The 2024 fantasy football season featured an incredible rookie class with breakouts coming thick and fast. We also saw breakouts from non-rookies that were just as impactful. Below are nine breakouts from the 2024 fantasy season that will sustain or exceed their production in 2025.
- 2025 NFL Draft Guide
- Dynasty Trade Value Chart
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
- Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings
2024 Fantasy Football Breakout Players to Target in 2025
Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
As the season wore on it became increasingly obvious to everyone that Bucky Irving was the best running back on the Buccaneers. From Week 11 onwards, Irving out-snapped Rachaad White in five out of six meaningful games and only lost out in the other due to injury.
Irving rushed for 1,122 yards this season, almost 300 more than the next nearest rookie. His 1,429 total yards were the 10th-most among running backs. The Bucs hope to keep offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, who was a clear positive influence for a ground game that had been mediocre in past years, but equally, Irving is a better runner than anyone the Bucs have trotted out in the last few years. It shouldn’t be surprising if he finishes 2025 as an RB1.
Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
There were hints in 2023 that the Bengals had something good in Chase Brown with his explosivity clear to see, but Joe Mixon stood in his way and Brown was poor in pass protection, preventing him from getting onto the field for high-value third downs. That changed in 2024, however, with Brown gaining the 14th-best pass block rate from Pro Football Focus (PFF) among running backs.
That’s not an outstanding result but it was enough to move him from being a liability to being a player the Bengals weren’t afraid to feature. Brown’s season took off when Zack Moss injured his neck and landed on injured reserve (IR). It’s possible some people feel hesitation when it comes to drafting Brown in 2024 if Moss returns. However, Brown had already taken over before Moss’ injury with Brown the lead back in the last three weeks Moss was healthy.
Once Moss was out of the picture, Brown averaged 20.6 PPR points for the second half of the season, only scoring below 19 points just twice, making him the RB3 and a true league-winner for the back half of the season. Should Tee Higgins not return to Cincinnati, Brown’s ceiling only increases.
CHASE BROWN WAS A FANTASY STEAL ???? pic.twitter.com/Up5MZWhoZY
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) January 9, 2025
Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
We have a new unquestionable fantasy TE1 heading forward. His name is Brock Bowers. Even though Bowers had a poor quarterback situation, he became the third rookie tight end ever to hit 1,000 receiving yards and broke Puka Nacua’s record (105) for receptions in a rookie season with 112, a simply absurd number.
The Raiders have work to do at the quarterback position and a new head coach understanding how to maximize Bowers is essential. It’s fair to think the ceiling for Bowers can be even higher going forward, though, as he scored only five touchdowns in his rookie season. If Bowers can get closer to double-digit touchdowns, he will find himself with a fantasy ADP in the middle of the first round in redraft leagues before long.
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