Six key remaining NFL free agents who played varying levels of quality football in 2024 with the potential to make some noise in 2025 fantasy football land for better or worse. Is that something you might be interested in?

As always: It's a great day to be great.

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Best Remaining NFL Free Agents for Fantasy Football

The Drama King: Aaron Rodgers

  • 2024 passing stats: 3,897 yards, 28 TD, 11 INT
  • 2024 rushing stats: 22 carries, 107 yards, 0 TD
  • Fantasy points per game: 15.1 (QB19)

On the one hand, Rodgers' best years of his career are certainly in the rear-view mirror. From EPA per dropback (+0.057, 19th), to success rate (44.3%, 24th), and completion percentage over expected (-2.6%, 30th): Life wasn't easy for Rodgers when throwing the football last season despite having what sure looked like one of the league's better WR duos on paper.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean A-aron isn't capable of providing an improvement relative to what the Steelers have been dealing with in the post-Big Ben era. The man still throws a rather b-e-a-utiful hail mary and should still be capable of spinning a catchable ball from the pocket given adequate protection.

Here's my biggest concern: It was almost astonishing how bad things were for the Jets even with the benefit of a good situation. The below chart denotes every QB's EPA per dropback and explosive pass play rate on straight dropbacks from clean pockets—and Rodgers is down there in the bottom-left quadrant around some not-so-great company.

 

Landing in Minnesota (unlikely) or (to a lesser extent) Pittsburgh would likely produce some perfectly solid moments thanks to both teams employing quality WR duos, while somewhere like the Giants or Browns would be much tougher to get excited about.

The Moon Ball Specialist: Russell Wilson

  • 2024 passing stats: 2,482 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT
  • 2024 rushing stats: 43 carries, 155 yards, 2 TD
  • Fantasy points per game: 15.7 (QB15)

It's not like Russ got back to partying like it's 2015 again with the Steelers, but it was at least a step back in the right direction.

Russell Wilson EPA Per Dropback By Season

 

However, the one thing that hasn't gone out of style just yet: Wilson's patented moon ball! Overall, nobody had a higher passer rating (126.3) or averaged more yards per attempt (16.1) on passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield in 2024 (including playoffs).

37 next November, it's far more likely than not that Wilson has already played his best football. Still, it'd be difficult to name more than 20-25 better players at the position; at a minimum the artist known as DangeRuss should be able to land a job as a bridge QB somewhere.

The Wild Card: Jameis Winston

  • 2024 passing stats: 2,121 yards, 13 TD, 12 INT
  • 2024 rushing stats: 25 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD (and it was awesome)
  • Fantasy points per game: 17.4 (QB13)

It's been five long, cold years since Winston started more than seven games in a season. While the results have certainly been up and down for the fearless gunslinger, the fact that he's indeed produced plenty of the former variable is more than a lot of signal-callers can say.

Consider: Winston averaged 291.1 passing yards per game in his seven starts last season–that was better than the NFL's leading passer Joe Burrow (289.3)! Leading the league in turnover-worthy play rate (5.2%) was far from ideal, but big-time performances against the Ravens (334-3-0) and Broncos (497-4-3) reflected the reality that there remains a ceiling worth chasing here.

Of course, for all of Winston's faults, he has consistently proven capable of enabling high-end WRs. Just look at Jerry Jeudy's performance last season.

Can you imagine Malik Nabers with 17 games of Jameis at QB?!

Comeback szn is in the air: J.K. Dobbins

  • 2024 rushing stats: 195 carries, 905 yards, 9 TD
  • 2024 receiving stats: 32 receptions, 153 yards, 0 TD
  • Fantasy PPR points per game: 14.8 (RB18)

On the one hand, Chargers RBs as a whole simply weren't very good in 2024:

  • 25th in tackles avoided per carry
  • 21st in yards after contact per carry
  • 21st in explosive rush rate

On the other hand, it was alarming how much more efficient Dobbins (4.6 yards per carry) was over Gus Edwards (3.6) and Kimani Vidal (3.6) alike. Maybe we didn't see Dobbins flash the same sort of long speed that was regularly on display during his days at Ohio State, but this was still a very good RB!

