2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers

I don’t think Dont’e Thornton will be going super late for very long. A fourth-round rookie, Thornton is a big and ultra-athletic receiver. He practiced with the first-team offense back in June, and now he has emerged as a starter across from Jakobi Meyers. Charlie Campbell, the most accurate mock drafter on the planet, spoke to two sources close to the situation who have told him that Thornton is legit. They even expect Thornton to be the No. 1 receiver over Meyers.

De’Von Achane is banged up. Jaylen Wright is week to week with an injury. And Ollie Gordon has been explosive in the preseason. Gordon has trampled over defenders and carried would-be tacklers with ease. He looks great.

*Gordon’s ADP says late 12th round, but he’s skyrocketing right now, so you may have to draft him in the 11th round.

It seems as though everyone is hyping up Kenneth Walker as a third-round pick, but Walker, who is injury-prone, is dealing with some issue already. Walker could also be traded because he’s entering his contract year. Zach Charbonnet could receive a big workload in the second half of the year, either via trade or Walker injury. Keep in mind that Seattle’s running game will be improved this year via Grey Zabel and Robbie Ouzts.

This is far too late for Braelon Allen, who is a Breece Hall injury away from posting solid RB2 production. Allen is already splitting touches with Hall, so he’ll produce even if there isn’t an injury. The Jets even improved their offensive line this offseason by drafting Armand Membou with their first-round pick. Also, keep in mind that there’s growing momentum for Hall to be traded by the deadline, which would obviously be a huge boon for Allen’s draft stock.

Christian McCaffrey played in just four games last year and has an extensive injury history. He’s also in the latter stage of his career and currently has chronic Achilles tendinitis in both feet. There’s a very good chance Brian Robinson will see ample playing time. I had Isaac Guerendo slotted here earlier, but Kyle Shanahan said that he considers Robinson to be McCaffrey’s direct backup.

*I expect Robinson’s ADP to drop a bit, as it’s still falling from the Redskins news.

Isaac TeSlaa was an honorable mention in the previous update. This was before the Lions traded Tim Patrick. With Patrick gone, TeSlaa is the clear No. 3 option at receiver. TeSlaa is a dynamic athlete who has made many big plays in the preseason.

James Cook has re-signed with the Bills after his awkward hold-in. Cook missed a lot of practice and could get injured as a result. Ray Davis had a monster game when Cook missed action last year, so he’s worth drafting late.

Jaydon Blue is the best running back on Dallas’ roster. Javonte Williams has never been the same since his torn ACL. Miles Sanders is trash. Blue isn’t just the best of some bad options; he’s an explosive and compact runner. He could have a huge second half of the year. Blue currently has a low-ankle sprain, but sounds like he should be fine for Week 1.

I don’t understand why Rashid Shaheed is being drafted in the double-digit rounds. He’s a very talented receiver who has explosive ability. There’s the quarterbacking, which stinks, but Shaheed should still be chosen before Round 10. Shaheed could emerge as the No. 1 receiver because Chris Olave could be injured or traded.

Will Shipley has impressed in training camp last season and looked great in limited action during the course of the year. The problem was that he was stuck behind both Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell, but that’s no longer the case because Gainwell is gone. If Barkley, who had a heavy workload last season, goes down, then Shipley will be a huge producer in Philadelphia’s offense. Keep in mind that Shipley could get some work in Philadelphia’s blowout victories this season.

Keaton Mitchell is one of the most explosive backs in the NFL. He can go the distance whenever he touches the ball. He had a great preseason performance against the Colts, and he could be a monster if Derrick Henry misses time.

Tory Horton has been highly impressive in training camp, and that carried over into the opening preseason game. Horton looks like the real deal, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he becomes the No. 2 receiver on the Seahawks.

D.J. Giddens impressed in training camp and won the Colts’ backup running back job rather easily. Jonathan Taylor misses several games each year, so Giddens is worth owning because he’s likely to have a handful of starts this season.