2025 Fantasy Football Breakouts 4.0: Jamey Eisenberg is targeting these 20 players in all Fantasy drafts
Jamey's final list of breakouts includes rookies as well as players from the Cowboys, Steelers, Packers and more
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1 min read
For Breakouts 4.0, which is my final list of breakouts for 2025, we're going with an all-star list. These are my favorite breakout candidates for this season, and I want to draft all of them. You should as well.
I've touched on many of these players already in the first three versions of breakouts, but we've added a few guys to the group and updated some outlooks. And the more I write and talk about these players, the more I want them on my Fantasy teams for this season.
So, without further ado, here are your league-winning players for 2025.
Quarterbacks
Breakouts 4.0
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I've heard some of the arguments against Fields following an inconsistent training camp that he's having trouble throwing the ball. Is that a concern? Obviously, along with a lack of weapons in the passing game. But are we drafting Fields as a Fantasy quarterback because of his arm? His main asset is his ability to run, and he's third all-time in rushing yards per game among quarterbacks at 50.2, trailing only Lamar Jackson (59.9) and Jayden Daniels (52.4). Fields could lead all quarterbacks in rushing yards -- he ran for 1,143 yards with Chicago in 2022 -- and he has two seasons on his resume with at least 20.1 Fantasy points per game. He also averaged 24.5 Fantasy points per game in his final four starts in Pittsburgh last season. I expect him to have a strong connection with Garrett Wilson, and Fields has the chance to be special in 2025.
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Maye is among the best values of any position this season based on his CBS Sports average draft position since he's QB17, and he's being drafted in Round 11. I'm all in on Maye at that cost. Maye got significant upgrades this offseason with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and weapons TreVeyon Henderson, Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams. And Maye was actually better than expected as a rookie in 2024. In 10 healthy starts, he scored at least 21.4 Fantasy points five times. He was also on pace for 632 rushing yards, which would have been third among quarterbacks behind only Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. I plan to roster Maye in a lot of leagues this season.
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Running backs
Breakouts 4.0
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Najee Harris (eye) could play in Week 1, and he'll definitely be ready for action early in the season. That could limit the upside for Hampton, which is a concern. But I expect Hampton to be the lead running back for the Chargers, and he should make it hard to take him off the field, whether Harris is healthy or not. I would draft him in the middle of Round 3, and he should be a star. In his past two seasons at North Carolina, Hampton combined for 534 carries for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns and 67 catches for 595 yards and three touchdowns. The Chargers should give him every chance to dominate on the ground, and if he can get near 40 receptions or more then he has top-10 upside in all leagues.
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In Breakouts 3.0, I wrote that I was close to putting Henderson in Round 3, and now he's there. He's been one of the stars of training camp, not just for the Patriots, but the entire NFL. Henderson should have an immediate impact in the passing game for New England, and he should prove to be more explosive than Rhamondre Stevenson as the season goes on. There was a report in The Athletic that Henderson "might not be just the team's best running back. He might be its most reliable offensive weapon, period." At Ohio State in 2024, Henderson had 144 carries for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns and 27 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown while sharing playing time with Quinshon Judkins. I want Henderson on all my Fantasy teams in 2025.
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Based on the preseason usage, Harvey will likely play on first and second downs for the Broncos, while J.K. Dobbins will be the third-down back. I'm sure we'll see them switch roles at times, but it's clear Sean Payton wants to get Harvey on the field as much as possible. And that's exciting given his upside. In his past two seasons at UCF, Harvey combined for 458 carries for 2,993 yards and 38 touchdowns and 39 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Harvey ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he's playing behind a quality offensive line. If Dobbins were to miss any time this season due to injury then Harvey could be a top-10 running back in all leagues. I plan to draft Harvey in all leagues in Round 4.
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We kept waiting all offseason for Swift to get competition in Chicago's backfield, and no one has come -- yet. And even the guys that Swift is supposed to be competing with in Roschon Johnson (foot) and Kyle Monangai (undisclosed) are injured heading into Week 1. Swift could dominate touches for the Bears, and this could be the best year of his career. He's averaged at least 12.5 PPR points in five seasons in a row, but I like his chances to exceed that amount, potentially by a significant margin. Ben Johnson was the passing game coordinator in Detroit in 2021, and Swift had 62 catches on 78 targets that season. Johnson took over as offensive coordinator for the Lions in 2022, and Swift averaged 13.7 PPR points that season. Swift is an excellent running back to target in early Round 5 this season, and he has top-15 upside in all leagues.
