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Nicho's top fantasy football draft targets and undervalued early round players. His favorite draft picks and values, including Chase Brown, Courtland Sutton, and more.
Hello, RotoBallers! If you are looking for fantasy football breakout candidates, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will discuss my top five breakout candidates for the 2025 fantasy football season.
Breakout candidates, in my eyes, are those who not only exceed their ADP, according to NFFC projection, but also have the upside and the possibility of finishing in the top five at their respective position. This article will exclude any first-round players, and you will likely recognize most of the players on this list; however, they are players who are not currently being drafted as a top-5 player at their respective position.
My recommendation to you would be queuing these players in your draft room when it opens, so you are prepared to jump on them when the time comes. Keep following @RotoBallerNFL and me, @NichoRoessler, on X to stay updated with the latest NFL content. Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
ADP: 16.0 | WR9
Atlanta Falcons star receiver Drake London is poised to have a breakout campaign in 2025 with second-year signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. In 2024, London broke out. He was third in targets with 158, first in red-zone target share with 42.4%, and finished the season with 100 receptions, 1,271 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
Most importantly, London and Penix were special in Weeks 16-18. If you recall, Penix took over in Week 16, and during that stretch, London was the WR2 in half-PPR leagues (19.4 half-PPR points), averaged 117.3 receiving yards per game, and had the most targets of any wide receiver with 39.
London is the clear WR1 in that room with Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts being his biggest competition, which doesn't pose much of a threat to me.
Watch Out: Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London will be a SCARY duo this upcoming NFL season 💨
Penix has leveled up his game for Year 2.pic.twitter.com/50w6K7s5NN
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 29, 2025
I realize that mentioning London is a name you've likely heard of. Still, he is currently going in the second round of drafts and is the WR9, according to NFFC projections. I would be willing to draft him over other wide receivers ahead of him, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR4) and Puka Nacua (WR6).
Verdict: London is poised to break out in a big way in 2025. He possesses all the attributes to be an alpha WR1, with a good rapport with his quarterback and a dominant target share in an offense that should be better than it was in 2024.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
ADP: 20.0 | WR11
Los Angeles Chargers second-year wide receiver Ladd McConkey was fantastic as a rookie in 2024. In half-PPR leagues, he finished the season as the WR12 (12.5 PPG), hauled in 82 receptions on 112 targets, and racked up 1,149 yards with seven touchdowns. This also doesn't include the rookie record with 197 receiving yards and nine receptions he had in the Chargers' playoff game against the Houston Texans.
The biggest reason I believe McConkey has a solid shot to crack the top five at his position is that he is Justin Herbert's go-to guy. The Chargers added Tre Harris, which could cause some concern for targets; however, they no longer have Joshua Palmer, and Quentin Johnston is not a threat. Look for McConkey to dominate target share again and take that next step from his team-high 24.5% target share in 2024.
Because McConkey primarily works out of the slot, he has more of the field to work with compared to an X or Y receiver, who are lined up mainly on the outside and have less field to work with. I fully expect McConkey to dominate target share and haul in over 100 receptions in 2025. The question is, can he haul in closer to 115 or more, which I believe he can.
Ladd McConkey year 2 is going to be special ⚡️
(via @eric_d_williams)pic.twitter.com/ehIWAaMtlQ
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) July 22, 2025
McConkey was eighth in the NFL in target share from inside the 10-yard line at 36.4%. Although his 18% target share from inside the 20 leaves much to be desired, if he can haul in another handful of touchdowns this season, there's a chance he can crack the top five, making him one of my favorite breakout candidates in 2025.
Verdict: McConkey is the clear-cut WR1 in the Chargers wide receiver room, has minimal competition, and is poised to break out in 2025 with his exceptional route running, ability to separate from coverage, and consistent playmaking ability. He has much more upside in leagues that favor points per reception.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
ADP: 27.0 | RB12
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown was on a lot of experts' radars in 2024, and he was a smashing success. He finished as the RB12 in half-PPR leagues with 14.3 PPG and rushed for 990 yards on 228 attempts and seven touchdowns, all while contributing 360 yards on 54 receptions and four touchdowns through the air.
All this while not becoming the clear-cut RB1 for the Bengals until Week 9, and missing Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. From Week 9 through Week 15, he was a top-10 running back every week, while still being in the top 20 in Weeks 17 and 18. During this stretch, he averaged 18.25 fantasy points per game, 24 touches per game, and 116 yards per game, and is still going in the third round of drafts.
Chase Brown SZN has been renewed for a second season.
