The AFC North is one of those divisions where every team truly just hates one another. They always find a way to play each other incredibly close – whether that be the 10-0 team playing down to the 0-10 team or vice versa. It is equally a division that finds itself usually passing around the divisional crown, typically between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. It’s a fun division to watch when you’re not invested in any of the teams. It’s especially fun to watch the Cleveland Browns thrash about, trying to resemble a functional franchise.
The division is great for fantasy as it features two MVP hopeful QBs, a handful of exciting wideouts, and a couple of game-breaking running backs. Let’s dive into the fray.
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2025 Fantasy Football Divisional Breakdowns – AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Looking Back on 2024
Super Bowl hopefuls heading into the season, the Ravens were one two-point conversion away from an AFC Championship bid. Alas, the oft-reliable Mark Andrews had too much popcorn on the sideline and let the ball slip through his hands. The Ravens were easily one of the best teams in football before that moment. They finished the year 12-5 with an MVP performance from Lamar Jackson and an equally dominant season from Derrick Henry. Zay Flowers didn’t take the leap we all thought he would, and the tight end room ended a bit more uncertain than fantasy managers would have hoped.
Looking Forward to 2025
It’s pretty much the same story heading into this year if we are being quite honest. This team is set on reaching the Super Bowl, and they have all the tools to get there. Their roster hasn’t changed much, which is a great thing. We don’t need to use our brains while drafting Ravens players. We can be pretty confident in how they will perform for fantasy. It’s nice to know what you’re getting sometimes.
Fantasy Relevant Players
Lamar Jackson, QB
Lamar Jackson had another MVP-caliber season in 2024, and there’s zero doubt in my mind that he can replicate that success once again. Jackson is the type of quarterback that can single-handedly win you weeks. Draft him early, and sit back and enjoy the show as the fantasy points flow in.
Derrick Henry, RB
The king returns for another run at a championship, and we fantasy managers are all the beneficiaries. Henry just defies all odds and metrics. People knock his lack of passing work, but in reality, it doesn’t matter when he’s able to score two touchdowns a game on the ground. He’s a lock for your lineup while remaining relatively “cheap” in drafts (a second-round pick with first-round talent).
Zay Flowers, WR
In a weird way, Zay Flowers let me down last year. I believed he would take a much bigger step forward with a weak receiver room around him. Instead, he took a little baby step, which is still a good thing overall, but I expected more. Flowers is a good fantasy asset as someone who can be that solid WR2 for your roster. It just leaves a weird taste knowing that he could be so much better. Maybe this year he puts it all together for a monster year, but I wouldn’t hold out too much hope.
Fantasy Question Marks
Mark Andrews, TE
A once dominant force in fantasy, now engulfed in uncertainty. Mark Andrews was a player some pundits had suggested would be traded during the draft season. That, shockingly, didn’t happen, and now he’s gearing up for another run as the top TE on the roster. His value isn’t what it used to be, which is great news for drafters. If you punt on TE, Andrews should be there waiting for you in the late-middle rounds. We can only hope he fends off Isiah Likely for those red zone targets.
Isaiah Likely, TE
Speak of the devil! Likely got some love at the beginning of the year in 2024, which cast Andrews to the side. Some injuries later, Likely enters 2025 in a contract year, hoping to take one more step further towards becoming a 1B type of player next to Andrews. He will be undergoing surgery to fix an issue in his foot to kick off the 2025 season, but it shouldn’t lead to too many missed games. This tight end room is talented but tricky to navigate. If all things go to plan, it may be Likely coming out ahead of Andrews.
Rashod Bateman, WR
The newly paid and ever-improving Rashod Bateman is someone who could easily surprise fantasy managers this season. He has a nose for the endzone, last season, scoring four times in the last four games of the season, as well as scoring in both playoff games. Will we see him continue this trend? Maybe! Hopefully! Touchdowns are hard to predict, so we can’t rely too much on another nine TD performance, but the confidence Lamar Jackson has in Bateman is something we can bet on.
Fantasy Long Shots
DeAndre Hopkins (WR), Keaton Mitchell (RB), Justice Hill (RB)
This is not the DHop of old. He showed a little bit of what’s left in KC last year but couldn’t string together good games back to back. Much like my jeans, I fear he is washed.
On the other hand, the back up RBs behind Henry are pretty fun when it comes to fantasy potential. Justice Hill was strangely playable in some matchups last year and is poised to hold onto that RB2 role. Meanwhile, Keaton Mitchell is fully recovered from his ACL tear he suffered in 2023 and is already looking like his rookie self in training camp. If Henry misses time for any reason, either of these guys can become fantasy starters overnight. Until then however, they are better left on the waiver wire.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Looking Back on 2024
This team did not feel like a 10-7 team. But somehow, someway, they managed to win double-digit games and flounder into the playoffs. Swapping from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson ended up not mattering much because the offense remained pretty mediocre. Swapping between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren was tough to watch for fantasy managers.
