3 Fantasy Football Rookies to Target: Breakout Candidates and Draft Sleepers for FFPC Leagues

Phil Clark analyzes three fantasy football rookie sleepers and draft targets for 2025 FFPC best ball leagues. His top rookie targets, sleepers, and breakouts to draft.

Enthusiasm within the fantasy football community for members of this year's rookie class was already surging months before we witnessed the results of April's NFL Draft. This frenzy for first-year players was sustained as many of you participated in rookie drafts, and it has remained robust as a rising number of rosters are being assembled in best ball leagues.

Those of you who have dedicated a considerable amount of your time to continual research and extensive preparation for upcoming drafts are already aware that some high-profile rookies are primed to become significant assets for both their teams and for anyone who secures them for their rosters. There is also an assortment of newcomers who were not categorized as elite prospects but remain capable of seizing sizable roles in their new environments.

These players also deliver enticing upside and are positioned to exceed the expectations of ADPs that are located after Round 10 in FFPC best ball drafts. That includes three rookies who will be examined in this article, as each member of the trio could reward you for prioritizing them during your drafts. Their current ADPs in FFPC best ball leagues are included with the assessments for each player, as are their latest best ball rankings at RotoBaller.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas Cowboys

FFPC ADP: 127/RB41
RotoBaller Rank: 185

JAYDON BLUE, HOW DO YOU DO?!?! 🔥

A 77-YARD TOUCHDOWN TO MAKE IT A TWO-SCORE GAME VS. CLEMSON 😱 pic.twitter.com/cCzmh6V5W2

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2024

Jaydon Blue is the ninth running back from his rookie class currently being selected during FFPC best ball drafts (127/RB41). Blue delivers unquestioned upside and significant home run potential, which cements his status as an intriguing option in the best ball format.

Jaydon Blue showed fairly well in Yards Created, and this stat should have your attention:

12 RBs have averaged at least 4.0 YC + 0.3 Missed Tackles Forced per carry while recording at least 350 receiving yards in their final college season since 2016:

Saquon Barkley
Travis…

— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) May 28, 2025

Blue shared touches with Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, and Jonathon Brooks during his first two collegiate seasons at Texas, which impacted his usage and production. Blue assembled 1,161 rushing yards with his 214 attempts during his tenure. He also carried 134 times, accumulated 730 yards, and produced eight rushing touchdowns during 2024.

Blue’s involvement as a receiving weapon also expanded last season, as he captured 42 of his 61 targets, generated 368 yards, and scored six touchdowns. He also averaged 1.58 yards per route run from 2022 to 2024, according to PFF.

Blue's encouraging blend of exceptional speed, agility, and explosiveness fuels his ability to erupt for big plays while providing his runway to touches. His versatility will also lead to opportunities as both a rusher and pass-catcher.

#Texas RB Jaydon Blue

5-foot-9, 196/4.38 40

Matchup ability/receiving traits on backfield releases. Perimeter speed. Elusive in the open field. 42 receptions last season. pic.twitter.com/fcbItrvIwx

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) April 17, 2025

Blue will be infused into an unimposing depth chart that does not contain the formidable level of competition that he encountered at the collegiate level. Veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders were both signed to one-year contracts during the offseason. Dallas also traded up to select Phil Mafah in Round 7 of the aforementioned NFL Draft.

Williams should secure a role in the Cowboys’ backfield rotation, even though his efficiency has dissipated as his career has progressed. Williams failed to exceed 3.7 yards per attempt in 2023 and 2024 and was 45th in rush yards over expected (-83) last season, according to Next Gen Stats.

Williams did perform effectively as a receiving weapon in 2024, while finishing second among all backs in targets per route run (24.6) and sixth in receptions (52/3.1 per game). Sanders’ career decline has been pronounced since 2023, as he has averaged 6.8 attempts/23.6 yards per game and has been limited to three touchdowns.

Jaydon Blue believers, you have goodies in your inbox!

📨📫🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/f1UP9NtG0t

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 28, 2025

Blue delivers a level of big-play potential that is unmatched within the Cowboys backfield. That positions him to become a valuable resource in a format that does not require you to set your starting lineup.

Tre Harris, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

FFPC ADP: 157/WR59
RotoBaller Rank: 235

Tre Harris was the seventh wide receiver selected during the recent NFL Draft when Los Angeles secured him in Round 2 (55th overall). The same first-year receivers who were drafted before Harris are also being targeted earlier in best ball drafts, as Harris' ADP is located in Round 14 (157/RB59).

