Vacated Targets: Teams Open for Opportunity in 2025 (Fantasy Football)

Fantasy drafts season is just a couple of months away (or even closer for some fantasy degens out there), and it’s time to start building some arguments about which players we should prioritize in our drafts. We all want to fill our rosters with great players who play for great NFL teams. Yes, targeting good offenses is important, but in fantasy football, opportunity is king.

Knowing which teams can provide the most opportunity to their skill position players can help you decide between different players when you’re staring at the draft board. A great way to spot opportunity is to look at vacated targets.

Editor’s Note: For a full-breakdown of all 32 NFL teams, check out the Fantasy Footballers UDK+ Dynasty Pass, where you’ll find a full team opportunity section with vacated targets and rush attempts.

A Quick Introduction To Vacated Targets

Every offseason, players move around the league. Some reach the end of their contracts and become free agents, others get traded to a different team, and some others end up retiring. And every time a WR/TE/RB leaves his team, he also leaves his targets behind to be claimed by other players. Analyzing the current situation for teams with a large amount of vacated targets is key to predicting which players might inherit them. Sometimes they go to the next man up in the depth chart, but the most interesting cases for fantasy are those in which the targets are naturally claimed by a recently signed player or a rookie with high draft capital. 

Sometimes the vacated targets from WRs might go to an RB, as Kyle Borgognoni explained some years ago in his article Vacated Targets & Predicting the Future. It all depends on each team’s specific situation. That’s why it’s important to take an informed look at each offense. Last season, the Chargers, Commanders, and Jaguars were among the teams with the most vacated targets, and in last season’s article, we analyzed their situation to conclude that players like Terry McLaurin and rookies Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey should have enough opportunity to become notable fantasy assets in the 2024 season.

Let’s do it again and look at the teams with the most vacated targets to predict possible outcomes that might help us target players with upside. 

1. Cleveland Browns

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Last season, the Chargers were at the top of the list with 395 vacated targets, which amounted to more than 60% of the team’s total. Compared to that, 235 might not seem like much, but the situation in Cleveland this year is still very interesting, and there’s a lot of volume to spread around. Most of these targets belonged to WR Elijah Moore and TE Jordan Akins. Cedric Tillman was having a phenomenal season before getting injured, so it would make sense for him to inherit a hefty portion of the WR targets, but Jerry Jeudy might also claim some of them. And then there’s Diontae Johnson, who might not have a big role but still could earn a few targets. David Njoku should benefit from Akins’ absence, but let’s not forget the Browns drafted Harold Fannin Jr., an intriguing TE prospect who might be ready to absorb some of the looks as he earns his way into replacing Njoku, who is entering the final year of his contract. It’s important to note that the quality of the targets will always depend on the quarterback, and at the moment, the Browns have a crowded QB room with four out of five (Deshaun Watson will most likely miss the whole season) possible starters, including rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. There are a lot of variables still in the air, but we should get a better idea of how this opportunity will be spread around as we get closer to the season.

2. Los Angeles Rams

The big flashy bits of news in Los Angeles this offseason were Cooper Kupp’s departure and Davante Adams‘ signing. Kupp left 100 vacated targets, but Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson also left the team, creating a very interesting bag of opportunities for Adams. There might be some questions around him: Is he still in his prime? Can he still be a target hog? It doesn’t really matter. With Puka Nacua attracting coverage on the opposite side of the field, he should get a fair share of this volume. Puka should also get an uptick in targets. If this isn’t enough to believe in Adams’ upside, the Rams’ offense is also the one with the most vacated targets inside the 10th yard. Adams has historically been very good at creating separation in tight spaces and making contested catches, which makes him an interesting red-zone threat in Sean McVay’s offense.

3. New York Jets

With Aaron Rodger’s buddies Allen Lazard and Davante Adams in the roster, there were a lot of mouths to feed in New York last season. Despite that mess, Garret Wilson still managed to have a decent season. He was #4 in targets and #5 in receptions, but finished as the WR15 in fantasy points. Will he finally have a WR1 season now that Davante Adams is out of the picture? Many of those 135 WR vacated targets should go his way, but I actually think Allen Lazard might also emerge as a cheap, viable fantasy option, as he did at the beginning of last season. Once again, it will all come down to QB play. Justin Fields will be his new QB, and he actually had some shiny moments last season with the Steelers; he should be able to put some catchable targets in his most capable receiver’s hands. This includes rookie TE Mason Taylor, who should immediately inherit most of the TE vacated targets left up for grabs after Tyler Conklin’s departure.

