Fantasy Football Sleepers 2025: 32 Teams, 32 Sleepers

Our summer series on fantasy football sleepers and busts continues, now taking a team-by-team look at some of the most undervalued players in the league. Some of these will be inspired by news from the first couple weeks of training camp, while others are more in the 'no news is good news' category. A few may have even been mentioned in my recent articles surveying potential breakout players for 2025. Below you'll find my favorite fantasy football sleeper from each of the 32 NFL teams, starting in alphabetical order with the one and only Arizona Cardinals.

You may notice a wide ADP range, spanning from Jameson Williams (fourth round) to end-game picks in best ball like Elijah Mitchell or Jordan Whittington. I figure that's a better approach than forcing "sleeper" picks that I wouldn't actually draft to my own fantasy teams. For some NFL teams, like Jacksonville, I've been drafting 4-5 guys with ADPs outside the Top 100. For others, like Detroit, I haven't really ventured beyond the obvious standouts despite doing a few hundred best-ball drafts. Even so, every team has at least one player that I view as a good pick relative to ADP, with some kind of path to drastically outperforming his acquisition cost. 

The 32

• Arizona Cardinals RB Trey Benson

He didn't do much as a rookie, but Benson just recently turned 22 years old and was never a workhorse in college, so a slow-ish learning curve shouldn't be surprising. While taking the starting job outright may be too much to ask, Benson apparently is set for more playing time this season, per teammate James Conner. Benson ran a 4.39 40 at 216 pounds at the 2024 Combine, making him both faster and heavier than average for an NFL starting RB. It sounds like 

• Atlanta Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier

This is another injury-dependent fantasy football sleeper, but he's one of the two or three safest bets among backup RBs to take on a huge workload in the event the starter ahead of him is injured. Allgeier also happens to be a good player, with plenty of starting experience to boot, and the Falcons have a top-10 offensive line (arguably Top 5). Allgeier's ADP doesn't necessarily reflect much of that, in part because Bijan Robinson hasn't missed a game due to injury since his 2021 sophomore season at Texas. Robinson has the right running style and build to continue handling large workloads, but any player getting 20-plus touches per week remains vulnerable to the torn ligaments and broken bones that can end his season (and potentially spark a teammate's breakthrough).

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• Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely

Likely's ADP is plummeting amid reports of a foot injury and now surgery, but we weren't drafting him in the first place for what was expected in the early part of the season. Much of Likely's value comes from the possibility of what he might do if Mark Andrews were to miss time or be traded. Reports suggest Likely is facing a six-week recovery timeline from late July, making him unlikely to play Week 1 but still expected back before mid-season.

• Buffalo Bills WR Joshua Palmer

Palmer is no superstar, but it sounds like he and Keon Coleman will at least provide an upgrade on Buffalo's lackluster perimeter-WR situations from last year. If one of the two emerges solidly ahead of the other, it could be worth 6-8 targets per week — targets from MVP quarterback Josh Allen, no less. It's a situation where Palmer can crush his late-round ADP if he just plays reasonably well; he doesn't even have to be anything special.

• Carolina Panthers TE Ja'Tavion Sanders

WR Tetairoa McMillan might be considered a sleeper in redraft leagues on Yahoo, ESPN and Sleeper — where his ADP and default ranks are outside the Top 50 — but he's going much earlier in high stakes and best-ball leagues, typically in the fourth round. Meanwhile, the Panthers may still have room for a second fantasy-relevant pass catcher if Bryce Young's improvement late last season was even a little bit for real. Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette are the conventional choices to be that second guy, but Sanders has his own argument, considering he's 22 years old, a recent fourth-round pick and had 4.69 speed (2024 Combine).

• Chicago Bears TE Colston Loveland

Loveland and WR Luther Burden come relatively cheap in drafts even though they're early draft picks joining an offense widely projected for huge improvement. It's reasonable enough to be concerned about volume in an offense with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, but the truth is that we're drafting Loveland and Burden for the small chance they're so good that none of it matters by mid-season. Middle scenarios (and floor scenarios) don't matter much with guys who aren't even being drafted in the Top 100.

• Cincinnati Bengals RB Tahj Brooks

Brooks is merely a sixth-round pick, but his profile might have garnered mid-round compensation in a lesser draft for RBs, and he did well to land in one of the league's thinnest backfields. The Bengals even cut Zack Moss (neck) at the end of July, leaving only Samaje Perine as serious competition for backup snaps behind Chase Brown. While neither a burner nor a Mack truck, Brooks has decent speed (4.52), a stout build (5-foot-9, 214 pounds at the Combine) and a track record of massive college production (4,557 rushing yards in five years at Texas Tech).

• Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford

Ford isn't the most instinctive runner, but his combination of speed, passing-game skills and decent size (210 pounds) starts to look pretty good when the rest of the RBs on your roster have 99 combined carries in the NFL. He also looks good for fantasy managers with zero-RB teams that desperately need someone startable for Week 1. Even if rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson eventually overtake him — hardly a guarantee — Ford can be a helpful pick at his late ADP if he gives us even a few decent weeks as a starter. This is a case where we can draft multiple RBs from the same team even, with all looking like solid picks and going well outside the Top 100 (ever since Judkins' arrest torpedoed his ADP and boosted Ford/Sampson's).

• Dallas Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue

Blue brings 4.38 speed to a backfield where that alone might make him the best choice for certain snaps. And he reportedly got significant first-team work for the first time July 30, perhaps marking the start of his challenge to Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Blue had a 42-368-6 receiving line at Texas last season, but it remains to be seen if he'll show enough competence as a blocker to get on the field for a lot of pass situations.

• Denver Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins

RJ Harvey is the one with upside, but Dobbins could be another player like Ford who ends up helping fantasy teams with a need in September even if things don't work out in the long run. There's also a scenario where Harvey struggles with pass blocking, the playbook, etc., and then Dobbins ends up playing a ton of snaps in what should be a solid offense. The ADPs here are reasonable enough to draft both Dobbins and Harvey, be it on the same team or spread across multiple rosters.

• Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams

There's no real "sleeper" on a team where nearly all of the volume projects to go to star players with top-80 ADPs. But there is some chance people are still sleeping on Williams when it comes to the possibility of taking another big step forward after his 2024 breakout. While the situation makes it difficult to project a big volume increase, offseason chatter and ADP hint at the possibility of Williams taking more targets away from Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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• Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden

Golden is a first-round pick with 4.29 speed who landed on a team with an excellent coach, a competent quarterback and no clear No. 1 receiver. That sounds like someone who might be picked in the sixth round, but Golden's ADP is more commonly found in the seventh or eighth, in part because some viewed him as a reach at 23rd overall on draft day. In any case, he seems to be adjusting well and getting first-team reps already:

How do these player stack up against the rest of the NFL? Visit our fantasy football rankings for a list of the top players for the remainder of the season.

• Houston Texans WR Jayden Higgins

While the offensive line remains a concern, Houston has the QB and weapons to put up numbers if new offensive coordinator Nick Caley proves an upgrade on Bobby Slowik. It may not be long before Higgins ranks second among those weapons, bringing 4.47 speed in a 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame, with elite college production to boot — 2,166 receiving yards in 26 games at Iowa State. He seemed to work mostly with Davis Mills and the second-team offense in the opening days of training camp, but recent footage and reports show Higgins catching more passes from C.J. Stroud in team drills. It won't come as any surprise if the 34th overall pick is already starting and playing 45-plus snaps per game in September.

• Indianapolis Colts RB DJ Giddens

There are a lot of rookie RBs on this list, in part because it's a strong draft class for the position, which meant there were some guys with mid-round-type profiles who lasted well into Day 3. Giddens is arguably one of those, landing in Indy as a fifth-round pick (151st overall) after back-to-back seasons at Kansas State with more than 1,200 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards. Now competing with Khalil Herbert and Tyler Goodson for backup roles, Giddens could find himself handling huge workloads in the event of a Jonathan Taylor injury.

• Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

Full disclosure: I'm a believer in Lawrence and think he's much better than his numbers suggest. He's dealt with horrific coaching throughout his career, and while playing behind offensive lines that ranged from mediocre to arguably league-worst. The blocking remains a concern — although it should be improved from last year — but the real cause for optimism here is new Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who just oversaw a 4,500-yard, 41-TD campaign from Baker Mayfield. 

That doesn't mean Coen will succeed as a head coach in the long run, but it does mean Lawrence will be in a much better scheme than what he worked with under Doug Pederson and Press Taylor. Getting away from Urban Meyer allowed Lawrence to show he could play at an NFL level. Escaping Pederson and Taylor may push him to show something beyond that." And Travis Hunter will help, likely taking snaps in the most important situations even if he isn't a full-time guy.

