Purple Reign has written about many different aspects that contribute to fantasy success and Joe Arpasi goes in-depth with many of these areas through his various articles series. The “My Guys” article series shines a spotlight on CFF players that Joe Arpasi is willing to put his stamp of approval on and are players that he looks to target in every fantasy draft. These players feature multiple aspects of fantasy success that Joe Arpasi hangs his hat on. The players featured in this article series should become your primary draft targets for the 2025 season.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Roberts will be entering his fifth season at BYU this fall. He scored 132 fantasy points in 2024 with 51 receptions for 805 yards and 4 TDs. He’s also received 75 targets in each of the last two seasons. He returns as the WR1 in a BYU offense that features the #38 CFF Coaching System for POWR3 receivers. Jake Retzlaff returns for his second season as the starting quarterback, and also receives support on the ground from third year starting running back LJ Martin. Roberts’ greatest fantasy strength is his Schedule Pairing value, being highlighted six times. The BYU passing Strength Of Schedule features a B grade for season long, A- for first month of the season, and B+ for the fantasy playoffs.
Johnson was selected as a Flyer option for 2025. While the likely WR2 behind Mississippi State transfer Kevin Coleman, he’ll benefit from playing in the #25 CFF Coaching System for POWR3 receivers. Transfer running back Ahmad Hardy brings balance to the offense, one which features a CFF Coaching System that ranks #14 for Workhorse running backs. Beau Pribula is another transfer and looks to have the lead in the quarterback position battle. Johnson also is a strong Schedule Pairing option, being mentioned six times. Missouri’s passing Strength Of Schedule fades as the season goes on though. They received a grade of a B+ for the first month, B for season long, and a B – for the playoffs.
Johnson was highlighted as a Flyer option for 2025. The new Lobos offense features a CFF Coaching System that ranks #14 for POWR3 receivers and #19 for Target Magnet wide receivers. The supporting cast around Johnson is either limited, inexperienced, or both. It’s a good thing that Johnson is the most talented player in the offense since he will likely have to carry the offense on his back this season. Johnson doesn’t have much Schedule Pairing value as he was only mentioned one time. There’s a good chance New Mexico will be playing from behind this year, and their passing Strength Of Schedule gives them a chance to hang in there as they received a B- grade for season long, first month, and the playoffs.
Chester was featured as a Flyer option for 2025. The new Southern Miss passing game features a CFF Coaching System that ranks #7 in Target Magnet wide receivers and #6 in POWR3 receivers. Chester will have help from a deep receiver room highlighted by Micah Davis, Elijah Metcalf, Charles Montgomery, and Tychaun Chapman. Braylon Braxton will be taking over the quarterback position this fall and he will love having such a deep set of receivers to throw to. The running back position is still up for grabs going into fall camp. The weakest part of Chester’s resume is his passing Strength Of Schedule. Southern Miss received a C+ grade for season long, first month, and the playoffs.
Henry was selected as a Flyer option for 2025. The Western Kentucky passing game is always worth investing in as the CFF Coaching System ranks #3 for Pocket Passer quarterbacks, #8 for Target Magnet wide receivers, and #3 for POWR3 receivers. Maverick McIvor transfers in with the new offensive coordinator to provide talent and experience to this offense. Receivers KD Hutchinson, Jarius Mack, Moussa Barry, and tight end Noah Meyers will provide plenty of support for Henry in the passing game. Henry has tremendous Schedule Pairing value as I featured him six times. The Western Kentucky passing Strength Of Schedule got a B+ grade for season long and first month of the season, and a B- for the playoffs (note a week 13 match-up with LSU).
MY GUYS
Williams was featured as a Riser option for 2025. Alabama wide receivers are good to have as Alabama’s CFF Coaching System ranks #12 in Target Magnet wide receivers and #12 in POWR3 receivers. Williams gets support from fellow receivers Isaiah Horton, Germie Bernard, and Lotzier Brooks. Ty Simpson will take over under center and will provide the offense a better pocket passer compared to last year. Running back Jam Miller will lead a rushing attack that will force defenses to remain balanced against this Alabama offense. Alabama’s passing Strength Of Schedule stays in the B grade range. They were handed a B- for season long, and a B for first month of the year and the playoffs.
