Fantasy Football Sleepers Experts Draft (2025)

Looking for fantasy football sleepers who could win your league at a low cost? Chris Welsh is joined by Scott Bogman and John Daigle to highlight their favorite late-round fantasy football steals.

Find out why Josh Downs (Colts), Ricky Pearsall (49ers), and rookie Matthew Golden (Packers) top their lists, plus the upside of RBs Jordan Mason (Vikings) and Isaac Guerendo (49ers). They also share QB sleepers Drake Maye (Patriots) and J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) to supercharge your lineup.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Experts Love to Draft

What Is a Fantasy Football Sleeper?

As Daigle puts it, the term “sleeper” has evolved. It used to refer to under-the-radar players unknown to casual drafters. Now, in an age of consensus rankings and constant content, “sleeper” really means players being drafted below their value—often rookies, injury handcuffs, or players in ambiguous depth charts.

Wide Receiver Sleepers to Draft in 2025

Josh Downs – WR, Colts

Why Draft Him: Led the Colts with a 32% target share when on the field with Michael Pittman. Now paired with Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson, Downs projects as a high-floor slot weapon.
Expert Take: “Downs could be this year’s JSN… he has a high ceiling if the QB play cooperates.”

Ricky Pearsall – WR, 49ers

Why Draft Him: Explosive when given the opportunity late last season. Could fill the Deebo Samuel role if injuries occur.
Expert Take: “He’s the most explosive playmaker after the catch in that offense outside of McCaffrey.”

Tre Harris – WR, Chargers

Why Draft Him: Massive college production and elite yards per route vs. man coverage. Could leapfrog Quentin Johnston as WR2.
Expert Take: “When left to himself, he gets open. Herbert is the perfect deep-ball pairing.”

Kyle Williams – WR, Patriots

Why Draft Him: Performed well on the outside in college. Drafted early by a team desperate for WR production.
Expert Take: “He could lead the Patriots in targets if Stefon Diggs isn’t 100%.”

Matthew Golden – WR, Packers

Why Draft Him: First Packers WR taken in Round 1 since 2002. Outperformed Texas teammates in 2024 and fits Christian Watson’s vacated deep role.
Expert Take: “Draft capital plus a wide-open WR room gives him immediate opportunity.”

Running Back Sleepers to Draft in 2025

Jordan Mason – RB, Vikings

Why Draft Him: Minnesota traded for Mason and gave him guaranteed money. He profiles as the goal-line back behind Aaron Jones.
Expert Take: “His floor is touchdowns. His ceiling is overtaking Jones, who’s coming off a 300-touch year.”

Isaac Guerendo – RB, 49ers

Why Draft Him: The clear handcuff to Christian McCaffrey. Super efficient and explosive in limited touches.
Expert Take: “Top contingency value if CMC misses time—which history says is likely.”

Zach Charbonnet – RB, Seahawks

Why Draft Him: More efficient than Ken Walker III in multiple categories. Charbonnet could split touches or step up if Walker gets hurt.
Expert Take: “He handled all the inside-5 work and had elite route participation.”

Jaylen Wright – RB, Dolphins

Why Draft Him: Raheem Mostert is gone, and De’Von Achane isn’t built for 20+ touches. Wright is lightning-fast and fits Miami’s scheme.
Expert Take: “Explosive and efficient—if Achane goes down, Wright could be a league winner.”

Tight End Sleepers to Draft in 2025

Tucker Kraft – TE, Packers

Why Draft Him: Outplayed Luke Musgrave and posted a 21% target share with Jordan Love late last season.
Expert Take: “He’s the most undervalued piece of an ambiguous passing attack with high upside.”

Colston Loveland – TE, Bears

Why Draft Him: First-round talent who could eventually overtake Cole Kmet. The Bears drafted him knowing he was injured—implying a long-term plan.
Expert Take: “Ben Johnson used Sam LaPorta perfectly—Loveland could be next.”

Quarterback Sleepers to Draft in 2025

Drake Maye – QB, Patriots

Why Draft Him: Top-tier rushing upside and a dramatically improved offensive line and weapons group.
Expert Take: “He’s QB16 in ECR but has top-10 upside and the league’s second-easiest schedule.”

