Heading into 2025, the AFC East is shaping up to be an exciting division, with all four teams carrying varying degrees of fantasy potential offensively. You have an already established offense in the Buffalo Bills, a couple of offenses that are seemingly on the rise in the New York Jets and New England Patriots, and a potentially declining offense in the Miami Dolphins. Without further ado, welcome to FANTASY IN FRAMES’ 2025 AFC EAST DIVISIONAL PREVIEW!
Now, before we start going position by position, let’s break down the ins and outs of each team from this past season!
***Also, stats & info from all of our divisional previews are sourced from the following outlets: PFF, Fantasy Points Data Suite, FantasyData, FTN, & NFL Next Gen Stats.***
Now that we’ve seen where these teams left off in 2024, let us preview where their players at different positions can either help or hurt your fantasy football teams in 2025!
Quarterback
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Starting with a man who has broken fantasy over the last handful of years, we have Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. In the previous four years, Allen has averaged at least 22.8 fantasy points per game in each season, and has not finished lower than QB3 in fantasy points per game in any of those seasons either. Allen also possesses elite rushing upside as well, as the veteran quarterback averaged 31.2 rushing yards per game and totaled 12 rushing touchdowns last year. Even with what was perceived to be a middling group of weapons last year, Josh Allen was still a very high-level fantasy performer and still got the job done considerably.
It sounds crazy to say, but there is still another level for Josh Allen to reach compared to last year, through the air at least. Khalil Shakir is a locked-in, trusted slot target, Dalton Kincaid is hopefully heading into a big bounce-back season, Keon Coleman could very well have a second-year breakout in 2025, and Josh Palmer is an addition that I believe people are overlooking right now. Not to mention that James Cook is a competent pass-catching back out of the backfield as well. Josh Allen should once again be dominant through both the air and on the ground this year.
Our FIF consensus team and I have one minor difference on Josh Allen in terms of rankings currently, as they have Allen at QB2 heading into this season and slightly prefer Lamar Jackson over him. In contrast, I have Allen at QB1 presently heading into this season. You are going to have to pay a hefty price to get Josh Allen in drafts this year, but if you are someone who likes to attack quarterback early and wants to ensure yourself of elite production at the position, this is the guy to do it with. Josh Allen is a true fantasy football cheat code at the quarterback position.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa is a bit of an up-and-down quarterback in terms of fantasy football and fantasy output, as one week he could throw for 300 yards and win a week for you, and one week he could crater and lose a week for you. A big range of outcomes here. Tagovailoa’s aDOT has declined each year over the last three years, which means that the Dolphins’ offense has become less explosive over that time frame. This shift in offensive approach and execution has resulted in fewer explosive play opportunities for the quarterback, which is something that we want in fantasy football. It gives us points.
Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history is also very concerning, as he has now sustained multiple concussions over his NFL career up to this point. One more big hit and he could be done. It is sad to say, but you could lose a quarterback on your roster at any point during the season if this happens.
Besides Tagovailoa himself, the offense around him has changed this offseason. Miami recently traded away Jonnu Smith, who was the catch-and-run dump-off guy for Tua in this offense. De’Von Achane could fill this role in 2025, but Jonnu Smith is leaving behind 109 targets in this offense from last year, which is a lot for a tight end. Sorry, but Darren Waller is not coming in here and saving the day all of a sudden. The wide receivers on this team have questions surrounding them as well entering 2025, specifically Tyreek Hill. Whether it was due to his wrist injury that he played through all year or he was just mentally checked out, Hill was off his game last year. Tyreek Hill declined in several key metrics in 2024, and I fear that the decline will continue in 2025 now that the wideout is 31 years old.
Our FIF consensus team and I are pretty down on Tua Tagovailoa for this year, as they have him at QB21 currently, and I have him at QB21 as well. Tua Tagovailoa is a safe floor option in drafts and a fine enough low-end QB2, but there is not much ceiling there to be had at the end of the day. There are so many other quarterbacks in this range of drafts that I would prefer over the Miami signal caller.