After scoring a total of 83 fantasy points from 2022-2023, Tyson had a breakout 2024 with 203 fantasy points. He was especially hot down the stretch averaging 12.4 targets, 8.8 receptions, 126.2 yards and 1.2 TDs per game over the last five games of the season. He sat out of the playoffs with a collarbone injury but he is fully healthy for 2025. Last year’s starting quarterback Sam Leavitt returns to keep the chemistry going between these two. Receiver Jalen Moss was brought in to provide support alongside returning tight end starter Chamon Metayer. The ground game has two talented rushers this season in Kanye Udoh and Kyson Brown. I love the passing Strength Of Schedule in the Big XII as Arizona State was handed a B+ grade for season long and the playoffs, and an A- for he first month of the season.
Coleman was selected as a Riser option for 2025. Auburn made the most of this offseason to upgrade the firepower in the passing game. They brought in Jackson Arnold to take over the quarterback position. They also signed receiver Eric Singleton to pair with returning receivers Malcolm Simmons and signed freshman sensation Sam Turner. The ground game has a stable of backs that can all carry the ball with transfer Durrell Robinson, returning backs Damari Alston & Jeremiah Cobb, and true freshman Alvin Henderson. The Auburn passing Strength Of Schedule is adequate, getting a B- for season long, and a B for first month and the payoffs (team does have a bye in Week 12).
Camreron lead the team leading in receiving during the 2024 season. His 161 fantasy points is a reflection of inconsistent touchdown production. That inconsistency was due in large part to the quarterback position at the start of the season. Cameron scored less than 10 fantasy points in three of the first four games, then Sawyer Robertson took over the starting quarterback job in late September. He and Cameron built a connection with each other and Cameron scored 18+ fantasy points in five of the last nine games of the season. Robertson is back for 2025, and so is starting running back Bryson Washington. Cameron is a strong Schedule Pairing option that I mentioned five times. While I think Baylor’s passing Strength Of Schedule is a little weak for Big XII teams, its still good enough to make this list. They received a B- grade for season long and the first month, and a B for the fantasy playoffs.
Brown was highlighted as a Riser option for 2025. This is just the second season for Duke’s new offense which underachieved last year, but this CFF Coaching System still ranks #18 for Pocket Passer quarterbacks, #20 for Workhorse running backs, and #27 for POWR3 receivers. Darian Mensah comes in from Tulane and will provide a much needed upgrade at the quarterback position. Wide receivers Sahmir Hagans, Andrel Anthony, Cooper Barkate, and tight end Landen King will surround Brown in the offense. It’s too early to tell how much the running game will contribute as there is a logjam in the depth chart heading into fall camp. From a Schedule Pairing standpoint Brown is a decent option that I highlighted three times. The passing Strength Of Schedule for Duke lays out decently, receiving a B- grade for season long, first month of the year, and the playoffs.
Smith was featured as a Riser option for 2025. The receiver room has quality support for Smith in Jaquaize Pettaway, Anthony Smith, and Jyron Waiters which will all have a chance to contribute in the #36 CFF Coaching System for POWR3 receivers. Katin Houser will return under center but the running back room is still trying to sort itself out. Whoever wins the starting running back job should benefit from the #18 CFF Coaching System for Workhorse running backs. Smith was only featured one time as a Schedule Pairing option. I really like the way the passing Strength Of Schedule for East Carolina plays out. They received a B+ grade for the first month of the year and season long, and a B- grade for the playoffs.
