Fantasy Football 2025 – Sleepers, breakouts and busts
While the season of Fantastic Football Draft is getting closer and closer, it is time for our annual predictions of sleepers, busts and players in small groups. The interpretations of the terms can vary for everyone, but here are the definitions for our ends:
• Sleeper: A player who is neglected and will surpass his average recovery position (ADP) in 2025.
• Make out: A highly appreciated player who will underestimate in 2025, compared to his ADP / ranking.
• Burst: A player who will set up the best career figures in 2025 and will have a huge impact.
Stéphania Bell,, Matt Bowen,, Mike Clay,, Tristan H. Cockcroft,, Daniel DoppTyler Fulghum, Eric Karabell,, Eric Moody And Field Yates Everyone contributed a sleeper and a bust for the main offensive positions, as well as a candidate for rupture. You can find their choices below, as well as their analysis and their ideas on a selection of players who felt the most passionate in each category.
Publisher’s note: This story will be updated throughout the pre-season.
Jump: Dormants | Busts | Eruption
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Crosspiece
Cockcroft: While we have not seen anything yet JJ McCarthy At this level, when he missed all his recruit season recovering from several knee surgeries, he is in one of the best situations of his position to succeed. The offensive scheme of coach Kevin O’Connell strongly favors the quarter-rear, with the position on average of 17.8 fantasy points per game (it’s 302.4 in a season of 17 games) during his three years in the role. And McCarthy has one of the most talented groups of receptor, led by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ HoClenson, with whom to work.
Bowen: At 6 feet 1 inch, 224 pounds with acceleration and a vision in a straight line, Kaleb Johnson is an easy adjustment for the Pittsburgh outdoor area. He had 21 rushes of 20 yards or more last season at Iowa – the second at the most of the country behind Ashton Jeanty – and he can publish reception numbers on swings, screens and indexes. Johnson will share the rear field with Jaylen Warren, but the volume early in a heavy offense can push him into the RB2 ranks.
Karabell: Some could fade Travis Hunter In fantasy due to the concern of potential clichés as a double -meaning player, but the jaguars seem more likely to use it in attack rather than in the corner. Hunter offers an immediate upward WR2, with a skilled QB in Trevor Lawrence and a legitimate WR1 in Brian Thomas Jr. attracting more attention, and a strange fraction of the cost according to figures from the start of the ADP (Thomas 19.0, Hunter 68.6).
Clay: The 10th choice of April draft, COLSTON Loveland A ton of competition for targets in Chicago, but it could very well demand a generous part from the start, if it proves the real matter. In collaboration with the new coach Ben Johnson and the second year QB Caleb Williams, Loveland could certainly make his way to align the locking status during his recruit campaign. The tight bits of recruits generally had trouble having impacts of year 1, but times could change, since a first year player punctuated the position of each of the last two seasons (Sam Laporta, Brock Bowers).
Busts
Dopp: Baker MayfieldThe ADP is between QB6 and QB7, which means that you probably write it on its ceiling (unless you thought he would have better Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson this season). With the attacking coordinator Liam Coen now the Jacksonville jaguars head coach and the questions surrounding Chris Godwin (injury) and Mike Evans (age), I prefer to write someone with a little more margin in their value.
Fulghum: James Cook Screams regression candidate in 2025, in particular with its ADP hovering around RB10 to RB12. Despite the marking of a TDS combined in total during its first two seasons, Cook exploded in 2024 with 18 TD in total – including a leader in League 16 on the field. While Josh Allen continues to dominate the work of the goal line and the second year RB Ray Davis earning more opportunities, the touched cook rate compared to his volume of keys is simply not durable.
Yates: DJ Moore is an excellent player who has shown himself a fantasy star. I am optimistic about the QB Caleb Williams under the supervision of Ben Johnson and I think this offense could make a leap, but Moore’s prospects have a little uncomfortable. The Bears have selected the winger tight Colston Loveland and the Luther Burden III receiver with their first two choices in the draft, adding two other passages to an offense that already bank in small groups from Rome Odunze second year. Although it is easy to imagine that Moore assumes an Amon-Ra St. Brown role under Johnson, it is also possible that the offense has more balance overall, at Detroit in 2024 (when St. Brown was a slightly more stable weekly option). Moore and Williams did not build such a transparent chemistry as I expected last season.
