Welcome to Week 16 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Biggest Fantasy Surprises of 2025
- Biggest Fantasy Disappointments of 2025
- Emerging Stars in 2026
- 2026 NFL Draft Match-Making
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Who surprised you this season as a fantasy performer?
Jeff Haseley: I'm going with Troy Franklin. At best, he was a potential gem waiting to happen among those in the know. If you weren't in the know, he was likely not on your radar at all.
Franklin was a late-round flyer who happened to hit. Through Week 16, he has 61 receptions for 692 yards and 6 touchdowns. That is outstanding for a player who probably replaced an injured or underperforming receiver that you drafted several rounds before.
In many cases, competing fantasy teams need to have that one player at the end of the roster who can be inserted into the starting lineup if needed. Troy Franklin was that player this year.
Tipp Major: Wow, nice one, Jeff. Troy Franklin has been a pleasant surprise. How about Javonte Williams?
We've seen the talent, the injury, and the misuse Williams endured in Denver. When he signed this offseason, I'll admit I didn't see a 1,100-yard season coming, but here we are.
Being part of a high-powered offense certainly helps. Maybe next draft season, when we see that "middling" RB who just got a major offensive upgrade, we need to be a bit more aggressive getting Williams on our fantasy teams.
Jeff Blaylock: At 37 years old, Matthew Stafford is the fantasy QB2 and leads the league with 4,179 passing yards. His 112.1 passer rating is the best of his 17-year career, and his league-leading 40 passing touchdowns are currently tied for fourth in the Super Bowl era among quarterbacks his age or older.
Stafford's average draft position was QB25, which means he went undrafted in many 1-QB leagues. A waiver-wire hero, Stafford is the sixth-most rostered quarterback and the second-most undrafted player on playoff teams in ESPN fantasy leagues.
Colton Dodgson: We didn't even know if Daniel Jones would start for Indianapolis until late in the preseason. He earned the nod and turned out to be one of the best dart throws you could've made at quarterback.
Jones finished as a top-12 quarterback in 7 of his 13 starts. His three top-five finishes landed him among a group headlined by Drake Maye, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence.
Jones' rushing upside gave him a high weekly floor, and his fit in Shane Steichen's offense unlocked the most efficient version of the veteran quarterback. He also elevated the outlook for Indianapolis' skill players before his injury. The Colts' quarterback room wasn't short on storylines in 2025.
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