X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2025 NFL Draft Boom-or-Bust Prospects: Fantasy Football’s Biggest Wild Cards

Shedeur Sanders - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

It can be hard to determine how successful some players will be in the NFL. There is a vast array of skills players must possess at different positions to succeed at the next level, and while generally only the best college football players are chosen early in the NFL Draft, they don't always pan out.

Sometimes, teams have to take calculated risks, understanding that certain aspects of a player's profile make them possible busts. Despite this, the upside might convince them that it's worth taking a chance on because if it does work out, the ramifications of adding them to the roster can be franchise-altering.

With that, let's dive into the biggest boom-or-bust prospects from the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

QB Shedeur Sanders

The biggest boom-or-bust prospect is probably former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He has a lot of positive traits that make him a tantalizing player for NFL teams desperate for a new signal-caller to pick. His accuracy especially stands out.

That's awesome, and when it works out, it works very well. The problem comes when the pressure arrives. There have been many quarterbacks who have excellent accuracy and a host of other positive traits that fail at the next level, and one of the most common causes is an inability to deal with pressure.

Depending on the down and distance and field positioning, sacks can often be nearly as bad as interceptions. And QBs who unnecessarily take bad sacks consistently rarely succeed at the next level. Those with higher proportions of sacks taken relative to the pressure rate who are good players understand the risks and choose to hang back to wait for the big play.

It's worth mentioning that scheme can play a part in how many sacks a QB takes. It's possible this had an impact on his sack rate. But it's the QB's job to throw the ball out of bounds. Most NFL quarterbacks will shred defenses when they're not under pressure, even those thought of as terrible who have terrible stats.

We saw this in 2024. Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold looked great most of the season, largely due to excellent offensive line play. Then it completely collapsed once he was consistently put under pressure in his last two games.

 

WR/CB Travis Hunter

For a very different reason, at least in fantasy football terms, Travis Hunter, the wide receiver and cornerback hybrid, is a massive boom-or-bust candidate. This is largely because it remains to be seen what percentage of snaps he'll take on offense as a receiver.

In IDP leagues he'll likely be a great asset, but in redraft leagues that don't count defensive statistics toward scoring, he'll be a huge risk. It may be remarkably difficult to know when to start him. But the talent is there, and if he's developed as a wideout, he could pay off massively.

There are a decent number of absolutely ludicrous plays that he's made, and he's still somewhat raw as a wideout. He isn't the biggest WR prospect, but nearly everything else about his athletic profile is elite -- acceleration, top speed, lateral agility, and vertical are all fantastic.

And the production backs it up. Despite playing full-time on defense, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns and rushed two times for five yards and another score in 13 games. He elevated Colorado's offense and secured them a playoff berth.

And he was probably a big reason why his quarterback, Sanders, is considered to be an early 1st-round pick in the Draft. Yet Hunter's ability to play cornerback is a detriment to his potential fantasy production. It's unlikely that he could withstand the punishment of being a two-way player at the next level.

It's not that he can't do both, and very few are still arguing that. But the injury rate in the NFL is 100 percent, and no one plays more than even 60 percent of total snaps in a season because they're off the field when their group (offense or defense) is on the sidelines.

Unfortunately, we'll probably just have to wait and see how Hunter is utilized.

 

WR Luther Burden III 

For many of the same reasons I've criticized him, Burden is a highly risky player to take early in this year's draft. His lack of route-running prowess stands out. As an athlete, he profiles well, and he's been very good with the ball in his hands after the catch.

And most of Burden's highlight-reel plays didn't feature him lined up against an outside corner in 1-on-1 coverage. Instead, Missouri played to his strengths, focusing on getting him in open space and letting him work after the catch. That's probably how he should be utilized in the NFL as well.

The problem is that he needs to develop as a route-runner. It's too easy for NFL defenses to stop one-dimensional play designs, and if a defense knows that most of the plays schemed up for a specific player will focus on one thing, it makes everything easier to shut down.

That's a major problem. And sure, Burden will have plenty of time to develop, but you're better off letting someone else take him in rookie drafts and buy back in after his first season when he's had more time to develop.

 

WR Isaiah Bond

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was seen as a big boom-or-bust prospect from last year's draft. It's safe to say he busted, and while it's not all his fault, former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond displaying many of Mitchell's deficiencies doesn't inspire much confidence.

Bond is an elite athlete with a ridiculous burst and acceleration. But it takes more than that to be a good WR in the NFL -- there are intangibles to the game that they have to master, and all the athleticism in the world won't change that. Bond's production profile is concerning, though it's fair to note he dealt with injury issues in his senior season.

Players need to understand what's happening and what they should do in each play and be able to react quickly and correctly to what's around them. A lot of negatives fly under the radar, like bad positioning for catches, inability to track the ball, and even data we don't necessarily have.

Often, negatives show up implicitly in the lack of production. He could be running wrong routes, have difficulty reading zone coverage, lack the ability to gather information about the coverage, not be keenly interested in breaking down tape of defenses, or many other things.

He only caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games this season, regressing in all three categories from a year ago. And elite athletes typically get pushed up rookie draft boards because fantasy managers salivate over what could be, not necessarily what is likely to be.

He's a very risky pick.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Nesmith55 seconds ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton10 mins ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin12 mins ago

Will Open Season On IL
Aaron Wiggins23 mins ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez24 mins ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner26 mins ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma28 mins ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam32 mins ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard34 mins ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo37 mins ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh39 mins ago

Exits Early Sunday
Andrew Wiggins44 mins ago

Iffy For Monday's Game
Zion Williamson50 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Royce Lewis50 mins ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On IL
NFL53 mins ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold60 mins ago

Could Opt-Out After One Season
Luguentz Dort1 hour ago

Will Miss Sunday's Game
Chet Holmgren1 hour ago

Ready For Action Sunday
Mark Andrews1 hour ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Jalen Williams1 hour ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Mike Conley1 hour ago

Resting Against Jazz
Kenyon Martin Jr.1 hour ago

Out On Sunday
Keyonte George2 hours ago

On The Shelf For Fourth Straight Game
Cole Anthony2 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Sunday
Jordan Clarkson2 hours ago

Exits Jazz Lineup Sunday
Kris Dunn2 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Norman Powell2 hours ago

Returns To Clippers Lineup Sunday
Igor Shesterkin2 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson2 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad3 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil3 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich3 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech3 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman3 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter3 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish3 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt3 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.4 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar4 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada4 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
NFL4 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
NFL5 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers5 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams6 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flex Strain
Joey Gallo6 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke6 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee6 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler6 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano6 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland6 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis6 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías6 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera7 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
Ronny Mauricio7 hours ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
Caleb Martin7 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
New York Jets8 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders8 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush8 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens10 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks11 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.11 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell12 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson12 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney12 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain12 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher12 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield13 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott13 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin13 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov13 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron13 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick13 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli13 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin13 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin13 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar13 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR13 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski13 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones14 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez14 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar14 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece14 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano15 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell15 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric15 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe15 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs15 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen15 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason21 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles1 day ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Kirk Cousins1 day ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]