Moody: Kansas City Rice Rashee is written as Top-20 WR despite the main red flags. He leaves LCL surgery and faces a potential suspension (although we are not expected in 2025) and serious target competition from Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce. Rice posted an elite use at the start of last season (target sharing of 36% in three complete games), but this production occurred during a section when Brown was injured and worthy was still acclimatized to the League (RB Isiah Pacheco was also sidelined). With only four because in weekly WR1 careers and no production proven in a full resistance offense, the ADP of Rice has a considerable risk.
Eruption
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: I’ll take the lay-up. Choice n ° 6 of the April project, Jeanty is easily the best fantastic perspective of this recruited class after a dominant mandate in Boisse State. With Raheem Moster, 33, his main threat to the keys, Jeanty is positioned for a reporting role as soon as the door is released in Las Vegas. Elite player with a set of skills in three versions, Jeanty has the advantage to be a fantastic elite football ball. – Clay
Drake Maye, QB, Patriots: Maye has produced relevant fantasy numbers as a recruit, although it did not start a match before October, overwhelmed by the absence of any semblance of game breakers who surround him and dealing with incompetent coaches. This changes this season, with proven WR Stefon Diggs and the offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels among the remarkable additions. Maye adds value with her legs and, with a little help, could easily operate at a QB1 level. – Karabell
Caleb Williams, QB, Bears: The Bears have improved Williams / PlayCaller’s head coach, the offensive line and the Passe-Caps in the draft and the free agency. Ben Johnson should bring a system suitable for QB which has relaunched Jared Goff’s career in Detroit, Williams is about to become the first QB in the history of the Bears franchise to exceed 4,000 yards by the pass and / or 30 affected in a season. Do not forget its unexploited increase in the rise (more than 400 yards on the ground during each of its last two university seasons). – Fulghum
Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs: Rice has already “broken out”, but he has not shown the coherence we have to see in fantasy. There were concerns about a suspension to start this season, but it seems that any potential penalty will be postponed another year, which means that rice should be back to a top-15 WR. When he is in good health, he seemed to resume the role of security coverage that Travis Kelce dominated for years in this offense of the chiefs, and this role should only strengthen with another year to his credit. Rice is a top-15 Wr that has an upward WR1 with an ADP W2. – Dopp
Rome Odunze, WR, Bears: A wide receiver of the first 15 in the targets of the goal area and the average depth of the objective as a recruit, Odunze should emerge as a more coherent member of a Bears improvement offense in 2025. The arrival of Ben Johnson, as well as the continuous growth of the quarter Caleb Williams, should only help Odunze’s escape prospects. It is an important target with an explosive capacity and among the highest statistical ceilings in position. – Cockcroft
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers: McConkey finished the top 20 receptions and receiving yards as a recruit, he can therefore reasonably be supported that he broke out in 2024. But it was his last seven games last season that have enthusiastic me. After having displayed a single match on 80 reception yards during its first nine outings, McConkey has reached at least 80 in six of his last seven games, catching at least five passes in each of them and transporting three games of more than 40 yards (compared to only one in its first nine games). It is the clear reception option with an excellent quarter-back, and its role and use should go out even more this season, giving it a top 10 receiver upwards. – Yates
Jameson Williams, WR, Lions: Williams had 16 receptions of 20 or more yards last season, and he has an average of 14.4 fancy points per game, supported by four 22 points and more games. Despite a lack of coherent goal zone of goals (only four last season), Williams’ electric play speed and road deployment can produce weeks of escape in one of the best breaches of the league. And with a volume bump, Williams could jump into the WR2 mixture. – Bowen
Keon Coleman, WR, Bills: Coleman has a clear path towards a starting role in a high -power Josh Allen attack and last season made a big game of great capacity as a recruit. Despite four missing games, Coleman pulled 12 passes from 20 yards and more than 19.2 yards per reception, the third highest of the league among the players with at least 40 targets. With better health and no real backup at X Receiver, Coleman is positioned to take a second year jump. – Moody
Marvin Harrison Jr., Wr, Arizona Cardinals: Many expected Harrison to emerge on the professional scene with a blow, but his disappointing recruit season landed more as a deaf noise. After scoring four affected in his first four games, Harrison only scored the rest of the season, and his percentage of capture (53.4%) was the lowest among all the recruit receivers. But his talent and pedigree are unchanged and the lessons learned of year 1 could greatly contribute to making his escape season in 2025. In addition, outside of Trey McBride, it faces a little competition for the targets. – Bell