Justin Fields, New York Jets
If you ask me, Justin Fields is the prime late-round quarterback target in drafts this year. I love using this strategy every single year, so I will likely have a ton of Fields in all my leagues this year. I know that Justin Fields is not necessarily the best and most consistent passer in the world, but he is an elite rusher, which is why the signal caller is a cheat code for fantasy every time he steps on the field. In six games as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ full-time starter last year, Fields averaged 38.5 rushing yards per game and totaled five rushing touchdowns as well. Fields also averaged 19.2 fantasy points per game over that span, which is an astronomical number for just a six-game sample size. Whenever the quarterback is on the field, he produces in a big way and puts up massive fantasy numbers.
For Justin Fields’ 2025 fantasy outlook in particular, it is very promising and exciting if you ask me. Fields does not have a ton of great weapons to work with in this New York Jets offense, but what matters most is that he has a true alpha #1 receiver in Garrett Wilson, who has consistently produced at a high level with terrible quarterbacks. Fields and Wilson played together in college at Ohio State, so the two should click right away this year, come week 1, and have immediate chemistry with one another the minute they step on the field together. Also, if Breece Hall can bounce back this year, that should take some pressure off Justin Fields and provide Fields with more touchdown opportunities, specifically in the rushing department.
Both our FIF consensus team and I are incredibly bullish on Justin Fields this year, as they have him at QB11 heading into the year, and I have him at QB12 currently. I might even move him up a few spots higher than that, the more I think about it, by the time drafts roll around in about a month or so. For draft purposes, sure, you can take one of the top three or four elite quarterbacks extremely early, or you can wait a while and take someone like Justin Fields and get potentially similar production while still maintaining a very high ceiling at the position. Justin Fields has legit 1,000-yard rushing upside in 2025.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
If Justin Fields is a great late-round quarterback option in 3025, then so is Drake Maye. Even with a horrible offensive line and a horrible supporting cast, Maye still found a way to impress and show promise in New England last year. Excluding that meaningless week 18 game against the Bills that he barely played in at all, the rookie quarterback had at least one touchdown in every single game that he started last year.
After fielding a terrible offense in 2024, all the Patriots did this offseason was upgrade that side of the ball. The team made significant investments in the offensive line through both the draft and free agency, and improved the supporting cast as well. Stefon Diggs looks to be good to go for week 1 after his ACL injury last year, the offense added an extremely explosive pass catching back in TreVeyon Henderson via the draft, DeMario Douglas will be a featured slot receiver in a proven Josh McDaniels offense, Hunter Henry has always been a reliable player at the tight end position throughout his career, and Kyle Williams is a rookie receiver that people should be paying close attention to as well. The offensive ecosystem around the second-year quarterback is just so much better this year than it was last year.
Additionally, an aspect of Drake Maye’s game that people do not talk about nearly enough, in my opinion, is his immense rushing upside. I believe that the young signal caller has legit 700-800 rushing yard potential in 2025. You know that new head coach Mike Vrabel is going to want to run the ball and control the clock every single week, so Drake Maye should see a lot of designed runs this year, which will lead to a lot of touchdown opportunities in this offense. A lot more than last year at least.
Our FIF consensus team and I seem to be in line on Drake Maye’s 2025 fantasy outlook, as they have him at QB20 currently, and I have him at QB19 heading into this season. I like Drake Maye for fantasy this year. There are just some more experienced, proven guys I prefer over him at the quarterback position right now. Just like Justin Fields, you can wait on quarterback, and take Drake Maye in the later rounds of your draft this year and get a ton of ceiling nd upside if everything hits and goes right in 2025.
Best QB Value: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye sits at QB16 in ECR currently, and that is just too low if you ask me, by a few spots mainly. Josh Allen is the first quarterback off the board in most cases, Tua Tagovailoa is who he is at this point, and everyone is well aware of Justin Fields’ league-winning upside at this point in the summer. So that leaves Drake Maye, who is flying a bit under the radar right now compared to other quarterbacks across the league, in my opinion. This might be looked at as a hot take right now, but between his underrated rushing upside and the upgraded offensive ecosystem in New England, I feel that Drake Maye has an outside chance to finish as a low-end QB1 in 2025. I genuinely believe that.