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Tracy will open the season as the lead running back for the Giants ahead of Cam Skattebo, and I expect Tracy to keep the job all year if he stays healthy. And we should see Tracy perform like a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. Last season, Tracy scored at least 14.5 PPR points in three of his final six games, but this Giants offense should be better thanks to Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart. If the offensive line holds up, specifically left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot), then we could see Tracy get a lot more scoring chances. He's looked good in the preseason, and Tracy is worth drafting as early as Round 6 in all formats.
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Warren is my favorite Steelers running back this season ahead of Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell. The latter actually might be more of a threat to Warren this year than Johnson if Gainwell is the Pittsburgh running back playing on passing downs. We'll see how that plays out, but Warren will open the season as the starter. And this should be a career year for him. In 2023, Warren averaged 11.6 PPR points per game, which so far is his best season. I expect him to shatter that level of production, and I would draft Warren as early as Round 6 in the majority of leagues.
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The Vikings have made it clear they want Aaron Jones and Mason to share touches this season, and it wouldn't shock me if Mason outperforms Jones several times during the year when both are healthy. And should Jones, 30, miss any time due to injury then Mason could be a star. We saw that last season in San Francisco when Christian McCaffrey was out, and Mason got a chance for an increased workload. He had six games with at least 14 carries in 2024 with the 49ers, and he averaged 15.4 PPR points in those outings. Mason should be considered a flex option in all leagues to open the season, but he could emerge as a must-start running back as the year goes on. I plan to draft Mason as early as Round 7.
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Everyone always asks me the one player I want to make sure to draft this season, and the answer is Allen. I'm expecting him to share touches with Breece Hall right away, and he's a lottery ticket if Hall were to miss any time during the season. When both are healthy, I'm sure Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was in Detroit last season, would love to find his new Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, with Allen likely playing the role of Montgomery and having the chance to work at the goal line. I wouldn't expect double digits in touchdowns, but Allen is a potential red-zone threat at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds. He also might get more work than expected given the rave reviews he got in training camp, and I'm drafting Allen well ahead of his ADP, which is Round 11. Round 9 is when I start to look for Allen in most leagues.
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Wide receivers
Breakouts 4.0
Projections powered by
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The Panthers cleared the runway for McMillan to have a big rookie campaign by trading Adam Thielen to the Vikings. That's a benefit to Jalen Coker (one of my favorite sleepers) and Xavier Legette as well, but McMillan has the chance to dominate targets from Bryce Young. And I would draft McMillan in Round 4 now. One of my favorite stats for McMillan is that he scored 26 receiving touchdowns in three seasons at Arizona. Over the past three seasons, the Panthers receivers have combined for 38 touchdowns. Finding the end zone could be big for McMillan, who is a big target at 6-foot-5. I could see McMillan finish as a top-15 Fantasy receiver this year, and he could emerge as a top-10 receiver on Draft Day in 2026 if things go right.
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I continue to move Pickens up in my rankings, and he's a borderline Round 4 pick now. He has the potential to perform like Tee Higgins as a standout second receiver in a pass-heavy offense, and Pickens could be a top-15 Fantasy receiver by the end of the season. He should prove to be a solid complement to CeeDee Lamb and a big-play threat for Dak Prescott. We'll see if Pickens can command enough targets to enhance his Fantasy value, but the Cowboys passing game should carry this offense. There's a lot to like about Pickens playing in Dallas, and I plan to be aggressive in drafting him this year.
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Things became clear for the Chiefs receivers with Rashee Rice suspended for the first six games of the season, which should make Worthy the No. 1 option for Patrick Mahomes early in the year. And Worthy might play well enough to stay as that guy for all of 2025. Worthy took off last year, and hopefully that momentum carries over to his sophomore campaign. In his final six games, including the playoffs, Worthy scored at least 19.6 PPR points in five outings over that span. He had 53 targets and 11 carries during that stretch and was Kansas City's best offensive player. And in the Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia, Worthy was dominant with eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. He's worth drafting as early as Round 4 in the majority of leagues, and he has top-15 upside while Rice is out. When Rice returns, I still expect Worthy to be a No. 2 Fantasy receiver -- if not more -- to close out the year.
