2025 NFL Draft: AFC Winners & Losers (Fantasy Football)
With the 2025 NFL Draft behind us, fantasy managers are busy auditing their teams to find where their roster gained or lost value.
Andy, Mike and Jason are doing the hard work for fantasy managers and walking through each AFC team to see exactly how the new rookies have impacted the fantasy outlook for the veterans, or who may be gaining value due to their team not bringing in more competition!
To see a full breakout of AFC Winners and Losers, check out the April 29 episode of the podcast!
AFC South
Tennessee Titans
|
2025 Draft Picks |
||
|
Round  |
Player |
Position |
|
1 |
Cam Ward | QB |
| 2 | Oluwafemi Oladejo |
EDGE |
|
3 |
Kevin Winston Jr. | S |
|
4 |
Chimere Dike |
WR |
|
4 |
Gunnar Helm |
TE |
|
4 |
Elic Ayomanor |
WR |
|
5 |
Jackson Slater |
OL |
|
6 |
Marcus Harris |
S |
| 6 | Kalel Mullings |
RB |
Fantasy Winner
Calvin Ridley (WR)
While the Titans offense as a whole should be viewed as a winner with a huge potential upgrade at QB in Cam Ward coming to town, Calvin Ridley will be the main beneficiary as the primary returning target in Tennessee. Ridley’s debut in Nashville saw him eclipse 1,000 receiving yards with inconsistent QB play and a limited offense overall. The addition of Ward under center should raise the ceiling for what Ridley’s capable of returning for fantasy managers this season.
Fantasy Loser
Treylon Burks (WR)
It isn’t all good news for the WRs in Tennessee. Not only did the Titans announce they weren’t picking up the fifth-year option for Treylon Burks, the team drafted a pair of WRs in the 4th-Round in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor after signing veteran WR Tyler Lockett just ahead of the draft. Any chance that Burks has to live up to the 1st-Round WR he was drafted to be for Tennessee seems to be fading as he now has to battle the new regime’s rookies while still battling back from an ACL tear that limited him to just five games in 2024.
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
2025 Draft Picks |
||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Travis Hunter | WR/CB |
| 3 | Caleb Ransaw | CB |
| 3 | Wyatt Milum | OT |
| 4 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB |
| 4 | Jack Kiser | LB |
| 6 | Jalen McLeod | LB |
| 6 | Rayuan Lane III | S |
| 7 | Jonah Monheim | OT |
| 7 | LeQuint Allen | RB |
Fantasy Winners
Trevor Lawrence (QB)
There might not be a bigger winner for all of fantasy than Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville’s new front office took a big swing moving up to the second overall pick to take Travis Hunter and then quickly making it known that he will play significant time at WR. Any excuses that Lawrence could have made in the past should be long forgotten with a new play-calling Head Coach in Liam Coen and a studly pair of young WRs with Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. Overall, fantasy managers should expect bigger things from the revamped Jaguars offense in 2025.
Brenton Strange (TE)
With the departure of Evan Engram this offseason, Brenton Strange should now be in line to be the primary TE in Jacksonville. Fantasy managers saw glimpses of what Strange can do last season with Engram missing 7 total games due to injury. During Engram’s first stint of absences, Strange finished as a top-10 TE in three of four games. With Engram’s 13% of the team’s targets now vacated, Strange should have every opportunity to be a contributor to fantasy rosters this season.
Fantasy Losers
Jaguars RBs
The water was already pretty muddy between Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby in Jacksonville’s backfield, but the addition of speedster Bhayshul Tuten to the mix could only further complicate things for fantasy managers this season. Etienne disappointed for fantasy in 2024, finishing as a top-24 RB just three times on the heels of finishing as the RB3 in 2023 and is now entering the final season of his contract. Bigsby emerged in the Jaguars offense behind Etienne after a terrible rookie season, but sputtered down the stretch of the season, finishing outside the top-24 in seven of the last nine games he appeared in. Tuten brings a lot of speed to the RB room and stands a chance to carve out a role to create a nightmare of a committee for fantasy purposes.