• Kansas City Chiefs RB Elijah Mitchell

This is only a deep-league play, at least for now, given that Mitchell isn't even a lock for a roster spot. Reports out of camp have Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt taking most of the first-team reps, with Mitchell and rookie seventh-round pick Brashard Smith mixing in some. The appeal here is that Mitchell might be the best pure runner of the bunch, giving him a path to fantasy relevance if probable starter Isiah Pacheco suffers an injury or hasn't regained his explosiveness. Recall the second half of last season, when a post-injury Pacheco and 29-year-old Hunt were splitting snaps and rarely earning yardage beyond what was blocked. The Chiefs hope Pacheco regains his explosiveness after putting a full offseason between himself and the leg fracture, but there's some chance that doesn't happen and Mitchell instead becomes the only RB that can handle multiple tasks and earn yardage beyond what's blocked.

• Las Vegas Raiders WR Jack Bech

This is another offense where it's tough to pick a sleeper because it's so easy to project where they want the volume to go with a top-heavy group of skill players. Bech might not fit in well with everyone healthy, but he could find himself in a much bigger role if Jakobi Meyers or Brock Bowers misses time. Fourth-round pick Dont'e Thornton is getting more first-team snaps than Bech, but it's the latter who is more likely to convert routes into targets and points if given the opportunity. Even if Thornton plays a lot, he'll likely be running a lot of-clear routes and seeing no more than 4-5 targets per game. 

• Los Angeles Chargers WR Tre Harris

The Chargers' other rookie wideout, fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith, has been getting a lot of the buzz this summer, especially after scoring a TD in the Hall of Fame Game. There's enough smoke that the fire may be real, but Harris still has time to build his own hype train, competing with only Quentin Johnston (and maybe Lambert-Smith?) for WR snaps alongside Ladd McConkey. Playing with Justin Herbert boosts the odds of strong efficiency numbers, and the passing-game volume could be better than expected on account of whatever is going on with Najee Harris (eye).

• Los Angeles Rams WR Jordan Whittington

This is another deep-league-only play, with Whittington and Tutu Atwell competing for the No. 3 receiver job in an offense where Puka Nacua and Davante Adams figure to combine for at least half the targets when both healthy. The Rams might roll with Atwell's speed over Whittington's size and YAC skills, but Whittington is the one that has potential to actually convert routes into a strong target rate and consistent PPR points. He'd probably need an injury to Nacua or Adams in order for that to happen, which is why Whittington is a name to keep in mind for waivers rather than a draft pick (unless you're in a deep league with 200-some picks).

• Miami Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright

This is a nearly identical case to that of Trey Benson. Wright's rookie year was a disappointment, averaging 3.7 yards across 68 carries while De'Von Achane stayed healthy for all 17 games. Patience is in order, however, considering Wright is younger than many players from the incoming rookie class — he turned 22 this April — and ran a 4.38 40 at 210 pounds. He's also looking at weak competition for backup work, up against Alexander Mattison and sixth-round pick Ollie Gordon this summer. Benson might have been a slightly better prospect, but Wright's probably in a better situation — one where's at least some chance for multiple RBs to produce fantasy-starter numbers simultaneously. 

• Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison

Given precedent from similar cases and the timing of everything, I'm guessing Addison will be suspended for Weeks 1-3. That's not ideal if you're drafting him, but in most formats it's better than a suspension later on in the year, at which point bye weeks become a factor and our other WRs are more likely to be out with injuries. Addison should be back by then, hoping to pick up where he left off in late 2024 before the Minnesota offense crashed. He had just 29 yards on 14 targets over the final two games, including playoffs, but that was after a seven-game stretch in which he scored seven TDs and averaged 5.9 catches for 82.4 yards (8.6 targets). If J.J. McCarthy proves to be a franchise quarterback, Addison won't need long to elevate to the Tee Higgins tier of WR2s.

• New England Patriots WR DeMario Douglas

A personal favorite of mine, Douglas might be largely limited to the slot on account of his 5-foot-8 frame, but that shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of athleticism. He has a stout build, listed at 192 pounds, and ran a 4.44 40 at the 2022 Combine. After two years of poor coaching and QB play, Douglas finds himself working with OC Josh McDaniels and QB Drake Maye in what could suddenly be a very friendly offense for slot-receiver volume. There's opportunity for WR3 production at a WR6 ADP, given Douglas' combination of smooth route-running and strong YAC skills.

