I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.
It’s been a long season. Think about all the storylines we saw unfold in the past few months. Cincinnati started the season with a tough loss and ended it with Joe Burrow being talked about for MVP. Kevin O’Connell helped revive Sam Darnold’s career.
Saquon Barkley almost made history with an incredible hurdle. And throughout it all, we kept up with all the data to stay on top of our fantasy football leagues. Taking a break now seems like a good idea.
But before we rest, let’s take one last look at the season.
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The playoffs, coaching changes, and the draft will keep throwing news our way as we start looking toward the next season. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of new changes.
The early offseason market will be influenced by what’s happened recently. Still, these major storylines from 2024 should help you prepare for another season of drafting.
The 2024 WR class will be exciting in Year 2
There’s no doubt the latest group of receivers made a big impact. Malik Nabers is already setting records for the Giants. Brian Thomas Jr. averaged over 100 yards per game in his final five games and will make the Jaguars’ head coach job even more appealing. But the 2024 class wasn’t just about the big names.
There are a few other players I’ll want on my teams for 2025, but let’s start with two guys we’ll be watching during the NFL playoffs.
Jalen McMillan was the last of the highly-ranked Washington Huskies receivers to be picked, and his role next to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin limited his early-season upside.
But when McMillan came back from a hamstring injury in Week 12, he played 70.0% of the routes. He was targeted 20.0% or more by Baker Mayfield in three of his last five games. His five-game streak of scoring touchdowns will definitely stay in everyone’s mind for the summer.
Jalen McMillan
WR – TB – #15
2024 – 2025 season
461 Yards
35.5 Yards per Game
58 Targets
37 Receptions
8 Touchdowns
However, keep in mind that Mike Evans will be 32 by the start of the season (or might retire if he chooses). Chris Godwin will be a free agent after recovering from a major injury. One or both could be gone by training camp. The Bucs are likely to make some moves at receiver, but McMillan should still be a key part of their offense next year, especially after leading the team in YAC per reception (3.1) while mostly playing on the outside.
I can make the same argument for Xavier Worthy.
Sure, scoring touchdowns in back-to-back games makes any player worth watching, but the Chiefs add another layer of interest. Their 2.3 offensive touchdowns per week in their final six games were below the league average (2.5). The Steelers were the third team to push Patrick Mahomes into throwing for more than 300 yards. And with Mahomes’ ankle injury in mind, it was easy to overlook changes in Worthy’s workload.
Target Share: 11.0% (Weeks 9-12), 22.2% (Weeks 13-17)
Targets per Route Run: 12.0%, 24.9%
Air Yards per Target: 14.2, 6.0
Leave it to Andy Reid to find the best way to use someone like Worthy. Instead of keeping him on the boundary (where he could drift out of bounds in critical moments), his snaps from the slot increased in the last month. Against the Texans, he ran 56.4% of his routes from inside.
This adjustment has lowered his average depth of target, but it’s also given him a chance to show off his speed after the catch. He picked up 8.1 yards after the catch per reception against Houston, which is part of why his back-to-back 11-target games don’t seem like a fluke. The Chiefs’ receiving corps will be worth watching this offseason.
Xavier Worthy
WR – KC – #1
2024 – 2025 season
638 Yards
37.5 Yards per Game
98 Targets
59 Receptions
6 Touchdowns
Rumors about Travis Kelce retiring aside, Marquise Brown and DeAndre Hopkins will be free agents after this season. We likely won’t see much of Rashee Rice until late summer. Worthy’s growth and stronger connection with Mahomes are the key takeaways from his rookie year. Even if most of the supporting players return for another season, Worthy will have the momentum and experience to help you through another regular season.
