Chase scored 403 PPR points last season, the fourth most ever by a wide receiver, and became the fifth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to win a receiving triple crown. In non-fantasy terms, he's been close to infallible since Cincinnati picked him fifth overall in 2021, grading out as elite in terms of speed (4.34 40), leaping (41-inch vertical), route-running and after-the-catch skills (6.2 career YAC average) -- all while sporting a denser-than-usual build (6 feet, 201 pounds) for a wide receiver. He's never averaged less than 16.4 PPR points, yet there arguably was a slight element of disappointment from a fantasy perspective before last season, as he'd been unable to maintain his frequency of big plays from 2021 (eight TDs of 30+ yards) once the Bengals started feeding him a steady diet of short targets in 2022 and 2023. It was only a matter of time before he combined both elements in a single season, although the extent to which that was true last year may not have been predicted even by Chase himself. He now enters his age-25 season as the popular No. 1 overall fantasy pick, with a near-perfect setup for continued production after he and running mate Tee Higgins finally joined QB Joe Burrow in signing long-term extensions with the Bengals. The nature of Chase's 2024 production was such that he can lose 10-20 percent of it in 2025 and still be a successful No. 1 pick, giving him plenty of leeway for regression in terms of touchdowns (17 last year) or team pass volume (38.4 attempts per game).
