With the 2025 Fantasy Football season starting up very soon, you’ll be drafting before you know it, and will need a strategy to figure out who to take and where.
The early rounds are full of high-floor players almost certain to bring a huge impact to your team, but true contenders find value in the late rounds.
Today, I’ll be highlighting five different players that are currently being drafted in the 12th round or later in Sleeper redraft ADP, who have a chance to explode past their draft marks and be a meaningful piece to a championship team.
Xavier Legette
(WR, Carolina Panthers)
Sleeper ADP: 171
Early 14th round
The Panthers' 2024 first-round draft pick, Xavier Legette, is coming off a disappointing year compared to expectations, finishing 2024 with 49 receptions, 497 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns and ending as the WR61 overall.
Coming out of South Carolina, Legette was frequently compared to the likes of Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf for his elite athletic profile, which included a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-6-inch broad jump.
Legette was brought in to be Bryce Young’s number one option and stretch the field for the Panthers, but struggled with inconsistency and drops throughout his rookie season.
This offseason, the Panthers made an addition to the wide receiver room with the eighth overall pick, adding athletic specimen Tetairoa McMillan to the team.
McMillan’s addition to the team shouldn't scare fantasy owners, with McMillan being used as a downfield player and Legette still being used as a short and mid route receiver in this offense.
McMillan will also likely take the better defenders away from Legette in coverage, allowing him to work off of lower-end corners and linebackers, opening up more opportunities for him to succeed.
Overall, Legette has a much higher chance of success for the 2025 season and is well-worth the late-round pick used to acquire him in your fantasy draft.
Cedric Tillman
(WR, Cleveland Browns)
Sleeper ADP: 162
Middle of 13th round
Former Cleveland Browns third-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Cedric Tillman, is the next player on this list.
Tillman had a slow start to his NFL career, totaling just 25 receptions and 233 receiving yards through his entire rookie season and half of his sophomore campaign.
However, in Week 7 of the 2024 season, Tillman began to show why he was drafted as high as he was, scoring 10.1 fantasy points in Week 7, 21.9 points in Week 8, and 13.5 points in Week 9 before unfortunately suffering a concussion that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
When Tillman was given the opportunity and quarterback play to showcase his talents, he impressed, as shown in this X article by @JoeOrricoFF.
Also, in the offseason, many believed the Browns would address their wide receiver room, as it was widely regarded as a weak core, but the Browns' only addition was Diontae Johnson, meaning that they believe in what they have in Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman.
With improved quarterback play in 2025 with the addition of the trio of Joe Flacco, Dillion Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders, watch for Tillman to replicate the success of last year and vastly outperform his late-round ADP.
Brenton Strange
(TE, Jacksonville Jaguars)
Sleeper ADP: 164
Middle of 13th round
Brenton Strange found himself put into the starting tight end role for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, when Evan Engram was not brought back and instead signed with the Denver Broncos.
Strange was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has been the backup to Evan Engram for the last two years, but has found success in the absence of Engram due to his injury-riddled past seasons.
When Engram was injured last year, Strange had four top-ten tight end performances in weeks 2, 3, 5, and 15.
Trevor Lawrence propelling Evan Engram to two top-five finishes in 2022 and 2023 shows us that Strange is set up for success in Jacksonville.
Additionally, new head coach Liam Coen said this about Strange: "He’ll elevate just by alone getting more reps, and getting him on the field is a good thing for us.”
Having the head coach believe he’ll elevate even further beyond his four top-ten finishes in 2024 has value written all over it; Strange is a player to watch out for in 2025.
Terrance Ferguson
(TE, Los Angeles Rams)
Sleeper ADP: 208
Early 17th round
Next up on this list is Terrance Ferguson, who was added this past offseason in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Ferguson is coming off of his most productive season with the Oregon Ducks, having 43 receptions, 593 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Ferguson falls into a fairly non-competitive tight end room, with veteran Tyler Higbee leading the group for now, but with Ferguson having a high probability of taking the starting job through OTAs and training camp.
Additionally, the coaching staff, scouting department, and Rams’ management all fell in love with Ferguson as a prospect, with many even wanting to take him in the first round due to his elite fit in the team's system.
Head coach Sean McVay even went as far as to compare Ferguson to NFL legends such as Chris Cooley and Travis Kelce, hinting at Ferguson’s possible future with the Rams.
With the starting job for the taking, Ferguson could see a large role early on in the Rams’ offense, potentially crushing his current ADP and making your 17th round the best it's ever been.
Calvin Austin
(WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
Sleeper ADP: 195
Early 16th round
Last up on this list is Pittsburgh Steeler Calvin Austin, who has recently found himself as the team's second wide receiver after the George Pickens trade.
Austin was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft and has had an unsuccessful career in the NFL up to this point, being out for his entire rookie season due to a foot injury and totaling only 53 receptions, 728 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns in his career so far.
Austin was known for his speed coming into the NFL, running a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and was brought in to be a deep threat that the Steelers lacked at the time.
Now, Austin should be looking at an increased role after being listed as the WR2 on the Steelers' depth chart behind former Seahawk DK Metcalf, and should see more of the team's slot work with Metcalf taking defenders away on deep routes.
Also in the offseason, the Steelers added a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, clearing the quarterback situation and increasing the production that we can expect from the Steelers' wide receiver room, especially from Austin.
Make sure to target Austin in the late rounds of your fantasy drafts to grab a player who can help you win a championship in 2025.
Final Thoughts
The late rounds of fantasy football drafts are where the best value is found every year, and the players I talked about above are some of the targets with the most potential for this year.
Make sure to keep an eye on these players in your drafts, and grab at least one to help you win your fantasy football leagues in 2025.