The following is an excerpt from the latest edition of Yahoo’s fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! If you like what you see, you can subscribe for free here.
It’s no secret that some players were more beneficial than others this fantasy season. But who was most impactful in bringing home a championship? Here’s a look at the top-10 rostered players of championship-winning Public League teams over at Yahoo Fantasy … and the 15 others who rounded out the top 25.
1. Jalen McMillan, on 23.18% of championship rosters
Although McMillan had modest yardage totals all season, he became a touchdown machine in the final month of the year, scoring six times in his last four games. He’s not the buzziest receiver from the rookie class (Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers wave hello, among others), but McMillan belongs in the photo. Get ready for some fun Year 2 receiver debates next summer.
2. Tee Higgins, 23.18%
Ja’Marr Chase managers might be surprised by this one, as Chase easily outpaced everyone at the wideout position. But Higgins was one of the highest-octane picks a manager could make, drafted as the WR28 over the summer but tied for the WR2 post in per-game scoring. Throw in a narrow target tree and an elite quarterback and Cincinnati was the league’s most reliable fantasy carnival.
3. Saquon Barkley, 22.75%
One of the cleanest paths to fantasy dominance is to draft the best running back in the league. And those who landed Barkley were able to get him at a reasonable cost, as he was a late-first or early-second round pick in most pools. The Eagles didn’t do Barkley any favors with easy touchdowns — Jalen Hurts scored 11 times from the 1-yard line, Barkley zero — but Barkley still spiked 15 times, from an amazing average of 29.4 yards.
4. Jonathan Taylor, 22.57%
Taylor’s untimely fumble in Week 15 made all the highlights but he certainly made it up to fantasy managers, finishing RB1 and RB1 the ensuing two weeks. Taylor also had the most cumulative running-back points for the entirety of the fantasy playoffs, despite the Mile High Miscue. Taylor’s game held a high ceiling with both Indianapolis quarterbacks, too.
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5. Bucky Irving, 21.98%
It wasn’t a productive year for the rookie class of running backs, in part because veteran backs were shockingly durable in 2024. But Irving quickly flashed as a special playmaker, ultimately taking over as Tampa Bay’s featured back. With 5.5 yards per rush and a 95.7% catch rate, Irving was too good to be true for most of his debut season.
6. Joe Burrow, 20.08%
And here’s the pointman to that glorious Cincinnati carnival we just talked about. Burrow would be a prime MVP candidate if the Bengals won more games; he leads all quarterbacks in every notable counting stat (completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns). Burrow was particularly unstoppable after Halloween, with a ridiculous 27 touchdown passes and 2,648 yards in his last eight games. Loaded offense, leaky defense; it’s the nectar of the fantasy gods.
7. Jahmyr Gibbs, 19.73%
Gibbs was an elite fantasy option all year despite sharing with David Montgomery, but when Montgomery was hurt in Week 15, Gibbs kicked into overdrive (RB2, RB7, RB2). The Lions had the most consistent offense all season, a perfect mesh of skill talent, blocking, sound quarterback play and timely play-calling.
8. Baker Mayfield, 19.65%
Maybe not everyone was convinced by Mayfield’s comeback season last year, but he was even better in 2024, setting new personal bests in most of the efficiency metrics. The loss of OC Dave Canales was no problem — heck, current OC Liam Coen might be even sharper — and Mayfield kept humming along even when his name-brand receivers got hurt. Mayfield was superb in the fantasy playoffs, charting QB5, QB6 and QB2.
9. J.K. Dobbins, 19.57%
An MCL sprain cost Dobbins four games in the latter part of the year, but he returned in time for a gutsy RB8 showing against New England in Week 17. Dobbins easily outkicked his ADP over the first three months, ranking RB13 through the opening 13 weeks. Jim Harbaugh did a nifty LAC rebuild in less than a year’s time.
10. Isaac Guerendo, 19.15%
Guerendo was useful in Week 17 (RB14, 99 total yards) and a needle-mover in Week 14 (25.8 fantasy points, RB2 for that segment), so we tip our caps. But his inclusion on this list is more a reflection of how winning fantasy managers play rather than what Guerendo actually did. The shrewdest managers know when to click the “all-in” button.
Bonus: A look at the rest of the top-25!
11. Adam Thielen, 19.65%
12. Ladd McConkey, 19.57%
13. Brian Thomas Jr., 19.37%
14. Jonnu Smith, 19.15%
15. Bijan Robinson, 19.05%
16. Malik Nabers, 19.04%
17. Derrick Henry, 18.78%
18. Jayden Daniels, 18.57%
19. Brock Bowers, 18.42%
20. Josh Jacobs, 18.42%
21. Justin Jefferson, 18.41%
22. Jerome Ford, 18.34%
23. Sam Darnold, 18.05%
24. Bo Nix, 17.95%
25. Chuba Hubbard, 17.93%
That’s all she wrote, folks. Congratulations to those of you who walked away with that coveted trophy. As for the rest, we hope you’ll be sticking around this offseason while we prep for the year to come.
