30 Fantasy Football Sleepers Experts Love to Draft (2025)

When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable fantasy football sleepers below. And check out all of the fantasy football sleepers experts love in our consensus sleeper rankings.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Experts Draft

Here are fantasy football sleepers the experts love to target in drafts.

Who are Fantasy Football Sleepers?

Fantasy football sleepers are players who have a strong chance to exceed expectations and become surprise difference-makers for fantasy managers.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Rankings: Running Backs

Our RB sleepers are based on a poll of experts who selected their favorite RBs with high upside. Each RB has a consensus draft rank below #45.

Rank	Running Backs	Team	Bye	Num Experts	ECR	ADP
1	Bhayshul Tuten	JAC	8	6	53	45
2	J.K. Dobbins	DEN	12	5	45	38
3	Jaydon Blue	DAL	10	6	54	42
4	Roschon Johnson	CHI	5	4	56	56
5	Jaylen Wright	MIA	12	3	52	50
6	Jerome Ford	CLE	9	3	47	54
7	Isaac Guerendo	SF	14	4	48	44
8	Austin Ekeler	WAS	12	2	46	49
9	MarShawn Lloyd	GB	5	4	57	62
10	Brashard Smith	KC	10	3	72	65

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Running Backs

The Jaguars selected Bhayshul Tuten with one of the first picks of Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Jacksonville is likely to have a messy RB committee this year with Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and Tuten, but Tuten could get an extended audition this year if the Jaguars decide they’re going to let Etienne walk after his contract expires at the end of the season. Tuten has game-breaking, sub-4.4. speed. If he gets to the edge, look out. But Tuten is also an effective inside runner who bursts through holes and doesn’t go down easily.

After tearing his Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 season, J.K. Dobbins made a successful return in 2024, rolling up 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the Chargers in 13 games. Dobbins now joins the Broncos, where he’ll be part of Sean Payton’s backfield. Payton likes to use multiple running backs, and no doubt rookie R.J. Harvey will be prominently involved. But Dobbins figures to have a role as well, and it’s possible he’ll be Payton’s preferred goal-line back.

Jaydon Blue fell to the fifth round of the NFL Draft as he was swimming in a ridiculously deep running back draft class. The former Longhorn displayed some three-down big play ability in his final collegiate season. He ranked 26th in elusive rating, 35th in yards after contact per attempt, and 25th in yards per route run (per PFF). It’s not hard to envision Blue having a role in the backfield immediately in Week 1, considering the lackluster players surrounding him on the Dallas Cowboys’ depth chart. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders’ best football looks to be behind them. Blue could be the passing down back from Day 1 with an avenue to become the team’s lead back quickly.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Rankings: Wide Receivers

Our WR sleepers are based on a poll of experts who selected their favorite WRs with high upside. Each WR has a consensus draft rank below #55.

Rank	Wide Receivers	Team	Bye	Num Experts	ECR	ADP
1	Tre Harris	LAC	12	6	56	59
2	Jayden Higgins	HOU	6	6	65	53
3	Rashod Bateman	BAL	7	5	55	57
4	Cedric Tillman	CLE	9	5	59	66
5	Marvin Mims Jr.	DEN	12	3	57	56
6	Jack Bech	LV	8	3	74	63
7	Kyle Williams	NE	14	4	64	64
8	Marquise Brown	KC	10	4	61	60
9	Jalen Coker	CAR	14	1	73	87
10	Jaylin Noel	HOU	6	1	82	79

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers

Tre Harris, the soul-snatching route savant, landed with the Bolts in the second round of the NFL Draft. He should quickly become Justin Herbert’s trusted second option in the passing game opposite Ladd McConkey. With Mike Williams retiring, Harris should be a starter in three-wide sets from Day 1. We’re discussing a player who has ranked first and ninth in yards per route run over the last two years, stacked up against arguably a former first-round bust and a veteran who looked like he was running on empty last year (per PFF). If the Bolts remain a pass-happier team than people realize in 2025, Harris could be one of the best values in fantasy football drafts this season. Last year in Weeks 7-18, the Bolts ranked eighth in neutral passing rate and sixth-best in pass rate over expectation. If that continues and Harris can spread his wings in this offense, he could crush his ADP in 2025.

Rashod Bateman finally stayed healthy in 2024 – and delivered his most productive NFL season yet with 51 catches for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 9.3 fantasy points per game (WR45) and quietly led the Ravens in end-zone targets while eclipsing 1,000 air yards. Bateman also flashed when Zay Flowers missed time late in the year, averaging 13.4 points per game in that stretch. He finished 12th in ESPN’s WR Open Score, signaling his skill set as a separator. With potential regression in team health and an aging Mark Andrews, Bateman is a prime candidate for a true fifth-year breakout in 2025 – and a sharp late-round pick in fantasy drafts.

Cedric Tillman had an interesting 2025 season. He didn’t play much until Week 7, which was also the week when Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles. Over a four-game stretch from Week 7 to Week 11, Tillman had 24 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He was the WR8 in PPR fantasy points per game (18.6) over that stretch. Then, in Week 12, Tillman sustained a concussion. He went on injured reserve and didn’t play again the rest of the season. It was a short but very promising burst from Tillman in his second NFL season. The surge may have been at least partly fueled by the aggressive downfield throwing of Jameis Winston. The Browns’ QB situation is muddy for 2025, but one of the candidates to see significant action at quarterback for the Browns is Joe Flacco, who, like Winston, is a hyper-aggressive downfield thrower. Tillman is an intriguing sleeper for 2025.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Rankings: Quarterbacks

Our QB sleepers are based on a poll of experts who selected their favorite QBs with high upside. Each QB has a consensus draft rank below #15.

