4 Best Late-Round Picks for Fantasy Football Drafts in 2025

It's important to stay locked in from start to finish when drafting your fantasy football team.

Last season, players such as Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Darnell Mooney, and Jonnu Smith could be obtained outside the top 150 picks.

Which late-round picks are primed to outperform their average draft position (ADP) this season?

Let's highlight the best late-round fantasy football players currently going outside the top 150.

Note: All ADPs come from FantasyPros' Consensus ADP for half-PPR leagues.

Best Late-Round Fantasy Football Draft Picks for 2025

Christian Kirk, WR, Houston Texans

ADP: 165.7 (WR58)

It's a lot easier to get behind Christian Kirk once we consider his modest ADP.

Kirk was the overall WR11 in 2022 after grabbing 1,108 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in a full 17-game season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's been reduced to just 12 and 8 games the last two years, making it easy to forget his ability to earn targets.

Not only has Kirk commanded an 18.0% target share or higher in all but one season since entering the league, but he was on pace to total 3,000-plus receiving yards across the last three seasons if his per-game averages were extrapolated to full 17-game seasons.

The 28-year-old joins the Houston Texans in a contract year and is gearing up to be C.J. Stroud's favorite target behind Nico Collins. Just last year, we saw three Houston wideouts drafted in the top 65 picks. That ended up being the wrong move, but we shouldn't forget why we were bullish on drafting Stroud's pass-catchers in the first place. Kirk touted an impressive 57.2% route win rate in 2024. He might still have some juice left in the tank.

Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos

ADP: 252.0 (WR79)

Marvin Mims' real-time ADP is currently at pick 150, so let's give some love to a more overlooked Denver Broncos wideout.

Troy Franklin didn't do much in his rookie campaign, saving his biggest game for last when he caught a 43-yard touchdown pass in the opening drive of the AFC Wild Card contest. That said, preseason buzz should put him on our radar, particularly in deeper leagues.

According to Anthony Reinhard's StatButler.com, Franklin played 13 of 19 snaps with Nix in Saturday's preseason game. That came off the heels of Denver trading Devaughn Vele in an effort to consolidate the receiving room. Add in head coach Sean Payton expressing that Franklin's Year 2 jump is "happening" and it's easy to buy into some of the hype.

Franklin and Nix were college teammates at Oregon and connected for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns in their final season together. The Vele trade and Franklin's subsequent participation in first-team reps indicate the sophomore could provide value at his ADP.

Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills

ADP: 156.3 (RB52)

Spending late-round draft capital on a running back handcuff is a viable process. As such, Ray Davis stands out.

The Buffalo Bills selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the rookie handled seven-plus carries in seven games despite James Cook being available in all but one contest. Davis averaged 11.1 yards per catch last season, as well as 4.9 yards per carry across three games in which he handled double-digit carries. Cook infamously plays fewer snaps than one would expect, leaving Davis with an interesting role on a Bills offense that was second in the league in scoring last year.

In one game sans Cook, Davis turned 20 carries and 3 targets into 152 scrimmage yards. In a world where Cook is hurt or limited, Davis' role and ability to thrive in said role is awfully intriguing.

Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins

ADP: 212.7 (TE28)

Hunter Henry is my favorite late-round tight end pick, but his real-time ADP is up at pick 140.

If you're in a deeper league and scrounging for a late-round tight end, Darren Waller could be worth your time.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old has not played since 2023 and came out of retirement to join the Miami Dolphins, who later traded Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Smith caught 88 of his 111 targets for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Dolphins in 2024. We can't view Waller as a one-for-one replacement, but he does have a history of being productive in fantasy. He was the overall TE3 and TE2 in 2019 and 2020 and was the TE6, TE10, and TE14 on a points-per-game basis from 2021 to 2023.

With practically no competition in Miami's tight end room, Waller could be a happy surprise this season. Tua Tagovailoa has proven capable of sustaining multiple fantasy-relevant players. Plus, Waller will be playing under Miami OC Frank Smith, who was Waller's tight ends coach with the Raiders.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.