Indianapolis Colts
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Tyler Warren | TE |
| 2 | JT Tuimoloau | EDGE |
| 3 | Justin Walley | CB |
| 4 | Jalen Travis | OT |
| 5 | DJ Giddens | RB |
| 6 | Riley Leonard | QB |
| 6 | Tim Smith | DL |
| 7 | Hunter Wohler | S |
Fantasy Winners
Colts QB (Whoever that is)
While we don’t know who will be starting the season under center for the Colts, it does appear whoever wins the job – Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson – will have excellent skill position players around them to help them succeed. Maybe the worst kept secret all draft season was the Colts interest in drafting a TE with their 1st-Round pick, and it became reality with their selection of Tyler Warren at pick 14. For fantasy purposes, the range of outcomes should be pretty wide for the offensive pieces in Indianapolis so it may be tough to take a real educated stance on any players for the Colts until their starting QB is announced.
Fantasy Loser
Mo Alie-Cox (TE)
The days for the GIGANTOR drop may be numbered. Sad for the show, but great for fantasy managers getting another young TE with elite draft capital.
Houston Texans
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 2 | Jayden Higgens | WR |
| 2 | Aireontae Ersery | OT |
| 3 | Jaylin Noel | WR |
| 3 | Jaylin Smith | CB |
| 4 | Woody Marks | RB |
| 6 | Jaylen Reed | S |
| 6 | Graham Mertz | QB |
| 7 | Kyonte Hamilton | DL |
| 7 | Luke Lachey | TE |
Fantasy Winner
CJ Stroud (QB)
Any fantasy managers that invested in CJ Stroud for 2024 was left disappointed, but it seems the Texans front office is doing their best to equip their young QB with dynamic weapons in the passing game. Houston’s selection of both Iowa State WRs – Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel – answers a lot of the questions around this offense heading into 2025. With Stefon Diggs’ departure in free agency and Tank Dell’s injury likely to keep him out for a portion of the season, the pair of rookie WRs will be depended on early and often in order Stroud to the QB11 finish he gave fantasy managers as a rookie.
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Fantasy Loser
Tank Dell (WR)
With the addition of two Day 2 rookie WRs, Houston may be signaling the end of fantasy relevance for Tank Dell. In two consecutive seasons, Dell’s season has ended with huge injuries, setting him back massively for the following year. The selection of Higgins and Noel may be the Texans way of signaling they don’t expect Dell to be the WR that fantasy managers knew before.
AFC North
Cleveland Browns
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Mason Graham | DL |
| 2 | Carson Schwesinger | LB |
| 2 | Quinshon Judkins | RB |
| 3 | Dillon Gabriel | QB |
| 4 | Dylan Sampson | RB |
| 5 | Shedeur Sanders | QB |
Fantasy Winner
Cedric Tillman (WR)
Ahead of the draft, the expectation was for Cleveland to use their 2nd-overall pick to take Travis Hunter, but their trade back with Jacksonville should be seen as a win for Cedric Tillman’s fantasy outlook going forward. Tillman took a step forward in 2024, with a three-game stretch from Weeks 7-9 where he finished as the WR16 or better each week. With no new added competition to the WR room through the draft, it appears the Browns may plan for Tillman to continue as their WR2 alongside Jerry Jeudy with whoever their QB ends up being.
