As the 2025 fantasy football season comes to an end, one thing's for sure: Trevor Lawrence was worth the wait

Development curves are not always linear in sports. Sometimes, players need to struggle for extended periods before improvement comes, or greatness emerges. I know it feels like we waited for Trevor Lawrence forever.

But man, was it worth the wait.

The Jaguars head into the NFL playoffs with an overflowing bandwagon. They won their eighth straight game Sunday, rolling past the Titans, 41-7. Lawrence threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, his seventh straight week he's accounted for multiple scores. Not many fantasy leagues use Week 18 for scoring purposes, but Lawerence was at the top of the QB board by the time Sunday's early window closed.

Lawrence's stats have exploded over this winning surge. He's thrown for 2,009 yards in the eight-week sample, with 19 touchdowns against just five picks. That hashes out to a 102.65 rating and 8.2 YPA. He's also augmented his game with 187 rushing yards and four more touchdowns.

Lawrence finished as the QB4 when the fantasy regular season completed last week in most leagues. If you start the scoring in Week 5, he's only behind Josh Allen. The days of drafting Lawrence as a late-round quarterback steal are obviously over.

Lawrence's breakout season left a mark.

It took the Jaguars a while to adequately build a supporting cast around Lawrence, but the nuts and bolts fit perfectly in 2025. Jakobi Meyers was a smart mid-season acquisition, giving Lawrence a reliable target in the middle of the field. Slot receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange both took steps forward in their third seasons (they also both had touchdowns on Sunday). And the offense is all orchestrated by first-year coach Liam Coen, a respected tactician and a far cry from the Urban Meyer mistake and the last days of Doug Pederson.

It's interesting that Lawrence took this step forward despite a disjointed year from his two signature wideouts. Brian Thomas Jr. ended the year with a disappointing 48-707-2 line, and Travis Hunter looked ordinary during his seven games (28-298-1). They're both young players, of course, with plenty of time to change their own stories. If Thomas reclaims his rookie form or Hunter notably improves next year upon return from injury, Lawrence has a plausible path to being the best QB in fantasy next year.

A splash of Travis Etienne Jr. would also help the offense, if the Jaguars can re-sign him. Etienne finished as the RB9, beating his projection in seven games after the Week 8 bye. All of his per-touch metrics improved in 2025, another feather in Coen's cap. Six touchdown catches didn't hurt, either.

How much hope is there for a Justin Jefferson bounce-back in 2026?

While the Jaguars had something to play for in Week 18, several other NFL clubs were merely playing for pride. The Vikings were also aiming at a winning record, a notable accomplishment for a team that started off 4-8. Minnesota's 16-3 win over Green Bay on Sunday was mostly driven by the nasty Vikings defense, but the offense also entered the fun, unlocking Justin Jefferson for the first time in weeks.

Normally when Jefferson posts a 8-101-0 log, we don't make any notes. Star receivers are supposed to produce like that. But in this case, it was the first Jefferson start over 100 yards since Week 5 against Cleveland. Jefferson ends the year with 84 catches, 1,048 yards and just three touchdowns.

Although J.J. McCarthy wasn't able to finish Sunday's game, it was one of his better starts. He averaged 7.9 YPA and didn't have a turnover or sack. McCarthy had a YPA of 7.1 or better in each of his final four games, perhaps suggesting that the Kevin O'Connell tutelage is starting to sink in.

For a while, I was starting to view Jefferson as a third-round pick in 2026, but this late surge from McCarthy might be enough to keep Jefferson around the 1-2 wheel next year. McCarthy's fantasy value will probably repeat from last year, a plausible-upside pick in the late rounds, or a possible waiver-wire add for deeper pools.

Alec Pierce is for real

I am hesitant to call Alec Pierce a breakout player because the breakout has essentially happened already. He's led the NFL in yards per reception for two straight years, and he finished this year with a 47-1,003-6 line. He graded as a low-end WR2 in points per game, and stayed consistent no matter who the Colts used at quarterback.

Pierce is real, and he can be spectacular.

His touchdown equity will ultimately determine how high Pierce can fly. One of his scores Sunday at Houston was a trademark 66-yard bomb, helped by a miscommunication in the Texans secondary. The second score was an eight-yard catch, reminding us that Pierce doesn't have to be pigeonholed as a deep threat. He can win on the shorter routes, too.

Pierce's last two years come at the perfect time, on the eve of his free-agent window. I would be surprised if the Colts let him leave the building, but teams can't keep everyone they want. No matter where Pierce is working next season, he's probably going to be drafted as a presumable fantasy starter, real estate he's earned as he looks forward to his age-26 season. He's right in the middle of his peak.