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Matt's fantasy football sleepers and rebound candidates to target and draft in 2025. His seven undervalued draft picks and last year's busts to buy.
Set those clocks. As we enter July, fantasy football drafts across the world are being scheduled. NFL football is now just weeks away. Sure, it's preseason football, but it's football nonetheless.
Now, I could list some studs due to bounce back, but listing off the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, and Kenneth Walker III does not help managers seeking value later on in their drafts, now does it?
Let's talk rebound candidates. Let's look at which players are coming off disappointing 2024 seasons that offer fantasy managers league-winning upside at a fraction of the price.
Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
To say the start of the 2024 season was a disappointment for Bryce Young may be an understatement. Up to and including Week 11, Young was the QB36 in fantasy, averaging just eight fantasy points per game, being benched on multiple occasions in favour of Andy Dalton. In those first 11 weeks of the Panthers' season, Young didn't have a single quality start for fantasy purposes, with his best outing coming in Week 8 when he threw for a pair of touchdowns and produced 15.6 fantasy points.
In the second half of the season, it all started coming together as promise and production merged into one. Throughout the final seven contests, Young would post 148.1, an average of 21.2 fantasy points, solidifying himself as the QB6 over that period. Only Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and Bo Nix averaged more fantasy points per game than Young.
Now in his third and second seasons in David Canales' offense, Young looks to continue his trajectory after gaining the confidence that comes with six game-winning or game-tying drives to finish over that Sophomore campaign. Young will have his security blanket back in the fold in Adam Thielen, who produced 449 receiving yards on 46 targets from Week 13 through the season's conclusion.
In addition to Thielen, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker, the Panthers' most prized offseason acquisition is Tetairoa McMillan, whom Carolina selected eighth overall out of the University of Arizona. McMillan has made bad quarterbacks look good during his college tenure, having produced back-to-back 1000-yard receiving seasons and hauling in 174 passes as the primary focus of the opposition.
Breaking down 2024 QB fantasy scoring by rushing, designed rushing, and scrambling
> Bryce Young (!!) led all QBs in scramble FPG thanks to a league-high 6 TDs on scrambles
> Imagine if Drake Maye gets literally any designed work
> Purdy/Geno/Mayfield are underrated scramblers pic.twitter.com/bwYXihoZFP
— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) May 23, 2025
Young's support doesn't end there, as the Panthers added a second 1,000-yard rusher in Rico Dowdle to pair with Chuba Hubbard to help take some pressure off the passing game.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
After throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns as a rookie, C.J. Stroud saw his production take a bit of a dip last season. He finished as the QB18 in fantasy after being held to 3,727 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. The biggest difference for fantasy managers was the additional seven interceptions.
Stroud is primed to rebound in 2025 if Nico Collins remains healthy. Collins missed five games in the middle of the season, during which time Stroud was limited to 12.1 fantasy points per game. Without his most reliable target, Stroud had no way of protecting himself behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, which resulted in Stroud taking 52 sacks. That abysmal line was revamped at Laremy Tunsil, and Kenyon Green was replaced with Trent Brown, Cam Robinson, and Laken Tomlinson.
With the departure of Stefon Diggs and the uncertainty surrounding Tank Dell's availability, the Texans went out and added to their receiver room to better support Stroud, not only for this season but for seasons to come. Immediate help comes in the form of Christian Kirk, who caught 84 passes and accumulated 1,108 receiving yards just a few seasons ago. The other key additions for Stroud and this Houston offense come via Iowa State, where the Texans selected a pair of Cyclones in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who produced 1,000 yards last season.
In the backfield, Stroud welcomes Nick Chubb, who is looking to rebound after missing 24 contests over the past two seasons. Chubb joins Joe Mixon, who is coming off 281 touches in 14 games. Adding Chubb should allow Houston's backfield to remain fresh and dangerous throughout the season, freezing defenses long enough to propel Stroud back to Pro Bowl passer status.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Heading into the 2024 season, Isiah Pacheco was coming off the board as the RB10, fresh off 935 rushing yards and a 4.6 yards per carry average, with eight touchdowns during the Chiefs' final eight contests, including playoffs. However, it was not meant to be in 2024 as injuries limited Pacheco to just seven contests, many of which showed that the Chiefs' back was still less than 100%.
With just 305 yards rushing in those seven games, Pacheco enters 2025 fantasy drafts as the RB28, in a running back tier that includes Tony Pollard, Kaleb Johnson, and Brian Robinson Jr. Before succumbing to injury, Pacheco averaged 20.5 touches per game and was averaging 16 fantasy points per game after averaging 15.3 fantasy points per game the season before.
