When Fatherhood Meets Fantasy Football

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter:

It's Father's Day! Today's the perfect day to reflect on the men who brought us into the world, raised us, and instilled the values we rely upon.

And in my particular case, the man who taught me the invaluable life skill of crushing 8-Ball Deluxe.

There are an infinite number of ways to be a great dad. There's no singular playbook. But here are five universally cherished traits in great dads, and the fantasy players who embody them …

Fatherhood 🤝 Fantasy Football

Patience: Happy Father's Day, Geno Smith!

Fathers endure many trying moments: Watching first-grade tee-ball (without wagering on it with other parents). Kids will stretch story time into a marathon session with unrelated topics like, "Why do I need underwear?" And at some point, doesn't every father ask, "Why did you put lasagna into your hair?" Patience is a job requirement for every father.

There's no current player whose patience has been rewarded more than Geno Smith.

You're well aware of his career arc, but a reminder that he became a regular starter nine years after being drafted. And he's legitimately good! Since starting for Seattle, Geno has the fourth-best completion percentage (68.5%) and the fourth-most regular-season wins (27).

Consistency: Happy Father's Day, Jalen Hurts.

Great fathers offer their kids consistency from day to day. Your kids live by the rules and values that you put in place. Great dads have guidelines on Tuesday that are still in place on Wednesday. Dads, if you keep changing the rules, your kids won't respect them … because you don't.

Jalen Hurts is the flag bearer for consistent fantasy production. Except for Week 14, when he got knocked out in the first quarter, Hurts never finished a game below QB19 all year. He finished as a top-11 quarterback 11 times. His tush push touchdowns give him an incredibly high floor. When your quarterback is putting up RB1 touchdown levels, fantasy football gets a little easier.

Resilience: Happy Father’s Day, J.K. Dobbins

Fathers have a unique, special role in the life of their children. It's a difficult job, no matter how much fathers love their children. Resilience brings us back to the kitchen table every morning, even when facing massive challenges, like financial hardships, co-parenting, or digging through a kid's poo because he swallowed his loose tooth and desperately needs to give it to the Tooth Fairy.

On Tuesday, J.K. Dobbins signed with Denver, giving him another chance to rebound from the absurd number of injuries that have defined his career. To the best of my knowledge, no player has returned to productivity after facing more debilitating injuries than Dobbins. Here's the list of Dobbins' documented injuries: Broken fibula, ligament tears in his ankle, torn ACL, torn LCL, torn meniscus, torn hamstring, torn Achilles, and a clean-up knee surgery. Insane! Today, we celebrate the resilience of Dobbins.

See also: Alex Smith, Cam Akers, and Frank Gore.

Presence: Happy Father's Day, Travis Kelce

Half the battle is just showing up. Great fathers are available for their kids at their pivotal moments. Do you need to go to every single dance rehearsal? Heck, no. But if your kid has practiced for two months, great dads make it to the recital.

Travis Kelce will start his 13th NFL season, all for the same team. He's never missed more than two games in a season (since his 2013 rookie season). He's been an elite fantasy contributor for almost all of them. Even last year, despite clear decline, Kelce was still TE4 in both UR Score and PPR scoring after being TE1 for three straight seasons.

Adaptability: Happy Father's Day, Taysom Hill

As every father knows, from time to time, you'll be asked to do things you never expected. You've scrubbed vomit off the walls. You've proudly pranced around the living room adorned in fairy wings, a crown, and a wand. You've sung truly awful kids songs—I'm lookin' at you, theme song to Barney & Friends. But you do it with joy in your heart, because great dads adapt to the needs of the moment.

Taysom Hill is a tight end, quarterback, running back, and H-back, all in one. He's the ultimate multi-tool fantasy player, earning you fantasy points by rushing, receiving, and passing. Sadly, Hill's 2025 season is in doubt due to last December's ACL tear. But, on Father's Day, we'll hope for a speedy recovery for the NFL's most adaptable player.

Perhaps Hill will pass the Adaptability Throne to Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter, who'll play both ways. If he plays primarily offense, Hunter’s value will soar.

FANTASY RANKINGS FOR 2025

The Best Father's Day Gift Is A Fantasy Football Championship

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Nick Chubb's Return is Personal in 2025

As the newest member of the Houston Texans, nobody has more confidence ahead of the new season in Nick Chubb than himself:

“That's all behind me. Injuries happen … With what I did, it takes about two years to really get back. So, I'm over the hump. Now, I'm feeling as good as I have been in a long time.”

Sounds great, right? Right. But does Nick Chubb’s confidence in his return bleed into confidence from fantasy managers in their drafts, too? Kendall Valenzuela says not so fast …

“Even if Chubb believes a bounceback season is on the horizon, should we for fantasy football? I don't think so.

Chubb is going to be 30 years old in December and has suffered major injuries over the past two seasons. While adding him to this backfield could potentially hurt Joe Mixon, I don't believe anyone drafting should go so far as to call this a potential 50/50 split. Chubb will vulture some goal-line touchdowns, but it shouldn't be enough to have fantasy managers lining up to draft him.

Our fantasy football projections have Chubb sitting at 102 rush attempts, 442 rushing yards, and three touchdowns, which all amount to 69.3 fantasy points for 2025. This is probably the one player I'd be okay with being wrong about, because that means we get to see Chubb return to form, but I'm not betting my fantasy season on him.”

With Chubb now crossed off of your cheat sheet, what about another veteran RB who found a new home? ⬇️

HOW DOES J.K. DOBBINS AFFECT RJ HARVEY?