft board played out, Jeanty would have been a good pick anywhere in the second half of the second round, which featured a run of seven straight RB selections from the 2.7 to 3.1. Personally, I would take Jeanty over most of the RBs drafted in that range, especially if he goes to the Dallas Cowboys as he did in Thor's mock draft.
I don't see any landing spot that should cause him to fall out of the second round of fantasy drafts. If anything, by the time August drafts roll around we could be talking about a later Round 1 selection.
Tetairoa McMillan—WR, Arizona
Where should he get drafted in fantasy football?: 5th/6th Round Turn
The WR1 in Thor's mock draft is the next rookie off the board. McMillan is a big-bodied (listed at 6-foot-5) pass catcher who broke out early at Arizona and was extremely productive in his three collegiate seasons. Expect to see a lot of comps to Drake London in his scouting profiles in the lead-up to the NFL Draft.
While I don't view him as a truly elite WR prospect, there is a lot to like about his game and I think McMillan can be productive right away in the NFL. I won't penalize him for a hypothetical landing spot, but it is worth noting Thor had him slotted to the Raiders with the sixth overall pick. T-Mac and Bowers would make for a really nice duo, but I would prefer to see him land in Carolina with how well Bryce Young played to end the season.
In the way-too-early mock draft, I would have taken him over Jerry Jeudy, who went at the 5.12, but anywhere in the late-fifth to early-sixth-round range would be a reasonable spot to select him.
Cam Skattebo, RB—Arizona State
Where should he get drafted in fantasy football?: 11th Round
One of the coolest names in this class, Skattebo was ridiculously productive in two seasons at Arizona State. He amassed 3,385 scrimmage yards and 34 TDs in those two years and put up a monster performance against Texas in the College Football Playoff to help quiet some of the criticisms about the defenses he faced.
Skattebo is a physical runner who can handle a large workload and was also accomplished as a pass catcher. There are some questions about his athleticism and ball security, but he should be able to contribute as part of a committee backfield in the NFL. Taking him in the same range as backups who get some playing time like Ray Davis seems appropriate.
MORE ROOKIES TO CONSIDER FOR 2025
Betting On A Boom, Red Flags Be Damned …
As we read through Ian Hartitz’s way-too-early WR rankings for 2025 yesterday, two names stuck out for very different reasons—Rome Odunze and Xavier Worthy.
One was a top-10 pick who failed to deliver anything close to what we hoped for during his rookie season. The other was a late-first-round pick who finished the season strong and gets to play in the Super Bowl … in his first season. Must be nice!
Anyway, with these players seemingly going in different directions, how should we value them next season??
If you look at early (VERY early) Underdog ADP in their first best ball contests for 2025, Worthy goes off the board as the WR20 (ADP of 41.0), with Odunze going at WR25 (50.3). They also got drafted as early as Round 5 in our latest mock!
However, Ian may advise you to hit the breaks a bit …
WR36: Bears WR Rome Odunze
One cool stat: Odunze ranked 11th in yards per route run (1.18) and 10th in passer rating when targeted (82.7) among 12 rookie WRs with at least 50 targets last season.
Offseason storyline to watch: What sort of plans does Ben Johnson have for the 2024 NFL Draft's ninth-overall pick? A big slot role a la Amon-Ra St. Brown would be borderline erotic, but it's always risky trying to cross-compare X's and O's choices when dealing with different Jims and Joes.
WR37: Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy
One cool stat: Whether it was the inability to stay in bounds, a case of the butterfingers, or a bad pass from No. 15, The Chiefs' rookie speedster just never quite managed to get on the same page with Patrick Mahomes when it came to downfield heaves. Overall, the duo hooked up on just one of 10 targets thrown at least 30 yards downfield.
Offseason storyline to watch: Who will fill out the Chiefs' WR room? Rashee Rice's return is clouded by recovery from injury and a potential suspension, while both Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins are free agents. Worthy had a nice stretch run to end the regular season, but that was after essentially three months of meh performances.
ICYMI: IAN’S FULL 2025 WR RANKINGS
