2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers 1.0 from Dave Richard: David Njoku, Tucker Kraft lead TE values plus RBs galore

When I draft, I always like to have a list of sleepers close by. It’s my go-to in the later rounds when I’m looking to take chances on players without any real care about what it takes to get them on my team.

Because the only time you’ll care about a pick after 100th overall is when you get it absolutely right. And that’s a tremendous feeling!

That’s how I felt last year when Brock Bowers made it onto a bunch of my teams. It might be how you felt when you took Courtland Sutton, Brian Thomas Jr., or Ladd McConkey.

But if you had taken Keon Coleman, Rome Odunze, Kirk Cousins, or (gulp) Josh Palmer, you probably didn’t care about cutting them after several weeks. Why should you? The draft pick you spent to get them was late. No remorse necessary!

It’s easier to move on from a bad late-round pick, but it’s oh-so-good to crush them. It makes your Fantasy team better and greatly improves your chances of making the playoffs/winning your league/earning the envy of your friends/making some extra cash/being a hero to the community.

Here are the players on my sleeper list as of late May/early June. All of them have an average draft position past 100th overall on FantasyPros. They’re listed in order of ADP.

FantasyPros ADP: 112.0
2024 Fantasy stats: 9.9 PPR points per game with Jacksonville (nine games)
He’s a sleeper because … Denver did little else to improve its receiving corps and coach Sean Payton has longed for a versatile mismatch in his offense. After averaging at least seven targets per game in 2023 and 2024, Engram is in position to finish first or second on the Broncos in targets. Engram also has caught at least 73% of his targets in three seasons since leaving New York, proving himself to be a reliable target for Bo Nix.
I’d draft him: Round 9, around 100th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 112.5
2024 Fantasy stats: 8.9 PPR points per game with Jacksonville (eight games)
He’s a sleeper because … He’s taking over for Stefon Diggs in the slot role in the Texans offense. When Diggs was healthy he averaged eight targets per game from C.J. Stroud; Kirk averaged at least seven targets per game in each of his two years with the Jaguars when he posted 12-plus PPR points on average. If Kirk lands anywhere near that average he’ll deliver at least No. 3 WR numbers fairly consistently. Finding receivers like that with picks in Round 9-plus will be hard to do this season.
I’d draft him: Round 9 or 10, around 110th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 116.5
2024 Fantasy stats: n/a
He’s a sleeper because … The Colts don’t have an alpha receiver who can capably catch off-target passes and add yardage after the catch. Josh Downs is closer to being that guy than Michael Pittman, but Downs has been fairly inconsistent throughout his career. Warren offers the Colts modest versatility but is an absolute bull with the ball in his hands, averaging over six yards after the catch and five yards after contact on carries last year at Penn State. There’s a pathway for Warren to lead the Colts in all receiving statistics this season.
I’d draft him: Round 8 or 9, before 100th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 120.5
2024 Fantasy stats: 17.3 in eight games, but he averaged over 20 points per game in each of the prior six seasons.
He’s a sleeper because … His receiving corps got upgraded while the rest of the Cowboys are a little suspect. George Pickens will join CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson as Prescott’s top targets, all of whom are capable of making quality plays to push Prescott’s numbers higher. There’s also a good chance Prescott throws a lot — the run game is very suspect and the defense has a number of players coming back from injury and might not be as good as it was last year much less two years ago. In Prescott’s best seasons, he averaged at least 34.7 pass attempts per game, a number certainly in play this year.
I’d draft him: Round 9, around 100th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 121.0
2024 Fantasy stats: 13.5 PPR points per game; 16.2 in eight games without Deshaun Watson at QB.
He’s a sleeper because … This ADP is crazy low. Njoku’s been very productive for two straight years — he shouldn’t suddenly slide this far in drafts. The Browns have consistently used Njoku as a reliable short-area target, and they’ve benefited from his after-catch power. He’s also an obvious red-zone threat (49 such targets in his last three seasons, second-most among tight ends and 12th-most in the entire NFL). There’s no way Njoku should last this late in Fantasy drafts, even with the Browns’ awkward quarterback room.
I’d draft him: Round 6 or 7, around 70th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 130.5
2024 Fantasy stats: 9.6 PPR points per game; 10.7 in his last 14 games.
He’s a sleeper because … Kraft was among the Packers’ most efficient pass-catchers last season, finishing first, second, or third among meaningful Packers WRs and TEs in catch rate (71.4%), yards per catch (14.1), yards per target (10.1), yards after catch per reception (9.1), explosive catch rate (22.9%) and tackle avoid rate (30%). His biggest problem was not getting enough targets, something coach Matt LaFleur lamented as soon as the 2024 season ended. That’s an easy fix for the Packers heading into 2025.
I’d draft him: Round 8, around 90th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 139.5
2024 Fantasy stats: 8.1 PPR points per game (16 games)
He’s a sleeper because … He was Jacksonville’s most efficient running back in 2024, outperforming Travis Etienne in yards per carry, EPA, success rate, yards after contact per rush, explosive rush rate and avoided tackle rate. He also scored more touchdowns including three at the goal line. There’s absolutely a chance Bigsby finishes the preseason as a key runner in the Jaguars offense, even if he’s not as speedy as rookie Bhayshul Tuten or with the same pedigree as Etienne.
I’d draft him: Round 10, around 120th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 165.5
2024 Fantasy stats: n/a
He’s a sleeper because … They both backup awesome-but-older RBs on awesome running teams. Guerendo seems like the handcuff to Christian McCaffrey, who is 29 years old and coming off a year where he couldn’t stay on the field; Guerendo averaged 17.9 in his four games when he played at least 50% of the snaps. Shipley is positioned to be the guy behind Saquon Barkley, who had 482 touches in 2024. In each of Barkley’s prior two seasons with over 350 touches he’s missed at least three games and seen his workload and production decline. Realistically, both are lottery tickets who would become must-start rushers if the elder statesmen in front of them were to miss time.    
I’d draft him: Round 9 for Gurendo, Round 13-plus for Shipley

FantasyPros ADP: 165.5
2024 Fantasy stats: n/a
He’s a sleeper because … The Cowboys backfield could be wide-open and he’s arguably their best combination of speed and versatility. Blue ended his tenure at Texas with 42 catches and 8.8 yards per catch in 15 games to go with six receiving touchdowns (14 total). He also ran his 40-yard dash at 4.38 at the Combine and 4.28 at his Pro Day. At minimum, he should factor into the Dallas offense as a part-timer with a shot at two or three targets per game. But if he can beat out his lowly competition and prove his durability, Blue will have a chance at 225 touches over the season. That’s a dream come true for a late-rounder.
I’d draft him: Round 10, around 110th overall

FantasyPros ADP: 153.5
2024 Fantasy stats: 14 PPR points per game (10 games); 17.7 in his final six
He’s a sleeper because … No one wants to draft old dudes, but old dudes like Thielen keep finding ways to contribute. Thielen, 35 when the season starts, is still a terrific route-runner who can win with his crafty footwork in the short- and intermediate-range. He came up huge for Bryce Young late last season and could be asked to be a stable presence for him again this season, even with the first-round additions of Xavier Legette last year and Tetairoa McMillan this year. He’s not at all trendy nor appealing as late-rounders go in Fantasy, but you won’t care about it when he’s regularly getting five catches per game.
I’d draft him: Round 12, around 140th overall