2025 FantasySP Expert Fantasy Football Awards: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Justin Jefferson, Drake Maye and More

The NFL regular season has wrapped up, and the playoffs are here. That makes it a great time to go over the 2025 fantasy football season!

In this article, three FantasySP experts (Daniel Hepner, Ted Chmyz and Morgan Rode) offered up some responses to various fantasy football-related questions.

Use FantasySP's Fantasy Assistant to link your teams and get advice on roster moves, lineup decisions, and more!

Who was the best fantasy football waiver wire pickup in the 2025 season?

Morgan: I'll say it was Wan'Dale Robinson. Sure, he was aided by Malik Nabers getting injured early in the season, but Robinson was a worthwhile fantasy asset most of the way. I think he was a bit underrated and underappreciated, as he was a top-15 PPR wideout through week 17. 

Ted: Michael Wilson. With a little help from Marvin Harrison Jr.'s appendix, the third-year wideout turned into Jerry Rice down the stretch of the fantasy season. From Week 11 onward, he trailed only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in WR fantasy points (half-PPR). That's genuinely elite production at the most important part of the season, so it's no surprise that he was the undrafted player on the highest percentage of championship rosters. 

Daniel: True RB1s don't come around often on the waiver wire, but Rico Dowdle fit that criteria for a while in 2025. From the time he took over as the starter when Chuba Hubbard missed Week 5, Dowdle was a good fantasy asset. Dowdle finished as a top-20 fantasy RB in both scoring formats.

Who was the biggest draft steal this year?

Morgan: This one is easy to me - Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He went around pick 35 on average, yet was a top-10 fantasy finisher overall. He delivered week after week and really only had one poor fantasy showing. His draft stock should soar in 2026 as a result of his big 2025 season.

Ted: I'll give a shoutout to Chris Olave. Looking back at this year's ADP, he is a massive standout as one of the only good picks from some truly ugly middle rounds. Other players scored more points (JSN, George Pickens, Trey McBride) or came at cheaper costs (Drake Maye, Rico Dowdle, Harold Fannin Jr.), but it's hard to argue with Olave as a player who was consistently productive all season at a relatively negligible price. Three straight top-10 finishes in the fantasy playoffs is just the cherry on top of an excellent season. 

Daniel: Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence both went essentially undrafted in fantasy leagues, but they both finished among the top-five fantasy QBs. Stafford's age will bring plenty of questions next season, but Lawrence will likely be drafted as a top-10 player at the position next year.

Which player was the biggest draft bust?

Morgan: Justin Jefferson is another easy choice here. I worried about him being a top-five pick, and he ended up finishing way worse than I could have expected. Inconsistent quarterback play and health in Minnesota really hurt him, and he turned into a guy you couldn't trust near the end of the season. I'll be fascinated to see how his fantasy outlook changes because of how this season went for him.

Ted: It's really hard to pick anyone other than Jefferson. An early first-round pick in ADP, Jefferson finished as just the WR28 in half-PPR points per game. And that actually massively overrates just how bad he was down the stretch: from Week 10 onward, the league's most talented wideout averaged just 5.5 points per game, with zero finishes inside the top 24 (and five outside the top 40). He genuinely would have been less of a bust if he suffered a season-ending injury, because at least then you wouldn't be tempted to leave him in your starting lineup. 

Daniel: How far can we stretch the term bust? Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty were drafted as top-five running backs, but they both finished outside the top 10 at the position (but inside the top 20). That's not a disaster the way it could be, but instead of getting RB1 production, these guys were RB2s and fell into flex range at times. All that being said, the biggest bust this year is Jefferson.

Who was the biggest fantasy surprise in your eyes?

Morgan: George Pickens was the biggest surprise in my eyes. I thought he might have been a bit overrated, but he ended up being a massive steal after going around pick 65 on average. He delivered with and without CeeDee Lamb on the field, and was a great starting option for a big portion of the 2025 season. He was looked to as a WR3 in standard leagues, and ended up as a WR1 - that's a huge surprise.

Ted: For me, it's Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I wasn't sold on him as an elite talent, and I really wasn't sold on Sam Darnold as an upgrade (or even a lateral move) from Geno Smith. His lack of competition was obvious, so I wasn't totally out, but I had him ranked solidly below consensus heading into the season. Obviously, I couldn't have been more wrong, as JSN provided a genuinely elite season to finish as the overall WR2. 

Daniel: Drake Maye jumped up to a QB2 finish behind Josh Allen after being drafted outside the top 15 at the position. Maye's style of play is sustainable for fantasy success, as he is a high-level thrower of the football and also succeeds running the ball. Maye is going to fight for a top-five QB draft stock heading into next season.

Who was the biggest fantasy disappointment to you?

Morgan: Kaleb Johnson is the easy standout for biggest fantasy disappointment. I, and many others, expected him to eventually be RB1 in Pittsburgh, but he was buried on the depth chart behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell and really wasn't a fantasy asset all year. He was droppable after a couple weeks and his dynasty value took a massive hit - I'll be interested to see if he ever turns it around.

Ted: Xavier Worthy. With Rashee Rice suspended, I was betting on the fastest man in NFL history to pick up where he left off in 2024 as the engine of a revitalized Chiefs' offense. Instead, Worthy dislocated his shoulder almost immediately when the season began … and things didn't really get better from there. Although they flashed a time or two, Kansas City failed to return to form, and Worthy arguably regressed from an already mediocre rookie campaign. Maybe there's a universe where he didn't get hurt to start the season, connected with Patrick Mahomes on a few more big plays, and provided a quality fantasy year … but we certainly aren't living in it.

Daniel: It's not fair to call Lamar Jackson a bust because injuries played a big part in his disappointing fantasy standing, but he has been disappointing when on the field at times also, both in real-life and fantasy football. He will likely be drafted among the top QBs again next year, but risk-averse owners will steer clear given his high draft status.

Who is the 2025 fantasy MVP to you?

Morgan: Puka Nacua is my 2025 fantasy MVP. He was drafted around pick 10 and finished as the best fantasy wide receiver, and was in the top-five overall. Even while battling through a couple injuries, he delivered week after week, and he has a great chance to be WR1 off draft boards in 2026 as a result.

Ted: Christian McCaffrey. He was the top-scoring flex option in half-PPR formats by a solid margin. Despite coming into the season as a theoretically massive injury risk, he didn't miss a single week. He finished as the RB16 or better in all but one of his games, including an absurd eight top-five finishes … two of which came in the fantasy semifinals and championship. There really isn't anything else you can ask for from a fantasy player. 

Daniel: Trey McBride doesn't have as many points as the top player at QB, RB, or WR; he is in line with the top kickers and defensive players in standard scoring. When looking at how much he has outscored his position-mates by, though, no one comes close to his dominance. Entering Week 18, McBride had scored 46.6% more standard points and 52% more PPR points than any other TE. The difference between first and second wasn't more than 12% at any other position. McBride simply dominated his contemporaries in a way no other player did this season.