What defines fantasy football sleepers? Over the years, the term has overlapped with breakouts and values. Although both are characteristics of fantasy football sleepers, a true sleeper is a player overlooked by the general public and the industry.
In the end, I view sleepers as late-round “my guys”, who have a path to significantly outperform their average draft position (ADP). These are players I am willing to pound the table for, despite a likely chance of being wrong. As a result, these players may not be the most talented, or in the best situations, but if you squint, you can see a path to weekly fantasy value. Here are fantasy football sleepers to draft in 2025.
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Fantasy Football Sleepers to Draft
Let’s examine a few fantasy football sleepers to draft this season.
Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL)
I am going to stay on brand here and mention the current WR54 in drafts. Originally appearing in my must-have dynasty players for 2025 and in my must-have receivers, Darnell Mooney checks all the boxes for a productive 2025. If you’ve been following my work this offseason, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
In short, Mooney has had five or more targets in 75% of his 82-game career. His surprising production continued last year after joining the Falcons. This offense had a schemed role for a dynamic field stretcher and big-play threat. In this role, Mooney showcased his improved ability as a ball carrier and route runner – two things he needed to work on in Chicago.
Mooney is the clear second option in this receiving game (I’ll need to see it from Kyle Pitts before that changes), and has a gunslinging quarterback perfect for his skillset.
Considering that Mooney was the WR14 over the first five weeks of last season, there is an obvious path for fantasy production. Currently, he is being drafted as the WR54, making him one of the best low-risk fantasy football sleepers that can provide weekly Flex fantasy appeal.
Marvin Mims Jr. (WR – DEN)
We need to revisit what Marvin Mims Jr. did at the end of last season. Over his final two games, he had 15 receptions, 154 yards and four touchdowns. This is a small sample size, but he still had consecutive top-10 performances to close out the season.
Although these numbers were a little outlandish, his involvement steadily increased over the season. Over the last seven games, he had six games with over 40 yards. He also had a reception of 30+ yards in six of those games. It’s never fun to rely on a big play to come through for fantasy, however, if you are going to bet on an offense, this might be the one.
Sean Payton knows how to get the most out of his players. Most notably with Taysom Hill over the years, Payton manages to find ways to scheme his players open. This offseason, the Broncos prioritized their offensive skill positions, signing Evan Engram and drafting RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant. As a result, Bryant is Mims’ only competition added to the wide receiver room. These are two very different players, both play-wise and physically.
Currently being drafted as the WR54 on Underdog, Mims is a huge value, especially in best ball drafts. Everything points to Mims’ big-play role on the outside being secure and potentially building on his strong finish in 2024. If Bo Nix can continue to extend plays and find his receivers deep, Mims could be a high upside Flex play in 2025, but we’ll get to that later in this article.
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)
Tuten has been one of my favourite draft targets this year. Although this might be overcompensating for completely missing on Bucky Irving last season, I like Tuten’s path to fantasy production.
Talent-wise, Tuten was scouted as a big-play back with explosive speed and decent receiving chops. Unfortunately, he had a handful of red flags, including ball security (nine fumbles over his last two seasons) and trying too hard to force a big play.
Before the NFL draft, Tuten was widely regarded as a boom-or-bust prospect. Landing in Jacksonville with the second pick of the fourth round will put this to the test instantly. If he can demonstrate his explosive ability and pass-catching, beating out Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby is in the cards. However, if he struggles with ball security, he may never see the field behind two solid NFL running backs.
It may seem like a longshot, but my favourite part about Tuten is the narrative. With Liam Coen coming over from the Buccaneers, all the skill positions have the potential to take a huge step forward in Jacksonville. As I alluded to, there are a lot of similarities between Irving and Tuten.
Drafted 19 spots behind Tuten, Irving landed in what was viewed to be a very crowded backfield with veteran Rachaad White and undrafted free-agent Sean Tucker. Despite starting the season well behind White, Irving made it clear he was the most talented runner of the bunch and never looked back.
Not only does Coen take his multi-back approach up the road to Jacksonville, but he also brings his passing game. Last season, Tampa Bay was third in the league in targets to the running back position. With both White and Irving having 50+ targets, this backfield could be a fantasy goldmine.
With each of Tuten, Etienne and Bigsby being within six pounds of each other, they all possess the size to carry the load. However, Tuten may step in as the most prolific pass-catcher. If he can hold up in pass protection, he has a clear path to be on the field and potentially showcase his ability.