Rank	Quarterbacks	Team	Bye	Num Experts	ECR	ADP
1	Dak Prescott	DAL	10	5	13	14
2	Drake Maye	NE	14	5	16	17
3	J.J. McCarthy	MIN	6	4	21	19
4	Bryce Young	CAR	14	3	23	25
5	Geno Smith	LV	8	1	25	26

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott is an amazing late-round quarterback value. He is primed to return to the QB1 ranks in 2025. With George Pickens added opposite CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and Jalen Tolbert, Prescott has enough weaponry at his disposal to excel in Dallas’s pass-centric offense. Last year, in Weeks 1-8, Dallas ranked eighth in neutral passing rate and tenth in pass rate over expectation. Last year, Prescott’s passing touchdown rate dipped to 3.8%, which was the first time since 2020 that his passing touchdown rate had dipped below 5.8%. Prescott will throw for more touchdowns in 2025. We’re only one season removed from him finishing as the QB4 in fantasy points per game, seventh in yards per attempt, eighth in CPOE, and sixth-best in highly accurate throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). Invest in Prescott.

Drake Maye might not have moved the needle for fantasy in his rookie season, but his performance over 12 starts was impressive considering how terrible his supporting cast was. From Week 6 of last season, when Maye made his first start, through Week 17, Maye averaged a respectable 16.8 fantasy points per game. The third overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Maye has immense potential as a passer, but it’s his rushing that should make him attractive to fantasy games. Maye had 421 rushing yards last season, and there’s potential for much more. As a sophomore at the University of North Carolina, Maye had 698 rushing yards in 14 games. Bear in mind that college quarterbacks’ sack yardage counts against their rushing yardage, and Maye lost about 200 yards from his rushing total that year. Maye should have it a little easier in the passing game this year, with New England beefing up its offensive line in the offseason and adding WRs Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams. It’s possible we get a Drake Maye breakout in 2025.

Yes, I know we haven’t seen J.J. McCarthy play outside of an abbreviated preseason sample last year, but I’ll be targeting him everywhere this season. This should remain a pass-happy offense after ranking eighth in neutral passing rate and third in pass rate over expectation last year (per Fantasy Points Data). The Vikings remain loaded with skill players and added to the offensive line this offseason to give their new signal caller all the time in the world to dice up opposing pass defenses in 2025. Sam Darnold (yes, that Sam Darnold) finished as the QB9 in fantasy points per game last year, continuing a long history of Kevin O’Connel’s quarterbacks finishing as QB1s. I believe McCarthy will keep that streak alive. He was a stellar prospect who has been airdropped into the perfect situation. In his final collegiate season, McCarthy ranked inside the top 12 FBS quarterbacks in passing grade, adjusted completion rate, yards per attempt, adjusted completion rate with downfield throws, and against pressure (per PFF). It’s wheels up for McCarthy in 2025.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Rankings: Tight Ends

Our TE sleepers are based on a poll of experts who selected their favorite TEs with high upside. Each TE has a consensus draft rank below #15.

Rank	Tight Ends	Team	Bye	Num Experts	ECR	ADP
1	Tyler Warren	IND	11	5	12	10
2	Kyle Pitts	ATL	5	4	18	17
3	Zach Ertz	WAS	12	3	19	20
4	Hunter Henry	NE	14	3	17	19
5	Brenton Strange	JAC	8	3	22	22

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight Ends

Zach Ertz still appears to have gas left in the tank at age 34. He had 66 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns last season, finishing TE8 in half-point PPR scoring. After scoring only one touchdown over his first 10 games of 2024, Ertz scored six touchdowns over Washington’s last seven regular-season games. He scored another TD in the playoffs and went out with an 11-catch, 104-yard performance in the Commanders’ season ending loss to Ertz’s former team, the Eagles. After playing a full season for the first time since 2021, Ertz agreed to a one-year deal that will keep him in Washington. He and young QB Jayden Daniels developed strong chemistry. Despite his age, Ertz could be a sneaky-good late-round TE option in 2025.

A great many fantasy managers have vowed to never again roster Kyle Pitts, as the young tight end has repeatedly failed to meet expectations. The fourth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Pitts played his first NFL game at age 20 and became the first rookie TE to have a 1,000-yard receiving season since Mike Ditka 60 years earlier. But after finishing TE6 in PPR fantasy scoring as a rookie, Pitts hasn’t finished as a top-12 fantasy tight end in any of the last three years. He had 47 catches for 602 yards and a career-high four touchdowns last year. Pitts is still only 24, so there may be hope for him yet. Pitts had to acclimate to new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system last year, and Falcons QB Kirk Cousins was a disappointment. Perhaps there’s hope for Pitts now that he has greater familiarity with the system and will be playing with talented young QB Michael Penix Jr.

Hunter Henry is a wonderful late-round tight-end target this season if you’re looking to punt the position in 2025. Last year, in Drake Maye’s full starts, he had a 19.2% target share, averaged 49.9 receiving yards per game, had 1.70 yards per route run, a 22.7% first-read share, and 0.098 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). I’ll also add on top that he averaged 11.3 PPR points per game in that sample. Last year, among all tight ends with 25 targets, those marks would have ranked seventh, sixth, 14th, fifth, eighth, and the points per game production would have made him the TE8 in fantasy. Yes, since that time, New England added Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams to the passing equation, but that doesn’t mean that Henry still can’t emerge in 2025 as Maye’s number two option in the passing offense and flirt with TE1 output.