Running Back
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
James Cook is a bit of a tricky player to figure out and project for fantasy this year. On one hand, Cook is one of the most explosive and dynamic running backs in the league on arguably the best offense in the NFL. On the other hand, though, he is seeking a new contract right now and is bound for touchdown regression. The explosive young running back totaled 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024, after having only two rushing touchdowns the previous year in 2023. That is an outlier season if we have ever seen one. James Cook also saw a ton of opportunities once the Buffalo Bills’ offense got down in the redzone, as he received 48.4% of his team’s inside the five carries last year, which was way up from his 2023 number of 14.3%. Cook only received 207 carries last year, which is not a ton for a starting NFL running back like we would hope. So there are volume questions there.
Additionally, Cook’s astronomical touchdown rate from last year is bound to come down in 2025, because we know that Josh Allen loves to vulture touchdowns on the goal line in this offense, and second year running back Ray Davis could have a bigger role in this backfield in 2025, especially in the redzone, as he is a bigger and more physical back than James Cook.
One thing to point out is that James Cook is heavily touted as an elite receiving back out of the backfield in his offense, but if you look at the numbers, his career high in receptions is 44, which he achieved in 2023. He has never had a single season with over 50 receptions in his career up to this point. This is because Josh Allen is not necessarily a big checkdown guy at the quarterback position, as he likes to throw the ball downfield or take off with his legs more often than not. Plus, offensive coordinator Joe Brady likes to spread the ball around to multiple different pass catchers weekly as well, so Cook’s receiving upside is capped because of that as well.
There are a lot of outlier metrics out there that support an incoming regression for James Cook in 2025, but I am still willing to bet on the talent alone and the elite offense that the player is in. Plus, Cook is in a contract year entering this season, which always provides a little extra motivation for players and their performance, especially at the running back position.
Our FIF consensus team and I are both relatively high on James Cook, still entering this season, as they have him at RB15 currently, and I have him at RB14. James Cook is still an excellent investment to make in drafts this year if you ask me, but if you are expecting a repeat of his 2024 production, you will most likely be disappointed, as the player is bound for at least some regression in certain areas.
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
De’Von Achane is a fantasy football darling right now, and rightfully so, because the explosive running back has been a true league winner the last couple of years. Achane is a highly dynamic receiving back out of the backfield for this Miami Dolphins offense, as he totaled an astronomical 78 receptions and six receiving touchdowns last year. Achane also possessed a very fantasy-friendly aDOT of -0.5 in 2024, which means that he got a lot of screens and cheap dumpoffs at or behind the line of scrimmage. With the departure of tight end Jonnu Smith, this elite usage in this area of the field should only continue and maybe even grow in 2025. De’Von Achane was no slouch in the rushing department last year either, as the young running back ran for 907 yards and six touchdowns, and displayed a very efficient 4.47 yards per carry throughout the season.
My one concern here is Achane’s high rushing usage in this offense, as he received 70% of his team’s inside the 5-yard line carries in 2024, which is just another worldly number for a smaller-framed running back like Achane. Will this elite usage continue in 2025? Will guys like second-year running back Jaylen Wright or rookie running back Ollie Gordon, who possesses a much bigger frame than De’Von Achane, eat into the goal line work for this offense this season? It is very possible, especially if the Dolphins want to preserve Achane to the best of their ability and want to continue to involve him heavily in the passing game.
However, if Mike McDaniel is going to be fighting for his job in 2025, he would be wise to expand the playbook significantly compared to last year and get back to the explosive downfield passing attack that the Miami Dolphins put on display in 2023. This offensive shift would mean fewer dumpoffs for De’Von Achane, as his usage is mainly around the line of scrimmage. Not to mention that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could, unfortunately, get hurt at any point during the season, which would result in this offense becoming inept, like we saw last year at times.
As for myself and our FIF consensus team, we are both very excited for De’Von Achane’s 2025 fantasy outlook, as they have him all the way up at RB6 heading into this season, and I have him at RB7 right now. Achane is a significant investment to make in fantasy drafts this year, just be aware that there are a few risks involved with the player and the offense that he is in.
TreVeyon Henderson/Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Suppose you ask me, the running back that you should want to own in 2025 in this New England Patriots backfield is 100% TreVeyon Henderson. Rhamondre Stevenson is a fine NFL running back, but he is not nearly as explosive and dynamic as TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson played at Ohio State for four years, and he did not have a single fumble in his entire college career. Not one. That is beyond incredible when you think about it. On the flip side, Stevenson is a guy who has major ball security issues, as he had six fumbles last year, and he even got benched for Antonio Gibson at one point because of it.