Looking Forward to 2025
Did someone say 9-8? Because we are heading back to 9-8. The Steelers have a good running back room, but a ghost town at wide receiver. DK Metcalf and the concept of a Roman Wilson are poised for almost all of the targets. Calvin Austin and Scotty Miller are there, too. That leaves us with a whacky TE room of Jonnu Smith and Pat Friermuth to pick up the slack. Exactly what OC Arthur Smith dreams of at night.
Fantasy Relevant Players
Aaron Rodgers, QB
Ugh. I don’t think Rodgers is particularly good or fun at this stage in his career. But we need him to be good so that our other, more exciting players can succeed.
Kaleb Johnson, RB
Kaleb Johnson is one of those running backs who had one really good season at college, received good draft capital, and yet still isn’t a slam dunk in drafts. Personally, I see Johnson as a day 1 starter and someone who is in line to receive the bulk of the rushing work. Some folks don’t feel as confident as I do, and I don’t blame them. There are a lot of questionable vibes around this Steelers offense that would scare off most managers. I believe you can put your trust in Kaleb Johnson to provide RB2 numbers routinely.
Jaylen Warren, RB
Jaylen Warren is a player that I have never really been high on. I’ve seen glimpses of the upside that he presents as a pass catcher, and those are pretty great moments! The problem is he just isn’t able to separate himself as a runner from the rest of the backfield. He’s spent the majority of his career sharing time with Najee Harris, and this is the first time he has a chance to take that RB1 role. I don’t think he gets there, but there are plenty of drafters who will gamble on Warren over Johnson, and I completely understand why. He probably will have some good games over the course of the season, but I just won’t feel great ever throwing him in a starting lineup. That said, if Kaleb Johnson is bad, he’s a must-start.
DK Metcalf, WR
DK Metcalf has moved to the East Coast (I guess Midwest-ish?) and now stands alone as the primary wide receiver in this offense. Metcalf should have a monster year as he will surely be peppered with targets from Rodgers as they battle through a difficult AFC North division. DK probably finishes just outside the top 12, which is a finish any manager would be happy with.
Fantasy Question Marks
Jonnu Smith, TE
Jonnu Smith had one of the best seasons of his career and was promptly rewarded by being traded to the Steelers. I’m still not entirely sure if being reunited with Arthur Smith is bad for Jonnu. What I do know is that this offense needs one of the two tight ends to become a reliable option for Rodgers if they want to move the ball consistently. Jonnu Smith is a little more explosive with the ball in his hands; maybe he winds up being the go-to guy.
Pat Freiermuth, TE
On the other hand, we have the incumbent TE1 on the roster looking to stave off the new arrival. Friermuth had a solid 2024, leading the team in catches and trailing only George Pickens in yards. It’s hard to envision a world where he doesn’t split time with Jonnu Smith. Which sucks, because now both tight ends are losing fantasy value. There are some mumblings about three-TE sets over in Pittsburgh, but I wouldn’t put too much stock in camp rumors. Frankly, this is a case where you need to pick a guy, close your eyes, and hope for the best.
Fantasy Long Shots
Calvin Austin (WR), Roman Wilson (WR)
I’m mentioning these two receivers, but really, it’s the entire receiver room that’s a long shot. It seems like forever ago that the Steelers had both Diontae Johnson and George Pickens putting up usable fantasy outings. With both those guys out of the picture, someone not named DK Metcalf will need to do something. Otherwise, Rodgers is going to walk out on this team halfway through the season.
Cincinnati Bengals
Looking Back on 2024
The Bengals really need to stop doing this “lose the first 3 games of the season and fight an uphill battle” thing. It didn’t work in 2023, and it sure didn’t work in 2924. They missed the playoffs because they had to rely on the backups in KC to upset the Broncos, who were fighting for their playoff dreams as well. Anyway, this offense was great. We got to see Chase Brown become a strong fantasy RB, and both Tee Higgins and Ja’mar Chase got paid for their efforts in 2024.
Looking Forward to 2025
I’ll say it one million times before the season starts – the Bengals will need to score 45 points a game to win on any given week. I haven’t talked a lot about defenses in this series so far, but for the Bengals, I had to make an exception. They refuse to sign their best defender because of… reasons. Thankfully, they did sign their first-round draft pick, so at least one talented edge rusher is on that side of the field. But back to the offense, all the major names are in line for a huge season because they need to. If they can’t come through on offense, it’ll be another year of wasted greatness from Joe Burrow.
Fantasy Relevant Players
Joe Burrow, QB
Joe Burrow is the one elite fantasy quarterback who does not run the ball very much. I mean, when you can throw for close to 5000 yards in a season, there’s no need to scramble that often. Burrow is primed for another great year of football and will be fighting for a spot in the top 5 at the position throughout the year.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Chase is the 1.01 in pretty much every format in fantasy football existence. You can at least make a case for him if your league mates give you any guff. If anyone can make a case for a WR to win MVP, it’s him.
Tee Higgins, WR
If Tee Higgins can just stay on the field, he could be a massive player in fantasy this season. The problem is that it just feels like he’s contractually obligated to miss games. Hopefully, this year things are different, because Chase and Higgins have a chance to both make it in the top 12 at the position.
