Fantasy Football Breakouts 3.0 from Jamey Eisenberg: These eight rookies will be league winners in 2025
Jamey narrows in on his favorite players to break out as league winners in 2025
•
1 min read
There are different ways to define a breakout candidate, but for me, it's simple. Does the player have a chance to significantly outperform their Average Draft Position? If the answer is yes, then they fit into this category.
And that's what I'm doing with Breakouts 3.0. The players listed here should perform at least one round better than where they are currently being drafted as of Aug. 15 based on the CBS Sports ADP.
Quarterbacks
Breakouts 3.0
Projections powered by
Sportsline
It's been a shaky training camp so far for Fields, who suffered a dislocated toe and has struggled with his accuracy. But the upside is hard to overlook, and I like Fields as a top-10 quarterback this year. His ADP is QB13 in Round 10, and that should be a steal. 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Maye's ADP is QB18, and he's being drafted in Round 12. Sign me up for that value in every league. Maye got significant upgrades this offseason with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and weapons in 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Running Backs
Breakouts 3.0
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The Athletic did a roster projection Friday that said Najee Harris (eye) could open the season on the NFI list, which means he could miss the first four games of the season. We could see Hampton creep into Round 2 with that news, but for now his ADP is at 42.4. I would draft him in the middle of Round 3, and he should be a star -- with or without Harris. 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
I'm close to putting Henderson in Round 3, but for now he remains a Round 4 selection. His ADP is 57.1 and climbing, and he looks explosive in training camp, as well as the first preseason game against Washington. 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. 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. Henderson could be among the league leaders in receptions at running back this year.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Harvey is currently a steal at his ADP of 63.8, and we'll see how much he continues to climb. I plan to draft him in Round 4 since I expect him to be the best running back for the Broncos ahead of J.K. Dobbins. Harvey looked explosive in the first preseason game against San Francisco, and he played with the first-team offense right away. And Sean Payton should maximize Harvey's skillset, which should include a prominent role in the passing game. 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Swift is in a great spot as the lead running back for the Bears, especially following the additions this offseason of coach Ben Johnson and offensive line upgrades in Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. And he might not have much competition for touches with Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai not doing anything of significance in practice, according to reports. Swift has been a good Fantasy option in his career -- he's averaged at least 12.5 PPR points in five seasons in a row -- but this could be one of his best seasons to date. 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. I haven't put Swift in Round 4 yet, but I'm getting close to that. His current ADP is 53.0, but I have him in the top 50 overall picks.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Wide Receiver
Breakouts 3.0
Projections powered by
Sportsline
McMillan's ADP is 72.9, but I would draft him in Round 5. He has the chance for a big season in his rookie campaign, and he should be a focal point for Bryce Young. McMillan 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. We'll see how much Young continues to rely on Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, but McMillan already looked like the alpha of this receiving corps in the first preseason game against Cleveland with two catches for 43 yards on five targets in limited action. I have no problem with McMillan as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues this year.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Pickens goes from the No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh to the No. 2 receiver in Dallas this season, but he can still be a starting Fantasy option in all formats. His ADP is 67.3, but I would draft him early in Round 5 as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver. 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Hunter is dealing with an upper-body injury heading into the second week of preseason action, but he should be fine for Week 1. We still don't know how much time he's going to spend on defense, but he's slated for a big role on offense. And he's a steal at his current ADP of 77.9 since I would draft him in Round 5. Liam Coen's offense should be great for Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr., and Trevor Lawrence should lean heavily on both receivers. In 2024 at Colorado, Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns -- along with 16 pass breakups and four interceptions on defense -- which ultimately earned him the Heisman Trophy. For the Jaguars, he could be a candidate for offensive and defensive rookie of the year, and I would start him as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
The runway looks great for Pearsall to be the No. 1 receiver for the 49ers early in the season with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf) hurt, and Aiyuk might not play until Week 6. That should allow Pearsall to 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. That's something to build off this year, and I would draft Pearsall in Round 6 in all leagues. His current ADP is rising, but it's still currently at 99.3, which is a steal.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Jayden Reed (foot) and Romeo Doubs (back) don't seem destined to be out long, but their injuries have allowed Golden to establish himself as the No. 1 receiver for the Packers, along with Christian Watson (knee) out for the majority of the year. Now, we hope Jordan Love (thumb) is OK with the injury on his non-throwing hand, and Love should make Golden the go-to receiver in Green Bay, even as a rookie. His ADP is at 110.3 and rising, but I would draft Golden in late Round 6. He 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 a No. 3 Fantasy receiver with upside in all leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
I'm drafting Egbuka ahead of Chris Godwin (ankle), which could become the norm if Godwin opens the season on the PUP list. Right now, Godwin's ADP is 79.5, and Egbuka is at 113.4. I would draft Egbuka in Round 7, and he's been among the biggest stars during training camp of any player on any team. It could be a mistake to value Egbuka over Godwin if he's ready for Week 1 or early in the season, especially since Tampa Bay has a crowded receiving corps with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. But Baker Mayfield appears to love Egbuka, and it will be hard to keep him off the field. 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Tight Ends
Breakouts 3.0
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The quarterback situation for the Colts could determine how good Warren will be, but Josh Downs (hamstring) is hurt, which is something to monitor. Any absence for Downs or Michael Pittman will only enhance the value for Warren, no matter who starts out of Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones. I like Warren as the No. 8 Fantasy tight end, and I would draft him in Round 9. His ADP is 115.4, but he could 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 the Colts right away, and I'm excited to draft him this season.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Kraft has top-10 upside, and he should be a steal at his ADP of 115.9. 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 Love throwing more, and Matt LaFleur wants to feature his tight end in 2025. Kraft should also benefit if Reed and Doubs miss any time in the regular season, along with Watson being out. I can see Kraft being second on the Packers in targets behind Golden, which could be fantastic.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
