- Blake Corum could become the Rams' starter soon: Corum improved his stuff rate, notably dropping from 19.0% as a rookie to 12.8% in his second NFL season while increasing his point-of-attack change rate from 15.5% to 23.1% — suggesting his vision and decision-making skills have significantly improved.
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Mock Draft Simulator 2026 NFL Draft Big Board Big Board Builder NCAA Premium Stats SubscribeThe article below breaks down NFL players who produced breakout fantasy football seasons in 2025. Some players produced high-end results throughout the season, while others starred at different points in the year. Weeks 1-17 and half-points-per-reception (half-PPR) scoring are used by default, unless otherwise specified.
QB Trevor Lawrence, JacksonvilleJaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished as the overall QB4 in total scoring, while averaging 20.4 fantasy points per game this season. It is his best finish since 2022, when he concluded as the overall QB8 while averaging 18.3 fantasy points per game.
He earned a career-best 84.3 PFF passing grade, boosted by increased centerfield targeting and rushing volume. Lawrence can be viewed as a potential top-five positional player in 2026 after breaking out as such in 2025.
Jaguars first-year head coach Liam Coen smartly featured a centerfield passing attack this season, moving Lawrence away from the perimeter-reliant passing concepts that he was forced to deal with under former head coaches Urban Meyer (2021) and Doug Pederson (2022-2024).
Lawrence’s 85 targets thrown 10-plus yards downfield and between the painted numbers in Weeks 1-17 were the most among his five NFL seasons. His 2025 yards per passing attempt average jumped from 7.1 overall to 10.4 on qualifying throws, while he never once totaled 64 such attempts in a season before this year.
Lawrence also tallied 80 rushing attempts in Weeks 1-17, beating his prior Weeks 1-17 career-high by 13. Critically, he ran for 348 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Likewise, his 40 designed runs during that span beat his prior career-high by seven. He was one among four NFL quarterbacks with 10-plus designed runs in the green zone during that span, and scored five qualifying rushing touchdowns.
Lawrence’s fantasy-friendly usage should remain consistent in 2026.
WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions No. 2 wide receiver Jameson Williams finished as the overall WR11, making good on his listing in Identifying potential WR1s for 2025. He recorded a career-best 76.5 PFF offense grade. Williams finished Weeks 1-17 as the half-PPR overall WR19 last year.
Williams struggled to consistently produce with former Lions offensive coordinator John Morton calling plays in Weeks 1-9, notching three weekly places in the overall WR10-WR15 range and five in the overall WR53-WR104 window.
As detailed in 3 WR/CB matchups to target and avoid for Week 17, “Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties in Week 10, featuring Williams on crossing and post routes.” The Lions’ speedy wide receiver finished as the overall WR1 that week, banking five placements as the overall WR14 or better in Weeks 10-17.
During the Weeks 10-17 stretch, Williams garnered targets at a 17.9% overall rate and an 18.2% deep rate while averaging 2.32 yards per route run (YPRR) and 6.5 yards after the catch.
Williams, 24, can be treated as a WR1 candidate in 2026.
WR George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys No. 2 wide receiver George Pickens was a 3 WR/CBmatchupstotarget and avoid mainstay in his 2025 breakout WR1 season. He totaled career highs in Weeks 1-17 targets (128), receptions (92), receiving yards (1,420) and receiving touchdowns (nine) while securing a career-best 87.2 PFF receiving grade across the full season.
Pickens, 24, proved himself as an elite wide receiver in his fourth NFL campaign and is scheduled to enter free agency this offseason.
Among 33 NFL wide receivers with at least 95 targets in Weeks 1-wild-card weekend, Pickens ranks 10th in yards after the catch per reception (5.1), ninth in catch rate (71.0%), sixth in YPRR (2.35) and fourth in missed tackles forced (21).
Among NFL players in Weeks 1-17, Pickens slotted fourth in red zone targets (40) and third in end zone targets (16).
Pickens broke out as a bonafide fantasy football WR1 in 2025.
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Read More →Rookie Tight Ends
The NFL expanded its regular season schedule from 16 to 17 games in 2021. Among the five following Weeks 1-17 fantasy football seasons, 13 rookie tight ends have notched 50-plus targets, and five have finished as a TE1.
