Andrew Ball's Fantasy Football Bold Predictions for 2025 - Jalen Milroe, Tucker Kraft, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields, Garrett Wilson, Roschon Johnson

Andrew Ball's fantasy football bold predictions for 2025. His top fantasy football projections and calls, including for Tucker Kraft, Aaron Rodgers, and more.

It's about that time in the offseason when we all make outlandish statements that we'll brag about if they come true.

Football is an unpredictable game. More often than not, a division bottom-dweller adds a division title to their franchise history the very next year. Players come out of nowhere to become fantasy football league winners.

Here are five bold predictions that will have a direct impact or ripple effect on the fantasy football season.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Jalen Milroe Becomes Seattle's Starting Quarterback

The Seattle Seahawks aren't sold on Sam Darnold. After allowing Geno Smith to reunite with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas, the Seattle front office handpicked Darnold after a career-reviving season in Minnesota. The three-year, $100.5 million contract isn't what it seems. Long story short, if this marriage with Darnold goes poorly, Seattle can easily get out of his contract after this season.

It's not a great fit, either. Darnold thrived because he played in a quarterback-friendly system, behind one of the league's strongest offensive lines, and could toss a prayer ball to one of the best wide receivers in football. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is no Justin Jefferson, and the offensive line, which allowed the second-highest pressure rate last season, doesn't project to be much better despite the addition of first-round guard Grey Zabel.

Darnold's time to throw was over three seconds, the third highest in the league last year. Yet, he was sacked 48 times, tied with Joe Burrow for the fourth-highest mark. Now here's a guy who holds onto the ball too long in the pocket, as sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth would say.

Suggesting that a third-round quarterback would be better prepared to diagnose and handle a pass rush isn't what we're getting at. But Jalen Milroe does have the athleticism to turn negatives into positives. The elite speed has people, including himself, comparing him to Lamar Jackson.

Jalen Milroe running QB G/RB Counter pic.twitter.com/UXltCOTB7t

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) April 26, 2025

Unfortunately, he's not as good a passer as Jackson. Otherwise, it would be a matter of when, not if, Milroe would be Seattle's starter. He's inaccurate and struggles to put touch on the simple, underneath throws. But a successful offense can be designed around his strengths, especially for a head coach who fired his offensive coordinator after one season because he'd like to run the football at a higher rate.

The oddsmakers don't love the Seahawks this season, posting a win total line of 7.5. The season may go south, in large part due to Darnold's negative plays, forcing head coach Mike Macdonald to see what the rookie can do. If Milroe becomes the starting quarterback, his rushing upside will be enticing for fantasy managers across the globe, while also dragging down the value of JSN and Cooper Kupp.

Roschon Johnson Leads Chicago In Touchdowns

One of the popular offseason theories is that the new head coach in Chicago, Ben Johnson, would help the front office find a new starting running back to replace D'Andre Swift. Johnson and Swift paired up in Detroit, and the latter was sparingly used.

Swift averaged seven carries per game and didn't hit the century mark in the one season Johnson was the Lions' offensive coordinator (2022). Rather, Johnson deployed the veteran Jamaal Williams, who more than doubled Swift's carry count and led the league in rushing touchdowns.

But the only change to Chicago's running back depth chart was the addition of seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai. Swift remains the projected starter, with backup Roschon Johnson figuring to mix in. Johnson profiles as the bruiser of the pair, with Swift bringing dynamic traits to the backfield. Sound familiar?

Williams has never been an extraordinary talent. He's been a mostly inefficient runner throughout his eight-year career and doesn't boost his value in the passing game. The only season he was an RB2 was the touchdown-plentiful 2022 campaign. Since then, he's barely squeaked past three yards per carry and has a total of two touchdowns.

David Montgomery has been the thunder in Detroit since Williams left town. He's scored 25 times on the ground since he donned Honolulu Blue. 17 of those 25 touchdowns came from within the five-yard line. Johnson has eight career rushing touchdowns, all of which came at the goal line or the two-yard line.

Touchdown Roschon Johnson!

📺: #MINvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/N4A75bhZNU

— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

Johnson becoming the short-yardage back isn't exactly a bold prediction. So, let's take it a step further.

Four Chicago pass catchers are being selected in standard-sized redraft leagues. Toss in tight end Cole Kmet, and there are plenty of mouths for Caleb Williams to feed.

If Johnson's role is as defined as predicted, he won't have the competition in goal-to-go situations. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Kmet split the receiving touchdowns, and Johnson leads Chicago skill players in the touchdown department.

Justin Fields Is A QB1, Garrett Wilson Is A WR1

Justin Fields has been cast aside not once, but twice, in his short NFL career. The Bears dealt their 2021 first-round pick to Pittsburgh last offseason with an eye on selecting Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft and starting a new era. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option, despite leading the team to a winning record in his short starting stint while Russell Wilson managed a calf injury.

The stink of his NFL downward trajectory has latched onto his fantasy football stock. Fields was the QB7 in his six starts last year, averaging 19.1 points per game. He averaged 18.4 points per game (QB12) in a "down" year in his final season in Chicago in 2023. How about 20.5 points per game in 2022? Still not sold?

Fields has been a QB1 for fantasy football almost his entire professional career, and he's being ranked outside (sometimes well outside) that range this preseason. Who cares if he can't pass and doesn't win a lot of football games? Is the new coaching staff in New York going to turn to soon-to-be 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor?

