2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers 3.0: 10 players drafters are sleeping on
Updated Fantasy Football Sleepers from Heath Cummings based on CBS ADP
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2 min read
We're preparing for the busiest Fantasy Football draft weekend of the year is approaching, and we are updating our sleepers, breakouts, and busts. This edition of sleepers is based on CBS PPR ADP as of August 25th. One thing you should know about our ADP is that it is very running back heavy. But that doesn't mean there aren't still running back sleepers.
The last sleepers list I put together highlighted the Jacksonville Jaguars backfield. Bhayshul Tuten (144), Travis Etienne (94), and Tank Bigsby (109) are all being drafted in Round 8 or later. Any of them could qualify as sleepers, especially if Etienne or Bigsby gets traded to a place like Dallas. I still prefer the veterans, like Tuten.
The easiest case to make is for Etienne, the only back on the team who doesn't have a problem catching the ball and holding on to it. Etienne is a former first-round pick, has been teammates with quarterback Trevor Lawrence since the pair won a National Championship in 2018 with the Clemson Tigers, and he is still just 26 years old. While his rushing efficiency hasn't been good since his rookie year, he has caught 97 passes in his last 32 games, and Liam Coen's Buccaneers threw 121 passes to their backs in 2024. In full PPR, Etienne should be the first Jaguars back drafted.
Making the case for Bigsby isn't quite as easy in full PPR; he's only seen 16 targets in two seasons and turned those into a paltry eight catches for 60 yards. But he was legitimately good as a rusher last year, borderline great. Bigsby led the entire league in yards per contact after rush (3.30) and the percentage of his rush yards that came after contact (72.3%). He was also top-five in yards per carry against a stacked box. The fact that he is going 30 picks after Tuten does not make any sense at all to me, but you should take advantage of it.
From my perspective, the Jaguars already have a very good pass-catching back and a very good rushing back. Which is why I have a really hard time getting excited about Tuten, who the team didn't draft until Day 3. The argument I have most commonly heard is that Coen drafted Tuten; he merely inherited Etienne and Bigsby. That argument could end up winning out, and if you can get Tuten in the double-digit rounds, I wouldn't hesitate.
Here are seven more sleepers with an ADP currently outside the top 100 in CBS drafts:
Sleepers 2.0
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I am a big TreVeyon Henderson guy, especially in full PPR, and I strongly prefer him to Stevenson in that format. But I still think Round 10 is a good value for the veteran, Stevenson. While he was disappointing last year, he was still RB27 per game before he got hurt in Week 16 in an awful offense with a terrible offensive line. That was with a 51.8% rush share and an 8.9% receiving share. I expect a small dip from those rates, but a better offensive environment with Josh McDaniels returning and the Patriots' investments in the offensive line. There is also upside that Stevenson holds on to the lead job even longer than I am projecting. That's a risk worth taking in Round 9 to make sure you get him.
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Spears has fallen due to his high ankle sprain, but this is exactly the type of back you may want to reach on. Spears had five games with at least four targets last year and shared short-yardage duties with Tony Pollard when he was healthy. In his lone start, Spears had 23 touches. As long as Pollard is healthy, Spears has a chance to be a solid flex play when he's healthy, and if Pollard misses time, we'll view Spears as a must-start RB2.
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Downs' ADP has been falling, but his situation may have improved with Daniel Jones winning the starting job. The former third-round pick has produced 83 catches for 943 yards and five touchdowns in his last 17 games and is still just 23 years old. The quarterback position is a concern, but it has been for all of Downs' time in Indianapolis. With Jones starting, it is worth noting that his best connection came with Sterling Shepard, who, like Downs, did a lot of his damage from the slot.
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The Packers have spent the offseason talking about Kraft getting more involved in 2025, from Head Coach Matt LaFleur to quarterback Jordan Love. That makes sense because Kraft has been elite with the ball in his hands. Amongst wide receivers and tight ends who have seen at least 100 targets since Kraft entered the league, only Deebo Samuel can match his 8.5 yards after catch per reception. George Kittle is the only tight end to average even 7.0 YAC/R. If Kraft gets a volume boost, he could be a top-five tight end.
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Everyone is very excited about Jacory Croskey-Merritt after the Brian Robinson trade, and I get it. He is a sleeper by ADP as it currently exists, but in all of my drafts, he is going closer to Round 7, ahead of Ekeler. In full PPR, I think that is a mistake. I would expect Ekeler to dominate targets out of the backfield and see an increased role in the running game, at least early in the year. Ekeler is a very good pick as early as Round 8 for drafted who start with a Zero or Hero RB approach.
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Like Croskey-Merritt, Allen is a late riser and could go before pick 100 in your league, but he doesn't always. We expect him to start the year in a timeshare with Breece Hall, but it wouldn't be surprising if he leads the Jets in rush attempts and rushing touchdowns. He was wildly successful in college and could play the David Montgomery role (with fewer touchdowns) for the Jets this year. I have Allen ranked one spot above Croskey-Merritt at this time. If Hall gets injured or traded, Hall could be a league-winning back this year.
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According to our ADP, Burden is an afterthought in Fantasy drafts right now. If you are drafting with me, he won't get past Round 11, and I might take him in Round 10. I don't expect him to open the season as a starting wide receiver, but by midseason, he should easily supplant Olamide Zaccheaus and could occupy the coveted slot role in Ben Johnson's offense. I would not be surprised if Burden is the Bears' best wide receiver in the second half of the season. We have seen a lot of rookie wide receivers start slow, then finish as a league winner; that is a strong possibility for Burden.
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