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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 had the most impact in taking home a championship? Here’s a look at the top 10 players from Public League championship-winning teams on Yahoo Fantasy… and the other 15 who rounded out the top 25.
1. Jalen McMillan, in 23.18% of championship squads
Although McMillan had modest yardage totals all seasonHe became a touchdown machine in the final month of the year, scoring six times in his final four games. He’s not the most animated receiver in the rookie class (Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers salute, among others), but McMillan belongs in the picture. Get ready for some fun Year 2 receiver debates next summer.
2. Tee Higgins, 23.08%
Ja’Marr Chase’s managers might be surprised by this, as Chase easily outperformed everyone at the wide receiver position. But Higgins was one of the highest-octane picks a manager could make, selected as WR28 over the summer. but tied for WR2 in scoring per game. Add to that a tight 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 got Barkley were able to get him at a reasonable cost, as he was a late first or early second round pick in most groups. Eagles didn’t do Barkley any favors with easy touchdowns – Jalen Hurts scored 11 times from the 1 yard lineBarkley zero, but Barkley still increased 15 times, from an astonishing average of 29.4 yards.
4. Jonathan Taylor, 22.57%
Taylor’s ill-timed fumble in Week 15 he made all the highlights, but he certainly made up for fantasy managers, finishing RB1 and RB1 over the next two weeks. Taylor also had the most running back points accumulated during the entire fantasy playoffs, despite the mile-high mistake. Taylor’s play also maintained a high ceiling with both Indianapolis quarterbacks.
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5. Bucky Irving, 21.98%
It was not a productive year for the novice runner classin part because the veteran running backs were surprisingly durable in 2024. But Irving quickly shined as a special playmaker and eventually took over as Tampa Bay’s featured running back. With 5.5 yards per carry 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 is the highlight of that glorious Cincinnati carnival we just talked about. Burrow would be the leading MVP candidate if the Bengals won more games; leads all quarterbacks in all notable counting statistics (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 is 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 got hurt in Week 15, Gibbs accelerated (RB2, RB7, RB2). The Lions had their most consistent offense all season, a perfect combination of talent, blocking, solid quarterback play and timely decisions.
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 efficiency metrics. The loss of OC Dave Canales wasn’t a problem (heck, current OC Liam Coen might be even smarter) and Mayfield kept humming even when his marquee receivers went down with injuries. Mayfield was excellent in the fantasy playoffs, mapping out QB5, QB6, and QB2.
9. JK Dobbins, 19.57%
A sprained MCL cost Dobbins four games in the latter part of the year, but he returned in time for a valiant RB8 performance against New England in Week 17. Dobbins easily surpassed his ADP over the first three months. RB13 rating for first 13 weeks. Jim Harbaugh produced an ingenious reconstruction of ALC in less than a year.
10. Isaac Guerendo, 19.15%
Guerendo was useful in Week 17 (RB14, 99 total yards) and a needle transporter at week 14 (25.8 fantasy points, RB2 for that segment), so we’re leaning. But his inclusion on this list is more of a reflection of how winning fantasy managers play than what Guerendo actually did. The smartest managers know when to click the “all in” button.
Bonus: a look at the rest of the top 25!
11. Adam Thielen, 19.05%
12. Ladd McConkey, 19.04%
13. Brian Thomas Jr., 18.78%
14. Jonnu Smith, 18.57%
15. Bijan Robinson, 18.42%
16. Malik Nabers, 18.41%
17. Henry derrick, 18.05%
18. Jayden Daniels, 17.95%
19. Brock Bowers, 17.47%
20. Josh Jacobs, 17.23%
21. Justin Jefferson, 17.16%
22. Jerome Ford, 16.60%
23. Sam Darnold, 16.60%
24. Bo Nix, 16.55%
25. Chuba Hubbard, 16.55%
That’s all he wrote, folks. Congratulations to those of you who took home that coveted trophy. As for the rest, we hope he sticks around through the offseason as we prepare for next year.