3 NFL players set to excel with new teams — and for fantasy football managers — this season
If you've followed my work over the years, thank you. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for your support. You're the reason I dedicate so much time and effort to my fantasy content and I can't wait to experience this next chapter of my career with you at Yahoo.
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[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
For everyone else, I'm eager to share my rankings, trade value charts and overall analysis with you. My focus is always producing the most accurate content possible and the best is yet to come.
Starting a new job is always an adventure and comes with a fresh set of challenges. Can my hair ever look as good as Matt Harmon's? Will I misspell "Pianowski" when sending emails? Are my friends going to kick me out of our fantasy leagues now that I'm employed by the platform we play on?
I promise to keep you updated on all those storylines, in addition to keeping you informed with everything you'll need to be an annual contender for your fantasy championships.
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On that note, I'm not the only one making a move to a new team this offseason. Plenty of NFL players have found themselves on an unfamiliar roster and are hoping to have success in a different jersey.
So, in the interest of giving you some actionable information in my first Yahoo article, here are three players who are going to excel with a new club this season.
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Normally, I wouldn't advise investing in a receiver who'll turn 33 before the end of the year, but Adams isn't a typical wideout.
He bounced back last season to average 14.2 fantasy points per game (half PPR), which was his eighth top-10 finish in the last nine campaigns:
Year
Result
2024
WR10
2023
WR18
2022
WR3
2021
WR4
2020
WR1
2019
WR6
2018
WR1
2017
WR6
2016
WR9
Adams' worst result in that stretch came when he was forced to catch passes from Aidan O'Connell and Jimmy Garoppolo. Sure, he won't have his BFF Aaron Rodgers under center, but Matthew Stafford is a more capable passer at this stage of their careers. And there's no denying Sean McVay is operating on a different plane of existence as an offensive play-caller, versus the coordinators Adams dealt with in New York.
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McVay's ability to scheme players open will be a huge plus and the presence of Puka Nacua is guaranteed to attract defensive attention away from Adams.
While we don't want to put too much stock in OTA quotes, McVay recently highlighted Adams as someone who stood out in the spring and Rams' OC Mike LaFleur believes the veteran has a lot of juice left in the tank.
Stafford has already shown the ability to support multiple star fantasy wideouts in the same season, so don't be surprised when Adams finishes as a top-15 fantasy receiver in 2025 with a chance to post low-end WR1 numbers.
Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets
We all know there's a difference between real-life success and fantasy output. One of the most obvious examples of that has been Justin Fields.
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His rushing skills alone put him in the fantasy QB1 conversation whenever he's in the starting lineup. In the first six weeks of last season — before the Steelers turned to Russell Wilson — Fields was the QB7 (19.1 fppg), finishing as a top-12 fantasy option in 50% of those outings.
That came after the former first-round pick posted QB12 fantasy stats (18.4 fppg) in 2023 and QB6 results (20.5 fppg) in 2022.
Aaron Glenn and the Jets have committed to Fields as their starter for 2025 and maybe beyond if he can prove himself worthy.
While it might not be pretty to watch, fantasy managers should be jumping at the chance to draft a potential top-10 fantasy quarterback just inside the first 100 picks (95.3 ADP on Yahoo).
Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Mason is coming off a career year filling in for Christian McCaffrey and now heads to Minnesota where he'll assume the No. 2 role behind another older back who's dealt with plenty of injuries during his career: Aaron Jones.
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However, don't confuse my interest in Mason for Jones' slander. The 30-year-old back is an extremely likable player who's been a high-end fantasy RB more years than not during his career. It's just important to recognize Jones' age and injury history:
Year
Injuries
2024
Quad, ribs, hip
2023
MCL sprain, thigh, hamstring
2022
Ankle, knee
2021
MCL sprain, thigh, hamstring, ribs
While Jones has only missed seven games during that span, it's fair to question his durability moving forward — especially since the Vikings made a point to trade for help at the position.
Mason dealt with ailments of his own last season, but before getting banged up, he averaged 108 yards from scrimmage per contest through the first seven weeks.
Earlier in the offseason, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell referred to Jones and Mason as a 1A/1B backfield and referenced Mason's ability around the goal line, an area where Minnesota struggled in 2024.
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In that role, Mason will be a weekly fantasy RB3/flex option in one of the better offenses in football, with the chance to vault into RB1 territory if Jones misses time at any point.
It's going to be a big year for people on new teams and, fantasy-wise, Adams, Fields and Mason should be priority targets in your drafts.
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