In the final installment of Kevin Szafraniec’s 2025 team preview series, he discusses what the chances are for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to reclaim their spot as one of the NFL’s elite offenses and which players could be the biggest fantasy winners in the latest iteration of Kansas City’s offensive evolution.
It feels like it has been longer than two seasons since we saw Patrick Mahomes put together his last season as fantasy’s overall QB1. During his first five years as an NFL starter, the only time Mahomes fell out of the top five in fantasy scoring was during the 2019 season when he only played in 14 games, and even then, he finished sixth. After putting up nearly 470 fantasy points in his first season without Tyreek Hill, it truly did appear as though Mahomes was unstoppable.
Riding high off yet another Super Bowl win, few were willing to bet against Mahomes continuing to be a fantasy force in 2023. And why would they, considering the elite numbers that he had put up like clockwork since 2018? Then a QB8 finish gave way to a QB12 finish in 2024. While not altogether terrible for most quarterbacks, this is not what we would have expected out of a QB who was on a trajectory to be the NFL’s G.O.A.T. through the first few seasons of his career.
While it is difficult to argue with the Chiefs’ reality results after the team made their third straight Super Bowl in a row and fifth appearance in the last six years. Despite their success, it does appear that Kansas City has gotten more vulnerable in recent seasons, swapping out blowout victories for eking out wins by the skin of their teeth. Additionally, it is difficult not to feel like the Chiefs were exposed after the Eagles easily handled them on their way to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy last season.
Suddenly finding himself sitting as a borderline QB1, Mahomes is no longer demanding a seat at the table of the fantasy elite. As Kansas City faces more doubts than perhaps at any time in the Mahomes era, should fantasy managers be buying into the Chiefs’ 2025 revenge tour, lifting Mahomes and the offense back to the ranks of the NFL’s elite?
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens: There Is No End in Sight for Lamar Jackson’s Fantasy Domination
- Cleveland Browns: There Are Gems to Be Found on Kevin Stefanski’s Offense If You Know Where to Look
- Cincinnati Bengals: Poor Real-Life Roster Construction Creates Elite Fantasy Pathways for the Bengals’ Stars
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Rodgers Grabs the Headlines, but his Teammates are the Real Fantasy Stars
AFC South
- Houston Texans: Why New Weapons and a New Scheme Will Lead to a C.J. Stroud Bounceback
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 2025 Represents Trevor Lawrence’s Best Chance Yet to Reach His Ceiling
- Tennessee Titans: Will an Abundance of Garbage Time Result in Tennessee’s Late-Round Skill-Position Players Returning Big-Time Fantasy Value?
- Indianapolis Colts: Sitting in QB Purgatory May Limit the Offense in 2025, but 2026 Could Bring an Epic Rebound
AFC East
- Miami Dolphins: Whose Fantasy Arrows Are Pointing Up on a Miami Offense Heading in the Opposite Direction?
- New York Jets: A Shift in Offensive Philosophy Could Result in Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis Forming the Best Backfield in the AFC
- New England Patriots: Drake Maye Still Finds Himself Surrounded by Lackluster Weapons, But He May Thrive Anyway
- Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen Will Continue to Be Elite as Buffalo Looks to Finally Dethrone the Chiefs Atop the AFC
AFC West
- Denver Broncos: Bo Nix Is About to Join the Ranks of the NFL’s Elite QBs
- Los Angeles Chargers: Has Justin Herbert Forced Greg Roman to Rethink His Offensive Approach?
- Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty Could Emerge to Become the Top Players at Their Positions
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy Finds Himself in the Middle of the Perfect Storm for Fantasy Production
- Green Bay Packers: Why the NFL’s Most Complete Roster Is Finally About to Get the Attention It Deserves
- Detroit Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Discounted ADP Has Him Poised to Be 2025’s Most Undervalued Superstar
- Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson May Not Be Able to Completely Fix Caleb Williams in Year 1, But There Are Reasons to Be Optimistic for the Future in Chicago
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons: Which Players Are Primed to Help Take the Atlanta Offense to the Next Level?
- Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young Is Finally Ready to Deliver on His College Potential
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Despite Yet Another New Offensive Coordinator, Baker Mayfield and Bucky Irving Are Still Set Up to Deliver in 2025
- New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara is in Line to Get a High Quantity of Looks on a Saints Offense Short on Quality
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles: Why Small Changes Could Lead to Even Bigger Fantasy Scoring in 2025
- Dallas Cowboys: A New Offensive Direction Is Exactly What Dak Prescott Needs to Get Back on Track
- Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels’ Fantasy Ceiling Is Only Limited by the Aging Roster Around Him
- New York Giants: Not Even a Flailing Offense Will Stop Malik Nabers from Reaching Superstar Status
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers: Make Sure You Are Rostering the Next Wave of Stars in Kyle Shanahan’s Offense
- Arizona Cardinals: Why Kyler Murray Will Overcome His Doubters and Return to His Elite Ways
- Los Angeles Rams: History Is Getting Ready to Repeat Itself in L.A. as Puka Nacua Eyes 2025’s Overall WR1 Spot
- Seattle Seahawks: The Discount ADPs of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet Make Them the Most Undervalued Backfield in Fantasy
The Train Keeps Rolling On
Despite Kansas City’s numbers staying relatively even over the past two seasons, the Chiefs were able to increase their win total by four games last year on their way to tying Detroit for the best record in the NFL. While their offensive ranks of 15th in points and 16th in yardage landed in the middle of the pack, the defense was one of the best in the league for the second year in a row, finishing fourth in points and ninth in yardage after ranking second in both categories in 2023.
