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

6 Undervalued Fantasy Football Risers to Target in Drafts: Dave's All-Breakout Team (2025)

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

Dave Ventresca's fantasy football all-breakout team for 2025. Target and draft these undervalued players: J.J. McCarthy, Omarion Hampton, Kenneth Walker III, Rashee Rice, Josh Downs, and Tucker Kraft.

With the calendar flipping to June, we are only a handful of weeks away from the start of NFL training camps. That means it’s officially time to start preparing for your 2025 fantasy football draft. One of the best ways to get a jump on your league mates is by correctly identifying potential breakout candidates. Nailing a breakout pick can lead you to that long-eluded championship trophy.

But where do you begin when it comes to identifying potential breakouts? One way is to target players with upside who are being undervalued by the community. Today, we will put together a starting lineup filled with potential breakout players for the 2025 season. Draft enough of these players, and you might just capture your league’s championship trophy.

Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here is the All-Breakout team for 2025 fantasy football drafts.

Editor's Note: Find sleeper picks, undervalued ADPs, and draft targets to help you dominate your fantasy football drafts. Try our free who to draft tool for personalized recommendations.

 

J.J. McCarthy - QB, Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy missed his entire rookie year in 2024 after tearing his meniscus in training camp.

Following McCarthy’s injury, Sam Darnold became Minnesota’s de facto QB1 and had an incredible 2024. He threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 passing touchdowns but came crashing down to earth in the season’s final two games.

Minnesota subsequently decided not to re-sign Darnold, allowing him to walk into free agency. McCarthy had to survive a brief scare that future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers would join Minnesota. However, that storm has passed, and the Vikings have confirmed they are committed to McCarthy for the 2025 season.

McCarthy is considered a bit of a wildcard in 2025 since he missed his entire rookie season. However, he is still a quarterback with top-10 draft capital tied to a strong offensive coach and surrounded by an abundance of talent. It's hard to find a better situation for a first-time starting quarterback.

Yes, we don't know McCarthy's true floor, and he could hurt your team if he's truly awful. But he also might have a higher ceiling than some people think. Head coach Kevin O'Connell worked wonders for Darnold's career last year. It shouldn't be that surprising if McCarthy has similar production.

 

Kenneth Walker III - RB, Seattle Seahawks

While his raw stats disappointed last year, Walker still posted some strong advanced metrics. Among 46 backs with 100+ carries, Walker finished:

First in Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt (MTF/ATT), per Fantasy Points Data Suite
Third in PFF Elusive Rating
Fifth in PFF Rushing Grade
Ninth in Missed Tackles Forced (MTF), per Fantasy Points Data Suite
10th in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (YACO/ATT), per Fantasy Points Data Suite

He remains a highly talented player. Some of Walker's efficiency metrics have not been great, but this can partially be attributed to Seattle’s poor offensive line play over the years. A bad offensive line can skew running back efficiency metrics, and a good line can help.

Look no further than Saquon Barkley this past season for proof of that statement. Seattle has done their part to try and fix their offensive line by drafting guard Grey Zabel 18th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hopefully, he can bring some stability to this unit.

Walker received plenty of volume in 2024, even with a new coaching staff in place. This indicates he is the preferred back over third-year pro Zach Charbonnet. The addition of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak might be what unlocks the next level of Walker’s game in 2025. Kubiak has stated that he plans to put a lot on Walker's plate this upcoming season and that they are expecting big things from the fourth-year back.

Walker has posted strong advanced metrics in key areas and has top-5 upside if things break right for him. He's also playing for a new contract. Playing in an ideal rushing scheme, along with the extra motivation of playing for a huge bag of money, never hurts. Walker should be a priority running back target in the early rounds of fantasy football drafts this year.

 

Omarion Hampton - RB, Los Angeles Chargers

While Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty got all the headlines as the clear-cut RB1 of the incoming rookie class, Hampton isn’t that far behind.

Hampton is an extremely talented back who excelled at the NFL Combine. It was also reported that some teams had him and Jeanty neck and neck for the RB1 title.