Also, on a surface level, Stevenson put up pretty good stats, running for 801 yards and seven touchdowns. However, the running back was very inefficient throughout the season, as he posted a subpar 3.87 yards per carry. Rhamondre Stevenson also received 70.6% of his team’s inside the five carries last year, but that high usage did not translate to points, as his touchdown rate was just 3.4%. So he got all the opportunities in the world, but he could not capitalize on those opportunities for whatever reason.
TreVeyon Henderson, on the other hand, has a lot going for him as a rookie. He is an elite pass-catching back, got the draft capital from this new coaching staff, and is a very smart, experienced college player. Henderson is also an exceptional pass blocker at the running back position, which Mike Vrabel will love, which in turn will lead to more playing time for the rookie back.
Both our FIF consensus team and I are already enamored with TreVeyon Henderson as a rookie, as they have him at RB21, and I have him at RB21 currently as well. TreVeyon Henderson might not be built for a ton of volume in this offense, but he will be highly explosive and efficient with the touches he does get.
Breece Hall, New York Jets
I have been on quite the personal journey with Breece Hall this offseason up to this point, thus far, changing my mind on the player multiple times over the last handful of months. Right after the Super Bowl ended back in February, I was very much in on a Breece Hall bounce back in 2025 at that point. I was very excited for his 2025 fantasy outlook. As the offseason has gone on, though, and Aaron Glenn was hired as the new head coach of the New York Jets, I have started to skew more negative on Hall, to the point where I am now out on the player for this season, unfortunately. Breece Hall put out some concerning metrics last year, and he was a massive fantasy disappointment for everyone. Hall saw a ton of opportunities in this offense in 2024, receiving 80% of his team’s inside the five carries, but only translating that to an extremely low touchdown rate of 2.4%. So opportunity did not translate to production here. Breece Hall also accumulated a concerning 49.3% stuff rate in 2024, which ranked 9th out of all running backs that got at least 150 carries last season. Hall averaged 15.2 fantasy points per game in 2024, which was down from his 2023 number of 17.1.
Beyond just Breece Hall himself and some of his concerning metrics from last year, the player’s potential usage in this New York Jets offense in 2025 is a bit alarming as well. Every time new head coach Aaron Glenn gets the chance to open his mouth and speak, he goes on and on about how he wants this backfield to be a running back by committee approach in the future with Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis, and intends to utilize all three backs weekly during the season. Breece Hall is far and away the most talented back in this backfield, but Braelon Allen impressed last year as a rookie when he got the opportunity. Isaiah Davis showed off some nice play in 2024 as a fellow rookie in tiny spurts as well, as he averaged 5.80 yards per carry and finished with a stuff rate of just 33.3%, which is very good. It was a very small sample size as Davis only got 30 carries across the entire season, but it was still impressive nonetheless. Not to mention that Justin Fields will steal a lot of the goal line and redzone carries as well, so that will likely cap Breece Hall’s touchdown upside a bit this season.
Our FIF consensus team and I seem to be lower than expected on Breece Hall this year, as they have him at RB14 currently, and I have him at RB15 heading into the season. Between the likely running back by committee approach for the Jets this year and Hall’s concerning metrics from last season, you might want to stay away from this player in drafts, and this backfield as a whole as well honestly.
Best RB Value: TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
All of the running backs in the AFC East are appropriately valued right now, in my opinion, so it was a bit tough to choose an actual value at the position within this division. If I honestly had to pick someone, however, it would be TreVeyon Henderson, who sits at RB23 in ECR currently. This is not a terrible ranking for the rookie running back as things stand right now, but Henderson’s floor at minimum at the position this year is top 20, and his ceiling is top 15 at the position. Henderson is going to be a fantasy monster in 2025, as he is going to catch a ton of passes from second-year quarterback Drake Maye in this offense, and is highly explosive and electric with the ball in his hands as well.
