Fantasy Football: One Breakout Candidate From Every NFL Team

We all want to find breakout players in fantasy football drafts.

The definition of a breakout player can vary, but in general, what we're looking for is a player with the opportunity -- a reasonable path snaps and touches -- to vastly outproduce his average draft position (ADP). Not all breakouts are late-round picks, although you'll see plenty of those in this article.

Let's take a look at a breakout candidate from every NFL team ahead of the 2025 season.

All ADP references come from FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP.

Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates

Buffalo Bills: Khalil Shakir, WR

The chance to get Josh Allen's number-one receiver outside the top 100 picks is easy to like, and Khalil Shakir could be headed for the best season of his career.

Shakir -- who carries an ADP of 106th overall (WR46) -- has increased his output each season, totaling 76 catches, 821 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024. He finished with 100 targets last year, 25 more than anyone else on the Buffalo Bills. He's clearly Allen's go-to guy, and Shakir finished the 2024 season with the 12th-best target rate (targets per route run) among all WRs.

Two things have been holding back Shakir -- Buffalo having the fourth-highest run rate last year and Shakir playing only 61.3% of the snaps. The Bills figure to be a run-heavy team once more in 2025, but Shakir's snap rate may tick up due to the departure of Mack Hollins, who paced the Bills' WRs in snaps a year ago.

Shakir has already proven he can produce on limited snaps; if his snap rate jumps this season, his receiving production should do the same, and he can feast on a Buffalo offense our Jim Sannes projects for the most points in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins: Darren Waller, TE

Darren Waller unretired this offseason and has ended up in a pretty great situation with the Miami Dolphins.

A year ago, Jonnu Smith erupted in Miami's TE role, making an eye-popping 88 catches on 111 targets en route to 884 yards and 8 scores. While we can't bank on Waller -- a player who hasn't played since 2023 and is getting ready to turn 33 years old -- to put up those kinds of numbers, he's joining an offense where there are a lot of targets up for grabs at his position.

In his last full season, Waller showed he still has some juice as he amassed 52 catches for 552 yards on a bad New York Giants offense. It's a much more fantasy-friendly environment in Miami, and the Dolphins seem excited about what they have in Waller.

While there's a chance the TE position is stronger in fantasy this year than it's been in a while, we've thought that before only to be let down, so there's a fairly good chance the back-end TE1 ranks get ugly at some point in the year. Waller could play his way into the streaming conversation -- with upside for more -- once he gets his feet under him.

New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB

Drake Maye can build on a solid rookie season and put up QB1 numbers in 2025.

Maye is coming off the board as QB16, and he's one of my favorite late-round quarterbacks to target in one-QB formats as well as an excellent option in superflex leagues.

The reason for that? His legs.

Counting only Maye's 12 starts, he averaged 35.1 rushing yards per game and ran for 2 TDs a season ago. He had single-game rushing outbursts of 95 and 59 rushing yards. That's huge for fantasy and adds to both Maye's floor and his ceiling.

With Stefon Diggs and TreVeyon Henderson joining the mix, the weapons around Maye look considerably better than what the Pats were rolling out there in 2024. Coupled with Maye's running ability, it makes the second-year signal-caller someone to zero in on if you're waiting at the QB position.

New York Jets: Braelon Allen, RB

There isn't a lot of optimism for the New York Jets' offense -- our Jim Sannes projects them for the fifth-fewest points in the NFL.

But don't sleep on Braelon Allen.

While Allen's rookie year wasn't very good in terms of efficiency, with Allen recording the second-fewest rushing yards over expected per carry (-0.64) among qualified backs, per NFL Next Gen Stats, it says something that he was able to garner 92 carries as a 20-year-old rookie after being taken in just the fourth round of the NFL Draft. He also contributed as a pass-catcher, making 19 receptions for 148 yards.

Jets first-year coach Aaron Glenn has spent the past two seasons being involved with a Detroit Lions team that used a two-headed backfield to great success. It's not crazy to think he'll try to deploy something similar with Breece Hall and Allen. Plus, it sure seems like Glenn is a fan of Allen and wants to get both of his talented backs on the field.

At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Allen is built like a workhorse RB. He'd likely need a Hall injury to end up seeing a big-time role, but if that happens, Allen could take off.

