Kraft is particularly potent as a post-catch producer. Among 32 NFL tight ends with at least 535 receiving snaps in 2023-2024, Kraft’s 8.1 yards after the catch per reception hold a 1.2-yard lead over all remaining, qualifying tight ends and his 0.22 missed tackles forced per reception rank third. Fantasy managers should expect White to […]
Kraft is particularly potent as a post-catch producer. Among 32 NFL tight ends with at least 535 receiving snaps in 2023-2024, Kraft’s 8.1 yards after the catch per reception hold a 1.2-yard lead over all remaining, qualifying tight ends and his 0.22 missed tackles forced per reception rank third.
Fantasy managers should expect White to consistently deliver RB2 and RB3 results next season, operating as Irving’s complement. Should Tampa Bay allow White to leave in free agency in 2026, his RB1 talent profile could yield a return to the top 12 season-long ranks. He finished as the 2023 overall PPR RB4.
Among 68 NFL wide receivers with at least 385 receiving snaps, Legette ranks 25th in aDot (12.6), 52nd in YPRR (1.19) and 66th in yards after the catch per reception (2.3). He cleared the ideal 2.00 YPRR threshold just once all season, averaging 2.10 YPRR in a two-target, 24-receiving snap effort in Week 3. Legette averaged less than 1.80 YPRR in all remaining games.
Pittsburgh Steelers enigmatic wide receiver George Pickens enters his fourth NFL season in 2025 with a strong track record in stable metrics countered by unstable personality quirks. His talent profile indicates Pickens is performing well below his potential. Fantasy managers must keep his behavioral risks in mind, but Pickens currently profiles as a high-upside fantasy football draft pick if available as a borderline WR3/4. His 79.0 PFF offense grade ranks 17th among 66 NFL wide receivers with at least 635 offensive snaps
Improving his run-blocking ability would protect his access to high-value play-action snaps but Kraft’s 441 run-blocking snaps lead among Green Bay tight ends by 287 snaps and his 54.3 PFF run-blocking grade ranks likewise ranks first among Green Bay tight ends with at least 100 offensive snaps and 20th among 33 NFL tight ends with at least 575 offensive snaps.
Legette produced four top-36 positional weekly finishes, highlighted by a WR12 finish in Week 4 and lowlighted by 10 finishes as the WR51 or worse.
Fantasy managers should expect Baltimore Ravens field-stretching wide receiver Rashod Bateman to build on a positively volatile season thanks to Baltimore’s ascending pass-catching corps and Bateman’s excellent play. Bateman’s 70.9 PFF offense grade ranks 37th among 66 NFL wide receivers with at least 635 offensive snaps.
Boom-Bust Wide Receivers
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay’s No. 1 wide receiver Mike Evans was forced from play in Week 7 after suffering his second 2024 hamstring strain and remained sidelined through the team’s Week 11 bye. Tampa Bay slot receiver Chris Godwin likewise suffered a Week 7, season-ending ankle dislocation. Otton averaged 1.24 YPRR in Weeks 1-6 and Week 11-Wild Card Weekend while averaging 1.98 YPRR in Weeks 7-10. The latter stretch yielded Otton’s three season-long double-digit-target outings, buoyed by a team-high 24 first-read targets during that stretch which doubles that of the next closest Tampa Bay pass catcher. Evans’ 90.2 PFF receiving grade ranks second among Tampa Bay pass catchers while Godwin’s 85.7 PFF receiving grade ranks third.
White delivered three weekly finishes as an RB4 or worse, five RB3 finishes, four RB2 finishes and three RB1 finishes, all of which were in the top five.
Okonkwo has demonstrated explosive traits since his 2022 rookie season, ranking No. 1 overall among 29 NFL tight ends with at least 45 targets in 2022 in YPRR (2.61). His per-route efficiency dipped to 1.31 YPRR in 2023 before ticking down even further to 1.25 YPRR this season. A Week 12, 70-yard touchdown catch-and-run, including 61 yards after the catch, 43 yards after contact and one missed tackle forced, inspired Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan to feature Okonkwo as an offensive centerpiece from then on.
Among 31 NFL tight ends with at least 95 receiving snaps in Weeks 12-17, Okonkwo ranks and/or ties for eight in both YPRR (1.79) and yards after the catch per reception (5.7) while ranking No. 1 overall in missed tackles forced (nine), leading by a three would-be-tackle margin. He notched three TE1 finishes during that span, including the overall TE3 finish in Week 16. His 25 first-read targets in Weeks 13-17 rank sixth among NFL tight ends during that span.
Each NFL season yields intriguingly volatile players whose potential for the following season will be hotly debated from February through the Week 1 kickoff.
WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Otton conclusively demonstrates TE1-worthy ability while operating as the team’s No. 1 pass catcher. The 31-year-old Evans is now up to eight recorded hamstring strains after suffering two different strains in the same hamstring muscle this season. Godwin’s ankle dislocation makes for his second season-ending injury in four seasons; he tore his ACL and MCL in 2021 and turns 29 years old next month.