Most rush yards over expected per carry in 2024 (min. 175 carries):

  1. Derrick Henry (+1.77)
  2. Saquon Barkley (+1.62)
  3. Chuba Hubbard (+11.16)
  4. Bucky Irving (+0.94)
  5. Jahmyr Gibbs (+0.91)
  6. James Cook (+0.82)
  7. Josh Jacobs (+0.73)
  8. Bijan Robinson (+0.66)
  9. Jonathan Taylor (+0.61)
  10. J.K. Dobbins (+0.6)

Yes, this RB draft class is allegedly loaded. Also yes, Dobbins proved to still be a plus option at the position last year, here's to hoping a softer RB depth chart (Browns? Broncos? Raiders? Bears?) gives the ex-Raven/Charger a real chance at handling a decent role in 2025.

Please chill out, Injury Gods: Stefon Diggs

  • 2024 receiving stats: 47 receptions, 496 yards, 3 TD (in 8 games)
  • 2024 advanced receiving stats: 1.84 yards per route run (34th), 23.7% targets per route run (28th)
  • Fantasy PPR points per game: 15.2 (WR17)

Diggs should be ready to return to the field during the early portions of the 2025 season. Here's to hoping his torn ACL won't drastically hinder him moving forward, as the longtime stud WR was still quite great at creating separation with the Texans last season.

Diggs' ESPN "Open Score" rating by year:

  • 2024: 83 (No. 7 among qualified WRs)
  • 2023: 69 (No. 19)
  • 2022: 83 (No. 6)
  • 2021: 93 (No. 3)
  • 2020: 84 (No. 5)

32 next November, it's certainly possible Diggs' best football is in the rear-view mirror. And yet:  He still looked plenty capable of working as a quality No. 2 option at worst during the first two months of last season, and Fantasy Life's fearless leader Matthew Berry believes there's a real market out there for his services.

From Berry's fantastic 25 most interesting things he heard at the combine column:

“They (Houston) like him (Diggs) and want him back, but talking with a team source, despite Diggs being over 30 and coming off a serious injury, there’s a real market for Diggs out there. As a result, the team may not be able to bring him back. My source tells me it’s 50/50 if Diggs is back in Houston. But the point is… there IS a market for Diggs. Teams are WR desperate and there are not a lot out there in free agency. Plus, this year’s draft class doesn’t have the same caliber of superstars like last year with Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas, Marvin Harrison, and (at least at the time it was thought) Rome Odunze.”

The Texans' trade for Christian Kirk shouldn't necessarily keep them out of the Diggs "sweepstakes", but then again the veteran WR himself recently decided to put all of his old Bills photos back on Instagram. Perhaps the real answer is teaming up with baby bro in Dallas? The possibilities are endless, but for now: We wait.

Going going, back back, to Cali Cali: Keenan Allen

  • 2024 receiving stats: 70 receptions, 744 yards, 7 TD (in 15 games)
  • 2024 advanced receiving stats: 1.37 yards per route run (64th), 22.3% targets per route run (38th)
  • Fantasy PPR points per game: 12.3 (WR34)

The 2024 season didn't start out so hot for Allen (perhaps due in part to a lingering preseason heel injury), but he actually put together a rather great stretch later on—only five WRs scored more PPR points than Allen in Weeks 12-16. Arbitrary timeline, absolutely, but it was still good to see flashes from the soon-to-be 33-year-old veteran.

Like most of these receivers: It'd make sense if Allen's best football is already in the rearview mirror. Still, Allen never exactly made his money by running past opposing defensive backs, so it'd make sense if his route-running prowess ages better than most; he was still in pretty good company last season when it came to his ability to demand targets despite having plenty of competition in Chicago.

WR total targets and targets per route run in 2024

 

Allen has already revealed there are only three teams he'd be willing to sign with (Bears, Chargers, Rams). Maybe Allen takes a page out of Mike Williams' book and also rejoins the Chargers, while the Bears still seem to be on the table after only signing Olamide Zaccheaus at the position in free agency. Sign me up for either!