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

4. Jacksonville Jaguars

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2024 Targets	Vacated Targets	Target %	WR	TE	RB
522	213	41%	113	82	18

A year later, the Jacksonville Jaguars are once again on this list. Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Gabe Davis are gone, and they left a big chunk of vacated targets. Let’s start with the tight end situation: Brenton Strange is not Evan Engram, so don’t expect him to inherit all those TE targets. The volume should be distributed very differently now that Engram’s gone. The Jaguars spent the second overall pick to draft Travis Hunter. It’s still a mystery how HC Lian Coen is planning to use him, considering he played both as a cornerback and wide receiver in college. But if you’ve been following the news and interviews, it’s pretty clear that he will be involved in the passing game. How often and how consistently? We’ll see. Some think he will primarily play on defense, but the Jaguars waited to release Gabe Davis until after the draft, so maybe they’re thinking about involving Hunter heavily on offense too. Until we get some hints at training camp, he remains a fantasy wild card. On the other hand, one thing’s for sure: barring injury, Brian Thomas Jr. is about to have another amazing fantasy football season.

5. Seattle Seahawks

It feels like a new era in Seattle. The team said goodbye to long-time Seahawks icons DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Cooper Kupp is the new hotness in town, but Jackson Smith-Njigba should emerge as the alpha WR. After a couple of years of dealing with the volatility of having three fantasy-relevant WRs, we once again have only two established star wide receivers in Seattle, and there are enough vacated targets to spread around between them. The big question is: Will Sam Darnold be capable of feeding them quality targets consistently? Last season, he took everyone by surprise, having a career year as the Vikings QB, but I’m not sure he will be able to perform at the same level without Kevin O’Connell as his head coach and a top-10 offensive line. If he doesn’t deliver, Kupp and JSN might be catching passes from rookie QB Jalen Milroe at some point, which isn’t ideal either. So let’s be cautious about the potential upside in these vacated targets.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were among the top 5 in total targets in 2024. But the majority of their vacated targets are from the RB position, which is amazing news, considering they drafted Ashton Jeant, the top RB prospect of this draft class; an amazing athlete who is more than ready to crush it in the NFL. He should become this offense’s workhorse back from day one, getting almost all the rushing volume and of course, inherit most (if not all) of these 93 RB vacated targets. Of all the possible futures in the Raiders’ multiverse, there are very few in which Ashton Jeanty doesn’t have a monster rookie season, fantasy-wise. And that’s not all; the Raiders really went all-in on offensive talent during the NFL Draft. In the second round, they picked WR Jack Bech, who should play a special role in this offense (just as he does in Kyle Borgognoni and Matthew Betz’s hearts). Having the highest draft capital among the team’s WRs, he should not only claim most of the position’s vacated targets, but also earn some of the ones that currently “belong” to Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.

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7. Los Angeles Chargers

As I mentioned above, last season, the Chargers had more vacated targets than anyone. In that year, they cleaned house on many key offensive positions, which left a lot of opportunities available. And Jim Harbaugh’s offensive rebuild is still under construction. He got rid of a couple of place holders that were serviceable but not elite last season, such as RB Gus Edwards, RB J.K. Dobbins, TE Gerald Everett, and drafted two potential elite talents: WR Tre Harris from Ole Miss and RB Omario Hampton from North Carolina. These two players are being welcomed by 88 WR targets and 43 RB targets. Hampton should share a committee with Najee Harris, but I wouldn’t mind having a committee back from Jim Harbaugh’s offense on my fantasy team, especially with that many targets available. And with Ladd McConkey established as one of the league’s best slot receivers, Tre Harris should immediately become a starting outside WR alongside veteran Mike Williams, who should be third in the pecking order. The tight end situation is a little trickier to predict at the moment, with Tyler Conklin and rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II joining Will Dissly.

8. Tennessee Titans

It feels weird to bet on Calvin Ridley after last year. But with so many available WR targets and first overall pick Cam Ward’s willingness to push the ball downfield, it seems like we should be excited about Ridley’s upside this season, right? Well, we might want to be cautious with this one. Let’s not forget that Tyler Lockett joined the Titans, and they also signed Ward’s college go-to guy, Xavier Restrepo, as an undrafted free agent. Also, rookie QBs can’t always be trusted, no matter how good and talented they are. They sometimes take time to get used to the NFL. Having said that, none of these receivers should be expensive fantasy draft picks, and at least one of them should emerge as a viable fantasy starter.

A Crowded WR Room With Almost No Vacated Targets

Just as these teams’ vacated targets can generate juicy opportunities for rookies and newly signed free agents, there are teams with not enough volume to spread out that might be better to avoid in fantasy drafts. For example, many people are excited about Matthew Golden as the next great WR in Green Bay. Yes, despite Aaron Rodgers’ pleas, the Packers spent the past 23 years without drafting a WR in the first round, and they finally did. It’s a big deal in Green Bay, but the Packers are second to last in vacated targets. And it’s not like the rest of their WRs are mediocre. Golden should earn a prominent role eventually, but Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Romeo Doubs will compete for targets. I don’t think either of them will have a consistent season for fantasy.