Messer was selected as a Nuclear Option for 2025. The move to Florida Atlantic should be fruitful as this CFF Coaching System ranks #16 for Target Magnet wide receivers and #10 for POWR3 receivers. While being the standout star of this receiver core, he’ll have support from Sean “JR” Wilson and George Johnson. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp takes over at quarterback in a CFF Coaching System that is #8 for Pocket Passer quarterbacks. The Florida Atlantic passing Strength Of Schedule is a little weak though. The first month of the year is the best with a B- grade, but season long is a C+, and the fantasy playoffs only gets a C grade.
Sowell was highlighted as a Riser option for 2025. The Iowa State offense has been improving their passing game, with this CFF Coaching System now ranking #23 in Target Magnet wide receivers and #30 for POWR3 receivers. Slot receiver Xavier Townsend transfers in from UCF to strength up the receiving core and Rocco Becht returns under center to provide stability at the quarterback position. While this CFF Coaching System ranks #20 in High Volume tight ends, it’s likely that Gabe Burkle and Banjamin Brahmer will split time. The running back position is split too, with Carson Hansen and Abu Sama sharing the workload. The Iowa State passing Strength Of Schedule received a B+ for the first month of the season, and a B for season long and the playoffs (team does have a bye in Week 12).
Bell was selected as a Riser option for 2025. As the likely WR1 in the offense I love that this CFF Coaching System is #1 for Target Magnet wide receivers. Receivers Caullin Lacy, Antonio Meeks, and tight end Nate Kurisky provide plenty of pass catching targets for transfer quarterback Miller Moss. Moss will see a bump in his fantasy production now that he’s playing in the #11 CFF Coaching System for pocket passer quarterbacks. The backfield is loaded with returning starter Isaac Brown back and uber talented Duke Watson backing him up. Bell was mentioned six times as a Schedule Pairing option, providing great fantasy value. Louisville’s passing Strength Of Schedule starts great then wanes as the year goes on. They received an A- grade for the first month of the year, a B+ for season long, and a B- for the playoffs.
Lee was selected as a Riser option for 2025. Austin Simmons comes into his first season as the signal caller where he and Lee will have a solid supporting cast around them. Oklahoma State transfer De’Zhaun Stribling will make an immediate impact with Harrison Wallace providing depth. This CFF Coaching System ranks #5 for High Volume tight ends despite typically utilizing two guys, where returning starter Daequan Wright and transfer Luke Hasz will be this year’s two-man crew. The running backs are highlighted by Kewan Lacy and Troy transfer Damien Taylor. I’m a huge fan of Lee’s Schedule Pairing value as I highlighted him a whopping eight times. This passing Strength Of Schedule is darn good for an SEC team with a B+ grade for season long, first month, and the playoffs (team does have a bye in Week 13).
Key was featured as a Riser option for 2025. Moving to Nebraska will pay off big time for Key as he steps into the WR1 role of a CFF Coaching System that is #9 in Target Magnet wide receivers and #9 in POWR3 receivers. Nebraska returns its leading receiver from 2024 in Jacory Barney, and adds depth with Nyziah Hunter and Cortez Mills. Dylan Raiola is an NFL caliber quarterback and he enters his second year as the starter. Running back Emmett Johnson also returns as provides the offense an effective pass catcher out of the backfield. Key was only mentioned twice as a Schedule Pairing option, and that has to due with Nebraska’s passing Strength Of Schedule. While season long graded out with a B+, they received a B for the first month and a C for the fantasy playoffs (team does have a bye in Week 12).
Burks was selected as a Riser option for 2025. Burks will be the benefactor of a CFF Coaching System that is #11 for Target Magnet wide receivers and #8 for POWR3 receivers. There are other receivers that will provide support in Javonnie Gibson, Zion Kearney, Jayden Gibson, and Joshua Martin. Last season’s fantasy QB1 John Mateer transfers into Oklahoma where he is already familiar with this CFF Coaching System that is #3 for Dual-Threat quarterbacks and #2 for Pocket Passer quarterbacks. Last year’s starting running back Jovantae Barnes returns and the team brought in Jayden Ott from California as well. Oklahoma’s passing Strength Of Schedule is it’s Achilles’ heel. They received a B+ grade for the first month of the year, then things drop down to a C+ for season long and the playoffs.