Houston Texans: Christian Kirk, WR

Although Christian Kirk going to the Houston Texans didn't make many waves in fantasy circles, Kirk is capable of a big season in H-Town.

Over his final two years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kirk struggled with injuries, playing only 20 total games across 2023 and 2024. But in his last fully healthy season, Kirk was dang good, putting up 84 catches, 1,108 yards and 8 TDs in 2022.

It's fair to ask how much Kirk's 2022 production matters now, but he's still just 28 years old and is going to a Houston offense with a top-notch QB where he can slide in seamlessly as the number-two wideout behind Nico Collins.

With Tank Dell dealing with another serious injury and Joe Mixon banged up, Houston is short on weapons outside of Collins. Kirk's main competition for the Texans' WR2 job is rookies Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. That gives Kirk a great chance to become a trusted weapon for C.J. Stroud and outproduce his WR54 ADP. He's one of the best late-round targets for fantasy football.

Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE

It used to be rare for rookie tight ends to have big years, but the likes of Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta have changed that in recent seasons. Tyler Warren can follow suit.

The Indianapolis Colts used the 14th overall pick on the 6-foot-5 Warren, who was nothing short of excellent at Penn State -- generating 1,233 yards and 8 scores in 2024.

Warren enters a Colts passing game that has some interesting pieces but no true standout pass-catcher. He can be that guy, and Daniel Jones winning the Colts' QB battle is likely good news for Warren as Jones probably offers more as a passer than Anthony Richardson does. Although Jones isn't going to get you excited, Bowers generated his historic rookie season with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell under center. Warren can still do numbers.

Being drafted as the TE10 (100th overall), Warren is capable of a TE1 season right out of the gate and should be an instant fantasy factor.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Tank Bigsby, RB

The Jacksonville Jaguars' backfield is one to watch, and Tank Bigsby could wind up being a breakout running back.

In truth, Bigsby kind of broke out last year, leading Jacksonville in carries (168), rushing yards (766) and rushing TDs (7). He might have even more in store this year.

It wasn't just the counting stats where Bigsby outplayed Travis Etienne -- he did so by advanced numbers, too. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Bigsby added 0.74 rushing yards over expected per carry, the ninth-best clip among qualified backs. He was the third-most elusive running back in the NFL, according to PFF's Elusive Rating.

For comparison, Etienne finished at -0.29 rushing yards over expected per carry.

The Jags' offense checks a few boxes as they've got talent -- especially with Travis Hunter added to the mix -- and might have to keep their foot on the gas in a lot of games if their defense struggles as expected. Bigsby, who is going as RB39, is an economical way to get exposure to this offense.

Tennessee Titans: Chig Okonkwo, TE

Can Cameron Ward elevate the Tennessee Titans' offense to the point where pieces other than Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard are fantasy starters? We're about to find out.

Chigoziem Okonkwo is someone who has flashed in the past but has been bogged down by a lousy offensive environment. Ward is capable of changing that, and Okonkwo looks like the Titans' clear TE1, with Gunnar Helm and Josh Whyle his chief competition for that spot.

Chig has made 52 and 54 catches the last two seasons, and in a Titans offense that is hurting for playmakers, he should be locked into a quality role.

Entering Year 4, Okonkwo is a former combine monster who ran a 97th-percentile 40-yard dash. If Ward proves to be a franchise passer, Okonkwo has the talent to make a sizable fantasy impact this season.

Denver Broncos: RJ Harvey, RB

One of the key positional battles this preseason is taking place in the Denver Broncos' backfield as J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey duke it out for the Broncos' RB1 job.

There are reasons to believe Harvey has the early edge after he handled the majority of early-down snaps in Week 1 of the preseason, and that makes Harvey one of the top rookies to target in fantasy football.

Dobbins may have the advantage in the passing-game role, which is caps Harvey's upside, but if Harvey controls the early-down volume, that's a big deal on a Denver offense that could take a leap in Bo Nix's second season.

Harvey is coming off the board as the RB21 (53rd overall), and he's shaping up to be an appealing mid-round pick.