Outside of Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry, there are a lot of questions regarding the pass catchers in this offense this season. Is DeMario Douglas ever going to be a high-volume receiver out of the slot? Is Kyle Williams going to climb this depth chart and contribute as a third-round rookie right away? Will Mack Hollins play a high enough percentage of snaps to the point where he is fantasy-relevant in this offense at any point? A lot is going on here, but one thing that we do know is that TreVeyon Henderson should be an instant impact player for this offense right away in 2025. TreVeyon Henderson is the type of player that can take it to the house on literally any given play, so his upside is limitless in 2025.
Wide Receiver
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Buffalo Bills’ pass-catching group heading into this season. Still, the player that you should want to own in 2025 is Khalil Shakir, as the young receiver is the one guy who consistently gets looks out of everybody weekly during the season. In 2024, Khalil Shakir averaged 6.5 targets per game, while the next closest on this team in this category was tight end Dalton Kincaid at 5.5. So Khalil Shakir is the #1 option in Buffalo for Josh Allen and this passing game.
On top of that, Shakir also posted an elite yards per route run number of 2.27, which is just incredible. The talented young receiver possessed an aDOT of 5.6 in 2024 as well, which means that he got a lot of those middle-of-the-field targets out of the slot that we always love to talk about for fantasy.
Easy targets lead to easy points. Shakir should once again be a high-end target earner in 2025, because honestly, the Bills did not make any significant investments in the wide receiver position this offseason, whether that be through the draft or free agency.
Sure, the team added Josh Palmer via free agency back in March, who is worth a dart throw in the later rounds of drafts. Still, he is not coming in here and lighting the league on fire right off the bat, and definitely will not outshine Khalil Shakir in this offense this year either. Keon Coleman could take a step in year two in the NFL, but that will not affect Khalil Shakir at all as the two play different roles in this passing game. There is no crossover there whatsoever.
Although there is a lot of mystery surrounding this pass-catching group for fantasy in 2025, Khalil Shakir is 100% the guy to own here out of everybody. He is the one player who is guaranteed to receive consistent targets in this offense each week during the season.
Our FIF consensus team and I seem to agree with the positive praise for Khalil Shakir entering the season, as they have him at WR36 right now, and I have him at WR33 currently, just a tiny bit higher.
Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins receivers are in a peculiar spot right now, it seems, as both players are coming off down seasons for fantasy purposes. Due to this, each of their respective outlooks for 2025 is a bit murky as things stand right now, and nobody knows what to think of them this season. We will start with Tyreek Hill, because the reception around him seems to be more negative than positive at this point in the summer. Hill failed to hit 1,000 receiving yards in 2024 for the first time since 2019, even though the veteran receiver played all 17 games last season.
Hill displayed some concerning metrics in the previous season when you dive into it. For one, he had a yards per route run number of 1.99, a massive drop from his 2023 number of 4.05, which was elite. Secondly, Hill only had a catch rate of 68.1% in 2024, despite having a catchable ball rate of 77.3%. So he had opportunities, but he could not capitalize on many of those opportunities.
Additionally, the wide receiver ranked 35th in route win rate amongst all receivers that ran at least 300 routes in 2024, a number that is lower than expected for a guy like Tyreek Hill. Yes, Mike McDaniel will indeed have to open up the playbook for the Miami Dolphins in 2025 and return some downfield explosiveness to this offense if he wants to keep his job beyond this year.
Still, Tyreek Hill is aging, and the veteran put a lot of concerning metrics on tape in 2024. Unless he comes at an insane value and discount, you should probably stay away from Tyreek Hill in drafts this year, as there is just too much risk involved with the player heading into the season.
Both our FIF consensus team and I agree with this sentiment, as they have Hill at WR18, and I have him even lower at WR24. Jaylen Waddle is also coming off of a down 2024 season, but he has a much brighter outlook for 2025 in this Miami Dolphins offense. Even though Waddle had a down season last year for his standards, he still impressed metrically by the end of the year. Waddle had just two receiving touchdowns in 2024, which is just a bad outlier season in that department if you ask me, because he has had at least four receiving touchdowns in every other season of his career up to that point.
One important thing to point out about Waddle’s game last year is how he was used in this offense and where on the field he was deployed. In 2024, Jaylen Waddle lined up out wide 71.5% of the time and only lined up in the slot 28% of the time. The talented young receiver should see more balanced usage in 2025, which will lead to more fantasy-friendly outcomes and overall better production. Waddle also had an 11% designed play rate last season, which ranked 24th amongst all receivers that ran at least 300 routes in 2024.
