With the introduction of keeper leagues, fantasy football draft mentalities have shifted from best player available to focusing on young players with a lot of upside. There’s a lot of talent, but let’s build the best fantasy football team with players 25 years old or younger.
Fantasy Football All-Under 25 Team
Before the roster is revealed, there are a few guidelines that need to be laid out for the creation of this team:
- For the purpose of this team, it will be created as if it was a PPR league.
- The roster construction is as follows: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX — Defense and kickers are excluded with a seven-player bench.
- Players 25 years old or under are considered for this team.
- This team is not realistic. The purpose is to showcase the best young players for fantasy football purposes.
QB: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud shocked the league last year with his fantasy performance as a rookie. It’s rare to see a rookie finish third in the league with just under 274 passing yards per game, but it speaks to Stroud’s ability to lead an NFL offense. The Texans didn’t get a choice between him and Bryce Young last April, but that worked out for the better.
Stroud took care of the football very well last year for a 22-year-old rookie. Most first-year quarterbacks try to force the ball into tight windows or read the defense incorrectly, but Stroud threw an interception on just 1% of his passes. This number was the best in the NFL, and it helps fantasy football owners because every point (or two) lost from an interception can be the difference between winning or losing each week. Stroud has the potential to be a top-five fantasy quarterback this season.
RB: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson’s stats will be much better this season than last year, but his upside is second to none. Even as a former defensive coordinator, now-head coach Raheem Morris knows the kind of damage Robinson can do. He finished as a rookie with 4.6 yards per carry and just under 1,000 yards.
Robinson is a dynamic 22-year-old running back and is best when he’s also used in the passing game. He recorded 8.4 yards per reception in his first year. He caught just 67% of his targets a year ago, but that percentage will increase with Kirk Cousins now under center. Pair that with the sixth-easiest schedule for running backs, and Robinson will have a great 2024 season.
Bijan Robinson’s footwork is INSANE 😳
Some NFL scouts reportedly believe Robinson could be a “dark horse” MVP candidate this season.
Robinson was already a Top-5 RB in the NFL last season.
And now he gets to pair up with a Top-10 QB in Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons sophomore RB… pic.twitter.com/ILxqvvXkzY
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) July 3, 2024
RB: Breece Hall, New York Jets
Breece Hall is just like Robinson in that he is multi-faceted with the run-and-pass games. He also finished last year with under 1,000 yards as he worked his way back from a major knee injury. At just 23 years old, Hall’s third year is expected to be the best of his career.
Even though this team is being drafted as it’s a PPR league, Hall has just as much value in standard leagues. With Aaron Rodgers back from injury and the Jets beefing up the offensive line, Hall has the potential (along with Robinson) to compete with Christian McCaffrey for the best running back in fantasy football.
WR: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
There are questions about Justin Jefferson this season with either Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings quarterback, but he still has WR1 potential. Once Kirk Cousins went down with an injury, Jefferson still produced consistently with Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
Jefferson will receive a large share of the targets, whether it’s Darnold or McCarthy leading the Minnesota offense. He just makes the cut for this team at 25 years old, but he’s one of the best receivers in the league. Expect a fourth-straight 1,000-yard season for Jefferson, as he’s shown sub-par quarterback play doesn’t hinder his production.
WR: CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb was the best wide receiver in fantasy football last year, and he’s now looking to repeat in 2024. The 25-year-old from Oklahoma recorded 100+ receiving yards in seven of the last 12 games for the Cowboys last year. Even with Brandin Cooks or Jake Ferguson, Lamb finds ways to get involved consistently.
There are concerns with Lamb as he is expected to skip training camp as he tries to get a contract extension. The Cowboys haven’t been able to get a deal done yet, and nobody knows how long this holdout will be. If your league has an early draft, have a backup plan if you decide to draft Lamb.
TE: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Just like Lamb above, Sam LaPorta finished 2023 as the best fantasy football player at his position. LaPorta did so as a 22-year-old rookie in a very potent Lions offense. He found ways to consistently get open, and he caught four or more passes in 13/17 games.
Now at 23, LaPorta has a challenge of trying to top the stats from his rookie campaign. He has the potential to be the best tight end in the NFL at this rate, and he’s often the first tight end off the board in fantasy drafts.
Is @Samlaporta already a top 5 TE? pic.twitter.com/KRONyimPhi
— NFL (@NFL) July 16, 2024
FLEX: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Much like the other two wide receiver positions, there was a lot of debate about who should slot into the flex here. Amon-Ra St. Brown’s upside is what allowed him to claim a starting role in this team. Each of his first three seasons in the NFL so far have been better than the one before.
His 12.7 yards per catch last year helped his numbers, as Jared Goff really enjoyed taking shots downfield. St. Brown has the potential to finish in the top five all-time for most receiving yards in NFL history this season. He will be one of the best receivers in fantasy football once again.
Bench: Jordan Love (QB), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB), Devon Achane (RB), Ja’Marr Chase (WR), Puka Nacua (WR), Garrett Wilson (WR), Kyle Pitts (TE)
This bench can be described as the “Fantasy Football All-Under 25 B Team.” Each of the players just missed the cut to be in the starting lineup. All of them are very talented players who will dominate the NFL for years to come.
The starting lineup and bench are not a complete list of fantasy football players 25 years old or younger, but this group is the best of the best to help win your leagues.
Main Image: Lon Horwedel – USA Today Sports
