Fantasy Football's Comeback Kings: Injury-plagued stars shine

Fantasy football managers are celebrating the remarkable comeback of Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor in the 2025 season. These two star running backs, who previously missed a combined 36 games due to injuries over three seasons, have unexpectedly dominated fantasy leaderboards. They have consistently occupied the top two positions in fantasy scoring since Week 7, making them indispensable assets for playoff-bound teams.

Their resurgence is a dramatic shift from recent years, where draft-day enthusiasm for them was tempered by injury concerns. McCaffrey's average draft position was his latest since 2018, while Taylor's was also uncharacteristically late. However, this season, both have stayed remarkably healthy, participating in every game and playing a significant role in their respective offenses.

As standard leagues enter their playoffs in Week 14, McCaffrey and Taylor lead the pack in fantasy points and playoff team roster rates. Their consistent high-level performance, including multiple games with over 20 or 30 fantasy points, underscores their value. It remains to be seen if they can maintain this dominance through the fantasy championship stretch.