Fields' passing woes make the second part of the bold prediction more difficult. But the new, $130 million man is a talented enough wide receiver to overcome the odds. Garrett Wilson was, after all, a 1,100-yard receiver primarily playing with Zach Wilson in 2022. Fields has a better career completion percentage than his 2021 NFL Draft counterpart.

2024 was also Wilson's best professional season, setting career highs in receptions (101), yards (1,104), and touchdowns (seven). Even then, he needed all 17 games to sneak into WR1 territory (WR10). His health has been consistent, as he has played in all 51 games of his career. That's helped his final ranking. He'll likely need to be active every Sunday again this season, as he was only the WR21 in points per game last year.

.@justnfields ➡️ @GarrettWilson_V pic.twitter.com/VMFYj5TBlr

— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 30, 2025

Fields should have no issues peppering his former college teammate with targets. Wilson is the only proven pass-catching commodity on the Jets' roster. Veteran Josh Reynolds, who is on his fourth team since 2023, is the favorite to start opposite Wilson.

It won't be pretty, but fantasy managers should be counting rushing volume from Fields and a funnel toward Wilson through the air to make this bold prediction come true.

Tucker Kraft Is The Most Consistent Green Bay Pass Catcher

The Green Bay Packers' front office did something it had never done in the Aaron Rodgers era. They selected a wide receiver with the team’s first-round pick. But Matthew Golden’s arrival creates more headaches for fantasy managers trying to decipher the depth chart.

One of the biggest fantasy football questions last season was who would emerge to be Jordan Love’s favorite target. Christian Watson has the best draft capital, but hasn’t met expectations, except for a short outburst (seven touchdowns in four weeks) during his rookie year. Romeo Doubs, part of Watson’s draft class, was the Steady Eddie of the bunch, but didn’t display dominant traits.

Jayden Reed has a nose for the end zone and was used in both the passing and running game, but was only on the field for less than two-thirds of the offensive snaps. Heck, even Dontayvion Wicks had a few fans buzzing about his advanced metrics.

At the end of the regular season, it was Reed who led Packer wide receivers in fantasy scoring, but five different players finished a week leading the group. And, although he led in seven of 17 games, Reed's inconsistency drove fantasy managers mad. He scored more than 15 PPR fantasy points four times, but was below seven PPR fantasy points on six occasions.

Watson's absence (likely opening this season on the sidelines due to an ACL tear) painted a clearer picture. Reed would still be the highest-drafted wide receiver, and hopefully be on the field more often. Doubs would man the outside role, and Wicks isn't worth drafting.

Golden threw a bit of a wrench into those plans. The Texas product lines up all over the field. Given the investment the team made, it’s likely they’ll utilize him that way, to the detriment of Reed and Doubs. However, there are questions about whether he's capable of being an alpha. He's not a physical receiver and struggles with blocking, but he excels with his acceleration on routes.

Tucker Kraft won't have to compete for playing time, now squarely ahead of fellow third-year pro Luke Musgrave. He flashed signs of a breakout last season, finishing seventh in receiving yards (707) and fourth in touchdowns (seven).

Some of the advanced metrics, like yards per route run (2.64, second), yards per target (10.1, second), and yards after catch (456, fifth), predict an emerging tight end. The problem is that the targets (70 total, 4.1 per game) don't allow Kraft to break into the upper-echelon of tight ends.

The Packers, including Love, have stated they hope to feature Kraft more in the passing game in the new season. Kraft was only two points per game off Reed's average. That's just one reception more per game when factoring in his 2024 yards per reception (14.1). Kraft may be the only Green Bay pass catcher who doesn't cause fantasy managers to rip their hair out.

Aaron Rodgers Or Arthur Smith Will Lose Their Job By Midseason

Will Aaron Rodgers start 17 games in what is shaping up to be his final NFL season?

It may depend on whether he gets his way or not. Rodgers has a history of pushing coaches to run the offense he wants to run. It's slow-paced (New York ranked 30th in pace last season), and he wants the football in his hands in the pocket. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith called running plays at one of the highest rates in the NFL in 2024 and had a little more tempo.

The Steelers ran the ball fourth-most last year, while Aaron Rodgers attempted the second-most passes.

Arthur Smith on marrying together a run-heavy OC with pass-happy QB:

“We didn’t bring Aaron in here and sign DK for all that money to go run the wishbone.” pic.twitter.com/vtFfLRQGQ9

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 11, 2025

The roster is constructed to favor Smith's style. The Steelers invested in tight end (recently adding Jonnu Smith to pair with Pat Freiermuth) and running back (third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson joins Jaylen Warren).

Pittsburgh did acquire DK Metcalf this offseason, but also shipped away George Pickens, keeping just one reliable target at the position. Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods, and Roman Wilson round out the depth chart.

Head coach Mike Tomlin hasn't had a losing season in *checks notes* ever. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. Yet, a vocal part of the Steelers' fanbase is asking for a change. There's only been one division title since 2018, and a lack of excitement as Tomlin enters his 19th season.

What if things start poorly? The Steelers have one of the toughest schedules (top 10), facing the NFC North as their cross-conference opponents, as well as being in a division with the Ravens and Bengals. Will Tomlin make a move to try and keep his job? Will he be dethroned, leaving Smith to take over and run things his way? There's going to be a lot of the blame game if the Steelers are, at best, .500 halfway through the season.

The Steelers seemed content with Mason Rudolph starting the season while they waited for Rodgers to make a decision. If he gets the starting nod at some point during the year, it would be a downgrade for the fantasy football stocks of Pittsburgh's skill players.

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