2025 Preseason Rankings

Opinion
#1

With less than a week until kickoff, it’s time to give our guy Jon some data points via our annual Preseason Rankings! It’s also time to see what each of our league members determines as important enough to include in their rankset. Is it starting lineups? # of players on their favorite NFL team? How much DAWG an owner has in them?

Last year four teams provided rankings and IanA correctly guessed the championship matchup in his rankset. Let’s see who gets it right this year…

For me, 2025 was very difficult to place teams. There’s definitely a path for all 10 squads to be playoff bound and even the first few weeks, league projections are all hovering around similar numbers. Given how close it appears some of these teams are, I expect to be decently wrong when looking back this time next year.
But you gotta put number next to the teams, so here we go!

  1. TEAM DYNASTY - @IanC - as the commissioner, my goals are to continue the wellbeing of this league through fair play and the bonding of our friendships. As a fantasy player however, my goal is to set aside the Bentley emoji and try to kick your butts every week. When the stars aligned and both Ian teams had goals that could mutually benefit one another, I’ve decided it’s time to enter my villain era. After half a decade out of the winner’s circle, I’m hopeful to have a competitive window opened up. Show me what you’ve got league.

  2. Santa Barbarians - @awmelman - last year’s finalist and previous JACKMAN champion has a young, talented squad ready to compete for years to come. Ever since the Tyreek trade, Andrew has meticulously built up a roster meant to last. Gibbs and Jefferson are the showcase pieces with Garrett Wilson and Brian Thomas giving this team plenty of top-5/10 weekly WR options. Lawrence and Purdy are quality QB options and Breece Hall is no less talented than he was entering the league, even if last season didn’t go as planned. Even his bench has Jeudy, Etienne, Bateman, Egbuka, Njoku, and Kraft to help Andrew get through bye weeks. I expect to see this team right back into the playoffs and competing every week.

  3. RunCMC (Taylor’s Version) - @chasenrogers - McCaffrey will always be the story of this team. If Christian plays a full year, this team is virtually guaranteed a top-3 spot. I have high expectations for Lamb this year as well, so I think that one-two punch is a weekly winner for Chasen’s squad. With Kittle, Metcalf, Hurts, Walker, and DJ Moore/Olave/Jennings filling out the rest of the weekly roster, we’re expecting this team to win far more than it loses. Can the 2x champion find himself back in the finals this year?

  4. Stonkz - Mike - I’m predicting worst → top half for Mike’s team this year. The last two drafts could hardly have gone better for them. From having virtually nothing to work with, Stonkz heads into the 2025 season with Jayden Daniels, Ashton Jeanty, Drake London, and Brock Bowers as anchoring players. There are plenty of weekly wins with that group right there and McLarin is returning fresh with Washington and TreVeyon Henderson has good hype out of Pats camp.

  5. Goat of All Time - @ventura - Did anyone else realize that AV has a sneaky good team this year? Here’s your starting lineup: Herbert, Jacobs, C.Brown, Puka, Ladd, Smith-Njigba, Warren, Chuba. That’s… good stuff. While not the deepest roster, this squad can essentially set-and-forget its lineup and coast to success.

  6. Draft Pick Hoarder - @ianamunrud - The rebuilding can’t actually be bad because the Burrow-Chase stack anchors the whole squad. Those two are just that good. This team’s placement is a bet on Tyreek Hill and Zay Flowers being anywhere from solid to good this year. The Judkins situation is a damper on the '25 season, but this team’s got a chance to come out of the gates on the backs of Dobbins, Javonte, and Swift having starting roles. Analysts might not love it, but a starting RB is a good way to get fantasy points. If Tyreek actually is over the hump and if one or two of the above RBs don’t find their footing, then this team will actually start achieving its secondary goal: high draft picks.

  7. Who’s Your Daddy - @jonathan - Here’s an if-then statement for you: If Josh Allen, then playoffs are in reach. J’s squad is a veteran crew featuring the likes of Evans, Kamara, Ridley, and Ekeler. If all of these players hold up and can produce the numbers we’ve seen in their careers, then the squad has a shot to climb the ranks this year. And Bucky Irving? About as good of a 3rd round fantasy draft pick as you could hope for. Plenty of ways this team gets it done…and heck Allen could just outright win Jon a few weeks here and there as well.