• New Orleans Saints RB Devin Neal

The Saints are counting on another year or two out of Alvin Kamara, who turned 30 in July. If Kamara's body doesn't cooperate, the Saints have an uninspired list of alternatives that includes Kendre Miller, Cam Akers and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The only one with upside is Neal, another one of those 2025 late-round picks who arguably had a mid-round profile. A 4.58 40 at the combine likely hurt him, sending Neal to the sixth round after three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Kansas. There's no clear hole in his game apart from the lack of straight-line speed.

• New York Giants RB Cam Skattebo

You won't find much track record of success from 23-year-old rookie RBs who were late breakouts in college and couldn't break 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. But if we're looking for exceptions to rules, a good place to start is players that have already done things at the upper limits of what is possible/probable, e.g., a 4.3 40 time or 2,000-yard rushing season. Skattebo didn't run for 2,000 yards, but he did manage 1,711 on the ground and another 605 through the air for Arizona State last year, leaving a trail of bruised and battered defenders in his wake. The combination of size, power, instincts, toughness and passing-down skills may allow Skattebo to become a quality lead back in the NFL even if he's a half-step slower than any of the other starting RBs.

• New York Jets TE Mason Taylor

Drafted 42nd overall, Taylor is already running with the starters and has a real chance to rank second on the Jets in both routes and targets as a rookie. Reports out of camp also have WRs Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson getting a lot of first-team work, which could put Taylor (and Garrett Wilson) on the field with two wide receivers that have plenty of NFL experience and have never converted snaps/routes into targets at a high rate. It's a situation where Taylor could get a handful of targets per game even if the Jets are often south of 30 pass attempts.

• Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert

Goedert has averaged between 5.2 and 5.9 targets per game in six consecutive seasons, catching at least two-thirds of his targets of every year and up to 80 percent in recent seasons. He's never finished below 3.9 catches or 40.5 yards per game in the six-year stretch, serving as a mid-range TE1 for fantasy when available. The issue is that Goedert missed multiple games each of those years, logging 10-15 regular-season appearances every year. That can be frustrating, but I still think the per-game production makes him a steal relative to his 2025 ADP in the 11th-13th rounds.

• Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren

Kaleb Johnson may take all of Najee Harris' old role, or perhaps even earn a larger one. Or, the rookie could struggle and fail to earn Aaron Rodgers' trust, in which case Warren's usage might spike to career-high levels. We already know Warren is a solid player, and also a versatile one, with strong passing-down skills and a stout, 215-pound frame. He won't break many long runs, but he's probably capable of handling 20 touches and 45-50 snaps per week if the Steelers end up needing it.

• San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings

Jennings was one of the statistical oddities of 2024, with his target rate and per-route stats soaring close to elite range after three straight seasons (2021-23) in which he topped 300 snaps but wasn't targeted much. Regression is likely ahead, but Jennings can survive it and still be a good pick at ADP if his target rate drops to the low 20s rather than back into the teens. (Jennings drew targets on 28.8 percent of routes last season, seventh best among qualified WRs and nearly double his 15.1 percent mark from 2023.)

• Seattle Seahawks TE Elijah Arroyo

The Seahawks released Noah Fant at the start of camp, leaving Arroyo (a rookie second-round pick) to compete with AJ Barner (2024 fourth-rounder) and veteran blocking specialist Eric Saubert. A Week 1 starting role may not be in the cards, but Arroyo has a chance to start off as the passing-down specialist in a committee and earn more snaps/routes from there. He's a few notches above Barner in terms of speed and fluidity, although the Seahawks reportedly like Barner's blocking.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White

He can't match Bucky Irving as a runner, but White's combination of size, experience and receiving skills means there's still upside for huge workloads if the 195-pound Irving misses time. Fun stat: White has caught at least 86.2 percent of his targets in each NFL season, with 165 catches and four drops on 185 career targets. 

• Tennessee Titans WR Elic Ayomanor

After handling a dominant share of Stanford's passing game the past two years, Ayomanor finds himself in another offense desperate for playmakers. He was merely a fourth-round pick this spring, but his profile reads more like Day 2 stuff, and the Titans have wide-open competition for WR roles behind Calvin Ridley in an offense that sunk big-time resources into the QBs and OL the past few offseasons.

• Washington Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

It's only right that we end with a rookie running back. Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round pick, has apparently made a huge impression at training camp, unbothered by a long layoff from football after eligibility issues limited him to one game at Arizona last season. He's pushing Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez for the No. 3 RB job behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, who are hardly an infallible duo atop the depth chart.

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