Both our FIF consensus team and I are very much in on a Jaylen Waddle bounce-back in 2025, as they have him at WR25, and I have him at WR26.
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Garrett Wilson’s 2025 fantasy outlook is auspicious, as the very talented young receiver has been a true alpha for this New York Jets offense through three years thus far. Wilson has put up at least 1,000 receiving yards every single year of his career to date, despite having terrible to average at best quarterback play. Now he will finally have a competent quarterback in Justin Fields, his former college teammate. It has been beaten to death at this point, but the two should have an immediate connection with one another come week one this year. Even though the Jets were a complete dumpster fire last year, Garrett Wilson still found a way to display great play and greatly impress metrically. The stud receiver averaged 9.0 targets per game in 2024, while also seeing a 25.2% target share.
He was the only thing going in that offense last year. An aspect of Wilson’s game that stands out immediately is how much of a redzone threat the player truly is, as he received 11 end-zone targets last season, which is high-level usage down in that area of the field.
Most importantly, Garrett Wilson showed himself to be a high-level separator in 2024, as he ranked 22nd in average separation score among all wide receivers that ran at least 300 routes last season. Garrett Wilson is going to drown in targets this year, as nobody else in this passing attack even matters. Mason Taylor is exciting at the tight end position, but he is an unproven rookie. Allen Lazard has shown in the past that he is a very unreliable receiver, Arian Smith is an unrefined Day 3 rookie, and Josh Reynolds is just a high-end blocker and special teamer at this point in his career. There is nobody here in this offense who will challenge the young star for targets in the slightest. It is he and he alone.
Our FIF consensus team and I are both highly excited about Garrett Wilson in 2025, as they have him at WR13, and I have him at WR14 personally. You will have to take this player very high in drafts this year, but there should be no issues with that, as he will smash this season, and could very well have his best season yet in the NFL up to this point.
Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots
By all accounts, it seems that veteran receiver Stefon Diggs will be good to go for week 1 of the 2025 NFL season for the New England Patriots after tearing his ACL last year in Houston. He is being a bit forgotten right now because of the injury, but Stefon Diggs was off to a very hot start in 2024 for the Houston Texans, fantasy-wise. In just eight games, Diggs averaged 7.8 targets per game, and saw a target share of 22.1%, while averaging 15.2 fantasy points per game along the way. All of these numbers are extremely impressive because this was when all three of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs were healthy for the Texans last year. Diggs was an excellent weapon for young quarterback C.J. Stroud in 2024 when he was healthy.
As for the player’s 2025 fantasy outlook, it is surprisingly very bright, as his target upside in this offense is limitless. If volume is king in fantasy, Diggs is in for one heck of a year in 2025. Quarterback Drake Maye is expected to take a big step in year two in the NFL, and he will look to a veteran like Stefon Diggs early and often to take that big leap that everyone is expecting.
On top of that, the veteran pass catcher has no real target competition around him in this offense heading into this season. Besides Hunter Henry, who else is proven here? DeMario Douglas is a fun player to keep an eye on, but not someone who is ever going to be a big volume guy at the end of the day. Kyle Williams is a speedy and explosive rookie that everyone is excited about right now, but it seems that he is buried down the depth chart a bit right now, so how much will he play once the season kicks off?
Outside of Diggs and maybe Hunter Henry, there are no other proven fantasy assets in this offense as things stand right now. If Stefon Diggs is 100% healthy this season, which, right now, it seems that he is, you should take him in the middle rounds of your drafts this year with confidence.
Our FIF consensus team and I seem to be surprisingly low on Stefon Diggs currently, but honestly, that should change as we approach week one and continue to get positive updates on the player, as we are currently doing throughout training camp. The team has him at WR48 currently, and I have him at WR44 heading into the season.
Suppose there is one other wide receiver to point out in this New England offense going into 2025. In that case, it is DeMario Douglas, as he has the most experience at the position with the franchise up to this point, even over Stefon Diggs. Douglas plays a large majority of his snaps out of the slot, which is a position and area of the field that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has historically loved, so the young shifty slot receiver will likely see more targets this season than you might think.