  8. Jrake Maye - @Alex - I’m probably too low on this team. They’re right in the mix in the whole middle of the pack. The first few weeks will set the course of this roster. With Rashee Rice suspended, will Xavier Worthy be… start-worthy? Will Nick Chubb capitalize on Mixon’s early season absence? Will Stafford’s back be alright and make Davante Adams a good weekly play? What will Travis Hunters’ rookie season look like? Is Jaylen Waddle still good at football? This team has tons of talent, but some of the chips appear to be stacked against them. On the other hand it’s hard to rule out AJ Brown, Trey McBride, and Kyren Williams…

  9. Poetry In Action - @gbhart - Saquon was phenomenal last year and James Cook went from 2 TD’s in each of his first to years to SIXTEEN TDs last year. Mixon is injured and Addison is suspended for a bit. I have worries about Saquon’s workload this year coming off a Super Bowl run. But there’s definitely a world this team is back in the mix. Barkely, Jon-Tay, and Cook could repeat their ‘24 successes and Ricky Pearsall might be the Niners’ #1 receiver. First Round pick Tet McMillan could also feast if the Panthers’ pass game takes a step up. It’s a lot of what-ifs, but all of them are totally in the realm of possibility.

  10. Milroe Baggins - @PaulDawg - I believe this will be the last time I put Paul’s team at the bottom for a while. He has a good core trending up with Nix, Harrison, Hampton, and Harvey. There are still a few holes in the starting squad, particularly at WR and the suspension to Rashee Rice for almost half of the regular fantasy season weighed heavily in this ranking. That said, I think this team is only 1 or 2 players away from competing for a playoff spot. If JJ McCarthy has a good ‘rookie’ season, Paul will have two solid QB anchors to build in his climb to the top.

#2

I agree with Ian, this year it’s really hard to rank this league! I will attempt it anyway! I feel like there are pretty clear tiers, but also anyone can jump up (or down) a tier if enough things go right (or wrong).

Tier 1: The Mega Team:

  1. Ian Charbonnet: @IanC : This is such an easy pick. Lol. I knew exactly what 2026 picks I was getting when I traded Bijan to this already stacked team. Last pick of the round. Lock it in, guaranteed. Only weakness here is TE. And that’s only if Mark Andrews doesn’t bounce back. This team has the best starting line up AND the best bench. Here’s hoping this team ages out some by the time I’m fighting with the contenders again…

Tier 2: The Other Contenders:

  1. Andrew Melton: @awmelman : This is one of only a few teams that I think can potentially beat Ian C for the championship. The WRs are ridiculous, and Gibbs is Gibbs. Also I think Breece Hall bounces back big time. There is decent depth at every position except for RB probably? ETN could be good still, but rachaad white has been regressing some? QBs aren’t exciting, but this team can make up enough points elsewhere even if neither T Law or Big :rooster: Brock don’t step up big in fantasy.

  2. Chasen Rogers: @chasenrogers : This starting lineup is even better than Melton’s…CMC if healthy, watch out. Add in great WRs, great QB, great TE, and a great guy running the team…LET’S GO! The only reason this team isn’t 2nd is because depth isn’t as good as Melton’s team, and this team has some injury prone players on it. Still…if this team is healthy, they’re definitely competing for that championship.

The next two tiers are so close they could almost be one tier.

Tier 3: Playoff Hopeful. Spoiler alert 4 teams in this tier for the last 3 playoff spots. So at least one playoff hopeful team is gonna miss out.

  1. Andrew Ventura: @ventura : This team has a solid starting lineup. I’m not personally the biggest fan of Ladd of JSN, but both had good years last year and look like they’ll probably perform again this year. I also believe one of Kyler or Justin Herbert will have a good year too. This team could be higher except the depth isn’t so good, and they are relying on a rookie TE to be the guy right away. Still, lots to be hopeful about for this team.

  2. Garrett Hart: @gbhart : If I took the overseas aspect into account I would lower this team. If I remember correctly, last year this team missed out on playoffs because of a couple roster management missed moments. But I’m ranking based on the team, and there is a lot to like about this team. The RBs are solid. Those 3 starters are capable of winning a lot of games for this team. I think Love and Stroud both stand a good chance of a bounce back year, so I think the QB position won’t be an issue. At WR relying on a lot of young guys to step up. I like this team a lot.

  3. Michael Stock: @stockypoo : Started at the bottom now we here. This starting lineup is really promising. QB and TE is solid. However, this team is too reliant upon rookie RBs that are all 3 unproved in the NFL, so it’s hard for me to put this team higher, but should be good enough for a playoff spot. And if all 3 rookies RBs hit, this team could be much higher. WR is a bit weak, but should be able to find enough good options each week to make the playoffs.