This may all seem like a pipe dream, and frankly, it might be. Regardless, the value of his current fantasy football ADP as the 41st back off the board is undeniable. Why not take a shot on a high upside rookie back this season?
Pat Friermuth (TE – PIT) & Calvin Austin (WR – PIT)
Someone has to catch the ball in Pittsburgh… right? If it wasn’t for Mike Tomlin, this offensive roster would be on the shortlist of the worst in the league. Despite trading for and signing DK Metcalf, there aren’t a lot of pieces to get excited about. Especially with George Pickens out of the mix, there will likely be another fantasy-relevant pass-catcher.
With the addition of Robert Woods and the return of sophomore receiver Roman Wilson, the competition is anything but stiff. Boreal Bobby likely has the inside track on the outside opposite of Metcalf. However, Van Jefferson showed us last year that the role is more of a cardio workout than a productive one for fantasy.
Although it will be nice to see what Wilson can do, I believe Calvin Austin and Pat Freiermuth are the two in line for the second receiving option.
Last season, Austin flashed his speed and big-play ability, landing multiple of Russell Wilson‘s notorious moon balls. Assuming the quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers’ revamped offensive line should provide enough time for Austin to break away from defenders. He may not be the most consistent fantasy option, but he is a best ball target and worth an upside swing in deeper leagues.
Freiermuth is the opposite of Austin. His role over the middle will likely garner more consistent usage and production, however, his ceiling is limited. Considering tight ends are the least sure-fire position in fantasy, a consistent target share in a bare bones receiving room is always a good bet.
If you decide to punt the tight end position, Freiermuth is a great target with a chance to become a weekly contributor if Rodgers can turn back the clock.
Currently being drafted as the TE19 and WR106, both players are worth late-round fliers to fill out your bench.
Tahj Brooks (RB – CIN)
We all know how good the Bengals’ offense is. We saw Chase Brown break out as the primary running back last season. Brown improved drastically after struggling to run downhill and hit the right gaps in his rookie season. As a result, the depth chart has the London, Ontario native as the clear lead, with a mix of veterans Zack Moss and Samaje Perine.
Despite these three, the Bengals selected Texas Tech back Tahj Brooks in the sixth round. Brooks is coming off setting a school record in rushing attempts and career rushing yards. Not only did he find success on the ground (1,505 yards), but he also had nearly 200 receiving yards in 11 games in 2024.
Compared to Brown, both backs are very similar in size, being within half an inch in height and five pounds of each other. There’s no denying what Brown was able to do in the NFL last season, and Brooks will likely need an injury to break through. However, where Brown has the advantage in explosiveness, Brooks is a more sturdy downhill runner who is better through contact.
Much like Brown as a rookie, Brooks may not get an opportunity this season, but he has all the skills to work his way into a secondary role. Based on Brown’s continued praise in the offseason of 2024, I’d be taking a chance on Brooks with the last pick of fantasy football drafts to see if he catches the coaches’ attention in camp. If he does, there’s a world where he finishes the season as the best back on the roster.
Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI)
We are diving deep into the rookie class with these last two picks. Historically, if you are taking a longshot on a rookie, running backs are good bets. The key with running backs is opportunity. Of the late-round backs selected, it’s hard to say someone has a better path than Kyle Monangai.
The Bears have put together an electric offense on paper, and Ben Johnson should have no issues meeting expectations. As of this writing, their backfield consists of D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Monangai. Plus, there are rumours they aggressively tried to trade with the Patriots for the pick that became TreVeyon Henderson. With Johnson’s history on the Lions, it’s not hard to believe he may not be the biggest fan of Swift.
Monangai was never mistaken for one of the best backs in this class, however, his skillset is very solid. Finishing last season with 13 rushing touchdowns in 11 games, he also led the team with 1,279 rushing yards. Monangai possesses the power to finish runs strong and the contact balance and agility to slip through contact.
With his mix of power and elusive playmaking, Monangai can become a fan favourite and win over coaches. Ultimately, his flashy playmaking could lead to surpassing Johnson on the depth chart. With Swift likely holding down the pass-catching role all season, Monangai could find his way into short-yardage and early-down situations.
There is a chance J.K. Dobbins or Nick Chubb end up on the Bears this offseason. However, if the depth chart is stagnant, there is a path for Monangai to surprise fantasy football managers in 2025.
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