Fabs' Top-10 Must-Draft Fantasy Football Players: Chase Brown, DK Metcalf, Rome Odunze

Michael Fabiano | Aug 4, 2025

Bengals RB Chase Brown finished 10th in fantasy points among running backs last season. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Falling in love is a part of life.

When I was a kid, I fell in love with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees. Danny White and Tony Dorsett were two of my favorite NFL players (which is part of the reason I dug the Boys), and I loved Rickey Henderson and Don Mattingly on the baseball diamond. Since my whole Italian family were Yankees fans, well, it was easy for me to fall for the pinstripes.

I also loved Alyssa Milano, Van Halen, Susanna Hoffs, Journey, Star Wars, 80s hair metal (Motley Crue, Poison, etc.), Michael Jackson (yeah, I know), the Dukes of Hazzard, Stephen King books and horror. (Funny story … I begged my mother to let me watch An American Werewolf in London when I was a kid. She finally gave in … that was a mistake, as I didn’t sleep for about a week after watching it. But it did start my love of all things horror.)

These days, I still love a lot of those same things in my personal life. As a fantasy analyst, I also find myself falling in love with certain players who I’ll be targeting in my drafts. Last season, that list included Jayden Daniels, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers (I also loved Marvin Harrison Jr., but we don’t need to talk about that right lol).

This season, I have a entirely new list of players who I love and will be targeting in my 2025 fantasy drafts. Whether it’s because of their talent, their projected opportunities (touches, targets, etc.) their average draft position (ADP) or all three, here are 10 players you’ll want to draft this season. As Hanz and Franz used to say, “hear me now, believe me later!”

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Note: Players are listed in order of my current Top 200 fantasy players in PPR leagues.

Chase Brown, RB, Bengals: I’m not sure if it’s just the number or the build, but I see Austin Ekeler in Brown. He busted out last season, producing 1,350 total yards, 11 touchdowns and 255 fantasy points … and he started just 10 of his 16 games. That means there’s even room for improvement in 2025, and Bengals offensive coordinator Mike Pitcher called him “one of the focal points” of the offense for 2025. With an ADP of Round 3, I can draft a pair of wide receivers in the first two rounds and still get Brown as my team’s RB1.

DK Metcalf , WR, Steelers: When the Steelers traded for Metcalf, I was waiting for them to sign Aaron Rodgers before getting too excited. Well, now I’m over the moon. Metcalf will see a boatload of targets on a team with little to love behind him at wide receiver. We all know that Rodgers has almost always helped produce high-end fantasy wideouts, from Jordy Nelson to Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson. I think DK could be a top-10 receiver.

Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers: All the fantasy talk about the top rookie running back is around Ashton Jeanty, and rightfully so. But don’t be surprised if Hampton has a successful first season, too. A big, bruising running back, he’s a perfect fit for the offense of coordinator Greg Roman. While Hampton will lose some work to Najee Harris upon his return from an eye injury, I still feel pretty confident that he’ll be the top back by season’s end. The price is also right for Hampton, who’s ADP is at 43.5 which puts him in the fourth round of drafts.

Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs: Worthy flashed towards the end of last season, scoring 19-plus points in three straight games when you needed him the most … the fantasy playoffs. Now that Rashee Rice is looking at a suspension for off-field issues, Worthy is now the top Chiefs wideout to own in fantasy leagues. That’s not to say I wouldn’t draft and stash Rice, because I would and will, but Worthy’s stock is certainly on the rise in 2025 drafts.

Jameson Williams, Lions: Williams has shown flashes of fantasy potential in his short NFL career, and I wouldn't be surprised if he puts it all together and busts out this season. He's drawn rave reviews in training camp due to his improved route running, and he's already in an offense that will throw a ton and score no shortage of points ... both real and fantasy. Williams could push into the top 12-15 among wideouts in 2025.

Rome Odunze, WR, Bears: Odunze didn’t do much as a rookie, finishing as the WR49 while playing behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. The latter is no longer on the roster, however, which opens up 121 targets in the offense. Odunze will no doubt absorb a good portion of them, which is obviously great for his value. He’ll also be in an offense run by new coach and offensive mind Ben Johnson, which makes Odunze even more attractive.

Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars: I don’t necessarily know if Hunter is a "can’t-miss" fantasy prospect, because he’s a unicorn in that he plans to play both offense (wide receiver) and defense (cornerback). In fact, I’ve expressed my concerns about him trying to be a two-way player. Still, I want to have a piece of this potentially historic player and situation, and I’m willing to take a shot on him in the fifth round of fantasy drafts (which is his current ADP).

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Evan Engram, TE, Broncos: Engram is coming off a down year, playing in just nine games due to injuries and averaging a modest 9.9 fantasy points. That’s almost four fewer points per game compared to the 13.6 points he averaged in the previous season. Still, landing in Denver and playing in coach Sean Payton’s tight-end friendly offense makes Engram a solid pick for those who like to wait at the position. Right now, you can get Engram in Round 8.

Justin Fields, QB, Jets: I absolutely love Fields’ potential and value in fantasy drafts. He’s been a top-10 fantasy quarterback in the past, averaging nearly 19 points in his final 28 starts with the Chicago Bears. He also started six games last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, averaging a solid 18.8 points. Fields suffered a dislocated toe in training camp, so keep tabs on his status. If he’s fine, he’ll be a great option if you wait on quarterbacks.

Isaac Guerendo, RB, 49ers: Christian McCaffrey entered training camp healthy and will see a big workload for the Niners this season … as long as he can avoid injuries. That has not been the case lately, however, as CMC has played in seven or fewer games in three of his last five seasons. If he falls prey to the injury bug again in his age-29 season, Guerrero would see a huge rise in fantasy value … and he’ll only cost you an 11th-round choice.