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Chris Godwin (ankle) avoided the PUP list to open the season, but he's still expected to miss the first few games of the year. And Jalen McMillan (neck) is on the PUP list, which means he's out for the first four games. That should allow Egbuka to start off the season playing well, and he might not ever leave the starting lineup when healthy. Baker Mayfield appears to love Egbuka, and Fantasy managers should as well, which is why he's worth drafting no later than Round 6 in the majority of leagues. He just had 81 catches for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns at Ohio State in 2024, and he could be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver to open the season with room to become even better if he lives up to the preseason hype.
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Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is officially out for the first four weeks of the season, and Jauan Jennings (calf) might not be ready for Week 1. The runway looks great for Pearsall to be the No. 1 receiver for the 49ers, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 6 in the majority of leagues. Pearsall should be a go-to option for Brock Purdy, and hopefully Pearsall can pick up where last season ended. In his final two games in 2024, Pearsall had eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against Detroit in Week 17 and six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 18 at Arizona. Keep in mind that Pearsall didn't make his NFL debut until Week 7 following a gunshot wound to his chest in late August. His first solid outing came in Week 10 at Tampa Bay with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on six targets. In total, he had three games as a rookie with at least six targets, and he scored at least 17.3 PPR points in all three outings. He could reach those totals on a regular basis this season given all the injuries for San Francisco's receiving corps to start the year.
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Jayden Reed (foot) could miss the start of the season, and Christian Watson (knee) could miss most of the year. That should allow Golden to establish himself as the No. 1 receiver for the Packers, and he's worth drafting as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver as early as Round 6. Golden just had 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns for Texas in 2024, and I'm expecting him to be a big-play threat in Green Bay, especially as his route tree expands. If the Packers increase their pass attempts -- they were third worst in the NFL in 2024 -- then Golden could be a star. He's someone to covet on Draft Day in all leagues.
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Odunze had a disappointing rookie campaign in 2024 when he only caught 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns on 101 targets, but things will hopefully improve in his sophomore season. The addition of Ben Johnson and improvements across the offensive line should help Caleb Williams, which should enhance the outlook for Odunze. Now, it's a crowded receiving corps with D.J. Moore, Odunze, Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus and tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. But it's hard to ignore Odunze's play-making ability if you're Johnson and Williams, and Odunze has looked good in the preseason. Round 7 is a great spot to draft Odunze this year.
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Coleman has graduated from sleeper to breakout since everyone in Buffalo -- and almost every Fantasy analyst -- can see his potential. Coleman had a disappointing rookie campaign in 2024, but there's reason to buy back into him as a sophomore. He will hopefully be featured by Josh Allen along with Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid, but we'll see what happens with Josh Palmer and potentially Elijah Moore. Last season, Coleman finished with just 29 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns on 57 targets in 13 games. He suffered a wrist injury in Week 9 against Miami, and his season derailed at that point when it seemed like he was about to get hot. In two games prior to that against Tennessee and Seattle, Coleman had nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets, and hopefully that level of production is more consistent this year. He's someone to target as early as Round 7 in all leagues.
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Tight ends
Breakouts 4.0
Projections powered by
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Daniel Jones has been named the starting quarterback for the Colts, and that's good news for all the pass catchers in Indianapolis, especially Warren. He should get plenty of targets, even while sharing the field with Josh Downs and Michael Pittman, and Warren should be considered a top-10 Fantasy tight end prior to the season with top-five upside. I like Warren as the No. 8 Fantasy tight end, and I would draft him in Round 9 since he should be special in his rookie campaign. At Penn State in 2024, Warren had 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, and he added 26 carries for 218 yards and four touchdowns. He should be a go-to option for Jones right away, and he should be a standout Fantasy tight end in his rookie campaign.
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Reed is dealing with a foot injury that could linger all season, and Watson might not play until the end of the year. Kraft will likely compete for second on the team in targets with Doubs behind Golden, and Kraft has top-10 upside in all leagues. He's someone I plan to target in Round 9, and he should improve on his production from last year. Kraft averaged 9.6 PPR points per game last season with 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns on 70 targets. Those numbers are expected to go up with Jordan Love throwing more, and Matt LaFleur wants to feature his tight end in 2025. I can see Kraft challenging for a top-five spot at tight end as the year goes on based on his potential in this offense.
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