Every year when the fantasy football season rolls around we are all trying to find those sleepers that will win us our leagues. I researched players in the late rounds of fantasy football mock drafts and rankings and have found a few players that I believe will be studs and view them as players that are just too good for their current ADP. Drafting the right sleepers in your draft separates championship-winning teams each year.
In this article or maybe you can call it a cheat sheet haha, we're going to break down 2 sleeper picks from each of the 4 major positions in fantasy football. I'll be going over the player's current ADP and positional rankings according to FantasyPros. These players I’ve hand-picked are guys that I see just crushing their current ADP and finishing a lot higher than what the data says.
Quarterbacks (QB)
Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
QB19-ADP 119
Since 2021 we all have been waiting on that big breakout season from former number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence has shown some flashes to be a valuable quarterback in fantasy football especially in his 2022 season when he finished as QB8 on the year.
Going into this 2025 season I expect to see Lawrence get back to his 2022 form. Currently, Lawrence is being ranked as QB19 heading into fantasy football drafts, and that just seems way too low for me. Looking at his current ADP that means you can draft Lawrence from rounds nine to ten, which seems like a steal, especially with everything the Jacksonville Jaguars have done this offseason.
Lawrence is a great option to be a 2025 sleeper heading into this year. With the additions of new head coach Liam Coen who’s an absolute offensive guru and the addition to his new WR2 Travis Hunter. Expect to see Jacksonville open up the playbook and go for a full air raid offense. Remember the Jaguars’ defense was the best last year, so don’t be surprised if we see some shots happening which can lead to a lot of fantasy quarterbacks’ success. I expect Lawrence to ball out this upcoming year finishing within a top 10 fantasy quarterbacks season.
J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
QB 20-ADP 123
Looking into some data on the Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, whoever is quarterbacking the Vikings is always poised to play like a top-12 quarterback. J.J. McCarthy is the next quarterback in line for the Kevin O’Connell effect.
Heading into this 2025 fantasy football season McCarthy is being very undervalued in fantasy drafts, being drafted as the QB20. That would put McCarthy being drafted in the 10th to 12th round of fantasy drafts.
McCarthy might be one of the biggest sleepers heading into 2025. McCarthy being ranked at QB20 seems criminal to me because the offense he is in is loaded with so much offensive talent from top to bottom. We saw what Sam Darnold produced last season with a QB9 finish which no one expected. Drafting McCarthy can be the steal of the draft and be the quarterback that could be a league winner.
McCarthy can easily finish in the top 15 of quarterback for fantasy but I see him finishing nowhere lower than the top 12 with O’Connell being in his ear, quarterback coach Josh McCown helping him prepare every week, and the loaded offense that is headlined with top fantasy wide receiver Justin Jefferson catching passes.
Running backs (RB)
Cam Skattebo (NYG)
RB 34-ADP 101
Former Arizona State Sun Devils Cam Skattebo was taken in the 4th round by the New York Giants. Skattebo had an electric 2024 senior season for the Sun Devils, leading them into the college football playoffs.
Skattebo heads into a very wide-open running back room with the Giants. He has the opportunity to be the Giants running back when the season starts. But his current RB34 ranking doesn’t reflect it at all, his only competition is former 2024 rookie Tyrone Tracy, who had a breakout year last year but had some issues with fumbles. Skattebo is going in rounds 8-10 being a steal for a potential starting running back.
Skattebo can be one of the easier paths to being the biggest sleeper of your 2025 fantasy drafts. With Skattebo being ranked RB34 seems super low for a running back that will be getting the bulk workload in the red zone with how physical of a runner he is. Skattebo has such high potential of finishing no less than RB 20 but could push for a top 12-15 fantasy finish with the number of touchdowns he will get inside the goal line.
Jordan Mason (MIN)
RB 39-ADP 117
Jordan Mason is a new addition to the Minnesota Vikings this year coming via trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Last season we saw Mason breakout due to the injury to superstar running back Christian McCaffery.
Mason joins a backfield with an older veteran running in Aaron Jones, and he has already gotten confirmation from head coach Kevin O’Connell that he sees them both as a 1A/1B role for Mason and Jones. Mason is a young hard-nosed running back with low mileage on his legs compared to Jones. Mason is being valued at RB39 putting him in rounds 9-10.