DeMario Douglas also possessed a designed play rate of 24.4% in 2024, so he sees a lot of screens and gadget plays weekly throughout the year, which provides excitement and explosiveness for this otherwise dull and slow offense. This is a player that is worth a late-round dart throw in drafts, just for the potential upside and explosiveness alone.
Best WR Value: Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle is a wide receiver who is being underrated and undervalued across the board heading into the season, if you ask me. The talented pass catcher sits at WR29 in ECR currently, and that is just too low. Everyone is so hung up on what we saw last year and how dysfunctional this Miami offense was at times without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Still, they fail to look forward and fail to realize what could potentially be in store for the player this season.
If Tyreek Hill’s play continues to decline and Miami gets back to some of their downfield explosiveness from 2023, Waddle could be in for a monster season in 2025 and will return tremendous value in drafts this year. Jaylen Waddle will be a top 24 wide receiver in 2025 if this all comes together, maybe even top 20 by season’s end. Lock it in.
Tight End
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Coming off of a very promising 2023 rookie season, Dalton Kincaid was a fantasy darling last summer heading into the 2024 season. He was a prime breakout candidate across the industry at the tight end position. Unfortunately, though, the player was a massive disappointment in 2024, relative to where the young tight end was being drafted at least. Kincaid averaged 5.5 targets per game in 2024 and saw just an 18.1% target share in a very high-powered offense, which is just not good enough for a former first-round pick like Kincaid. There was not a game last season where the tight end truly took over for his team and truly exploded.
Additionally, Kincaid averaged just 7.8 fantasy points per game last season, which was down from his 2023 rookie season number of 9.5. One metric that sticks out right away as potentially an outlier for Dalton Kincaid is his catchable target rate. The player saw a catchable target rate of 69% in 2024, which ranked 135th amongst all pass catchers that ran at least 200 routes last season and dead last amongst tight ends using this qualifier. So his lackluster performance was not entirely his fault.
Some of it was on Josh Allen, too. Even though Dalton Kincaid had a disappointing 2024 season on the surface level, the tight end still showcased some outstanding deeper metrics throughout the year. Kincaid’s calling card coming into the league was his route-running ability and separation skills. Amongst tight ends that ran at least 200 routes in 2024, Kincaid ranked 7th in average separation score, and 7th in route win rate as well. He also ranked 11th in yards per route run amongst all qualifying tight ends.
As for the player’s outlook for 2025, he could be in for a lot of opportunities in this offense. Outside of Khalil Shakir, there is no one else in this passing game that is guaranteed to receive a consistent amount of targets each week during the season, right now at least.
With an elite quarterback like Josh Allen, someone is bound to step up, and that could very well be Dalton Kincaid. Our FIF consensus team and I are in on a Dalton Kincaid bounce back in 2025, as they have him at TE11, and I have him at TE11 as well. If you like to employ a late-round tight end strategy in drafts, this is the perfect player for that approach.
Miami Dolphins Tight Ends
I know that there is a decent amount of hype out there right now for Darren Waller, but we have to be realistic here. This is a player who did not play a single snap of football last year, and someone who has not been a stable fantasy producer in literally four years now. So how much can we expect from Waller in this Miami offense in 2025? Not to mention that the veteran tight end is on a highly low-cost contract with the Dolphins right now that does not include a single cent of guarantees, so who knows if he even makes the team this year, come week one.
Yes, there is indeed a void at the tight end position for the Miami Dolphins heading into this season after the departure of Jonnu Smith. Still, Darren Waller may not be the guy to fill that void, because he is older now and might not have much talent left in the tank anymore. So it might not matter at the end of the day. The other options outside of Waller in this tight end room are Pharaoh Brown and Julian Hill, who have never even been close to being fantasy relevant in their respective careers up to this point.
Behind Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill played 47.2% of the snaps in 2024, which is a pretty good amount for a backup tight end. It was only for specific personnel packages and mainly blocking, though, as it did not translate to any real production in the slightest.