Kansas City Chiefs: Rashee Rice, WR

Rashee Rice is a pretty known commodity as the WR1 on the Kansas City Chiefs, so maybe it's a stretch to call him a breakout candidate. But he's a complicated case heading into 2025, and I think the masses might be sleeping a bit on his upside.

Rice is a tricky valuation right now because he could be looking at a multi-game suspension. We don't know when he'll be suspended or for how long, and that's a big reason why he's got an ADP of WR24. We could get news on it this week, or the news may come midseason.

While we'll have to wait to see how the possible suspension shakes out, Rice's current ADP presents us with a chance to get an elite WR talent at a modest draft cost.

After a 938-yard rookie season in 2023, Rice started 2024 on a heater and appeared headed for a monster output prior to his season-ending injury in Week 4. Rice went for 103, 75 and 110 yards in his three full games last year and looked every bit the part of an upper-echelon wideout.

With Travis Kelce slowing down and the rest of the KC receiving corps looking pretty meh outside of Xavier Worthy, Rice could be in for a big year. He's someone I'm actively targeting and am willing to take on the risk of his impending suspension because I think Rice can do enough when he's eligible to compensate for any time missed.

Las Vegas Raiders: Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR

The Las Vegas Raiders' offense looks a lot different than it did a year ago. Dont'e Thornton Jr. is one of the new additions, and the fourth-round pick has a chance to seize a meaningful role as a rookie.

Although Brock Bowers is the team's number-one pass-catcher, Vegas' WR depth chart is one of the weakest in the NFL. Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker will likely enter Week 1 atop the depth chart, with Thornton and fellow rookie Jack Bech fighting for the third spot.

While Meyers is a proven, reliable receiver, this is a very welcoming landing spot for Thornton, who is an intriguing prospect. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, he blazed to a 99th-percentile 40-yard dash (4.30) and 100th-percentile speed score at the combine, per PlayerProfiler. He also boasts a 93rd-percentile breakout age (18.3).

The opportunity should be there if Thornton can hit the ground running.

Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton, RB

Omarion Hampton's ADP (RB15) puts him in the high-end RB2 conversation. That doesn't leave him much room to outperform his ADP, but even with that, it's hard to ignore Hampton's potential league-winning ceiling.

Hampton went 22nd overall in last spring's draft to a Los Angeles Chargers squad that let J.K. Dobbins walk in free agency. The Bolts, however, signed Najee Harris in the offseason, but Harris suffered what appears to be a serious eye injury this summer and may not be ready for Week 1.

The door is wide open for Hampton to grab hold of the Chargers' backfield, and given the lack of burst Harris showed in recent years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris might not be much of a threat even when he's healthy.

Baltimore Ravens: Keaton Mitchell, RB

Keaton Mitchell is a Derrick Henry absence away from fantasy relevance, but if he gets a chance to handle more work, Mitchell could go off.

As a rookie in 2023, Mitchell showed big-time ability over a small sample of 47 carries, running for 8.4 yards per attempt and totaling 396 yards. He missed nearly all of 2024 due to injury, but he is ready to rock this campaign.

Mitchell has looked explosive this preseason, including a 22-yard TD run against the Colts, and we know the Baltimore Ravens are going to run the ball as they had the second-highest run rate a year ago.

It's a big if, but if Henry misses time, Mitchell will immediately jump into the RB2 ranks even if he cedes a lot of pass-down snaps to Justice Hill.

Cleveland Browns: Dylan Sampson, RB

The Cleveland Browns' backfield is in disarray, and someone is going to have to be the lead guy. Dylan Sampson may wind up being that someone.

With second-round pick Quinshon Judkins facing legal trouble and yet to sign a contract, Jerome Ford is the Browns' RB1. Ford has been pretty darn solid over the last two years -- fifth-most rushing yards over expected per carry last year (1.10) -- but the Browns drafting a pair of RBs this offseason makes it pretty obvious what Cleveland's front office thinks of him.

With the Tennessee Volunteers in 2024, Sampson showed he can be a workhorse RB, producing 1,491 rushing yards and 22 total TDs on 258 carries.

It's not easy to get excited about Cleveland's offense, but there's opportunity up for grabs in the Browns' backfield.

