It’s never too early to start preparing for your fantasy draft.
Today, I’ll be giving 4 sleepers that I like for the 2025 fantasy football season. These are players who I think can exceed their consensus predraft ranking (from FantasyPros.com). I’ll highlight a QB, RB, WR, and TE. Let’s get started!
Quarterback: Justin Fields (QB 13 on FantasyPros)
If you like to wait on drafting a QB, you could do a lot worse than Fields. While he may not quite have lived up to his status as the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields has been a great option in fantasy. Hey, only a few seasons ago, he was the 6th highest scoring quarterback in the entire league.
Running quarterbacks are always a great fantasy option, and Fields is one of the very best. In his career, he boasts a 17-game average of 853 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. I think he’s got a great chance to hit those numbers with the Jets this season.
Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engrstrand comes over from the Lions, who had one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league last season. I’ll be interested to see the runs that he designs for Fields.
The Jets have also invested a lot into their offensive line, with 1st round picks Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou at tackle and Alijah Vera-Tucker at guard. This is an offense that’s eager to pound the rock, and outside of Breece Hall, Fields may be the biggest rushing threat on the team.
Perhaps the only question is health. It’s fair to point out that Fields has struggled with injuries throughout his career, as most mobile quarterbacks do. But if he stays healthy, the job is his for the taking. Tyrod Taylor and Adrian Martinez are the only other quarterbacks on the Jets roster, and in a rebuilding year, I think they’ll give Fields one last shot to prove himself.
If he can play a full 17 games, I think Fields could flirt with another top-10 fantasy season. I think he’s a great late-round pick once the early run on quarterbacks dies down.
Running Back: Jordan Mason (RB 37 on FantasyPros)
Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Vikings have made it their mission this offseason to become a more physical team. I think their move to acquire Jordan Mason is the perfect embodiment of that, and that he could even emerge as the lead back in Minnesota by the end of the season.
While Aaron Jones is still a solid player, it is worth noting that he will be 30 years old by the start of the season, has logged 1,432 carries across 8 seasons, and has dealt with various injuries throughout his career. Mason, meanwhile, will be only 26, with 1,196 fewer carries to his name.
Mason also offers a different style of running from the other backs on the Vikings roster. Both Jones and Ty Chandler are smaller and lighter than Mason, who runs with violent intentions. Mason’s 13 broken tackles in 2024 were good for 19th in the NFL, despite being 29th in carries.
At the very least, I expect Mason to be getting the lion’s share of carries near the goal line in what is a very talented offense. But it truly would not surprise me if it only took a few weeks for Mason to take over as the starting back altogether. This is a talented player who flourished in his limited time as a starter last season. He’s worth a mid-round pick and a spot on your bench.
Wide Receiver: Josh Downs (WR 51 on FantasyPros)
Downs’ situation isn’t perfect by any means. The Colts receiving room is very crowded, and it’s fair to question how good their quarterback room is. But I just like Downs too much. There should not be 50 receivers ranked ahead of him.
While battling through injuries and poor QB play, Downs quietly turned in a strong season last year. He totaled 72 catches and 803 yards despite missing 3 games and scored at least 15 fantasy points in 5 games. Even with Anthony Richardson’s woes, the Colts had no problem getting him the ball.
Should Downs stay healthy this season, I think he’s got a great shot to hit 1,000 yards. Even with the likes of Michael Pittman, Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce, and Tyler Warren competing for targets, Downs should still get plenty of looks himself. He excels out of the slot and should have that role in the offense locked down, while Pittman, Mitchell, and Pierce line up on the outside.
I’d go as far as saying Downs is the best receiver on the Colts. It’s not often you can find a player of his caliber this far down the board. I’m willing to overlook his environment and take a player that I really like.
Tight End: Terrance Ferguson (TE 36 on FantasyPros)
You want a deep sleeper? Here you go.
Ferguson comes in all the way down at Tight End 36 on FantasyPros. He probably won’t even be drafted in most leagues. But what fun is fantasy football without a home-run swing with your final pick? Ferguson is mine.
The Rams took Ferguson with the 46th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, but reportedly liked him so much they were about to take him with the 26th pick before the Falcons made them a trade offer they couldn’t refuse.
Ferguson is an elite athlete, with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.57. He stands 6’5 and ran a 4.64 40-yard dash. Those tools make him a threat both inline and in the slot, where he saw plenty of snaps at Oregon. The Rams drafting him was icing on the cake. He’s going to the perfect situation.
I have faith in Sean McVay to find the best possible way to deploy Ferguson. Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett have been big factors in his offense before, and I think Ferguson has more raw ability than either of them. I also think he’ll get plenty of work in the slot now that Cooper Kupp is gone.
While Puka Nacua and Davante Adams will obviously get the majority of targets, I could see Ferguson sneaking his way into 3rd on the pecking order. He’s got a great QB throwing him the ball and a great offensive mind who’s excited to use him. Ferguson is a great late-round lottery ticket.
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