The Dolphins’ recent history with players at the tight end position must be noted, as before Jonnu Smith came along last year, the team had not utilized the position in their offense frequently. You have to go back to Mike Gesicki in 2021 to find a fantasy-relevant tight end here, when he averaged 9.7 fantasy points per game that year, which honestly is not even overly impressive when you think about it. This might seem bold to some to say right now, but if you ask me, not a single Miami Dolphins tight end is going to be fantasy relevant in 2025. Not Darren Waller, not Julian Hill, and not Pharaoh Brown.
If you want to take Darren Waller in the very last round of your drafts to see how the player does in his first season back in the NFL, sure, go ahead, but our FIF consensus team and I would not recommend it. The team has Waller at TE42 currently, and I do not even have him ranked at all at the moment. That is how little I think of the player at this point in his career coming out of retirement.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets
Mason Taylor could be in line for a massive workload and a ton of opportunity in this New York Jets offense right away as a rookie in 2025. Mason Taylor was widely considered to be one of the best and most experienced tight ends in this year’s draft class back in April, and the Jets agreed with that sentiment, as the player received second-round draft capital from the team, which is pretty significant for a tight end. Garrett Wilson is the unquestioned alpha in this offense, but someone else has to catch the ball here. Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, and Arian Smith could all be irrelevant in fantasy in 2025, so those guys are out of the picture.
As for Taylor’s direct competition at his position, there is honestly not much here either. Stone Smartt is a fun story, but is still relatively unproven in the NFL so far. If Jeremy Ruckert were going to do anything for this team and be a contributor in any way, it would have happened already. So the rookie tight end should easily be the day one starter at tight end for this offense this year, come week one without question.
I know that there are some questions out there right now about Justin Fields’ passing ability at the quarterback position. Still, he has shown in the past that he can support a top fantasy tight end in the NFL. In 2023, with Justin Fields, Cole Kmet averaged 10.7 fantasy points per game, which was good enough for TE9 that year, his best mark to date. Additionally, in weeks 1-6 with Justin Fields as the full-time starter in Pittsburgh last year, Pat Freiermuth averaged 8.8 fantasy points per game, which put him at TE11 over that span. So Fields loves to utilize his tight ends in the offenses that he is in.
For as exciting as Mason Taylor is, this is a player who is still a rookie at the end of the day, so our FIF consensus team and I have the tight end lower than you might expect right now. However, that could change as more hype continues to build for the Jets’ tight end throughout training camp and preseason. The team has him at TE32 right now, and I have him a few spots higher at TE29.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Hunter Henry has quietly been a very reliable and consistent tight end throughout his entire career in the NFL up to this point. The veteran is not the most flashy and explosive guy in the world, but he more than gets the job done. Over the last two seasons with the New England Patriots, Henry’s finishes in fantasy points per game have been TE15 and TE16.
This is a player who may not hold much ceiling anymore at this point in his career, but he provides a safe and stable floor that you can get good play out of still, especially if you are someone who likes to stream tight end weekly during the year based on matchup. As explained earlier with Stefon Diggs, this offense is wide open in terms of targets in 2025. There is quite a bit of opportunity here for Hunter Henery in this New England offense this season.
Our FIF consensus team and I view Henry similarly to where he has been over the last couple of years, currently, as they have him at TE16, and I have him at TE15. Do not overlook Hunter Henry in drafts this year.
Best TE Value: Mason Taylor, New York Jets
The guy that sticks out right away as having the most upside and potential at the tight end position within this division in 2025 is Mason Taylor, even if he is just a rookie. This is very simple, as Taylor has a lot going for him heading into this season: opportunity, draft pedigree, and projected usage at the tight end position. If you are someone who likes to employ a yin and yang strategy at the tight end position in your drafts, this is a player who fits that mold perfectly.
Take a trusted, proven veteran early on, then reevaluate and take a potential upside swing on a guy like Mason Taylor towards the end. This is a rookie tight end that everyone should 100% be paying close attention to as the season gets closer and closer, as he could explode in 2025 right away. At TE26 in ECR currently, this feels like a screaming value at the position.
Thank you for taking the time to review FANTASY IN FRAMES’ 2025 AFC EAST DIVISIONAL PREVIEW! I’m Aidan, and you can find me on Twitter/X at @aweingarter13. Feel free to reach out for more fantasy football advice.
***For more 2025 Fantasy Football Divisional Previews, click here.***
