It is officially draft season for the 2025 fantasy football campaign, and this former LSU Tiger should be at the top of everybody's draft boards.
Ja'Marr Chase has been an unstoppable force since getting drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals fifth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has orchestrated four 1,000-yard seasons, and already has 5,425 career receiving yards and 46 touchdowns under his belt. With fellow LSU Tiger legend Joe Burrow as his QB, Chase figures to another dominant fantasy football force in 2025.
Chase continues to shine in Cincinnati's pass-heavy offense
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chase is coming off a career season in 2025, but still just 25 years of age, it's very possible he hasn't reached his ceiling yet. The Harvey, LA native led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), and receiving yards per game (100.5) last season. He was the top wide receiver in fantasy football, leading second-place Justin Jefferson, another LSU icon, by more than 80 points. [According to ESPN](https://fantasy.espn.com/football/players/projections), Chase put together nine top-10 fantasy weeks last season, which was three more than any other receiver in the league. That kind of elite consistency is hard to come by.
He plays in an extremely pass-heavy offense, and has great chemistry with Burrow. In turn, Chase sees a ton of volume. Last season, he led the league with the most routes, targets, receptions, yards, touchdowns, and end zone targets. Burrow is looking Chase's way early and often each week, and there's no reason to expect that to change at all in 2025.
Burrow targeted Chase 175 times last season, with the pair connecting a league-high 127 times. Furthermore, LSU and Bengals fans alike are pleased to see that the chemistry between Burrow and Chase is already in [midseason form](https://deathvalleyvoice.com/lsu-fans-not-surprised-to-see-tiger-legends-joe-burrow-and-ja-marr-chase-shine-in-preseason-debut-01k23m8q3vje) this preseason.
The former four-star recruit from Archbishop Rummel High School went nuclear in Week 10 last season against the Ravens, bringing in 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns. With the performance, Chase became the first player in NFL history to record multiple games with at least 250 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With his skill set, Chase can reach these numbers on any given Sunday.
Chase possesses elite route-running, elusiveness, and athleticism. He's also been durable and reliable, playing in 62 games over his first four NFL seasons.
Cincinnati's defensive woes also help Chase in fantasy
------------------------------------------------------
The Bengals have struggled on the defensive side of the ball in recent seasons. Last season, the Bengals ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in total yards per game allowed and points per game allowed. It resulted in asking a lot of the offense, which helped Chase see so much volume.
The Bengals didn't make any significant roster moves during the offseason to revamp their defense, so Burrow and Chase figure to be involved in more high-scoring games this season.
At this point, the question isn't really why you should take Chase No. 1 overall. But rather, why wouldn't you?