One of the biggest Veteran Fantasy Football winners post NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/QmAtn0zO6G
— Theo Gremminger (@TheOGfantasy) April 26, 2025
The key here is Brown's size. He is a smaller back, standing at 5'10" and 210 pounds. The Bengals, at one point, were concerned that he might not be able to withstand the physical demands of an 18-week season.
Well, they didn't seem that concerned this offseason, as they added zero competition. His only other competition for now is Samaje Perine, which means Brown is in line for a heavy workload again in one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.
Fantasy football is all about opportunities and situations, and Brown's situation is perfect. The Bengals defense is still expected to be brutal, so even if they are down in games, this should lead to plenty of checkdowns for him.
Verdict: Brown fits the bill across the board in opportunities, volume, potent offense, and minimal competition. He has the path to finish 2025 as a top-5 running back, and I am drafting him in any and every league that I can.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
ADP: 45.0 | RB16
Reports from Carolina Panthers camp are that 26-year-old running back Chuba Hubbard will see the majority of touches in 2025. At 26 years old, with Jonathon Brooks (knee) potentially waiting in the wings for the 2026 season, I believe that Hubbard will be a workhorse for the Panthers in 2025, as I look to target some players currently being picked in the middle rounds of drafts.
Hubbard finished the 2024 season as the RB15 with 14.7 PPG, 1,195 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns. He contributed 171 yards through the air on 43 receptions and one touchdown. He did all of this while missing Week 17 and Week 18 with an injury. During the season, we saw Hubbard finish as a top-10 fantasy RB in eight of his 15 games played.
Chuba Hubbard
2024 DREAM Workload (Among RBs)
- 73 Total High Value Touches (RB4)
- 30 Green Zone Touches (RB4)
- 77% Snaps Played (RB3)
- 46 Catches (RB6)That is a blueprint for elite RBs…
In 2025
- CAR Offense Improving
- Dowdle BackupRB19 ADP?!?pic.twitter.com/zhoOKHnSjt
— No Expert Fantasy Football (@NoExpertFF) July 27, 2025
What is most important when I look at his numbers is that he averaged 77.3% of the snaps in an offense that should take a step forward in 2025, with an ascending third-year signal-caller, Bryce Young, and a second-year head coach, Dave Canales. His ability to be a dual-threat option in the receiving game (43 receptions) also gives him an uptick in value for me in PPR leagues.
At this time, I do not see Rico Dowdle or Trevor Etienne as serious competition, and Hubbard significantly improved his game in 2024, particularly in his ability to shed tackles and his efficiency as a runner. He saw his yards after contact per attempt in 2024 increase from 2.9 to 3.5.
Verdict: Hubbard has the offense, volume, and opportunities to be a top-10 back weekly, which is why, if things fall his way, I find it possible he could slip into the top five. Regardless, grab Hubbard in your drafts, as he is poised to break out in 2025.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
ADP: 49.0 | WR23
In my second attempt at targeting a late fourth-round pick that I believe has the upside to finish in the top five at their position, I will take a crack at Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.
Sutton just posted the best season of his career in 2024 with 81 receptions on 135 targets, eight touchdowns, and finished as the WR12 in 2024 with 11.8 PPG in half-PPR leagues. I realize a few of us may have been burned in the past with Sutton, but this Broncos offense is ascending, and Sutton has no serious competition for targets outside of the newly acquired tight end, Evan Engram.
Courtland Sutton is easily the most UNDERRATED WR in the #NFL pic.twitter.com/y6AHMBDrVa
— Playoff NFL (@_PlayoffNFL) July 28, 2025
From Weeks 8-18, when Bo Nix was settled in, Sutton was WR10 in fantasy points per game and topped 100 yards or scored a touchdown in eight of those 10 games played. Down the stretch, the Broncos became more pass-friendly. Sutton was targeted 30 times in the red zone in 2024 and is Nix's favorite target inside the 20 with a 31.8% target rate.
During that same stretch, Sutton finished as a top-10 receiver in four of those weeks. While I realize that the Broncos and Sean Payton like to run the ball, which is why they added RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins in the offseason, Sutton remains the top target for Nix. I fully expect him to outperform his current ADP.
Suppose you look at what Payton was able to do with Michael Thomas during his prime years in New Orleans with the Saints. Sutton's big frame (6'4", 216 lbs) and physical play allow him to thrive in the red zone and make contested catches down the field, similar to Thomas, who was 6'3", 213 lbs.
Verdict: Sutton is the least likely to crack the top five at his respective position on this list, but regardless, I believe he is set up for a breakout season with 1,300 yards and 10 or more touchdowns. This makes him a low-end WR1 coming into the season, with the upside to crack the top 10 at his position.
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