Cincinnati Bengals: Andrei Iosivas, WR

Admittedly, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the hardest teams to find a breakout for because most of the touches in their offense get funneled to a couple of very well-known dudes. But if either Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins have to miss any time, Andrei Iosivas could make a fantasy impact.

A former sixth-round pick, Iosivas has proven to have a nose for the end zone through two seasons, scoring 10 times despite making only 51 career catches.

In 2024, Iosivas logged an impressive 78.5% snap rate, aided by Higgins missing five games. Iosivas' production didn't rise without Higgins, but his snap counts did, with Iosivas playing at least 84.0% of the snaps in four of those five games.

Although there's very little chance of a Iosivas breakout if Cincy's top WRs stay healthy, he'd immediately jump onto the fantasy radar if Chase or Higgins is sidelined.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Kaleb Johnson, RB

The Steelers had a hole in the backfield after Najee Harris departed, and they filled it by spending a third-round pick on Kaleb Johnson.

Johnson walks into a backfield where he's competing with Jaylen Warren for touches. Warren finished with -0.11 rushing yards over expected per carry in 2024, and at 5-foot-8, 215 pounds, he may not be suited for a lead-back role. With 127 catches through three years, Warren might fit best in the passing game.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Johnson, on the other hand, could be ready to carry the load on the ground.

With the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2024, Johnson had a monster season, rattling off 1,537 rushing yards and 23 total TDs. His college dominator rating -- percentage of total team yards and total team touchdowns he accounted for -- ranks in the 99th percentile, per PlayerProfiler.

It's probably fair to expect a split backfield, especially early in the year, but if Johnson excels -- or if Warren is sidelined at all -- the rookie has league-winning upside

Dallas Cowboys: Jaydon Blue, RB

As has been a recurring theme in this article -- the Dallas Cowboys' backfield is up in the air.

Enter Jaydon Blue.

Admittedly, Blue's prospect profile isn't all that great, with the biggest bright spot being that he hauled in 42 passes last year. The key thing working in his favor is that the rest of Dallas' RB depth chart just isn't good, with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders being meh, at best. Williams ranked third-worst among qualified RBs last year in rushing yards over expected per carry (-0.60), and Sanders has posted a putrid 3.5 yards per tote over the past two seasons.

Blue is one of my favorite sleeper running backs for 2025 because I think he can get on the field early and Dallas' defense might be bad, potentially forcing the Cowboys' offense into high-scoring games. It's a nice recipe for success for Blue if he can win the RB battle.

New York Giants: Jaxson Dart, QB

This doesn't make sense in one-QB formats, but if you're in a superflex league, Jaxson Dart needs to be on your radar as a potential waiver-wire addition at some point this season.

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly said Russell Wilson is his starter, and that'll surely be the case at the beginning of the season. But with first-round draft capital invested in Dart, the rookie is going to get in eventually -- unless Russ is outstanding -- and Dart has the tools to be a QB2 option in fantasy once he gets the chance.

Going by our Jim Sannes' QB prospect model, there's a lot to like about Dart coming into the league, and he's looked pretty good in the preseason, completing 32 of 47 passes for 372 yards and 3 TDS. He's also run six times for 52 yards.

The running ability boosts his fantasy outlook, and Dart can be a superflex difference maker when the Giants turn to him under center.

Philadelphia Eagles: Will Shipley, RB

Much like the Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles don't have a lot of room for breakouts given how many of their touches go to well-established fantasy studs. At the same time, with how loaded and high-powered this offense is, if something were to happen to Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley could push for immediate RB1 (top-12) status.

Philly has Shipley and A.J. Dillon behind Barkley, so there's a chance it's a timeshare if Barkley -- who handled a league-leading 345 carries and 33 receptions last year -- were out. But we've seen what Dillon can do, and I'd rather roll the dice on Shipley, who ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 combine.

Anyone who gets consistent touches in the Eagles' offense will be a fantasy factor, and a Barkley absence for any stretch of time would thrust Shipley into a fantasy-relevant role.