  4. Alex Johnson: @Alex : This team definitely has a good shot at the playoffs and could easily supplant one of the above teams. A solid starter at each position in Goff, Kyren, AJ, and McBride. However, the pieces around those need things to go right in order to make the playoffs. This is actually the hardest team for me to rank. I can see this team placing anywhere from 2nd to 9th. A lot can go right, but a lot could go wrong. 7 is maybe a bit low, but I’m here now so I’ll keep it where I have it.

Tier 4: Outside Chance Teams. There is a very real scenario for each of these teams to exceed expectations.

  1. Jonathan Cook: @jonathan : Josh Allen will try to carry this team on his back. Also, Kamara could always bounce back in a big way. I like Bucky, but this team needs the old guys of Kamara and Ekeler to be elite for this team to jump up the rankings. At WR it’s a similar story of needing old guys to live up to potential. Mike Evans is Mike Evans, but always a chance he hits the hill at 32. Ridley and Kupp could both have bounce back years. Honestly if every guy on this team bounces back, or breaks out, this team could be fighting for the championship, let alone playoffs. I think there’s just too many things that could go wrong for me to place this team higher.

  2. Ian Amunrud: @ianamunrud : My team is definitely in transition. Burrow and Chase are potentially good enough to bring too many wins for this rebuilding team. Diggs and Tyreek are both on the block. I expect them to have bounce back years, and for me to sell them for picks. So I’m not really including them in my analysis because I don’t plan on having them for long. RBs are finicky, at best. There’s a chance the older starters are solid or the young back ups break out, but in general I think this position is a weakness. I also have a lot of hope in rookie WRs and a rookie TE for this team to be good this year, so that’s why I have this team outside of playoffs.

  3. Paul Miyake: @PaulDawg : I agree with Ian. I don’t expect to see this team on the bottom any longer. This team has a bunch of young guns to be hopeful about and like the other teams in this tier, there is a real possibility of making the playoffs. I think RB and TE are the biggest weaknesses here. Relying on two rookie RBs and potentially a third in Blue? TE has old man Engram and also Okonkwo who could always break out into OkonkWOW. WR has a few breakout candidates. The suspension of Rashee Rice-a-Roni hurts a lot. Again, a lot to hope for for this team, but more likely to be towards the bottom than towards the top.

#3

WOOF WOOF BITCHES, I’M BACK.

That’s right, you asked for it. You waited with bated breath in anticipated. And it returns, just in time. The 2025 Jackman Dynasty League DAWG rankings have returned. As a refresher, DAWG rankings are all about the coach, and less about the team. Your team might be total trash, but if you’ve got that DAWG in you, you’re going to be way up the ranks over someone who’s just a widdle baby puppy. DAWG isn’t just a way of life though, it’s also an acronym with a specific meaning. For the forgetful:

  1. Determination – This one is fairly straightforward. How motivated is this coach to win it all this season? Is this a coach showing up to shitpost with the boys, or is this a coach who is primarily invested in going the distance?
  2. Availability – As the saying goes, the best ability is availability. Just being motivated isn’t what makes someone the ultimate DAWG. A coach who is constantly needing to play catchup or find spare time to manage their team is going to have a hard time making good use of that determination.
  3. Wisdom – A true DAWG knows where to invest and where to pull back. If you aren’t able to recognize when it’s time to cut ties with an investment, you’ll quickly find yourself knee deep in players who have no long-term or short-term value and that’s a situation no coach wants to be in.
  4. Grit – Ultimately, being a DAWG is an exercise in grit. In grinding it out. In pushing through the fear of over cautiousness and being willing to risk it sometimes for the biscuit. A true DAWG needs to know when to set conventional wisdom to the side for a moment and to go full-send.

And with that, I present the '25 season Jackman DAWG rankings.

  1. @PaulDawg - This might be shocking to some, but man am I high on Paul’s DAWG aura this year. He’s spent a few years now in the basement but he’s been biding his time. His team is young, but his spirit is hungry. He’s not afraid to bring in a degenerate if that gets him a couple weeks (between suspensions) of higher quality play. It’s a gamble that hasn’t yet paid off, but that dawg-in-him says he needs to keep grinding and Paul doesn’t disappoint. He easily checks of D and G. Despite having two kiddos now, Paul remains a staple of league conversations and his engagement is without question, earning him strong A marks. The only possible weakness in his DAWG game is the W. Oh that Elusive W. And yet, I believe. I believe that Paul can get that W and demonstrate just what an absolute DAWG he is. Look out fellas, this puppy is all grown up.

