In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter:

No one likes taking players on bad teams. It never feels good. But here’s the thing …good players on bad teams still score fantasy points.

It’s one reason I love perusing our projections and comparing them to ADP. Projections aren’t the end all, be all when drafting a team, but they are a key part of the puzzle in helping us value these players.

And if there is one team who fantasy players are repulsed by in 2025 it is the Cleveland Browns.

I don’t blame them, either.

We have no clue who the QB is going to be. They play the majority of their games outdoors in a tough division. Oh, and their win total is set at 5.5 games in most spots.

But when you compare our projections to ADPs, you’ll notice some significant values, specifically in the passing game…

  • Jerry Jeudy (ADP: 67.9): WR38 by ADP, WR30 by projections (+8)
  • David Njoku: (ADP: 127.5): TE11 by ADP, TE6 by projections (+5)
  • Cedric Tillman (ADP: 152.2): WR66 by ADP, WR48 by projections (+18)

I know it feels gross, but the Browns’ pass catchers are all screaming targets.

It also might not be as bad as we think. We know Joe Flacco can support high-end receiving production until his inevitable meltdown. And from there we just pray that one of the rookies (or heaven help us, Kenny Pickett) can provide average QB play down the stretch.

Ultimately, it’s the QB ambiguity that is creating these discounts and the projections, which already bake that in, tell us we don’t need to be nearly as scared as the average drafter.

A BROWNS ROOKIE IS GOING IN A RANGE WITH SOME VETS

My Chemical Romance 🤝 Dynasty Fantasy Football

Wait, what does My Chemical Romance have to do with dynasty fantasy football?

Pop and Hip-Hop ruled the music world. Nobody would have ever guessed that an Emo/Punk Rock band would be able to cut through and not only resonate with people but dominate the airwaves for a decade straight. They were a longshot in fantasy terms; they were back half of the draft and risky bets even in dynasty. Regardless of the odds, they made it.

Every year, in dynasty, we are trying to find players that are equivalent to that meteoric 2000s band. They come out of nowhere, rise quickly, or, after a couple of seasons of incubation, and are able to remain relevant for many years following their initial rise.

So … you’re probably wondering, who are the players in dynasty that fit this bill ahead of 2025? Gene Clemons has his list …

  • A former Heisman Trophy-winning QB
  • Rookie TE with little target competition
  • A backup RB with massive contingent upside
  • RB2 in an elite offense behind an oft-injured starter
  • A WR who made headlines during the 2025 Senior Bowl

Think you can go 5/5 with your predictions on who the sleepers are? ⬇️

REVEAL THE SLEEPERS

Catch Us On YouTube!

What better way to get ready for the frenzy that is fantasy football drafting season than a regular dose of knowledge dropped by our merry band of Fantasy Life experts? While some may say that this is the “quiet” period before training camps open next month, Ian and Dwain have been grinding away on their team previews series, where they’re breaking down all 32 NFL teams from a fantasy perspective.

Are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ready for bounceback seasons? Can you draft both Lions RBs in fantasy? These questions and more are answered in this quick-hitting series. And if you missed your favorite team’s episode, they’re all archived. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes! 👀

PLENTY OF SHOWS ON STRATEGY, TOO

Can Seahawks Hold The Line For Sam Darnold?

Year 2 in the Mike Macdonald era in Seattle may just be riding on the right shoulder of the team’s new acquisition at the most important position in football: QB Sam Darnold. You might remember him running for his life in his last two games of the 2024 season, including the Vikings’ playoff exit against the Rams in the Wild Card Round. That left a bad taste in what was an otherwise fantastic resurgent season when he passed for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs for Minnesota last season. Now he’s taking snaps behind one of the lowest-rated offensive lines in 2024. What could go wrong?

Ian Hartitz examines all things Seahawks as he continues his team preview series, also focusing on the WR tandem of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and newly acquired Cooper Kupp. The backfield featuring Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet gets a little attention, too. Will the Seahawks make some noise in the NFC West? ⬇️

CAN THE O-LINE KEEP DARNOLD UPRIGHT?

Around the Watercooler

The latest NFL news and fantasy football analysis from our merry band of football nerds

📔 Rookie updates post-OTAs and minicamp. Nice roundup here.

🥊 Choose your fighter. I go back and forth on this duo almost daily.

🚀 The 2024 rookie WR class was special. Look at this list.

🤦 No one is better at commanding attention … than Aaron Rodgers.

🦁 How could Jared Goff regress with this trio of pass catchers?

👀 You can still play in a league with Matthew.

🤔 Sam LaPorta at an Underdog ADP of 73.1 just might be a bargain.

🙋🏽‍♂️ Matthew and Substitute Teacher Mr. Garvey take roll call: D-Rake Ma-Ye!

🐠 Hey You! 🥚

We like to think if you’re reading a fantasy football newsletter in June, all the way down to the end like this, you love this game we all play. And so we’re semi-hiding this little Easter egg here for the true diehards.

Fantasy Life has 5 Scott Fish Bowl entries to give away. At this point we’ve weeded out all the casuals. So here’s the plan, friends …

Go to this Google Form, follow the instructions explicitly (there are two things to fill out, we’re just being dramatic) … and wait with anticipation for an email saying that you’re in.

The 5 winners will be notified by noon Eastern on Thursday, June 26, 2025. No purchase necessary! (but donating to Fantasy Cares is probably a good karma move once you’re in).

Make us proud, people!! Our good name is on the line here!!