Washington Commanders: Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB

With it looking like the Washington Commanders are wanting to trade Brian Robinson, Washington's backfield is a great place to find fantasy value. Jacory Croskey-Merritt's stock has risen as a result, but I'm a little cooler on him and prefer to take a shot on Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Veteran Austin Ekeler is a safe bet to handle a lot of the passing-game volume, but the ground work could be split between Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt. Entering Year 3, Rodriguez's usage in Washington's second preseason game hinted at him being ahead of the rookie on the depth chart, with Rodriguez playing only the first half -- as well as getting the game's first drive with the starters -- while Croskey-Merritt played through the third quarter.

Whoever gets touches in this backfield is someone worth rostering, making this a must-watch situation if Robinson is dealt.

Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE

It's going to be different this time -- right?

We've been waiting for a Kyle Pitts breakout. Michael Penix Jr. could help deliver it.

Drake London and Bijan Robinson are the sure things in the Atlanta Falcons' offense. After that, there's plenty of room for Pitts to emerge.

Pitts is being drafted as the TE16, so unlike in some previous years, it doesn't take a valuable pick to land him. Our fantasy football projections are bullish on Pitts as we have him forecasted to be the TE9. He's one of my favorite tight ends to draft this season. Pitts finishing as a top-five TE is one of Austin Swaim's fantasy football bold predictions for 2025.

Carolina Panthers: Jalen Coker, WR

After adding Tetairoa McMillan, the Carolina Panthers' receiver room doesn't look too shabby. I still like Jalen Coker to carve out a solid role.

As a rookie in 2024, Coker made some noise, tallying 478 receiving yards in just 11 games and showing a nice rapport with Bryce Young. He finished seventh among all WRs in yards per target (10.4) and had snap rates of 88%, 87%, 82%, 87%, and 93% across his last five games of the season.

Ranking in the 98th percentile in both burst score and catch radius, per PlayerProfiler, Coker is likely battling Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette for Carolina's WR2 job. He could win that role and push for fantasy relevance in 2025.

New Orleans Saints: Rashid Shaheed, WR

The breakout fantasy option involving this offense might be the D/ST they're playing each week.

Jones aside, Rashid Shaheed could follow up a quality 2024 with a big 2025 despite the New Orleans Saints potentially having the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.

A year ago, Shaheed played only six games but was a monster when he was on the field, averaging 17.5 yards per grab along with the third-highest average depth of target (17.6). He's a proven big-play weapon with legit upside.

At an ADP of WR56, Shaheed is one of the better late-round fantasy football targets.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, WR

Emeka Egbuka is one of the more popular fantasy football sleepers, and here at FanDuel Research, we've covered him several times this offseason.

While we don't want to put too much stock into what Egbuka's teammates are saying, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield keeps heaping praise on the rookie. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin -- the latter of whom is likely out until October -- have been outstanding for the Bucs for a while, but a changing of the guard could be under way, starting with Tampa drafting Egbuka in the first round.

Egbuka's receiving prop for the season is 825.5 yards -- not super far from Evans' line of 975.5 yards.

There will be a lot of mouths to feed in the Bucs' offense once Godwin is back, but Egbuka is talented enough to command targets. Being drafted just inside the top 100, Egbuka checks a lot of boxes.

Arizona Cardinals: Michael Wilson, WR

Michael Wilson is a fantasy football sleeper wide receiver for me for a few reasons.

The Arizona Cardinals have a chance to be good offensively, with our Jim Sannes projecting them to score the seventh-most points. Wilson is basically free exposure to the Cards' attack as he's being taken as the WR85.

In addition to that, Wilson should be on the field a lot. He's logged snap rates of 80% and 81% the past two seasons, and Wilson ran a route on 91.1% of Arizona's drop backs a campaign ago.

Although Wilson may need Trey McBride or Marvin Harrison Jr. to miss time to really bust out, he's someone worth having on your radar.

Los Angeles Rams: Jarquez Hunter, RB

The Los Angeles Rams' backfield probably belongs to Kyren Williams barring injury, but while a Williams injury is the most likely path rookie Jarquez Hunter truly breaking out, Hunter has a chance to eat into Williams' workload.

In 2024, Williams showed very little burst, with a long rush of just 30 yards, and he handled 350 total touches. He's now been saddled with 610 total touches over the last two season, so it makes sense that LA may want to get Hunter more involved to ease the burden on Williams.

