Finding value late in fantasy football drafts can be the difference between a good team and a championship contender. That’s why we asked our Featured Pros — a trusted collection of industry-leading fantasy football analysts — to share their favorite late-round draft steals for the 2025 season. Specifically, we wanted to know: Which one running back outside the top 45 in half-PPR ADP do you plan to target in all drafts and why?
Whether you’re looking to stash upside on your bench or hit big with a sleeper pick, this expert-driven list of fantasy football sleepers at RB is loaded with insights to help you win your draft in the later rounds.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
Which one RB outside the top 45 in half-PPR RB ADP do you plan to target in all drafts as a late-round fantasy football sleeper and why?
MarShawn Lloyd (RB – GB)
“MarShawn Lloyd is RB59, according to ADP, and is a screaming value. He had some of the worst luck ever in his rookie season, but the Packers completely ignored the running back class in 2025 after spending Day 2 capital on Lloyd in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Packers, and head coach Matt LaFleur, are outspoken about how much they want to run a committee approach and were forced into Josh Jacobs seeing all those touches in 2024. I expect Lloyd to be featured in a pass-catching/explosive 1B role behind Jacobs, with the size to be a great handcuff if the aging Jacobs were to miss time.”
– Justin Frye (Pro Football Network)
Ray Davis (RB – BUF)
“Ray Davis (RB47 in the rankings) is one of my favorite late-round running back draft targets. Buffalo led the NFL with 32 rushing touchdowns last season. James Cook led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns, while Josh Allen had 12 scores. However, Davis also had an impact on the ground, totaling three rushing touchdowns. More importantly, he stood out when Cook missed time due to an injury. The former Kentucky star was outstanding in the one game Cook missed with an injury last year. Davis finished Week 6 as the RB14, totaling 23 touches for 152 scrimmage yards and 16.7 half-PPR fantasy points despite not scoring a touchdown. The second-year pro is a solid Flex option with significant upside if Cook’s contract situation leads to a holdout.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Ray Davis profiles as one of the top late-round steals for 2025. When James Cook missed Week 6 last season, Davis proved he could be a three-down workhorse, racking up 23 touches for 152 total yards. In games where he saw at least a 50% snap share, he averaged over 100 total yards, while ranking in the top five in missed tackles forced per attempt. He also contributed as a pass-catcher, recording 17 receptions and two touchdowns in a limited role. With Cook’s contract situation up in the air and Davis’ ADP sitting outside the top 100, he’s a high-upside lottery ticket that I’ll be targeting everywhere.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (Armchair Scouting)
Austin Ekeler (RB – WAS)
“Austin Ekeler is being left for dead (RB48) in early expert consensus rankings (ECR), even though he was productive when healthy last year and is playing in an exciting, up-and-coming offense. Ekeler scored double-digit PPR points in eight out of 12 games last season and finished RB31 in fantasy points per game. When Brian Robinson Jr. missed a pair of midseason games with a hamstring injury, Ekeler had 134 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in those two contests. Two of those scores came against a tough Pittsburgh defense. I’m not expecting a return to the high-end RB1 days for the 30-year-old Ekeler, but I think he’s a value in the later rounds.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
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