McAlister was featured as a Nuclear Option for 2025. He plays in an offense which has a CFF Coaching System that ranks #14 for Target Magnet wide receivers and #11 for POWR3 receivers. Joseph Manjack, Jordan Dwyer, Major Everhart, and Jordyn Bailey will all be looking to contribute at receiver. There’s even more pass catching support from tight ends Ka’Morreun Pimpton and D’Andre Rogers who are battling for the starting job in the #2 CFF Coaching System for High Volume tight ends. Josh Hoover comes back for his second year as the starting quarterback and the running back position will enter fall camp as an active position battle. The TCU passing Strength Of Schedule comes in with a B grade for season long, B+ for first month, and a B- for the fantasy playoffs.
Dawn was highlighted as a Riser option for 2025. Playing in the #19 CFF Coaching System for POWR3 receivers means that Beau Sparks and Tyrin Smith are bound to take pressure off of Dawn. The team is looking to break in a new quarterback that can get these receivers the football. Lincoln Pare and Torrance Burgess will be a handful for defenses to stop in the running game. Dawn is a decent Schedule Pairing option, being featured four times. The best thing about Dawn’s fantasy outlook is the passing Strength Of Schedule. Texas State gets an A- grade for season long and first month, and a B+ grade for the fantasy playoffs.
Vandeross was selected as a Riser option for 2025. Quarterback Tucker Gleason returns as the starter in the #13 CFF Coaching System for Dual-Threat quarterbacks. The rushing game received a major upgrade with Kentucky transfer Chip Trayanum. Wide receivers Trayvon Rudolph and Thomas Crosby will provide back-up for Vandeross when attacking opposing secondaries. Since Vandeross was only mentioned one time he doesn’t bring much Schedule Pairing value to the table. Playing in the MAC means that Toledo will have a favorable passing Strength Of Schedule. They received a B- grade for season long, but gets a B+ for the first month and the playoffs.
Amador was featured as a Flyer option for 2025. He will be challenged for the WR1 role in the offense by Devin McCuin and both of these players want to take full advantage of the #25 CFF Coaching System for Target Magnet wide receivers. This CFF Coaching System also ranks #10 for Pocket Passer quarterbacks and Owen McCown returns for his second year as the starter. There are a couple of tight end targets in this offense as well with Houston Thomas and Patrick Overmyer. The running back room is stacked with the likes of Robert henry, John Emery, and A’Marion Peterson. Amador brings extra fantasy value to the table, being mentioned five times as a Schedule Pairing option. The UTSA passing Strength Of Schedule gets a B grade for first month and season long, and a B- for the playoffs.
Mays was selected as a Handcuff option for 2025. I believe that all the buzz he got in spring camp is a positive sign that he will emerge as the WR1 in a CFF Coaching System that ranks #13 for Target Magnet wide receivers. The quarterback position is still up for grabs heading into fall camp but the eventual winner will also have Carlos Hernandez, Karate Brenson, and Christopher Barnes to throw the ball to. The star of the Wake Forest offense is running back Demond Claborne who can make the most out of the passing game. Fake Forest will likely be playing from behind for much of the season but their passing Strength Of Schedule is accommodating. They earned a B grade for the first month of the year, a B- for season long, and a B+ for the playoffs.
Green was highlighted as a Flyer option for 2025. He joins Denzel Boston, Omar Evans, and Rashid Williams in a CFF Coaching System that ranks #22 for Target Magnet wide receivers, and #13 for POWR3 receivers. The dangerous dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams will enter his first full season as the starting quarterback, and running back Jonah Coleman returns in a CFF Coaching System that ranks #17 for PPR running backs. To cap off the support that Green will have, there is a trio of tight ends in Decker DeGraaf, Quentin Moore, and Ryan Otton. Since Green was only mentioned one time he doesn’t bring much Schedule Pairing value. Washington has a fantastic passing Strength Of Schedule receiving a B+ grade for season long, first month, and the playoffs.