The Chargers are very bullish on Hampton's future and felt comfortable spending the 22nd overall pick on him in the NFL Draft. It's easy to see why. His tape is great, and he scored well in several advanced metrics. Among 154 collegiate rushers with 100+ carries, Hampton ranked 16th in PFF's elusive rating, eighth in PFF's rushing grade, and fifth in missed tackles forced (MTF).

Hampton will have to beat out former Pittsburgh Steeler Najee Harris for the RB1 job in Los Angeles. While Harris was better in Pittsburgh than many would like to admit, he is not the same caliber of player that Hampton is.

This was arguably the best landing spot for a rookie running back, and it's only a matter of time before Hampton takes over this backfield. When he does, there will be some monster games in his future, and Hampton could be a league winner.

 

Rashee Rice - WR, Kansas City Chiefs

We’re going right back to the well with this one. Rice was a popular breakout pick last season. It looked like things were on the right track, but then disaster struck. Rice suffered a serious knee injury in a Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was later revealed he tore his LCL and was ruled out for the season.

He only played in three games last year, but Rice’s advanced metrics will leave you salivating. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Rice posted an elite 35 percent targets per route run (TPRR) as well as a remarkable 3.47 yards per route run (YPRR). These are very high marks, and scores like these indicate a high likelihood for fantasy football success. A monster season could be coming for Rice.

Rice is expected to make a full recovery from his injury, but his place on our list is tentative as he awaits word from the NFL on a possible suspension due to an off-field incident last spring. Should he be hit with a significant suspension, then we will update his place on our list.

With Travis Kelce mulling retirement, Rice could potentially take over as Patrick Mahomes' top receiver. If Rice plays the full season, a 100+ reception campaign is a real possibility, and he could emerge as a PPR cheat code. There are many reasons to be excited about Rice’s 2025 season.

Update - Rashee Rice has accepted a plea deal following his high-speed car accident in Dallas in March 2024. He was sentenced to 30 days of jail time and five years of probation. As a result, Rice will likely be forced to serve a suspension during the 2025 NFL regular season. At this time, the league has not made an official ruling, but the looming suspension could cause his ADP to drop, making him an even greater value.

 

Josh Downs - WR, Indianapolis Colts

Downs' final 2024 numbers may not blow you away, but when we look under the hood, there are some good reasons to be excited about his future. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Downs registered a 30 percent targets per route run (TPRR), a 23.9 percent target share, and a 2.29 yards per route run (YPRR). Strong scores in these metrics highly correlate with fantasy football success.

The elephant in the room regarding Downs is the Colts' current quarterback situation. Anthony Richardson struggled mightily this past season, and it looks like he could be a bust. However, Colts general manager Chris Ballard hinted that the team will add competition to the quarterback position this offseason.

They eventually did, and the team signed Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract. Jones failed as the New York Giants starting quarterback, but he consistently targeted Malik Nabers last year. The veteran signal-caller is certainly an upgrade as a passer over what we've seen from Richardson so far.

Jones' arrival could be good news for Downs' fantasy value, as he was most successful last year when Joe Flacco was under center. Downs is a talented receiver and just needs competent quarterback play to thrive.

Indianapolis did select former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He certainly adds more target competition to an already crowded receiving corps. However, Warren is not as far along in his development as many believe and could struggle a bit in Year 1.

Downs' situation is far from ideal, but he is a solid separator and can draw targets at a high rate. His underlying data is also super encouraging. Downs is good enough to blow past his current ADP. He's one of the more underrated receivers in the league and could break out in a big way if all goes right.

 

Tucker Kraft - TE, Green Bay Packers

Kraft enjoyed a fine sophomore season in 2024 as he posted a 50-707-7 line. It culminated with a PPR TE10 finish.

With fellow tight end Luke Musgrave injured for the majority of the year, Kraft flourished as the team’s TE1. He even continued to function as the lead tight end once Musgrave returned healthy. Following Green Bay’s playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Matt LaFleur praised Kraft’s improvement and stated his desire to further incorporate him into Green Bay’s offense.