Among 34 NFL running backs with at least 215 receiving snaps, Swift ranks 20th in YPRR (1.09), 26th in missed tackles forced per reception (0.17) and grades out as the eighth-worst player (59.5 PFF receiving grade).
Among 34 NFL running backs with at least 215 receiving snaps, he ranks ninth in missed tackles force per reception (0.34), ranks 25th in YPRR (0.92) and graded out as the second-worst player (40.6 PFF receiving grade).
Tampa Bay’s 2024 second-round rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan played very well post-bye, ranking fifth in both PFF receiving grade (70.9 PFF receiving grade) and YPRR (1.61) among 14 2024 rookie wide receivers with at least 15 targets from Week 12-on.
Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift was drafted as the PPR RB20 and delivered RB19 results but likely frustrated fantasy managers with eight RB3-or-worse weekly finishes, five RB2 finishes and four RB1 finishes. Swift is unlikely to improve and stabilize his play in 2025 and fantasy managers should avoid him in drafts accordingly. His 61.3 PFF offense grade ranks 30th among 33 NFL running backs with at least 450 offensive snaps.
WR Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers
Legette will likely increase his weekly WR3-or-better tally in 2025 but is unlikely to do so in a meaningful manner. He is best drafted as a matchup-based WR4/5.
Fantasy managers should expect Kraft to consistently produce TE1 results in 2025.
Among 74 NFL wide receivers with at least 105 receiving snaps against single coverage, Legette’s 63.0 PFF receiving grade against single coverage ranks 64th.
Bateman’s field-stretching assignments are made easier by capable pass catchers running routes in the short and intermediate field depths. Through his first three NFL seasons in 2021-2023, Baltimore’s mid-tier pass-catching corps peaked with a 74.9 PFF receiving grade, ranking 14th among NFL teams in 2023. The unit’s 89.4 PFF receiving grade in 2024 conversely ranks No. 1 overall. Bateman correspondingly earned a career-best 90.6 PFF receiving grade on targets thrown past the stick this season, and among 48 NFL wide receivers with at least 45 targets earned past the sticks, his 20.0 yards per reception rank 14th while his six qualifying missed tackles forced tie for sixth.
• WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers: Pickens should be targeted as a potential buy-low option in 2025.
Swift successfully out-played his backfield teammates after entering 2024 as perhaps the undeserved lead running back. Swift’s performance relative to the NFL field reveals him to be an inefficient player who is unlikely to improve his fantasy-scoring results in 2025.
Boom-Bust Tight Ends
TE Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Okonkwo’s late-season production coupled with Callahan’s public praise and schematic alterations suggest Okonkwo will have a career-best season in 2025.
The 6-foot, 214-pound White has always been a talented pass catcher but this season he brought his pass-protection chops up to par, grading out as the ninth-best player among 28 NFL running backs with at least 50 pass-protection snaps, with a 69.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. Among 34 NFL running backs with at least 215 receiving snaps, White ranks 12th in YPRR (1.31)
Fantasy managers should expect Bateman to produce top-36 finishes more consistently in 2025. He can be drafted accordingly.
• TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans: Okonkwo’s late-season productivity in 2024 could yield career-best results in 2025.
Pickens’ talent profile suggests he should return WR2/3 value, making him a worthwhile pick if he slips to the borderline WR3/4 ranks in 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers third-year running back Rachaad White lost his starting job in-season to fourth-round rookie running back Bucky Irving, but White promisingly, and quietly, improved his stable rushing metrics this season. He is a worthwhile mid-to-late-round redraft pick and should be considered an ideal buy-low trade target in dynasty formats. White’s 73.8 PFF offense grade ranks 18th among 33 NFL running backs with at least 450 offensive snaps.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Pickens boasts intriguing stable metric data points, promisingly averaging 2.08 YPRR and a 13.7-yard average depth of target (aDot) over the last two seasons and he grades well against single coverage. Among 30 NFL wide receivers with at least 115 targets earned against single coverage from 2022-2024, Pickens’ 92.8 PFF receiving grade ties for 17th.
The article below breaks down three boom-or-bust wide receivers, tight ends and running backs from the 2024 NFL season and provides actionable information for 2025.
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Legette’s lengthy rookie season injury list both contextualizes performance-related issues and creates cause for concern regarding his long-term health. Legette reportedly dealt with foot, shoulder, toe, wrist and hip injuries this season and expects to undergo offseason surgery to correct the years-long wrist issue.
TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Bateman finished WR40 or worse in Weeks 1-4 before ironically improving his weekly performances as groin, foot and knee injuries began cropping up in October. In his 13 ensuing games, Bateman finished as a WR3 or better seven times, including three WR1 finishes and one overall WR2 finish.
Among 33 NFL running backs with at least 145 rushing attempts, Tracy ties for 17th in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.18) and ranks 26th in both yards after contact per rushing attempt (2.8) and PFF rushing grade (69.6 PFF rushing grade).
New York Giants fifth-round, 25-year-old rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. concludes his first NFL season with an unstable talent profile and volatile fantasy football results. Tracy will likely continue his boom/bust ways though his tackle-break talents could be a positive sign of things to come. His 58.4 PFF offense grade ranks 32nd among 33 NFL running backs with at least 450 offensive snaps.
