Patrick Mahomes And 2 More Fantasy Football Comeback Players in 2025
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Every fantasy football season brings bounce-back stars who exceed expectations after a down year, and 2025 is no different. Patrick Mahomes, T.J. Hockenson, and Stefon Diggs headline the list of comeback players who could deliver big value for fantasy managers this season.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The loss of Rashee Rice, paired with Travis Kelce turning into a chain mover, was a factor in Mahomes' decrease in fantasy value. In addition, Xavier Worthy took multiple weeks to find his NFL sea legs. The fantasy market in mid-August ranks the Chiefs’ starting quarterback eighth, with a much more favorable price point.
Kansas City should have a better wide receiver rotation in 2025, but their run game still needs a winning playmaker, and it would be hard to believe that Travis Kelce will have a rebound in value. Mahomes knows how to win, and he makes the players around him better. The Chiefs want to pass the ball, suggesting a push back to 4,500 combined yards, accompanied by a move over 35 touchdowns or a top-5 quarterback season.
Mahomes is currently the QB7 in our 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
The tight end position for Minnesota will regain momentum this year, but the Vikings tend to use Hockenson close to the line of scrimmage as a bailout option when their offensive line fails or on third downs to move the chains. He was on pace for 71 catches last year with 802 yards and two scores if Hockenson played 17 games.
He comes off the board as the fifth tight end, which requires him to score about five touchdowns without any growth in his catches or receiving yards. Many fantasy game managers will coin flip him and Travis Kelce when on the clock in drafts.
Hockenson is currently the TE6 in our 2025 PPR Rankings.
Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots
Diggs remains a backend WR3 option, with multiple rookie wideouts getting drafted in front of him. His summer reports have been positive despite still having the question tag next to his name on the depth chart. He looks poised to lead New England in all receiving categories, while much of the fantasy market waits to see him in game action on the field. I have him projected for 80 catches for 913 yards and five scores, leaving plenty of room for Diggs to beat my outlook.
Diggs is currently the WR37 in our 2025 PPR Rankings.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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