Chase Brown, RB
With Zack Moss gone and the only threat to playing time rookie Tahj Brooks and 50-year-old Samaje Perine, it’s wheels up for Chase Brown’s fantasy year. The RB1 in Cincy showcased all of the tools we love to see as fantasy managers. He’s explosive, he catches passes, and he’s still going in the 3rd round of drafts. Brown was an awesome value last year as a late-round pick, and he’s going to be awesome still in 2025.
Fantasy Question Marks
Mike Gesicki, TE
The fantasy relevance of Mike Gesicki varies from week to week, which has really been the case since his rookie year in Miami. It’s pretty frustrating because by all accounts, he should be a good tight end for our game. He just isn’t. I wish I could expand more on that, but truly, it’s odd to see him spike in one week and disappear the next. It’s been like this with both the Dolphins and the Patriots. Here’s to hoping that in his second year with the Bengals, he can be a tad more consistent in his performances.
Fantasy Long Shots
Tahj Brooks (RB), Andrei Iosivas (WR)
The late round rookie Tahj Brooks had a pretty impressive collegiate resume that the Bengals are surely hoping he can recreate. Not sure if that will be this year or next, as he still has to overcome the obstacle that is Chase Brown. Andrei Iosivas is a very solid NFL wide receiver who has the misfortune of being behind two elite guys. He’s simply a waiver wire add if (when) Higgins misses time.
Cleveland Browns
Looking Back on 2024
This season was probably DOA with Deshaun Watson slated as the starter. He has never been the same football player since his hiatus, and the Browns are financially incentivized to play him. It’s just the worst case imaginable for a franchise that routinely fails its fans with awful decision-making around its quarterback room. It couldn’t be more apparent that Watson would fail this team than when Jameis Winston stepped in and got the offense moving. Sure, he reverted back to Jameis “interceptions mean we get the ball back faster” Winston after a few games, but he was at least fun for fantasy. That’s all we can ask for when a team is this atrocious.
Looking Forward to 2025
Fantasy Relevant Players
David Njoku, TE
Njoku is paired back up with Flacco, and that can only mean one thing: Njoku’s TE1 season is inevitable. Flacco and Njoku dragged hundreds of fantasy managers to the playoffs a couple of years back, so their reunion is something we all welcome with open arms. The Browns did draft an exciting rookie tight end in Harold Fannin Jr, but there’s nothing that would indicate Njoku having a lesser workload with the rookie on the roster. Njoku is a slam-dunk mid-round draft pick this year.
Jerry Jeudy, WR
Steve Smith was somehow both right and wrong about Jerry Jeudy. On the Broncos, we had simply just a JAG, and to kick off the 2024 season, it was looking to be the same old story. Then, suddenly, Jameis Winston gave him 20 targets a game, and he was really good! Flacco may force-feed Jeudy out of necessity, which would be fantastic for those rosters in need of a high-upside WR2.
Fantasy Question Marks
Quinshon Judkins, RB
A Cleveland Browns classic – promising young player does something stupid off the field and now is in jeopardy of not playing a single snap. Quinshon Judkins was the other half of the OSU running back tandem alongside TreVeyon Henderson, where they went within picks of each other in the NFL Draft. Judkins was primed for an immediate role as the Browns’ RB1 until his recent run-in with authorities cast doubt on his playing completely. Judkins is a very good runner who could certainly handle three-down duties. It just sucks that we may not see that until 2026. It’s a case worth monitoring as we continue to get closer to the start of the season.
Dylan Sampson, RB
Another rookie RB, Sampson, is suddenly presented with a new opportunity to steal the starting job from incumbent Jerome Ford. Sampson had a great final year at Tennessee and could be a sneaky starter by the middle of the season. His size was a concern going into the draft, and we will need to keep tabs on him to find out if the Browns like him as a potential starter.
Jerome Ford, RB
Jerome Ford is an ok NFL running back who has found himself at the top of a rookie-filled depth chart. He was better in 2023 than he was last year, which may have been a product of an overall better offense. He’s very boring, but should be a fine value towards the end of drafts.
Cedric Tillman, WR
We had a fun stretch there with Cedric Tillman last year. A brutal concussion kept him out for the majority of the season, however, so we are left thinking “what could have been”. Tillman is the next man up behind Jeudy when it comes to WR targets. He could be in for a big year if he stays healthy and syncs up with Flacco.
Diontae Johnson, WR
I don’t think Diontae Johnson is very good at this stage in his career. This Browns offense howeve,r needs him to do something. He could wind up being a very usable asset in PPR leagues.
Fantasy Long Shots
The Entire QB Room (Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillion Gabriel)
I’ve been talking a lot about Joe Flacco in this piece because we really need him to be the starter if we want fantasy points from this offense. Flacco, at this point in time, is the only QB we can trust to hit his receivers consistently. He knows the offense already and is generally safe with the ball. We can’t say that about the rest of the group, which is not an awesome feeling if you’re a Browns fan. For what it’s worth, Sanders did have a solid showing in their first preseason game against the Panthers. There could be hope yet, but I wouldn’t want to draft any of these guys this season.
For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
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