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Dave Ventresca analyzes five fantasy football sleepers and undervalued players for 2025 fantasy football leagues: Rashee Rice, Kaleb Johnson, Josh Downs, Tucker Kraft, Jordan Mason
The NFL offseason keeps rolling along. The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone. That means it's time for serious managers to start planning for their fantasy football drafts.
One of the best ways to gain a leg up on the competition is by identifying potential values in your draft. If you're lucky enough to select a few of these players, they can help offset any bad picks, busts, or injuries your team endures along the way. They might even help lead you to that ever-elusive fantasy football championship.
Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are five underrated players to target in your 2025 fantasy football drafts.
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Rashee Rice - WR, Kansas City Chiefs
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.
Chiefs place WR Rashee Rice on injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/TuZ9sSaklw
— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2024
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.
Mahomes ➡️ Rice, what a connection!
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/5jkq5qhePc— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
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. Until we hear otherwise, though, Rice is looking like a classic Year 3 breakout candidate and is a nice value at his current NFFC ADP of 54.17 overall.
He is once again in line to emerge as Patrick Mahomes' top receiver. If Rice plays the full season, a 100+ reception campaign is a real possibility, and he will be a PPR cheat code. There are many reasons to be excited about Rice’s 2025 season.
Kaleb Johnson - RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson was a polarizing prospect in the lead-up to the NFL Draft. Many doubters expressed concerns over his athleticism and were quick to point out that he had the luxury of playing behind a very good offensive line at the University of Iowa.
However, despite the concerns, Johnson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the 83rd pick in the 2025 #NFLDraft, we select RB Kaleb Johnson. pic.twitter.com/bGIsBRDAQl
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 26, 2025
Johnson saw most of his success come in a zone blocking rush scheme. Fortunately for Johnson, he found the ideal landing spot with the Steelers.
Kaleb Johnson was most successful in a zone-blocking scheme.
The #Steelers ran the 2nd most zone-blocking runs in the NFL last year per @FantasyPtsData 👀
This is a GREAT landing spot and Johnson is about to prove all his haters wrong. #fantasyfootball #nfldraft25
— Dave Ventresca (@FF_Stallion) April 26, 2025
The Steelers use zone blocking concepts on the vast majority of their runs. Johnson could not have landed in a better situation. Concerns about his athleticism are overblown. We have seen many backs not test as elite athletes and go on to have strong careers.
He also posted some strong advanced metrics in college. Among 156 collegiate rushers with at least 100 attempts, Johnson ranked 13th in PFF elusive rating, 10th in missed tackles forced, and 24th in PFF rushing grade. Make no mistake about it, he is a very talented back.
.@steelers @HawkeyeFootball. @KJ_Superman2 Kaleb is a Big Powerful RB that ran from a pro style offense. Easy to project to the NFL. #HereWeGo #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/y3gdpFVl2P
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 26, 2025
Johnson landed in an ideal situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a strong bet to return back-end RB1/high-end RB2 production and has sneaky upside as a receiver. Take advantage of his cost in your drafts this year because this might be the last time you can get Johnson this cheap for quite some time.
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.
Touchdown Josh Downs to give Indy a 24-7 lead!
📺: #TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/PAQDLqNOH2— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
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. This is the type of pick that can hit in a big way if the stars align. At his current cost (NFFC ADP of 107.59 overall), it's worth taking a shot on Downs as a third-year breakout candidate.
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.
What a catch by Tucker Kraft for the TD!
📺: #HOUvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/5cpzRJLlEj— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
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.
Tucker Kraft Could Have Bigger Role In 2025 https://t.co/gwfiVJgXzX
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) January 28, 2025
With the Packers lacking a true alpha WR1, they may choose to make Kraft a more prominent part of the passing game. The third-year tight end is very affordable in drafts, as evidenced by his current NFFC ADP. 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, things are really that simple.
Jordan Mason - RB, Minnesota Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers traded Mason to the Minnesota Vikings earlier this offseason. At the time, it seemed like an out-of-nowhere move. Based on Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s comments, though, Mason could be a big part of Minnesota’s running game.
The Jordan Mason touchdown managers were waiting for!
He has 93 yards and a TD so far! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lhubclHsVx
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) September 10, 2024
Mason filled in nicely for Christian McCaffrey last year. In 12 games, he ran for 789 yards and three touchdowns before suffering an ankle injury that ended his season. Some of Mason’s advanced metrics were also quite good. Among 46 backs with 100 carries, Mason finished third in Next Gen Stats' rush yards over expected per attempt (RYOE/ATT), 10th in PFF elusive rating, and 19th in PFF rushing grade.
Mason now enters a situation where he could get more consistent touches as part of a backfield committee with Aaron Jones. Minnesota has made it clear that it acquired Mason to help keep Jones fresh. So, Mason should be in line for plenty of work. He is one of the top handcuffs available and would be in line for a starter’s workload if Jones ever goes down. Mason should provide some standalone value for gamers as well.
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