Don’t overthink it: Ja’Marr Chase is still worth the 1.01 in your fantasy football draft

After capturing the Triple Crown in 2024, fantasy football owners were a little concerned about Ja’Marr Chase’s performance in the following season. Players who set immense statistical records often experience a drop-off in the following year, which makes sense. It would be surprising for a player who led the league in all three receiving stats to perform similarly… right?

Well, while Chase didn’t grab the Triple Crown again in 2025, he was still one of the most productive players in fantasy football. That should prove to fantasy owners that he should be a safe bet to be your first overall pick in your upcoming drafts.

Ja’Marr Chase’s 2025 fantasy football statistics

The Cincinnati Bengals’ offense was always going to be special, so long as quarterback Joe Burrow stayed healthy. So, when Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2 of the season, Ja’Marr Chase owners became extremely concerned. Despite losing his starting quarterback for more than half of the season, Chase still performed excellently for fantasy owners.

The Bengals wide receiver finished the season with an impressive stat line: 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. He was by far the most targeted wide receiver in the league last season, totaling 185 targets. While his touchdowns took a significant nosedive (17 the season prior), Chase’s performance remained relatively stable.

Chase finished the 2025 season as FantasyPros’ WR4 in PPR leagues, just behind Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua, Seattle Seahawks’ Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Bengals WR averaged 19.6 FPTS per game, finishing with 313.6 FPTS on the year.

Ja’Marr Chase’s 2026 fantasy football projections

The main thing holding back Chase’s fantasy football potential is the health of his quarterback. Burrow is undoubtedly one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, and his connection with Chase is unrivaled. However, the star quarterback has been riddled by injuries most of his career.

In the one year that Burrow was healthy, though, Chase was completely unlocked. Burrow played in all 17 games in 2024. That naturally translated to Chase having the best year in his career. He won the Triple Crown after leading the league in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708), and receiving touchdowns (17). He finished the season with 403 FPTS, blowing the competition out of the water.

It’s unreasonable to expect Ja’Marr Chase to win another Triple Crown just because Burrow is back under center. It’s also risky banking on Burrow’s health, given the star’s track record in recent years. That being said, the Bengals’ backup quarterback, Joe Flacco, did an excellent job feeding Chase when he filled in for Burrow. Chase averaged 97.4 yards on 14.4 targets per game in five games with Flacco, averaging 20.34 FPTS.

Even if you don’t believe in Burrow’s health, the fact that the Bengals have two quarterbacks who can reliably get the ball to Chase is a good reason to invest in the star wide receiver. Even then, Burrow’s turf toe injury was a freak accident that shouldn’t affect him too much coming into the 2026 season. The Bengals’ offensive line has quietly been a lot better last season, and Zac Taylor’s offense has always been a pass-heavy scheme. There are a lot of good indicators that show that Chase should still be a serious threat in fantasy leagues.

Ja’Marr Chase’s fantasy football wide receiver rankings

The current draft projections reflect Ja’Marr Chase’s immense value as a premier pass-catcher who is heavily featured in their offense. The Bengals wide receiver’s average draft position in PPR leagues was third, according to Fantasypros, just behind Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. Listed as this year’s WR1, Chase will likely be a hotly contested pick at the top of the draft.

Gibbs and Robinson are elite options, of course. That being said, Chase brings a ton of upside as your fantasy team’s centerpiece. The Bengals deploy him in multiple ways, giving him multiple touches at every zone of the field. He’s the team’s best vertical threat, while also being a problem in the quick game with his elusiveness and route-running. He also has the breakaway potential with every touch he gets. The sheer volume that the Bengals feed Chase should be a good sign for fantasy football owners looking to draft Chase with their top pick.

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