Savvy fantasy managers can gain an edge on future opponents by studying player performance in PFF’s stable metrics, theoretically reducing their analytical exposure to each player’s volatile results.
Boom-Bust Running Backs
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Fantasy managers should expect Swift to return volatile RB3 results at best in 2025.
Otton produced six TE1 finishes in 14 games this season, highlighted by a Weeks 7-9 hot streak that respectively yielded overall TE5, TE1 and TE3 PPR finishes.
Operating as Tampa Bay’s No. 2 pass catcher is within Otton’s range of outcomes, as is the No. 4 spot. He will likely remain a boom/bust fantasy football tight end albeit with strong odds of besting his TE14 2024 finish.
Among 36 NFL tight ends with at least 275 receiving snaps, Kraft ranks 13th in YPRR (1.55) and No. 1 overall in yards after the catch per reception (8.8), though his 35th-ranked 4.8-yard aDot must be acknowledged. His 71.0 PFF receiving grade ranks 16th.
Pickens’ erratic post-catch productivity perhaps meshes most strongly with his unquantifiable personality. Through three seasons, he respectively averaged 2.1, 6.1 and 4.0 yards after the catch per reception. While his glaring post-catch variance adequately reflects Pickens’ up-and-down showings, fantasy managers should expect his positive per-play efficiency metrics and single-coverage PFF receiving grade to win out.
RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo should stabilize as a weekly TE1 in 2025 thanks to a strong 2024 finish. He will likely be available at a borderline TE2/3 ADP due to a Thursday, Week 18 abdomen strain that limited him to one offensive snap in the regular season finale. His 60.8 PFF offense grade ranks 23rd among 33 NFL tight ends with at least 575 offensive snaps.
Bateman promisingly improved his yards per route run (YPRR) average from his worrying 1.05 mark in 2023 to 1.67 this season. His YPRR on past-the-sticks targets likewise improved from 2.34 to 3.34.
Carolina Panthers first-round rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette failed to assuage concerns over his worrying college profile, finishing as the PPR WR61. Legette rapidly accumulated injuries while producing unstable rookie season results. Fantasy managers should expect another boom/bust season in 2025. His 59.3 PFF offense grade ranks 60th among 66 NFL wide receivers with at least 635 offensive snaps.
Among 33 NFL running backs with at least 145 rushing attempts, Swift ties for 28th in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.15) and ranks 32nd in yards after contact per rushing attempt (2.5), grading out as the fourth-worst player (65.7 PFF rushing grade). His fantasy football productivity is clearly tethered to his career-high 253 rushing attempts.
Since his 2022 rookie season, White has respectively averaged 0.12, 0.15 and 0.17 missed tackles forced per rushing attempts while likewise improving his yards after contact per rushing attempt average from 2.4 to 2.6 before peaking at 3.1 this season. Among 33 NFL running backs with at least 145 rushing attempts, White’s 0.17 missed tackles forced average ties for 22nd and his 3.1 yards after contact average ties for 12th. His career-best 73.7 PFF rushing grade ranks 12th.
RB D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Tracy spent five of his six college seasons playing wide receiver before switching to running back in his 2023, final season. Tracy’s tackle-breaking data could be a positive indicator for future success but his advanced positional age coupled with four terrible showings in the position’s six stable metrics suggest Tracy could remain a volatile producer in 2025, potentially operating in a split backfield with fresh competition.
Pickens produced six top-24 positional finishes in 14 games, finishing as the overall WR42. He finished as the WR43 or worse in his eight remaining games. The results fall well short of his 5.09, WR26 average draft position (ADP) in points-per-reception (PPR) formats this season.
Tracy spent four weeks toiling in New York’s No. 2 running back role before taking over as the starter in Week 5. He notched three RB3 finishes, four RB2 finishes and four RB1 finishes, plus six finishes as the RB39 or worse en route to the overall PPR RB25 spot. While Tracy deserves credit for the No. 1-role takeover and moderate tackle-breaking traits, he generally performed poorly in PFF’s stable metrics and clearly benefitted from touch volume. Among NFL running backs in Weeks 5-18, Tracy’s 214 offensive touches rank 16th.
Green Bay Packers second-year tight end Tucker Kraft finished as the overall PPR TE10, notching six TE1 finishes, highlighted by consecutive overall TE1 finishes in Weeks 4 and 5. Kraft’s strong showing in PFF’s stable receiving metrics bodes positively for his continued ascension and stability in 2025. His 68.2 PFF offense grade ranks 14th among 33 NFL tight ends with at least 575 offensive snaps.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted tight end Cade Otton as a 2022 NFL draft fourth-round pick. His 241 career targets exceed draft-day expectations but inconsistency remains a concern. Otton will likely remain a boom/bust performer in 2025 though he has shown the requisite talent to reliably produce as a TE1 when operating in a featured role. His 65.6 PFF offense grade ranks 18th among 33 NFL tight ends with at least 575 offensive snaps.