Hunter ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, so he should bring more big-play ability to the table than Williams does, and he's a handcuff RB to track heading into the season.

San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall, WR

Ricky Pearsall is similar to the aforementioned Egbuka in that we have talked about him plenty this summer.

He's one of my favorite fantasy football breakout candidates.

Pearsall flashed late last year, recording 8 catches, 141 yards and a TD in Week 16 before putting up 6 receptions, 69 yards and a score in Week 17. The path to playing time has opened up for him as Deebo Samuel is gone, Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from a serious injury and Jauan Jennings hasn't yet practiced due to injury/possibly holding in.

With first-round draft capital and a fairly clear path to being the San Francisco 49ers' WR1 -- at least early in the year -- Pearsall can put together a big 2025.

Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet, RB

Between Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III, the Seattle Seahawks have a pair of quality backs. They each likely need an injury to the other to have a massive season. Given that and given their ADPs -- Walker is RB17 and Charbonnet is RB37 -- Charbonnet is the one I prefer to draft.

In 2024, Charbonnet registered 0.56 rushing yards over expected per carry. He's proven he can thrive with a bigger workload, too. In the three games last year where he saw at least 15 carries, Charbonnet averaged 94.0 rushing yards and 4.3 receptions per game while scoring four total TDs.

With the skill-set to be a three-down RB, Charbonnet is a high-upside back who can be had outside the top 100 picks.

Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE

I touched on Tyler Warren earlier. Well, Colston Loveland was the first tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he might do big things right away.

As you could guess, Loveland was an elite prospect. His college dominator rating -- percentage of his team's receiving yards and receiving TDs that he accounted for -- ranks in the 99th percentile, and his breakout age sits in the 87th percentile, according to PlayerProfiler.

There's a reason Loveland was the 10th pick in the draft, and I think it means something that he was the first selection of the Ben Johnson era. Johnson clearly wanted him, and we've already seen what Johnson can do with TEs (see: Sam LaPorta).

Although competition for targets on the Chicago Bears is stiff, Loveland has the talent to earn a key role as a rookie.

Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams, WR

Repeat what I said for the Bengals and Eagles -- it's hard to be a breakout player in this offense.

Despite being one of the several well-known pieces on the Lions, Jameson Williams could still surprise this season.

Williams is as elite of a big-play receiver as there is in the game right now, and while last year's 1,001-yard effort qualifies as a breakout, maybe there's more in the tank if Williams can up his meh 18.9% target share from a year ago. He was 23rd among WRs in fantasy points per game despite checking in 40th in targets and 51st in target share.

Any boost in volume -- whether it happens organically or due to injuries around him -- could send Williams into the low-end WR1 territory.

Green Bay Packers: Tucker Kraft, TE

Tucker Kraft is a savvy late-round tight end to draft this season.

The Green Bay Packers have so much uncertainty at receiver that it may be casting a shadow over Kraft. I think that's a mistake -- as does our Annie Nader.

Entering Year 3, Kraft made a jump in 2024 en route to totals of 50 receptions for 707 yards and 7 scores. He played 85.8% of the snaps a year ago, the sixth-best clip among TEs, and had the fifth-most yards after the catch. So, the week-to-week floor is pretty sturdy, and the upside is there, too.

Being taken as TE11 and just outside the first 100 picks, Kraft makes a lot of sense if you're waiting on a tight end.

Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB

With an ADP of QB19, J.J. McCarthy is an afterthought in one-QB leagues. In superflex formats, though, he's one of my favorite sleeper quarterbacks for 2025.

For me, some of this is blind faith in Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell and his ability to help quarterbacks. We just saw Sam Darnold have a career year under O'Connell, a season that resulted in a QB9 output for fantasy.

In addition to that, McCarthy was a really nice prospect -- our Jim Sannes ranked J.J. as the QB2 in a very strong 2024 class -- and is walking into a good situation. Not only does he have a top-notch offensive-minded coach, McCarthy will be throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (following Addison's suspension) and T.J. Hockenson along with a pair of capable pass-game RBs in Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.

All in all, it's a pretty great setup for a quarterback the Vikings obviously liked enough to take 10th overall in 2024 and clearly felt good enough about this offseason to let Darnold leave in free agency.

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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.