Mason has a great shot at taking over this Vikings backfield because Jones doesn’t typically play a full year because of his injury history. Mason can be a great bench piece that can flourish into a great flex option mid-year. Mason has great potential to finish in the RB20 range and maybe even higher if Jones misses a big chunk of the year.
Wide Receiver (WR)
Ricky Pearsall (SF)
WR44-ADP 94
Ricky Pearsall didn’t live up to the hype he had last year due to very unfortunate circumstances when he was shot before the start of the NFL season. But when you look at the games he started in he produced some top 15 wide receiver weeks.
Pearsall is entering a very wide-open wide-receiver room for the San Francisco 49ers this upcoming year. I love the potential and the sample we got last year, when he was healthy and playing. Pearsall is a very lethal route runner and can create that space he needs to get open and make some plays down the field. Pearsall is being valued at WR44 putting him in rounds 8-10.
I love seeing a wide receiver that will get high volume in an offense going this late in fantasy drafts. Pearsall has one of the easier shots at being an insane sleeper for being the 49ers wide receiver 1 or 2 at worst. During the offseason Pearsall worked out with current and starting quarterback Brock Purdy, to develop on-field chemistry. Don’t be shocked if Pearsall puts together a WR15 year and that can be a great steal for your flex spots heading into the later weeks of fantasy football.
Tre Harris (LAC)
WR55-ADP 143
Tre Harris was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2nd round of the NFL draft. Harris’s last season at Ole Miss wasn’t the season he wanted due to some injuries that held him out of games.
Harris’s potential is so high with the size and speed he brings to this Chargers offense. Harris has a great shot at being Justin Herbert's alpha wide receiver on the outside and down the field. Harris is currently WR55, putting him in rounds 11-12.
Harris is going to be a great asset to this Chargers offense because we all know quarterback Justin Herbert loves to throw the deep ball, and Harris has the size and speed to connect with Herbert on the big explosive plays down the field. Harris has been getting great praise during camp, which can lead to him becoming one of Herbert's top targets. The connection from Herbert to Harris can easily give him top 12-15 wide receiver upside for fantasy football.
Tight ends (TE)
Brenton Strange (JAX)
TE 23-ADP 171
Brenton Strange had a very quiet fantasy-relevant year in 2024. That had to do with the fact the Jacksonville Jaguars had tight end Evan Engram still. But the release of Engram, that put Strange as the number one tight end to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Jaguars see so much potential in Strange if they were willing to release a pro bowl caliber tight end in Engram. Strange is such a talent receiving tight end in the NFL and he is only being valued as the TE23 which puts him in the 13-15 round of your fantasy drafts.
I find Strange being a monster in the Jaguars offense because Lawrence loves to target his tight end down the field. Strange is one of the players you can wait on and draft him to be your TE1 on your roster and easily get top 12 production out of. The value is so great for Strange being this and can easily be the reason you win a CHAMPIONSHIP.
Ja’Tavion Sanders (CAR)
TE 36-ADP 252
Ja’Tavion Sanders' rookie season was riddled by a lingering neck injury that he sustained in a game in 2024. Sanders was an elite receiving tight end player when he came out for the 2024 NFL draft.
Sanders can be quarterback Bryce Young’s favorite target going into the 2025 NFL season. This Carolina Panthers team is seeking an offensive player to break out on the receiving end to give Young success. Sanders is being valued at TE36 and is currently being undrafted in the 2025 fantasy draft.
Sanders has a great shot at producing in this Panthers offense heading into his second season. Don’t be surprised if quarterback Bryce Young targets him a lot as a safety valve for him. Sanders is a great backup tight end to stash on your bench and fill in when your tight end is on his bye and could be a valuable trade asset. Sanders has the potential to produce like a tight end 15-18 going into the 2025 season.
Conclusion
Drafting the right 2025 fantasy football sleepers can be the main reason you can compete for a fantasy championship this year. If you can strategize in your draft and find a way to draft 2-3 of these guys on your roster your chances of winning skyrocket.
But also remember don’t go out of your way to reach or draft all these players to rosters because you need to have a couple of those main fantasy studs on your roster to get you into the playoffs.