With all due respect to Ja’Marr Chase — a phenomenal player and everyone’s WR1 — it’s kinda wild that he’s become the consensus top overall pick in half-PPR drafts.
For as much as the game has evolved over time, we have actually not yet reached the point at which running backs and wide receivers are on equal statistical footing. There is virtually no chance that a receiver will lead the NFL in scrimmage yards in 2025. In fact, it’s happened only once during the fantasy era (Julio Jones in 2015), and it required a massive career year from one of the best to ever do it.
Even if Chase becomes the first player in league history to finish with 2000 or more receiving yards in a single season — and I’m not ruling it out — he still isn’t likely to outgain the game’s most prolific running back. In 20 of the past 30 seasons, the NFL leader in scrimmage yards has topped 2100.
Also, it’s been a full decade since a wide receiver has led the league in total touchdowns and it’s only happened three times in 35 years. Probably not happening in 2025 — technically possible, but not likely.
The best argument for Chase at the top of the board would be rooted in the contention that he is a tier-of-his-own receiver, separate from CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and everyone else. If you think Chase offers the greatest and most obvious positional edge in the game while also being a contender to lead all non-QBs in scoring, fine. It’s a game of opinions and I’d say that one is perfectly reasonable. I don’t happen to share it, but it’s not outrageous.
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