Among the qualifying rookie tight end seasons, the 2025 NFL draft class accounts for six 50-plus-target seasons and two half-PPR TE1 finishes, keyed by breakout performances from Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (overall TE5) and Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (overall TE7). Fannin’s 69.1 PFF offense grade across the full-season narrowly beats Warren’s 67.6 offense grade.
Fannin delivered volatile early-season results as Cleveland cycled through multiple quarterbacks. His play stabilized in the season’s second half, resulting in five consecutive weeks where he finished as the overall TE1-TE14 to close out the year.
Indianapolis was on bye in Week 11. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones appeared on the Week 12 injury report with a calf issue, suggesting he suffered the injury either in Week 10 or during Week 12 practices. He then appeared on the Week 13 injury report with a fibula issue, which was later revealed to be a fracture; it is unclear whether the calf and fibula injuries were the same injury with different listings.
Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in Week 14, badly impacting Warren’s productivity. Jones’ 68.7 PFF passing grade was his best PFF passing grade since 2022. Warren was the Weeks 1-13 half-PPR, overall TE3 in total scoring. He failed to produce a top-12 finish thereafter.
Fannin (seven rushing attempts) and Warren (six rushes) are the only 2025 NFL tight ends with more than one rushing attempt. Both scored one rushing touchdown. Warren also attempted one incomplete pass.
Stable quarterback play should keep both players in top-five contention next season.
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland finished as the half-PPR overall TE1 in Week 18. His data is included below for comparison purposes. He enters the 2026 NFL season as a locked-in tight end after posting an 86.0 PFF offense grade across the full season.
Full-season efficiency metrics and PFF receiving grades are used below to more accurately reflect player performance and talent.
Fannin's, Warren's and Loveland’s receiving data
2025 Rookie TE ReceivingHarold Fannin Jr.Tyler WarrenColston LovelandPFF Receiving Grade76.472.087.2Target Rate23.8%21.1%22.2%Slot-Target Rate8.5%7.0%7.4%Deep-Target Rate5.8%2.8%11.5%Yards Per Route Run1.681.631.97Yards After Catch/Rec.5.06.44.4Weeks 1-17 Rec./Tgt. – Yds. – TD72/104 – 731 – 671/98 – 791 – 448/68 – 622 – 5Weeks 1-17 Half-PPR Points150.4145.4116.0The remaining rookie tight ends who accrued 50-plus targets are Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II (71.1 PFF receiving grade), New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (60.0 PFF receiving grade) and Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm (69.3 PFF receiving grade).
Fannin, Warren and Loveland should all be considered breakout players, primed for elite seasons in 2026.
RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams No. 2 running back Blake Corum quietly broke out in 2025, finishing as the Weeks 1-17 RB39 while placing in the overall RB3-RB21 range five times in Weeks 13-18. Corum earned a 78.1 PFF offense grade this season after compiling a 72.0 offense grade as a rookie last year.
Corum improved his stuff rate, notably dropping from 19.0% as a rookie to 12.8% in his second NFL season while increasing his point-of-attack change rate from 15.5% to 23.1% — suggesting his vision and decision-making skills have significantly improved. He also bettered his yards after contact per rushing attempt from 2.4 to 2.6.
The improved play provided Corum more work following the Rams’ Week 8 bye. Corum and starting running back Kyren Williams’ full-season data are used below to accurately reflect each player’s involvement and performance changes.
Corum's and Williams’ offensive data during the Rams’ pre- and post-bye games
Los Angeles Rams RBsBlake CorumKyren WilliamsPFF Offense Grade in Weeks 1-755.071.1Offensive Snaps in Weeks 1-7108337Offensive Snap Share in Weeks 1-724.2%75.6%Offensive Touches in Weeks 1-745127Offensive Touch Share in Weeks 1-726.2%73.8%Missed Tackles Forced Per Touch in Weeks 1-76.7%10.2%Yards Per Rush Att. in Weeks 1-74.74.4PFF Offense Grade in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend85.585.0Offensive Snaps in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend251483Offensive Snap Share in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend33.4%64.2%Offensive Touches in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend121183Offensive Touch Share in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend38.7%58.5%Missed Tackles Forced Per Touch in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend19.8%19.1%Yards Per Rush Att. in Weeks 9-Wild-Card Weekend5.25.1Corum’s late-season breakout suggests he has a chance to overtake Williams as the Rams’ starter next season.