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Whether it’s due to injury or poor play, there are always players who endure a bad year. This is true for every position. Sadly, it’s just part of fantasy football. However, a disappointing campaign means there is the potential for a bounce-back season the following year. Savvy fantasy managers recognize these opportunities and act accordingly.
It’s long been a smart strategy to target good players coming off a down season. Of course, like any other draft-day target, we have to ensure we are identifying the correct players. Today, we are going to look at several players who are primed for bounce-back seasons in 2025.
Make sure to follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are three players set up for bounce-back seasons in 2025 fantasy football leagues.
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Breece Hall - RB, New York Jets
Hall fell victim to the dysfunction that was the Jets' 2024 season. Just a year removed from a PPR RB2 season, Hall finished 2024 as the PPR RB16. He also didn’t perform well in several metrics. Hall finished 28th out of 47 eligible backs in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expected (RYOE) and 36th in Fantasy Points Data Suite's Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt (MTF/ATT).
Despite his struggles, Hall still has big-play ability and is capable of scoring whenever he touches the football.
WHAT A GAME BY @BREECEH!!#NYJvsNE on FOX pic.twitter.com/T0c7SOMsyH
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 7, 2024
New York’s offense is set for a major overhaul this offseason. The offense was supposed to reach new heights with Aaron Rodgers, but poor play-calling and offensive line play combined with a declining Rodgers squashed those plans.
It’s currently unknown whether Rodgers will return in 2025, but it’s a good bet that whoever new head coach Aaron Glenn hires as offensive coordinator will build the offense around Hall. We should also expect to see New York heavily invest in the offensive line, and that would be great news for Hall’s outlook.
Hall’s situation can’t possibly be any worse than what he’s endured the last few years, and he remains an uber-talented player. That all makes him an ideal bounce-back candidate for 2025.
DK Metcalf - WR, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf failed to break the 1,000-yard mark for the first time since 2021. He also saw his fewest targets in a season since his rookie year in 2019. Additionally, he only had three WR1 finishes in 2024 and did not produce a single top-24 finish in his final eight games. Part of that can be blamed on the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as he appeared to take over as Seattle’s WR1.
2 TDs
180 yards
Clutch catches@jaxon_smith1's breakout game was a work of art. @Seahawks @NFLAfrica pic.twitter.com/uh2mpNuOcM— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024
Seattle recently moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season. Head coach Mike Macdonald hinted that Metcalf’s involvement (or lack thereof) in the offense was part of the reason for Grubb’s departure.
#Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald on DK Metcalf:
“He’s such a force out there. It’s not just good enough to get the coverage tilted to him. We gotta figure out more ways to get him the ball consistently and let him impact the game with the ball in his hands, rather than just moving… pic.twitter.com/C835gCIb8e
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) January 7, 2025
Metcalf remains one of the most physically gifted receivers in the league, but he has yet to put together a monster statistical season. We may have seen his ceiling as a player in 2020, but he’s still capable of popping for week-winning performances.
GENO!! DK!! 71 YARDS!!
📺: #MIAvsSEA on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gFCnlPPkRc— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
His price is likely to be the lowest it’s ever been following his disappointing 2024. Savvy gamers would be wise to invest in Metcalf, as it seems pretty clear his head coach wants him more involved in the offense. He will be a good bargain on draft day.
Brock Purdy - QB, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy flopped in a big way this past season. He missed two games with shoulder and elbow injuries and finished the season as the QB14 in fantasy points per game. While the stats weren’t there for fantasy football, it’s important to note that his play didn’t fall off. Purdy was Pro Football Focus' 10th-highest-rated quarterback and finished seventh in Total QBR.
San Francisco lost wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the year with a serious knee injury and running Christian McCaffrey only played a handful of games due to injury as well. Deebo Samuel Sr. wasn’t the same player we’d seen in previous years. All of these factors contributed to Purdy's subpar 2024.
A lot of things went wrong for Purdy last year and losing some of his best weapons certainly hurt his fantasy production. The San Francisco offense should be at full strength once again in 2025, and that will be a good thing for Purdy’s outlook. He could be a great target late in drafts for gamers who prefer to wait on a quarterback.
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