  2. @IanC - Maybe a surprise considering where he slotted in last year’s DAWG-o-meter, but I’m anticipating a dawged rebound from the Commish this year. His team is stacked, and that’s not because of complacency, that’s because the guy effortlessly demonstrates the W, G, and D. What makes him 2nd on this ranking instead of first is his continued paramourship and world traveling that may impair his complete dedication to the team. He may show me wrong, and I don’t consider his 2nd place ranking to be a big gap, but time will tell whether his priorities impact his team’s success or if his team is just too good to be bothered.

  3. Stockman - Here’s a sleeping dog that I think is just waking up. He’s spent a few years at the bottom, perhaps intentionally so, quietly and patiently rebuilding. That takes a strong D, and a splash of W, and G. Stock’s got a lot of professional responsibilities that can at times reduce his availability and tangentially pull down his D, which is what lands this rousing DAWG in the 3rd spot.

  4. @jonathan - After a season of conflict, this DAWG is back with renewed sense of purpose. He’ll probably be the first to admit his D and G took a hit last season, but man oh man does he seem BACK and ready to bark. There may be some residual hangover effects from last season that see this team in the 4 spot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed me up for ranking him so low.

  5. @ianamunrud - I really contemplated putting this perennial TOP DAWG lower on the list due to his remote location. But I think his being slotted into the 5th spot speaks to just how much latent DAWGHOOD our golden boy has. His team may be in transition, but his DAWGSHIP is eternal.

  6. @ventura - We reached the back half of the list and where DAWGs start to look a little bit more like DAWGs. Ventura’s team, despite it’s chaotic driver, always seems to surprise with its performance. After doing some reflection, I think I’ve figured out why. Despite a D, or G that leave wanting, Ventura has top tier A and W that masquerade as shithousery. What appears on the surface as a completely nonsensical drafting strategy has a suspiciously high hit rate that can only be achieved by someone with a high W factor.

  7. @awmelman - Our quiet DAWG, who lets his team do the talking. The Meltman has plenty of W, enough to share (though he doesn’t always, wise strategy in a competitive league). However, he shows less D, A, or G than other top ranked coaches. Despite his less enthusiastic DAWGedness, I fully expect his team to be once again a top contender, he just does it with quiet humility not befitting a true DAWG (and perhaps he’s a better man for it).

  8. @gbhart - Garrebear. G-man. Our brother across the big drink. This ranking has nothing to do with his team. His team is good. His ability to manage his team despite a half-day+ time difference is impressive in it’s own right. This ranking is purely a reflection of both his distance and the fact that the time zones have bitten him more than once, not of his own fault. Although Garrett is a top tier DAWG in my heart, he’s only a DAWG on the fantasy field.

  9. @Alex - Hi. It’s me. I know what you’re thinking. Wait, YOU make these ridiculous rankings. You post all the time. You stay engaged. Why on earth are you ranking yourself second to last??? This self-evaluative ranking is less about any specific flaw and more about the cumulative understanding of my capabilities. My team is a perennial mid-tier team. Never bad enough to get a top pick, never good enough to confidently be in the mix for the title. And I’ve felt this limbo dragging on myself. It’s weighed down the DAWG in me. It’s also probably a reflection of real life doggy sadness. Sorry to bring a bummer on the end of a silly ranking but I have to acknowledge that life stressors right now are taking a toll on my DAWGHOOD. I’m sure I’ll bounce back. I’ll be woofing at the head of the pack soon, but this dog is a little tired and is going to enjoy a stress-free fantasy season of questionable tactical choices.

  10. @chasenrogers - Back to back seasons as a bottom 2 DAWG. Despite this coaches emotional investment in the league and how his team does, Papa bear is going to be a daddy x2 in just a couple months, right smack dab in the middle of the season. I can’t imagine a bigger hurdle to fully expressing your DAWGness than being pulled in 14 different directions on 2 hours of sleep. It’s a tough mountain to climb and I am anticipating a continued dawg drought for the people’s champion. But hey, you know what they say, sometimes things needs to fall away to make way for better things.

#4

Vibe Rankings No Explanation

  1. Melton
  2. Ian C
  3. Stock
  4. Garrett
  5. Chasen
  6. Ian A
  7. Alex
  8. Ventura
  9. Cook
  10. Paul