However, Harris has been placed in a promising landing spot, where he will benefit from operating with Justin Herbert. Harris has also been presented with a navigable pathway toward a sizable role as the team’s X or Z receiver.

Harris secured 220 of his 306 targets during his collegiate career, while generating 3,532 receiving yards and producing 29 touchdowns. He also accumulated 142 targets, 114 receptions, 2,015 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns after transferring from Louisiana Tech to Ole Miss. Harris also became just the second wide receiver in SEC history to average over 100 yards per game (100.8) during his career.

Tre Harris collecting ankles on an out route. Nice timing from Jaxson Dart while working around some interior pressure pic.twitter.com/nCMXuLIERp

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 15, 2025

Harris also emerged as a proficient deep threat, as only five other Power Five receivers exceeded his 675 receiving yards on deep passes in 2023 and 2024, according to PFF. Harris also led the 2025 rookie class in yards per route run both last season (5.12) and during his career (3.01).

Tre Harris Vs. LSU is why GM’s will be ALL over him in the 2025 NFL Draft:

➖7 Receptions
➖102 Yards
➖1 TD

He CLEARED 1,000+ Yards this season while essentially missing 6 games..

His healthy 13 Game Pace?

➖110 Receptions
➖1,833 Yards
➖11 TD’s

Tre Harris is 6’3, 210 lbs pic.twitter.com/A9JGqTFYET

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) February 17, 2025

Harris will join a wide receiver room that also includes Ladd McConkey, who led the Chargers in targets (112/7.0 per game) and receptions (82/5.1 per game). He also vaulted to ninth overall in receiving yards (1,149/71.8 per game) and yards per route run (2.39).

McConkey should operate predominantly from the slot, where he ran 79.4 percent of his routes in 2024. He could also be utilized as the Z on a portion of his snaps this season. However, McConkey’s presence should not impede Harris from launching into an integral role on the perimeter, as Harris should bypass Quentin Johnston and 30-year-old Mike Williams on the Los Angeles depth chart.

McConkey and Harris can both be productive within a Chargers offense that distributed the sixth-highest percentage of targets to wide receivers last season (66.5). That should incentivize you to prioritize Harris at his ADP.

Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets

FFPC ADP: 167/TE25
RotoBaller Rank: 170

WELCOME TO NEW YORK, MASON TAYLOR!!!

📰: https://t.co/98ODNbmpqr pic.twitter.com/m8DMlMNXTK

— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 25, 2025

Mason Taylor was the third tight end selected during the recent NFL Draft (42nd overall) when the Jets secured him in Round 2. The 6-foot-5-inch, 250-pound newcomer also remains available until Round 14 (ADP 167/TE 25) in current best ball drafts, even though he is primed to outperform the modest expectations of his draft position.

Taylor accumulated 185 targets, 129 receptions, and 1,308 receiving yards during his three collegiate seasons at LSU. Taylor also emerged as the most prolific tight end in school history and became the first LSU player at his position to surpass 100 receptions and 1,000 yards during his career.

TOUCHDOWN TIGERS@Garrettnuss13 finds @masontaylor52 to give LSU the lead

📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/Rg4Aztd9cQ

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) September 14, 2024

That includes the numbers that he assembled during 2024, when Taylor collected 55 of his 83 targets and generated 546 yards. Taylor also operated with a 10.9 percent first-read target percentage and a 20.3 percent contested target rate last season, according to PFF.

Taylor now enters a passing attack that is operating with a dearth of viable weapons. Tyler Conklin led New York’s tight ends in targets during 2024 (72/4.5 per game/12.8 percent share), but he signed with the Chargers in March. The Jets’ depth chart at the position now contains Taylor, along with three-year veterans Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt. That uncongested path to targets should accelerate Taylor’s ascension into a favorable role.

Mason Taylor is a monster 😈
pic.twitter.com/912BXZTQLP

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) June 12, 2025

Conklin’s exodus also combines with the departure of Davante Adams to create an enticing number of vacated targets that Justin Fields will distribute in the team’s reshaped attack. Garrett Wilson remains unchallenged in his role as the Jets’ WR1, atop a depth chart that includes Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, and Malachi Corley.

New York’s aerial attack will be spearheaded by first-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who operated as the passing game coordinator for Detroit from 2022 to 2024 and was also involved in the development of Sam LaPorta.

These encouraging factors bolster Taylor’s prospects of finishing second on the Jets in targets. You can also capitalize on your opportunity to utilize Taylor in FFPC’s TE Premium scoring, which delivers your rationale for targeting him at his draft position.

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