With an ADP that places Pacheco somewhere in the eighth round, and a backfield that features Elijah Mitchell, Kareem Hunt, and rookie Brashard Smith, Pacheco is well-positioned to outperform his current ADP and become a league winner for fantasy managers willing to put Pacheco's injury behind them.
Man. Isiah Pacheco was on his way to a huge year in 2024 before breaking his leg.
Weeks 1-2:
-70% snaps
-20.5 touches per game
-35% 3rd downs
-45.6% of Kansas City’s touches2023:
-61% snaps
-17.8 touches per game
-18% 3rd downs
-30% of Kansas City’s touches— Adam Pfeifer (@APfeifer24) July 1, 2025
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
What is one man's trash could be another man's treasure. The Dallas Cowboys and fantasy managers are hoping Javonte Williams is just that. Williams enters the 2025 season two years after a devastating knee injury.
Williams hasn't been great since returning from that injury. Still, he has been a viable option in the passing game, hauling in 92 of 128 targets the previous two seasons, so Williams offers some intrigue and even more when considering the current situation in the Dallas backfield. Behind Williams, the Cowboys signed Miles Sanders, drafted Jaydon Blue in the fifth round, and returned Deuce Vaughn, who wasn't much of a factor a season ago.
Williams will get the first opportunity to lead this backfield, which is looking to replace Dowdle's 1,079 rushing yards, 235 carries, and 39 receptions. Williams will also get some help on the outside, where the Cowboys acquired George Pickens with CeeDee Lamb. This will ensure that defenses focus on stopping the pass before turning their attention to the run game.
With an ADP of RB40, fantasy managers can take a chance in the 10th round on a running back who could return RB2 value.
Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots
Another player with an injury discount heading into 2025 is the Patriots' newest addition, Stefon Diggs. He carries a WR42 price tag and is coming off the board in the middle of the seventh round.
For Diggs, it's all about opportunity. Diggs has just that in New England with a receiver room, considered one of the worst heading into the 2025 campaign. Along with Diggs, the Patriots will rely on DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams.
If you remove last season's injury-riddled disaster, Diggs has produced 100 or more receptions and 1000-plus receiving yards in five of the previous six seasons. In Diggs's last four healthy seasons, the Pro Bowl pass catcher had averaged 161 targets per season.
With the number of forced targets heading Diggs's way in 2025, there is a strong belief that he will easily outperform his current ADP. If you are worried about the injury, many who have followed his progress this offseason have been pleased with how well the recovery has been going. He looks every bit as explosive now, just eight months removed from tearing his ACL as he ever has.
Stefon Diggs looks good for someone who tore their ACL last season. pic.twitter.com/XndSjZaKZI
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) June 2, 2025
Deebo Samuel Sr., Washington Commanders
Deebo Samuel's offseason has taken him from San Francisco to Washington, going from being the third or fourth option in an offense to arguably the second option in a Jayden Daniels-led unit. Much like the previously mentioned Diggs, Samuel has the potential to finish inside the top 24 in fantasy scoring among wide receivers and, like Diggs, finds himself coming off the board at the sixth/seventh round turn.
After a decline in production in recent years, Samuel needed a change of scenery. A move to Kliff Kingsbury's pass-friendly offense with Terry McLaurin playing opposite is just the opportunity Samuel needs to rejuvenate his career. Kingsbury will utilize Daniels' and Samuel's abilities to impact both the run and passing game, adding an exciting element to this already explosive Commanders offense.
Just a quick reminder: Samuel is the only receiver with at least 40 receptions last season, with an average of eight or more yards after the catch, per the 33rd Team. Samuel's decline may be premature.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
What's old is new again. Look, the tight end position has always been a wildcard. Kyle Pitts has been a rebound candidate for the last three seasons, but that's never happened. Brenton Strange provides value on those who choose to leave the position later in their drafts. Meanwhile, Pat Freiermuth's value took a big hit when the Steelers traded for Jonnu Smith, the most significant value one year ago.
Perhaps, Waller's music career didn't go as intended, but the former Pro Bowler had previously found success producing 4,124 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns on 350 career receptions over his 86-game career. Can anyone blame Waller for retiring? That Giant team he played for wasn't very good, and they asked him to block. What's up with that? While playing during the 2023 season, he ranked second on the team with 552 receiving yards on 52 receptions.
With Miami dealing Smith to Pittsburgh, they suddenly had a massive hole at the tight end that Julian Hill wouldn't fill. Waller isn't going to come in on Day 1 and replace the 88 receptions, 111 targets, or 884 receiving yards vacated by Smith. Most of that production likely falls on the shoulders of Jaylen Waddle. However, the opportunity versus investment is too good to pass up.
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