ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, who co-hosts ESPN’s “Fantasy Football Now,” weighed in with Yardbarker recently on NFL players who could have standout seasons in their second year in the league.
“Year 1 to Year 2 is … one of the biggest, if not the biggest years of growth, in football,” Yates said.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze
Yates mentioned two 2024 top-10 picks first.
“Caleb and Rome both get the Ben Johnson bump,” Yates said of these Bears, selected with the Nos. 1 and 9 overall picks, respectively.
In his three seasons in charge of Detroit’s offense, new Bears HC Johnson’s unit finished in the top five in total yards and scoring each season. As the starting quarterback, Williams, Yates said, clearly should benefit the most from the hiring. But don’t forget about Odunze.
“Rome Odunze should be a very busy man as the Bears No. 2 wide receiver as well this season. I just want to see more consistency out of Caleb Williams, which will have benefits for Rome Odunze and others as well,” Yates added.
Williams started all 17 games last season for Chicago, which ranked 28th in scoring offense (18.2 points per game). He threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions but was sacked a league-high 68 times.
Odunze finished third on the team in targets (101) but should have an increased role after the Bears parted in the offseason with wide receiver Keenan Allen, who led the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2024.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
Selected with the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, one pick after Washington’s Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year, Maye started 12 games last season. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards (6.7 yards per attempt), 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Patriots seemingly improved their offense this offseason, adding wide receiver Stefon Diggs, center Garrett Bradbury and tackle Morgan Moses in free agency. They further addressed their offensive line by selecting tackle Will Campbell and center Jared Wilson in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy missed the 2024 regular season after suffering a knee injury in training camp. The No. 10 overall pick of last year’s draft flashed potential in his lone preseason start, and working alongside head coach Kevin O’Connell, who’s built a reputation as one of the league’s top quarterback coaches, he could quickly live up to his draft billing.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The most intriguing player Yates named is 2024 No. 4 overall pick Harrison Jr., who finished last season with 62 receptions, 885 receiving yards (14.3 yards per reception) and eight receiving touchdowns.
“Harrison Jr. … was fine last year, but fine isn’t good enough when you’re a top-20 draft pick in fantasy and you’re also a guy who was being billed as a potentially generational wide receiver prospect. He was not that last year; he needs to be a whole lot better this season,” Fields said.
Several other rookie wide receivers, including Malik Nabers (New York Giants), Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers), outperformed Harrison Jr. last season.
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride might still be quarterback Kyler Murray’s favorite target (he had a team-high 147 targets in 2024), but Harrison should easily be Arizona’s most-used wideout, making him a potential fantasy draft steal. He’s No. 18 in ESPN’s wide receiver fantasy ranking, and Yates ranks him No. 45 overall in his top 100 list.
Yates spoke about the 2025 fantasy football season as part of a partnership with Red Baron Pizza, which offers fans a chance to join a fantasy league with him.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
