In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Mike's Hard Lemonade:
It’s a marathon—not a sprint—to the Super Bowl, so I’m trying to pace myself as far as over-analyzing this game.
But one subplot that is impossible not to chew on right now is how Saquon Barkley will fare against his stiffest competition in the playoffs thus far.
This is shaping up to be a true unstoppable force meets immoveable object dynamic.
The Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 18 playoff games, while Barkley has hit 100+ in 14-of-19 games this season, including 3-for-3 in the postseason (h/t).
More than a few people certainly think he can do it. His rushing-yards higher/lower is set at 115.5 at Underdog, so you have a nice cushion if you think the Chiefs’ side of the trend keeps up.
It’s pretty wild the gravitas that Barkley carries into this matchup. Really, if the Eagles win the Super Bowl, the MVP would likely be Barkley. Possibly Jalen Hurts if he has a monster game like he did two years ago.
The last time an RB won the Super Bowl MVP was in 1998 when Terrell Davis rushed 30 times for 157 yards and 3 TDs in the Broncos’ win over the Packers.
Still, if I’ve learned one major lesson this year, it’s keep doubting/fading Barkley at your own risk.
Quench Your Hard-Earned Thirst With Mike’s Hard Lemonade 🍋
The Super Bowl is around the corner, and for some, it's game time—while for others, it's heartbreak. No matter how your season ended, Mike’s Hard Lemonade is here to remind you: Hard Days Deserve a Hard Lemonade.
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Way-Too-Early 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings: Breaking Down The WR Tiers
by Ian Hartitz
You: It's entirely too early to rank and tier RB ahead of the 2025 season.
Me: So what?
Presenting: My way-too-early breakdown of the fantasy WR landscape ahead of next season. As always: It's a great day to be great.
WR1: Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
One cool stat: Chase just became the fifth WR to capture NFL triple-crown receiving honors in the last 50 years, joining 2021 Cooper Kupp, 2005 Steve Smith, 1992 Sterling Sharpe, and 1990 Jerry Rice. Pretty decent company!
Offseason storyline to watch: What will the historically cheap Bengals do about their pair of disgruntled star WRs? Chase chilled for most of training camp before ultimately suiting up in Week 1, while Tee Higgins is an unrestricted free agent. Cincy has the league's eighth-most effective cap space ($44.2 million) ahead of 2025; here's to hoping they at least manage to lock down arguably the best WR in the game for the long term.
WR2: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
One cool stat: Jefferson's 96.5 career receiving yards per game is good for the highest mark … ever.
Offseason storyline to watch: Who will be the Vikings' QB? It doesn't really matter that much considering how productive Jefferson has been with Sam Darnold (88.4 receiving yards per game), Kirk Cousins (97.9), and even Nick Mullens (119, lol) under center, but there is at least some potential for J.J. McCarthy to go through some first-year hiccups. Even then, this passing game is in rather great hands with QB whisperer/head coach Kevin O'Connell.
HOW DO THE REST OF THE WR RANKINGS SHAKE OUT?
AROUND THE WATERCOOLER
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
🚨 Ian and Dwain broke down their early WR rankings for 2025 fantasy drafts.
🤯 A kicker for Super Bowl MVP? Someone thinks it could happen.
🏖️ This coach is taking a sabbatical. Sounds nice tbh.
🤔 Who will be the Saints next head coach? An update.
🍋 New OC? Fantasy managers need JSN to remain top 10.
🪙 Riley Leonard dropping dimes at the Senior Bowl practice.
👀 Combo of Bell/Foster/Blount, all in one package in Damien Martinez.
Cleveland Browns Team Needs For The NFL Draft and 2025
by Ian Hartitz
The Cleveland Browns were downright terrible with Deshaun Watson under center, became a fun bad with Jameis Winston going full Jameis for two months, and then resumed their status as probably the NFL's single-worst team during the Dorian Thompson-Robinson experience down the stretch on their way to posting an AFC-worst -177 point differential.
It's hard to overstate just how pathetic this passing game was for large portions of the season, but here's an attempt.
The worst trade in NFL history leaves Cleveland with Watson under contract for at least another season, although his January Achilles setback leaves him VERY iffy for 2025. Throw in the reality that Winston is a free agent and that DTR is arguably the least efficient passer in NFL history, and it's safe to say this team continues to have an awfully big hole under center.
Here we'll recap some of the good and bad of 2024 before getting into potential offseason injuries to monitor as well as team needs ahead of the 2025 offseason.
Draft or Sign a New QB
It's almost remarkable how Cleveland has managed to churn through one horrendous QB after another over the past two seasons.
EPA per dropback among 50 qualified QBs in 2023-24 seasons:
- Jameis Winston (-0.033, 36th)
- Deshaun Watson (-0.143, 46th)
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson (-0.309, 49th)
- Bailey Zappe (-0.323, 50th)
Sadly, their aforementioned porous decision to trade for Watson leaves them with the league's second-most expensive QB room ahead of 2025. Maybe they can finagle their way out of his contract depending on how and when he suffered his re-aggravation.
Either way, the Browns are certainly candidates to use the draft's No. 2 overall pick on the position and perhaps sign a veteran. Kevin Stefanski's former pal Kirk Cousins would make a lot of sense considering his ability to take a cheap deal while the Falcons continue to pay him all kinds of guaranteed money.
