Turning the NFL Into a Bracket

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by New Era:

It’s officially Selection Sunday, which means that the 68-team NCAA Tournament field will be released at 6 p.m. ET. It’s one of the best times of the year, with the first four days of the tournament soaking up our attention like few other events on the sports calendar.

With the NCAA Tournament comes another specific time of year: Bracket Season. Expect to see anything and everything put into a bracket format. Best TV show of all time? Why not. Top fast food establishment? Sure. Greatest athletes ever? Absolutely.

I’m not going to go full-on bracket for this newsletter, but what would the 2024-25 fantasy season have looked like in those terms? Let’s dive in below.

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If the NFL Was a March Madness Bracket …

Best “Cinderella:” Jonnu Smith

Smith breaking out at 29 years old in Miami was hard to top for the biggest surprise of last season. No tight end had succeeded with the Mike McDaniel-led Dolphins, so it was hard to see that situation coming to fruition. Smith was barely drafted in most standard leagues, entering the season with an ADP of TE26.

What Smith did over the second half of the year was magical. It was the equivalent of George Mason making it to the Final Four in 2006, knocking off Michigan State, North Carolina, and UConn along the way. Smith finished as the No. 6 TE in terms of PPR points per game, and from Week 11 on, he was No. 2. Ultimately, no TE landed on more championship-winning rosters on Yahoo.

Dangerous When Healthy: Tee Higgins

In most seasons, there’s a college team that has struggled with injuries heading into the tournament. We know they’re a dangerous team when at full strength, but will they have the firepower to compete? Think Duke this year, which will potentially have to deal with a hobbled Cooper Flagg.

When Higgins was on the field last season, he was a menace. Ja’Marr Chase was the No. 1 receiver in terms of PPR points per game, but Higgins was tied with Justin Jefferson for the No. 2 spot. Higgins was actually on a higher percentage of championship rosters than his superstar teammate, thanks to his 40.1 PPR points in Week 17. Given the difference in draft capital, you could make the case that Higgins was the better pure value.

If Higgins can stay fully healthy next season—and returns to Cincinnati—watch out.

Got Hot at the Right Time: Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas was a productive fantasy receiver for most of the year, but he did his best work down the stretch. He was the No. 3 receiver in PPR points per game from Week 11 on, and he was a menace during the fantasy playoffs. He racked up 32.5, 28.2, and 23.9 PPR points in Weeks 15 through 17, so he helped bring home a ton of championships.

Thomas is the perfect embodiment of the team that was simply mediocre for most of the season before turning things on down the stretch. He feels a lot like the 2013 UConn squad led by Kemba Walker, which ultimately won the Big East tournament and then took home the NCAA championship.

What Were We Thinking?: Marvin Harrison Jr.

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to see we got a little carried away with Harrison. Despite never playing in an NFL game, he was routinely coming off the board at the end of Round 1 or the beginning of Round 2 in fantasy football drafts. He ultimately finished as the No. 43 receiver in terms of PPR points per game, so he was one of the bigger disappointments of the season.

What separates Harrison from some of the other “busts” is that he did it all while staying healthy. He played in all 17 games, so fantasy owners were forced to either bench him or take his lackluster production all year.

It’s certainly too early to give up on Harrison, but he feels a lot like Ben Simmons’ LSU squad from 2015-16. They entered the year as a top-25 team in the AP poll, but they weren’t even able to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, Harrison’s career works out a bit better than Simmons’.

The Blue Blood: Saquon Barkley

Duke. Kentucky. Kansas. UConn. These are the teams that win the NCAA Tournament. Colleges with elite pedigrees. They may not win every year, but you can expect them to be good more often than not.

Who in the NFL has a better pedigree than Barkley? He was a generational prospect selected second overall in an era where running backs have been devalued in the draft.

Barkley struggled with injuries while playing behind a dreadful Giants’ offensive line, but he finally got a chance to put everything on display for the Eagles last year. He didn’t disappoint, racking up more than 2,000 rushing yards and leading Philly to a Super Bowl win.

As much as the NCAA Tournament is about the Cinderellas, it’s also about the blue bloods reminding everyone who runs the game. That’s exactly what Barkley did in 2024.

SPEAKING OF BRACKETS, DOWNLOAD YOURS HERE!

🚀 2025 NFL Draft Big Board: A New No. 1

The beauty of the NFL Draft is how in the weeks and months since Ohio State won the national championship (shoutout Ian) there can be movement up and down the draft board for players even though all they’ve done publicly is run and test at the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days. And some don’t test at all.

Yet NFL Free Agency either fills roster holes that might otherwise be filled with draft picks, or it further identifies the positional openings that some college prospects could step into as rookies. Freedman has updated his NFL Draft Big Board, and free agency did have an impact there and on his latest Mock Draft. You’ll see movement up and down the board here.👇

ONE QB MOVES UP, ANOTHER MOVES DOWN

Brenton Strange Is Moving On Up

Are you ready to pick Brenton Strange early and often in best ball formats? Pete Overzet has his reasoning:

📝 Why? Evan Engram and Christian Kirk are gone

ADP: 193.7
Value: 14th Round

OK, here's our first big riser who didn't change teams. The team showed a big vote of confidence in Strange by letting go of both Engram and Kirk in free agency.

This isn't just next-man-up wishcasting, either. You can listen to new Jags GM James Gladstone gush about Strange a few weeks back at the combine.

Strange should have little competition for targets in the middle part of the field, as he operates as a one-for-one Engram replacement.

Strange, for some reason, is still free right now in drafts. He should be going 40 picks earlier in the Jake Ferguson and Kyle Pitts range.

And there are more players to 🎯 right here. 👇

A RUNNING BACK GETS A REVIVAL

Here’s some NFL news to sift through while you’re resting on the couch. You’ve earned it:

🏀 It’s NCAA Tourney time! Make sure to print out your brackets.

⛹️‍♀️ Cuz girls are players too. Coach Gene Clemmons breaks down some of the top targets for the Women’s NCAA Tournament.

✏️ Missed any of the latest signings from NFL free agency? We have you covered.

🔮 Break out the crystal balls. Eight predictions for the 2025-26 NFL season.

🏈 How has the start of free agency changed the fantasy landscape? Peter Overzet highlights some ADP risers to target on Underdog.

🏆 Cooterdoodle looks at one of the saddest QB competitions in recent memory.

👀 Cowboys fans, avert your eyes. Jake Trowbridge with some disturbing stats about the Cowboys’ rushing attack.