Fantasy Loser
Jerome Ford (RB)
With Cleveland drafting not one, but two RBs the fantasy value for Jerome Ford took a huge hit moving forward. The Browns spent second and fourth round picks taking Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson who profile as two completely different players to be used in their offense. Judkins is likely a better bruising RB than Ford and Sampson could be better used in the passing game. Ford may be able to retain some value to start the year but it’s most likely he’s deleted from fantasy relevance by the end of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Derrick Harmon | DL |
| 3 | Kaleb Johnson | RB |
| 4 | Jack Sawyer | EDGE |
| 5 | Yahya Black | DL |
| 6 | Will Howard | QB |
| 7 | Carson Bruener | LB |
| 7 | Donte Kent | CB |
Fantasy Loser
Jaylen Warren (RB)
What could have been a clear path to a lead role in the Steelers backfield may be at risk with the team’s selection of Kaleb Johnson in the 3rd-Round of the draft. Johnson could be a perfect fit for the Arthur Smith offense with Warren left to take back the RB2 role he held behind Najee Harris. While Warren might start the season as the featured back for the Steelers, its likely he’ll lose ground throughout the season with a talented rookie like Johnson at his heels for playing time.
Cincinnati Bengals
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Shemar Stewart | EDGE |
| 2 | Demetrius Knight Jr. | LB |
| 3 | Dylan Fairchild | IOL |
| 4 | Barrett Carter | LB |
| 5 | Jalen Rivers | IOL |
| 6 | Tahj Brooks | RB |
Fantasy Winner
Chase Brown (RB)
Easily the biggest RB winner from the draft has to be Chase Brown. There were plenty of reports connecting the Bengals to RBs in the first two days of the draft, but Cincinnati elected not to address the offensive side of the ball with any of their first five picks. The Bengals did add some competition to their backfield with 6th-Round RB Tahj Brooks who brings a solid rushing profile to the table, but he would have to pass Zach Moss on the depth chart before threatening Brown’s workload. For the time being, it seems the investment in Brown paid off for fantasy managers who took the risk to keep him on their rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Malaki Starks | S |
| 2 | Mike Green | EDGE |
| 3 | Emery Jones Jr. | OT |
| 4 | Teddye Buchanan | LB |
| 5 | Carson Vinson | OT |
| 6 | Tyler Loop | K |
| 6 | LaJohntay Wester | WR |
| 6 | Aeneas Peebles | DL |
| 6 | Robert Longerbeam | CB |
| 7 | Garrett Dellinger | IOL |
Fantasy Winner
Mark Andrews (TE)
Fantasy managers with Mark Andrews have been through it over the last year, but the speculation that the Ravens would move the TE during the draft never came to fruition. Despite a TERRIBLE start to the season, Andrews still finished as the TE5 on the year, putting in top-10 TE finishes in his last six-straight games. For the time being, even with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it feels like Andrews should be set up for another season in Baltimore as the lead receiving option.
Fantasy Loser
Justin Tucker (K)
Kickers shouldn’t matter for fantasy, but in case there are still leagues that have them, Baltimore’s selection of Tyler Loop could be the end of the road for what has been one of the best options at the position in fantasy history.
AFC East
New England Patriots
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Will Campbell | OT |
| 2 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB |
| 3 | Kyle Williams | WR |
| 3 | Jared Wilson | IOL |
| 4 | Craig Woodson | S |
| 5 | Joshua Farmer | EDGE |
| 6 | Andrew Borregales | K |
| 7 | Marcus Bryant | OT |
| 7 | Julian Ashby | LS |
| 7 | Kobee Minor | CB |
Fantasy Winners
Drake Maye (QB)
The rookie season for Drake Maye was rough, but things are really looking up for the young QB entering his sophomore season. New England seems to be working to right the ship along the offensive line, investing two of their first four picks along the line. To make things even better for Maye and the Patriots offense, the team spent Day 2 picks on RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Kyle Williams adding much needed help to the skill position groups. The expectation for Maye to take a sophomore step forward should be even higher given the investment in the offensive starters around the young QB already this off-season.
Fantasy Loser
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB)
Just one season after receiving a four-year extension, things are looking bleak for Rhamondre Stevenson’s role in New England. Despite the lackluster offense last season, Stevenson still finished 2024 just outside the top-24 RBs, but never scored more than 12 fantasy points in his last 7 games of the season. The addition of TreVeyon Henderson gives the Patriots a RB who is less of the “ground and pound” style that Stevenson is known for, so there may still be room for the pair to coexist in the backfield together, but the expectation should be for the rookie to be the lead RB before the end of the season.
