Winning your fantasy football league often comes down to the players you grab in the final rounds of your draft. While early-round stars set the foundation, it’s the late-round steals who can deliver league-winning upside at a bargain. Our 2025 list of Fantasy Football Late-Round Draft Steals comes straight from the trusted insights of our Featured Pros experts. These undervalued sleepers could turn into weekly starters — or even this year’s breakout stars — if you play your draft right. Let’s break down the late-round picks you can target to outsmart your league mates this season.
Late-Round Fantasy Football Draft Steals
Late-Round Running Back Steals
Which one RB outside the top 45 in half-PPR RB ADP do you plan to target in all drafts as a late-round steal and why?
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI)
“With everything the Chicago Bears have done to revamp their offense this offseason, I’m shooting my shot on Roschon Johnson at an RB53 price point. His average draft position (ADP) is surprising given a completely retooled and now-impressive offensive line, a promising play-caller as their new head coach in Ben Johnson, and, of course, few noteworthy additions to the backfield. Though I expect this team to be pass-first, Johnson has an incredible opportunity to take over the short-yardage and goal-line role while holding immense contingent upside if D’Andre Swift should succumb to injury. Give me Johnson late and give me the ship if he hits.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)
“Roschon Johnsont. The Bears’ offense will feature both D’Andre Swift and Johnson. With that in mind, I could say he is going to have a lot of red-zone touches.”
– Alejandro Orellana (Estadio Fantasy)
Late-Round Wide Receiver Steals
Which one WR outside the top 55 in half-PPR WR ADP do you plan to target in all drafts as a late-round steal and why?
Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL)
“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. The Ravens rewarded him after a career year with a contract extension instead of trading him. And with potential regression in overall offensive team health and an aging Mark Andrews, Bateman is a prime candidate for a true fifth-year breakout in 2025 should opportunities arise attached to Lamar Jackson.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE)
“Many fantasy players will likely want to avoid drafting anyone on the Browns. Yet, Cedric Tillman (WR61 in ADP) is one of my favorite sleeper candidates. While Jerry Jeudy was the WR15 last year, averaging 11.5 half-PPR fantasy points per game, 18.4% of his production for the year came in one outing. More importantly, Tillman was the team’s top wide receiver following the Amari Cooper trade before suffering a season-ending concussion. According to Fantasy Points Data, he had a better target per route run rate (22% vs. 18%), yards per route run average (1.69 vs. 1.67) and first-round target share (25.7% vs. 23.5%) than Jeudy during the five weeks where both were healthy following the Cooper trade.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“When healthy last season, Cedric Tillman was a stud. The Browns relied on a pass-heavy game plan due to their poor pass defense last season, and there’s no reason to think that will change this year. Regardless of who’s at quarterback, Tillman will be one of their main targets.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)
“Cedric Tillman had a brief but explosive flash in a full-time role last year, averaging 10 targets, six catches, 75.5 yards and 0.8 touchdowns across four games. Only seven wideouts averaged more PPR points per game over that stretch. Tillman is a good bet for a full-time role in 2025, making him an easy click late in fantasy drafts.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks)
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