With the Packers lacking a true alpha WR1, they might make Kraft a more prominent part of the passing game. LaFleur recently stated in an interview that he is content with the team's wide receiver room.

This suggests Green Bay may not use a high pick on a receiver. LaFleur also notably stated that he is not opposed to making a tight end the team's de facto WR1. That would be excellent news for Kraft's fantasy football value.

Green Bay did draft former Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. This was a noteworthy selection because it marked the first time since 2002 that the team used a first-round pick on a receiver.

While this might seem like bad news for Kraft's value, Golden is a good, not great, wide receiver prospect and profiles more as a WR2. He is a very good receiver against zone coverage, but still needs refinement against man and press coverage. For 2025 at least, he will not pose as great a threat to Kraft as some want to believe.

If you are planning to wait on a tight end in your draft, Kraft should be the top name on your list. He's got a great rapport with Jordan Love, and his head coach wants him more involved in the offense. Sometimes, spotting a breakout candidate is really that simple.



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

Maxwell Hairston

Leaves Practice with Knee Injury
Christian Gonzalez

Sidelined by Hamstring Injury
Carlos Correa

Exits Early Tuesday with Lightheadedness
Austin Hooper

Returns to Practice on Tuesday
Luke McCaffrey

Year 2 Jump Coming for Luke McCaffrey?
Cade Otton

Misses Practice on Tuesday
RJ Harvey

JK Dobbins Splitting First-Team Reps
Miles Sanders

Performing Well in Camp
Trey Lance

to Start for Chargers on Thursday
DeMario Douglas

Standing Out in Camp
Justin Fields

Practicing With Toe Shield
Travis Hunter

Holding his Own at Receiver
Rome Odunze

Responible for Big Plays, Giving Bears Offense Flexibility
DJ Moore

Bears Getting Creative With DJ Moore's Usage
Ben Griffin

is One of the Biggest Names to Watch This Week at Sedgefield
Colston Loveland

has Looked the Part
Tony Finau

Making First Career Start at Wyndham Championship
Najee Harris

Still No Timetable for Najee Harris' Return
Aroldis Chapman

Available on Tuesday
Cincinnati Bengals

Trey Hendrickson to End Holdout and Report on Wednesday
Byron Buxton

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Judge

Hopeful to Return in Early August
Jahmyr Gibbs

Often the First Back on the Field With Starters
Salvador Perez

Returning on Tuesday
Martin Emerson Jr.

Suffers Achilles Injury on Tuesday
Emeka Egbuka

Exceeding Expectations in Camp
Tre Harris

Omarion Hampton, Tre Harris to Play in Preseason Game on Thursday
Cam Ward

Struggles in Tuesday's Practice
Jacob Wilson

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Seranthony Domínguez

Blue Jays Acquiring Seranthony Dominguez From Orioles
NBA

Thanasis Antetokounmpo Added to Greece Training Camp Roster for EuroBasket 2025
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Absent From Tuesday's Lineup
Aaron Judge

Needs 10-15 Days to Start Throwing
Los Angeles Clippers

Patrick Baldwin Jr. Waived by Clippers
Josh Green

May Not be Ready for Start of Hornets Training Camp
George Springer

Out for Game 1 of Doubleheader
Luke Clanton

Looking For Spark Since Turning Pro at Wyndham Championship
Keegan Bradley

the Only Top-10 Player in World Rankings at Wyndham Championship
Dylan Cease

Going for CT Scan
NBA

Thomas Bryant Set to Move to Greece
Cam Thomas

Nets Far Apart in Contract Talks
Kristaps Porzingis

Feeling "Great" Ahead of New Season
Chris Paul

Hints He Could Extend His Career Beyond the 2025-26 Season
Brandon Miller

Close to 100 Percent
George Springer

"Doing All Right" After Hit-By-Pitch Monday
Tommy Edman

Could Be Headed for Injured List Stint
Salvador Perez

X-Rays Negative On Salvador Perez's Elbow After Hit-By-Pitch
Eugenio Suárez

X-Rays Negative on Eugenio Suarez After Hit by Pitch
Alex Freeland

to Join Dodgers
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Exits After Hit By Pitch
William Contreras