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
New York Jets
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Armand Membou | OT |
| 2 | Mason Taylor | TE |
| 3 | Azareye’h Thomas | CB |
| 4 | Arian Smith | WR |
| 5 | Malachi Moore | DB |
| 5 | Francisco Mauigoa | LB |
| 5 | Tyler Baron | EDGE |
Fantasy Winner
Justin Fields (QB)
While there wasn’t much speculation that the Jets would draft a QB, Justin Fields emerged from the 2025 Draft with no more competition in the QB room for New York. To make things even better for Fields, the Jets added more help along the offensive line early in the draft with Armand Membou at OT and an intriguing TE prospect in Mason Taylor. Fields should be given every opportunity to produce for fantasy managers with little competition behind him competing for snaps.
Miami Dolphins
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Kenneth Grant | DT |
| 2 | Jonah Savaiinaea | IOL |
| 5 | Jordan Phillips | DL |
| 5 | Jason Marshall Jr | CB |
| 6 | Ollie Gordon II | RB |
| 7 | Quinn Ewers | QB |
| 7 | Zeek Biggers | DL |
Fantasy Winner
De’Von Achane (RB)
The Dolphins were a popular spot to see an early RB added to the roster, but they didn’t add depth until Round 6 with Ollie Gordon which makes the lead RB role for De’Von Achane pretty secure heading into the season. Achane finished as the RB7 in 2024 getting 53% of the RB attempts for the Dolphins last season and averaging just under 5 receptions per game. While the addition of Gordon does give Miami another bruising back to maybe compliment Achane’s high-flying style. The unsung additions for the Dolphins come along the offensive line where they spent a 2nd-Round pick on an interior lineman to help bolster one of the worst units from 2024.
Buffalo Bills
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Maxwell Hairston | CB |
| 2 | T.J. Sanders | DL |
| 2 | Landon Jackson | EDGE |
| 4 | Deone Walker | DL |
| 5 | Jordan Hancock | CB |
| 5 | Jackson Hawes | TE |
| 6 | Dorian Strong | CB |
| 6 | Chase Lundt | OT |
| 7 | Kaden Prather | WR |
AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Ashton Jeanty | RB |
| 2 | Jack Bech | WR |
| 3 | Darien Porter | CB |
| 3 | Caleb Rogers | OT |
| 3 | Charles Grant | OT |
| 4 | Dont’e Thornton Jr | WR |
| 4 | Tonka Hemingway | DL |
| 6 | JJ Pegues | DL |
| 6 | Tommy Mellott | WR |
| 6 | Cam Miller | QB |
| 7 | Cody Lindenberg | LB |
Fantasy Winner
Geno Smith (QB)
When the Raiders traded for Geno Smith in March, Las Vegas didn’t seem like a situation ripe for success for the QB. After getting a new contract and the team’s work in the draft, Geno seems outfitted with an offensive unit that just might make the Raiders, well, fun to watch. Las Vegas spent five of their first six picks on offensive players, including big time draft capital on RB Ashton Jeanty while adding a pair of WRs in 2nd-Round pick Jack Bech and 4th-Round speedster Dont’e Thornton Jr. There may still be some unanswered questions along the offensive line for the Silver and Black, but the offensive situation for Geno to succeed looks much better post-draft.
Fantasy Loser
Raiders other RBs
It was almost a certainty that the Raiders were going to have to spend some significant draft capital on a RB, but taking Jeanty 6th-overall is an atomic bomb to any other RB’s fantasy value on the roster. There may still be a role for Raheem Mostert as a compliment RB in Chip Kelly’s offense, but fantasy managers should expect Jeanty to get a healthy workload from the jump in Vegas.
Denver Broncos
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Jahdae Barron | CB |
| 2 | RJ Harvey | RB |
| 3 | Pat Bryant | WR |
| 3 | Sai’vion Jones | DL |
| 4 | Que Robinson | EDGE |
| 6 | Jeremy Crawshaw | P |
| 7 | Caleb Lohner | TE |
Fantasy Winner
Bo Nix (QB)
After a strong rookie season, Broncos QB Bo Nix gets a pair of new weapons with early draft capital from Denver. RJ Harvey was considered one of the biggest reaches in the 2nd-Round but steps into a depleted RB room in Denver where he should be able to have an instant impact in Seay Payton’s offense. The Broncos also added WR Pat Bryant in the 3rd-Round who could become a solid second or third option in the WR room behind Courtland Sutton. Overall, Denver seems committed to giving Nix plenty of weapons to continue to take another step forward in his sophomore season.
Fantasy Loser
Audric Estime & Jaleel McLaughlin (RB)
Having a relevant RB in the Denver version of the Sean Payton offense has been something fantasy managers wanted since he made the move to the team and RJ Harvey presents the best chance to have an elite fantasy option for this backfield. Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin will likely have to fight for the backup role behind Harvey to try and maintain any fantasy relevance going forward.
Los Angeles Chargers
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Omarion Hampton | RB |
| 2 | Tre Harris | WR |
| 3 | Jamaree Caldwell | DL |
| 4 | Kyle Kennard | EDGE |
| 4 | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | WR |
| 5 | Oronde Gadsden II | TE |
| 6 | Branson Taylor | OT |
| 6 | R.J. Mickens | S |
| 7 | Trikweze Bridges | CB |
Fantasy Winner
Justin Herbert (QB)
While the first year under Jim Harbaugh went well for Justin Herbert, it seems the Chargers are working to add even more weapons to his arsenal ahead of 2025. Los Angeles took the second RB off the board picking Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick, giving Herbert a much needed upgrade in the backfield. Hampton comes into the league with a very good production profile and ability to make plays in the passing game that could remind fantasy managers of the frequent dump-offs to Austin Ekeler in years past. The Chargers also grabbed one of my favorite WRs in this draft class in Tre Harris. Harris has the ability to become an alpha WR in the NFL and should complement LA’s 2nd-Round WR from 2024, Ladd McConkey, very well.
Getty Images / Icon Sportswire
Fantasy Losers
Najee Harris (RB)
When Najee Harris signed with the Chargers in free agency, his value skyrocketed, but that value was just a temporary boost. The addition of Omarion Hampton complicates things for Harris in 2025 and beyond. With Harris only tied to LA for one season, fantasy managers should expect that Hampton will have control of this backfield sooner than later, making Harris’ value sit on shaky ground before he ever takes a snap in the powder blues.
Quentin Johnston (WR)
After a terrible rookie season, Quentin Johnston turned in a respectable WR36 season in 2024. Any progress Johnston made in the WR pecking order for the Chargers took a large step backward with the addition of Tre Harris in the 2nd-Round of the draft. Harris should be able to step into LA’s offense and offer an instant upgrade to the passing attack with Justin Herbert, leaving fantasy managers who have invested in Johnston hopeful for a change of scenery sooner than later.
Kansas City Chiefs
| 2025 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Josh Simmons | OT |
| 2 | Omarr Norman-Lott | DL |
| 3 | Ashton Gillotte | EDGE |
| 3 | Nohl Williams | CB |
| 4 | Jalen Royals | WR |
| 5 | Jeffrey Bassa | LB |
| 7 | Brashard Smith | RB |
Fantasy Winner
Chiefs Incumbents RBs
The RB room for Kansas City had to be shaking in their boots heading into the draft with all of the talk about the depth and talent in this RB class, but Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt came out of the draft with much brighter outlooks for fantasy success in 2025. Pacheco should be seen as the biggest winner given his struggles returning from injury down the stretch of the 2024 season where he clearly wasn’t the same player fantasy managers thought they were drafting after his back-to-back top-20 RB finishes to start the season. While 7th-Round draft pick Brashard Smith is an interesting prospect, Pacheco seems to be the favorite to lead this backfield again into 2025.