Ja'Marr Chase is widely regarded as the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver in the NFL and one of the very best football players overall. While Justin Jefferson also has a claim as the top pass catcher in football, Chase is the undisputed top receiver when it comes to fantasy football ahead of the 2025 season. In fact, many consider the Cincinnati Bengals star to be the best fantasy player overall, regardless of position.
Chase was dominant in 2024 and won fantasy owners a lot of championships. Not much has changed in Cincinnati since, so the LSU product is once again a must-draft player. Just why is Chase such an elite fantasy weapon?
Ja'Marr Chase's 2024 fantasy football stats
Ja'Marr Chase finished as the No. 1 receiver in both standard and PPR leagues last season. He racked up 276 fantasy points in standard leagues and 403 fantasy points in PPR leagues. In PPR format, the next closest receiver, which was Jefferson, only had 317.5 points. That is nearly a 100-point increase over second place for Chase.
Chase was so dominant that he even put up quarterback-like numbers. Lamar Jackson was the only player to rack up bigger fantasy numbers than Chase. Jackson had 434.4 points, while second-placed quarterback, Josh Allen, the MVP of the league, only had 385.1 fantasy points.
Chase's Bengals had the best aerial attack in the league. With Joe Burrow throwing the football, the Bengals led the NFL with 272.9 passing yards per game. Chase was responsible for 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdowns. All three of those metrics led the NFL, making Chase just the third Triple Crown winner of the 21st century.
Ja'Marr Chase's 2025 fantasy football projections
The Bengals were heavily reliant on their passing game last season because their defense was one of the worst in football. Both Chase and Burrow are elite, and they had to carry a heavy burden to keep Cincinnati afloat. The Bengals' defense hasn't gotten any better, so the team may be forced to air it out with high frequency once again.
Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, but he was really the only great player on defense in Cincinnati. However, Hendrickson has been in a contract dispute with his team that has led to him holding out of parts of training camp. He has even been involved in trade rumors.
Hendrickson has returned to camp for the Bengals, but the drama with the star edge rusher is far from over. If Hendrickson ends up on a new team or without a new contract, Cincinnati's defense could look even worse than it did last year.
Regardless, Burrow will still be targeting his favorite receiver often. ESPN projects Chase to haul in 121 catches for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Those are numbers in line with what Chase accomplished last year, so he could be in the running for another Triple Crown season.
Chase is uber-talented and really has no flaws in his game. He is one of the best deep threats in the NFL, his route running is precise, and he has reliable hands. Furthermore, Tee Higgins is one of the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL, so opposing defenses can't give all of their focus to Chase.
Fantasy football receiver rankings
Ja'Marr Chase is the consensus No. 1 receiver and No. 1 overall player in fantasy football this year. His average draft position is first overall, and there will only be a handful of competitive leagues where he isn't made the top overall pick.
Chase has everything going for him, and the proof is in the pudding for how dominant of a fantasy performer he can be. The Bengals' improved offensive line should help him out even further, and Cincinnati still doesn't have a dominant running back who will take touches away from their top receiver.
At this point, it appears that only an injury could slow Chase down, and he has been reliable when it comes to staying healthy throughout his career. Chase has played in 62 of a possible 67 games during his career. The four-time Pro Bowler could be even better this year than he was last year, too, considering he missed some practice time because of a hold-in leading up to the season last year. With a full training camp and all the resources to thrive again, expect Chase to dominate fantasy football in 2025.