J.J. McCarthy – QB, Vikings

Why Draft Him: Great system, elite supporting cast, and rushing ability. Sam Darnold was QB9 in the same offense last year.
Expert Take: “If he wins the job early, he could be this year’s C.J. Stroud.”

Deep Fantasy Football Sleepers

Will Shipley – RB, Eagles

Why Draft Him: Barkley’s backup and could see touches immediately. Elite offensive line in Philly.
Expert Take: “If Barkley goes down, he’s the most obvious handcuff in fantasy football.”

Dontayvion Wicks – WR, Packers

Why Draft Him: Low ECR (WR76) but led team in target rate without Christian Watson. High upside in a muddled WR corps.

Tahj Brooks – RB, Bengals

Why Draft Him: No competition behind Chase Brown. Brooks is a three-down back in waiting.

Pat Bryant – WR, Broncos

Why Draft Him: Physical WR with blocking ability. Could play the Michael Thomas role in Sean Payton’s offense.

Tyler Shough – QB, Saints

Why Draft Him: Soft schedule and a real chance to start in 2025. Spencer Rattler was benched last season.

Anthony Richardson – QB, Colts

Why Draft Him: If he starts, he’s a league-winning dual-threat QB. High ceiling worth stashing in Superflex.

Fantasy Football Sleepers Timestamps:

Intro – What are sleepers – 0:00:00
Josh Downs (WR – Colts) – 0:04:27
Ricky Pearsall (WR – 49ers) – 0:08:01
Tre Harris (WR – Rams) – 0:12:52
Kyle Williams (WR – Patriots) – 0:14:15
Matthew Golden (WR – Packers) – 0:16:10
Jordan Mason (RB – Vikings) – 0:20:53
Isaac Guerendo (RB – 49ers) – 0:24:19
Zach Charbonnet (RB – Seahawks) – 0:29:04
Jaylen Wright (RB – Dolphins) – 0:32:04
Tucker Kraft (TE – Packers) – 0:34:32
Colston Loveland (TE – Bears) – 0:38:54
Drake Maye (QB – Patriots) – 0:42:37
J.J. McCarthy (QB – Vikings) – 0:46:40
Deep Sleepers – 0:49:26
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – Packers) – 0:50:02
Will Shipley (RB – Eagles) – 0:50:44
Tyler Though (QB – Saints) – 0:52:09
Pat Bryant (WR – Broncos) – 0:54:11
Tahj Brooks (RB – Bengals) – 0:55:09
Anthony Richardson Sr. (QB – Colts) – 0:55:47
Outro – 0:58:05

Helpful Links

Leave a Review – If you enjoy our show and find our insight to be valuable, we’d love to hear from you! Your reviews fuel our passion and help us tailor content specifically for YOU. Head to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts and leave an honest review. Let’s make this show the ultimate destination for fantasy football enthusiasts like us. Thank you for watching and for showing your support https://fantasypros.com/review/

Giveaway Rules – For a complete list of rules and guidelines on how to enter our Giveaway Contest and to claim your prize, please click here.

DraftKings Sportsbook – Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code FANTASYPROS. New customers can bet just FIVE DOLLARS on the NFL to get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS INSTANTLY IN BONUS BETS.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler or visit www.1800gambler.net. In New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (in Kansas). Twenty-one plus age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire one hundred sixty-eight hours after issuance. See draftkings.com/football for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources.

BettingPros– BettingPros offers consensus sports betting advice from 150+ experts to make it easy for you to start making winning bets. We promote the best experts based on one simple question, “How good is your advice?!” At BettingPros, we help you find the best lines for the NFL, MLB, and NBA by showcasing how the individual sportsbooks compare with their Point Spreads, Moneylines, and Over/Unders vs. the Consensus of all top sportsbooks. Sign up today at http://www.bettingpros.com and start betting smarter… not harder.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator– Practice for your draft with fast mocks against realistic opponents: https://draftwizard.fantasypros.com/football/mock-draft-simulator/

Beyond our daily fantasy football content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Football Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

NFL

About Author

FantasyPros Staff

@FantasyPros

FantasyPros Staff Account