Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant Fantasy Football Outlook for 2025
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Premier National Sports, we're breaking down the Broncos WR room, unveiling Ian's "My Guys" and more.
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Premier National Sports:
We all agree that Courtland Sutton—fresh off his contract extension—is the clear No. 1 WR in Denver.
After that, though? Good freaking luck trying to figure out which Broncos WRs to count on in 2025.
Check out how Sean Payton recently described the “pecking order” for his WR room:
“We probably are a little bit different with our rotation substitution patterns, that you guys can decide who 2 is, and 3 is, and 4 is. But there’s gonna be a role if they’re dressing, and they’re getting on the field. And they’re not gonna line up in the same spot all the time. I think that would be the easiest way to describe it.”
Yes, Sean, that is definitely the easiest way to describe it.
Sigh.
So where does that leave us?
Marvin Mims is the most expensive of the bunch and has enjoyed really solid preseason usage.
Pat Bryant is the big-bodied rookie WR, and we know how much Payton loves him some big bodies (seriously, he’s not shy about it).
Then there are the two Year 2 guys—Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin. Wait. There WERE two Year 2 guys -- Vele was traded to the Saints Wednesday night.
So now, by default but also how I wrote this before the trade - the two I’m most interested in taking stabs on are Bryant and Franklin.
The mystery box rookie always offers appeal in ambiguous situations, and Payton seems pleased with what he’s seen so far. I drafted a ton of him at the beginning of the summer, but have recently cooled off.
The guy I’m heavily targeting at the end of drafts right now, though, is Franklin. He was one of the youngest rookie WRs in the league last year (he turned 22 in February), was very productive at Oregon with Bo Nix (shower narrative, baby), and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash.
Based on his preseason performances and this recent report from Jordan Schultz, he’s been turning heads at camp and looks poised to make the classic second-year WR leap.
When it comes to Payton WRs, there’s always a strong likelihood of tomfoolery, but it’s hard to go wrong with Franklin at these (completely free) prices.
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Editors’ Picks
We’re in the heat of draft season, and we’ve got everything you need to walk into your drafts with confidence. Make sure to sync your leagues—it takes about a minute—and catch up on the best content you may have missed:
Drafting From 1.12?
We’ve got you covered. Well, Chris Allen, specifically, does. He runs through different approaches to take from the 1.12 based on how the board falls to ensure that you build a winner.
Prioritize Floor > Ceiling
In Guillotine Leagues™, your traditional home-league strategy gets thrown out the window. Paul Charchian breaks down the safest pick you can make in every round … and they look far different than you may be used to.
ICYMI: League-Winners (WR)
Continuing Dwain McFarland’s series of identifying the players to target with league-winning upside at each position, he recently released his 10 WR League Winners for 2025.
A Story Of Redemption.
Hey, still Pete here. A few weeks ago, I wrote up a mock draft diary about a failed extreme Zero RB experiment in the back of an Uber.
At the time it felt fine, but since then, it hasn't sat well with me.
I've been a Zero RB bro for over a decade now and have long championed it as a dynamite strategy in large-field tournaments with top-heavy prizes.
Was I really going to betray the structural draft strategy that has previously won me thousands upon thousands of dollars?
Surely, I thought, there has to be a better way to make this strategy work in 2025. What if Zero RB is still perfectly fine, and my initial failure was simply a skill issue?
And so with that in mind, I hopped in another Underdog draft with a singular mission: draft a perfect Zero RB team.
Here's how it went ...
Ian Hartitz Unveils His “My Guys” For 2025
Calvin Ridley … Jordan Mason … Keon Coleman.
What do these three players have in common? They’re officially Ian Hartitz’s My Guys for the 2025 fantasy football season.
Whether it’s the arrival of Cam Ward in Music City, stepping into a fresh opportunity in Minnesota, or an opportunity for growth in an elite offense, these three players come with reason after reason why Ian is targeting them in drafts of all shapes and sizes.
Ian breaks down the ins and outs of what we could see from these three players in 2025, and what their true ceilings could actually look like. ⬇️
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.
😬 12 players we’re scared to draft this year. Is JSN too expensive for the downside??
📝 Have a draft tonight? Make sure to show up with the funniest team name!
🤣 Did Cam Ward learn anything from the scuffle with Jeff Simmons? Lmao.
🚨 DO NOT PANIC FOLKS. He’s fine, per the Ravens spokesman.
🤔 The backfield that might be more of a split than you think. Interesting.
🐬 An injury update on De’Von Achane. “Preventative” is nice to hear.
🙏 We got a backfield competition in New York again. Let’s go.
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