James did not record a touch while appearing in three games for the 49ers in 2025.

The rookie fifth-round pick was a healthy scratch for the first 14 weeks of the regular season before being activated on special teams for the final three contests. The 49ers only deploy their top two running backs on offense, so all three of James' appearances were limited to kick coverage in 2025. James will have to prove his worth in training camp as a sophomore next season in order to return as a depth piece behind star RB Christian McCaffrey.

Farrell finished his first regular season with San Francisco grabbing 11 of 14 targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games.

Farrell signed with the 49ers in 2025 to back up TE George Kittle after playing his first four seasons with the Jaguars. Kittle wound up missing six games during the regular season, but it was third-stringer Jake Tonges who took over the injured starter's targets in those contests while generating fantasy value off the waiver wire. Farrell did catch a pair of short touchdown passes after being held out of the end zone during his four years in Jacksonville, but the volume simply wasn't enough to register even in games that Kittle missed. With a hard cap on his playing time and target potential, fantasy managers can safely ignore Farrell in 2026 drafts.

Durham brought in one of four targets for 11 yards across 17 games during the 2025 season.

Fellow tight end Ko Kieft's season-ending leg injury, which he suffered in Week 3, led to Durham being utilized almost exclusively as a blocker throughout the 2025 season. Durham was coming off a 2024 regular season where he'd posted a career-best 11-115-2 line on 14 targets across 16 games, but those numbers were almost exclusively the byproduct of No. 1 tight end Cade Otton sitting out the last three games of the campaign due to a knee injury. Durham will be playing out the final year of his rookie contract in 2026 and appears ticketed for a similar minimal pass-catching role.

Guerendo was only utilized on special teams this season, finishing with 100 kick return yards across 14 active games.

Guerendo entered his sophomore campaign with an opportunity to serve as Christian McCaffrey's primary backup, but he failed to seize the role in training camp and the team opted to trade for veteran RB Brian Robinson (92-400-2) to fill that role instead. The 25-year-old Guerendo averaged 5.0 yards per carry in his rookie season, so it was a bit surprising to see San Francisco's coaching staff give him zero carries in 2025. The Louisville product was healthy for the majority of the schedule and appeared in 14 games as a member of the special teams unit. Guerendo still has two years left on his rookie contract, but it doesn't appear that the 49ers view the running back as part of the team's long-term vision on offense.

Jones finished the regular season completing 70 percent of his pass attempts for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions across 11 games.

All of Jones' passing production came in eight spot-starts spanning Weeks 2-11 while 49ers starter Brock Purdy recovered from a turf toe injury. The 26-year-old Jones thrived under head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2025, finishing with the highest completion rate (70 percent) and average attempt distance (7.4 YPA) of his career. Despite the backup's improved play, the coaching staff was steadfast in naming Purdy the starter once he was healthy enough to suit up. Jones remains under contract with San Francisco for the 2026 season, when he'll likely serve as one of the league's best insurance policies under center. The 2021 first-round pick won't have any value in fantasy drafts -- barring a catastrophic injury to Purdy this postseason -- but Jones' improved play makes him a reliable option to stream if he is asked to start at any point next year.

Jones recorded 29 tackles (15 solo), including 7.0 sacks, and two passes defended across 17 games with Kansas City during the 2025 campaign.

Jones had one of the least productive seasons of his career, as his 29 tackles marked his lowest total since 2021, when he missed three games. However, despite the dip in production, the 2016 second-round pick still managed to lead the team in sacks once again. Jones will look to bounce back and help the Chiefs return to the playoffs during the 2026 campaign.

Cook recorded 85 tackles (50 solo) and six passes defensed in 17 games with Kansas City in 2025.

After emerging as a starter last season, Cook remained one of the Chiefs' top producers in their defensive backfield in 2025, notching new career highs in total tackles and in passes defensed. It might have been a bit disappointing that he could not come away with any interceptions, but he almost certainly did enough in the final year of his rookie deal to earn a second NFL contract and a big raise, whether that be in Kansas City or elsewhere. He is currently on track to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Karlaftis accumulated 48 tackles (25 solo), including 6.0 sacks, two pass defenses and one fumble recovery across 16 games in 2025 with the Chiefs.

The fourth-year pro looked like he was on his way to a career year after opening the season with 4.5 sacks and 20 combined tackles through the first five games of the regular season. Karlaftis wasn't able to carry that momentum for the rest of 2025, but his combined tackles were one more than his previous career high set in 2023 (across 16 regular-season games). The 2022 first-rounder signed a four-year, $93 million contract extension in July and will be a cornerstone of the Chiefs' defense for years to come.

Conner totaled 117 (75 solo), including 2.0 sacks, two passes defended, one interception and two forced fumbles across 17 games with Kansas City during the 2025 campaign.

Conner had the best season of his career, setting new personal bests in tackles and sacks while starting every game for the first time. The 25-year-old proved to be one of the Chiefs' most productive defenders, finishing second on the team in tackles behind Nick Bolton's 154 (73 solo). Conner should continue to serve as Kansas City's starting strong safety during the 2026 campaign.

Tranquill recorded 103 tackles (55 solo) including 2.0 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 17 games with Kansas City in 2025.

Tranquill was once again a steadying presence at linebacker next to Nick Bolton this season, and thanks to a higher defensive snap count (881) than last year (760), he was able to tally 100-plus tackles for the first time since 2022 with the Chargers. With that said, his per-snap tackle production was slightly down from 2024, and he was sometimes viewed as a liability in coverage. He will turn 31 in August, but he still figures to play a significant role in the Chiefs' front seven in 2026.