in Danger of Missing Rest of the Season?
Kris Bubic

Done for the Season
Danny Jansen

Traded to Brewers
Reese Olson

Out for Rest of Regular Season
Jayden Struble

Canadiens Lock Up Jayden Struble for Two Years
Robert Whittaker

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Reinier de Ridder

Gets Split-Decision Win
Conor Timmins

Avoids Salary Arbitration with Two-Year Deal
Marcus McGhee

Drops Decision At UFC Abu Dhabi
Toronto Raptors

Colin Castleton Waived by Raptors on Monday
Petr Yan

Extends Win Streak
Marc-Andre Barriault

Suffers Decision Loss
Shara Magomedov

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jose Ochoa

Dominated At UFC Abu Dhabi
MMA

Asu Almbayev Dominates At UFC Abu Dhabi
Nikita Krylov

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Bogdan Guskov

Scores Knockout Win
Kyle Larson

Falls Short of Back-To-Back Victories at Indianapolis
Denny Hamlin

Rallies Into Third Place At Indianapolis
Chase Briscoe

Pit Strategies End up Failing Chase Briscoe at Indianapolis
Ty Gibbs

Wins NASCAR's Inaugural In-Season Challenge Tournament
Ryan Preece

Finishes Fourth but Loses Ground to Playoff Cutline
Brad Keselowski

Has Good Strategy, but Not Enough to Win
Ryan Blaney

Bails from Hail Mary Strategy Attempt but Recovers to Finish Seventh
Tyler Reddick

Eliminated from Brickyard 400 in Crash After Top Five Run
Chicago Bulls

Billy Donovan Agrees to Contract Extension with Chicago
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Indianapolis This Week?
Carson Hocevar

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Indianapolis DFS Lineups?
NASCAR

Could A.J. Allmendinger be A Solid Tournament DFS Option?
Zane Smith

Is a Respectable Value Option for Indianapolis Despite Low Experience
Cole Custer

Is A Solid Value Option for Indianapolis DFS Lineups
Riley Herbst

Is an Unfavorable DFS Option for Indianapolis Lineups
Zeev Buium

Aims for Big Role Next Season
NHL

Conor Sheary Signs Tryout Deal with Rangers
Denny Hamlin

an Easy DFS Target After Wreck in Qualifying
Arvid Soderblom

Agrees to Two-Year Deal with Blackhawks
Kyle Larson

Will Start 13th to Defend Brickyard 400 Crown
Chase Briscoe

on Pole for Brickyard as Momentum Continues to Build
Ryan Blaney

Learned a Lot in Practice at Indianapolis
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Very Strong at Indianapolis
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Challenge for a Brickyard 400 Win on Sunday?
Ryan Preece

Don't Forget About Ryan Preece at Indianapolis
Philadelphia 76ers

Ricky Council IV Waived by Philadelphia
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors "Haven't Gained Any Traction" on Sign-and-Trade Deal for Jonathan Kuminga
Brett Berard

Played Through Shoulder Injury Last Season
Maxim Tsyplakov

Islanders Re-Sign Maxim Tsyplakov on Two-Year Deal
Jackson Blake

Inks Eight-Year Extension with Hurricanes
Robert Whittaker

Returns At UFC Abu Dhabi
Reinier de Ridder

Set For Main Event
Petr Yan

Set For Co-Main Event
Marcus McGhee

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Marc-Andre Barriault

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Shara Magomedov

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Asu Almbayev Looks To Return To The Win Column
Jose Ochoa

Set For His Third UFC Bout
Bogdan Guskov

Set To Open Up UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card
Nikita Krylov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Taelon Peter

Signs Deal With Pacers
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Withdraw Qualifying Offer for Enrique Freeman
Jared Butler

Moves to Phoenix
Antonio Reeves

Joins Hornets on Two-Way Contract
Jordan Goodwin

Claimed by Suns
Colby Jones

Signs Two-Way Deal With Pistons
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF