2025 NFL Schedule Release: Ranking Christmas Day Matchups

The NFL’s Christmas Day triple-header is packed with fantasy football fireworks, with all three matchups loaded with top-tier talent and intriguing storylines. From elite wideouts and breakout quarterbacks to high-upside rookies, each game offers plenty of opportunities for fantasy managers to capitalize.

1. Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

The second of three games on Christmas day is going to deliver absolute fantasy football fireworks. These two times combined for a 29-5 record last season and although the Vikings have a new quarterback under center, that should bring even more excitement with JJ McCarthy.

McCarthy enters the 2025 season with a dynamic trio of pass-catchers headlined by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Jefferson remains one of the league’s most dangerous wideouts, coming off a 103-catch, 1,533-yard, 10-touchdown campaign. While impressive, those numbers fell slightly short of his previous peaks in 2021 (108/1,616/10) and 2022 (128/1,809/8). Still, his yards per catch (14.9) and deep-threat prowess (28 receptions of 20+ yards) remain elite. One curious stat: Jefferson failed to top 150 receiving yards in a game last season, after doing so 11 times over his first 60 contests. He’ll continue to battle Ja’Marr Chase for the title of fantasy WR1 in 2025 drafts.

Veteran running back Aaron Jones also returns as a key contributor. At 29, he set a career-high with 306 touches, delivering 1,546 total yards and 51 receptions. However, his modest touchdown total (7) capped his upside, resulting in 12 steady—but not explosive—games between 10.0 and 19.0 PPR points. He finished as the RB15 in 2024. With Jordan Mason now in the mix, Jones has seen his early 2025 ADP dip to RB26 as of May drafts.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Lions have arguably the best offense in terms of fantasy football. Jared Goff is a more than serviceable quarterback but his weapons are what makes the Lions so electrifying. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best wideouts in the NFL, particularly in PPR leagues (WR3 in 2024) due to his propensity to move the chains, and Jameson Williams emerged as one of the league’s top deep threats, finishing as the WR22 in PPR formats last year. Meanwhile, Sam LaPorta took a step back last year but still finished among the top 10 tight ends in 2024 (TE8) after accumulating 60 receptions for 726 yards and seven touchdowns.

This will be the best game on the Christmas slate and should be a very high-scoring affair.

2. Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Commanders

This NFC East showdown should result in solid fantasy football production, especially after the Cowboys acquired George Pickens via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The running game may remain anemic despite the addition of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but Dak Prescott will see an increase in value following the addition of Pickens. Pickens is a big-play threat who has the potential to catch 75 passes, produce 1,000 yards, and tally seven or eight touchdowns, but CeeDee Lamb is still the king in Dallas.

Last year’s downgrade in quarterback play and scoring by the Cowboys, paired with a shoulder issue (costing him the final two games), led to Lamb failing to deliver on his high-ranking ADP. He still caught over 100 passes for the third consecutive season, with an elite target opportunity (152). Lamb had a spike in his drops (10), along with a career-low in yards per catch (11.8). Dallas gave him nine rushing attempts or more in all five seasons. He remains a foundation wideout, with an impact ceiling.

At tight end, the Cowboys are hoping for a bounce-back year from Jake Ferguson. Despite missing Week 2 with a knee injury, Ferguson showed flashes of consistency in five solid outings with Dak Prescott in 2024—posting lines of 6/95, 7/49, 6/70, 6/23, and 7/71. However, he failed to find the end zone all season, and a concussion sidelined him for two additional games before he finished the year quietly. Entering 2025, Ferguson profiles as a high-upside TE2. His 188 targets over his last 31 games (an average of 6.1 per game) suggest that volume isn’t the issue—he just needs touchdowns to boost his fantasy ceiling.

On the other side of the ball, the Washington Commanders head into the 2025 NFL season as a top-three offense in terms of fantasy football. In his rookie campaign, Jayden Daniels displayed impressive poise and a smooth, confident style of play. He opened the season red-hot, posting an elite 82.1% completion rate over his first four starts while averaging 8.5 yards per attempt and adding value on the ground with 46 carries for 218 yards and four scores. Daniels elevated his passing game down the stretch, throwing for 1,778 yards with 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions over his final eight outings—while continuing to deliver a strong rushing baseline with 84 carries for 470 yards and two more touchdowns.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler don’t scream upside, both are serviceable flex options as we inch closer to the 2025 fantasy football season. Washington’s offense is going to run through Daniels and the passing game should open up after the addition of Deebo Samuel. After his 2021 breakout (77 catches for 1,770 yards and 14 TDs on just 121 targets, plus 59 carries), Samuel endured a frustrating 2024 campaign. He missed eight games, managed just two 100-yard receiving efforts (8/110; 3/102/1) and two additional strong showings (5/77/1; 7/96/1), and posted single-digit fantasy points in six of his final seven starts before sitting out Week 18 with a rib injury.

Terry McLaurin extended his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to five and broke out as a true scoring threat, racking up 13 touchdowns—more than half of the 25 he totaled over his first 77 career games. Despite seeing a five-year low in targets (117, or 6.9 per game), McLaurin surged to seventh in wide receiver scoring with 268.8 PPR points. With Jayden Daniels under center, he delivered remarkable consistency down the stretch, topping 14.0 fantasy points in 16 of his final 18 games, including seven performances north of 20.

And don’t forget about the veteran, Zach Ertz, who remains a TE2 heading into the 2025 season.

This game could be pivotal in the NFC East standings.

3. Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos shocked the world by making the postseason in Bo Nix’s debut season in the NFL, but the Chiefs reign supreme as the top team in the division. After Denver took a chance on Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft, he validated the team’s choice and rewarded fantasy football managers by finishing as the QB7 overall. The rookie signal caller tallied 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, and 12 interceptions. Nix’s dual-threat ability made him a fantasy football goldmine as he totaled an additional 430 rushing yards on 92 carries and four rushing touchdowns. He averaged 18.7 fantasy points per game and should see a marginal increase in production as he enters Year 2 of his NFL career.

Courtland Sutton is Denver’s best wide receiver and should slot in as a WR2 heading into 2025. The veteran eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time since 2019, producing a career-high 14.1 fantasy points per game on his way to a WR15 finish. Sutton tallied 81 receptions on 135 targets, 1,081 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. So long as Sutton can continue to be a red-zone threat and stay healthy, he has a legitimate shot at finishing as a WR2 yet again in 2025, though it’s hard to envision him outproducing his 2024 campaign.

Rookie RB RJ Harvey is a sneaky sleeper for 2025. A dynamic, dual-threat back from UCF, Harvey was a second-round pick who ranked top-three nationally in rushing yards and touchdowns, with standout efficiency metrics (1.39 YPRR, 9.9 YAC/reception). With minimal competition in Denver’s backfield and a skill set tailor-made for Sean Payton’s system, Harvey has a clear path to the lead role and Kamara-like usage. He enters the season as an RB3 with RB2 upside and could emerge as the Broncos’ featured back sooner than later.

Evan Engram should also make some serious noise in his first season with the Broncos.

On the opposite side of the ball, Patrick Mahomes headlines the top fantasy football assets in Kansas City. In 2023, Patrick Mahomes was outscored by seven quarterbacks and slipped to 11th in fantasy scoring last season. He posted a career-low 6.8 yards per attempt, with sharp declines in completions of 20+ yards (40) and 40+ yards (4). Across 19 starts, including the postseason, he topped 300 passing yards just three times and never surpassed 350. Mahomes should have a much better season on tap in 2025.

The running backs are nothing to write home about but the Chiefs have one of the most dominant tight ends in the NFL in Travis Kelce. Kelce showed signs of decline last season, with a career-low 8.5 yards per catch and just three touchdowns. While he still delivered solid volume (97 catches on 133 targets), his fading explosiveness hints at a nearing end. Drafted as TE6, his 2025 value hinges more on name recognition than upside.

Kansas City’s most volatile asset but perhaps the player with the most upside is WR Xavier Worthy. Worthy flashed early with a 2-touchdown debut, but struggled over his next eight games (18/215/3 on 40 targets). After the Chiefs revamped his role, he surged over the final 10 contests (58/754/7 on 76 targets), averaging 17.5 PPR points per game. Entering 2025, he's poised to outperform his WR23 draft cost.

And don’t forget about Rashee Rice. Rashee Rice opened 2024 on a WR1 pace (24/289/2 in three games) before a knee injury ended his season. A March car accident and pending legal issues now cloud his 2025 outlook, making him a classic risk/reward draft pick likely to come at a discount.

Overall, despite the wealth of fantasy talent in this matchup, Broncos-Chiefs is the least appealing game on the Christmas slate—though that’s not saying much given the stacked lineup.

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