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Frank's 5 breakout players and potential league-winning picks for 2025. His top breakout candidates include Derrick Henry, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and more.
We often hear the term "league-winner" in fantasy football, but what does it mean? Most would describe it as a term for late-round picks that yielded massive profit compared to their ADP. Two good examples of this from last year are Brian Thomas Jr. and Bucky Irving.
But I have a bit of a different view. For me, a league-winner can also be an early-round pick who is underpriced and hits their true ceiling. Some good examples of this from last season are Ja'Marr Chase and Saquon Barkley. Each of them fell to the late first round but were huge hits compared to their cost. If you landed on these two players, there was a great chance that you won your league.
With that in mind, I've chosen five league-winners that are a mix of early-round and mid-round picks. Read on to find out why Derrick Henry, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Mark Andrews, Chris Olave, and Emeka Egbuka are my five league-winners for the 2025 NFL season.
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
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry finished 4th overall in scoring among all FLEX.
But he's available in the 2nd round.
Are we really doing this again?
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) June 12, 2025
Derrick Henry lived up to lofty expectations in his first year with the Ravens, rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging a career-high 5.9 yards per carry. There is no reason to believe that Henry will slow down in Year 2 in Baltimore, despite entering his age-31 season.
The Ravens have an elite offense with Lamar Jackson, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. It's clear that Lamar is completely comfortable in Todd Monken's offense, which is why he was able to put up otherworldly production last season. The threat of Lamar's legs opens up running lanes for Henry.
The Ravens should be among the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL once again. The difference now is that their defense is also elite, as they followed up their second-half surge by bringing in Jaire Alexander while also drafting Malaki Starks and Mike Green, two players who were projected to go higher. That means that Baltimore will likely play with the lead more often this year, resulting in more favorable game scripts for Henry.
The reason why I consider Henry a league-winner is that you're getting a legit threat to finish top five in FLEX scoring in the second round. Pairing an elite RB like Henry with another stud back in the first round, like Christian McCaffrey or a receiver like Thomas, can put your fantasy team over the top after only two picks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Weeks 9-18:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 15.0 PPG (WR10)
Drake London: 13.8 PPG (WR14)You can get JSN 15 picks later than London.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) June 4, 2025
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is my most-rostered player in fantasy football this year. This is a former first-round wideout entering his Year 3 season on an upward trajectory, hauling in 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Not only did JSN produce like a top-10 wideout in the second half, but we saw a huge spike week, featuring seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. There were also four games with 10+ targets and a 27.5% target share during that stretch, along with elite efficiency (2.24 yards per route run).
With DK Metcalf replaced with a declining Cooper Kupp, there's not much target competition for JSN. We're also going to see the former Ohio State standout run more routes on the perimeter, which means a higher average depth of target, giving him a better chance at more spike weeks. Look for JSN to shed the "slot WR-only" label this year.
Even though there has been a change at quarterback from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold, it's a scheme fit with Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator. Kubiak comes from the Shanahan coaching tree, just like Darnold's former coach, Kevin O'Connell.
While Kubiak will ramp up the rushing volume, JSN is going to be a target hog for this offense. You're able to get him in the third round of drafts, even though he should be ranked closer to the likes of Drake London and Ladd McConkey, each of whom are off the board in the first 24 picks. Going RB-RB then hammering JSN in the third is my favorite start to drafts this year.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
If you pair Derrick Henry+Mark Andrews in Best Ball, you're adding 25+ touchdowns to your lineup.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) August 5, 2025
Mark Andrews had a disappointing season, catching 55 of 69 targets for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing as TE7 in fantasy points per game. However, if we remove his slow start -- which is likely explained by a preseason car accident -- we see much better results.
From Weeks 6-18, Andrews' points per game jump from 9.5 to 12.0, which is only 0.9 fewer than Brock Bowers during that stretch. We saw Andrews score touchdowns seemingly at will in the second half, when he found the end zone in six consecutive games.
Remember that this is a player with a 1,300+ yard season under his belt. There's a strong track record here, but you're able to get Andrews in the 9th round. That's a nice deal for a player who is one year removed from averaging 11.3 PPG, which was only 0.2 off of TE1 Sam LaPorta.
With Isaiah Likely already injured, we could see Andrews get more targets than usual. Add in the fact that he plays for such an explosive offense, giving him a high touchdown ceiling, and you can see why Andrews looks like a league-winner at tight end.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Here's hoping that Chris Olave can stay healthy because we're likely getting a career year with Kellen Moore as head coach.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) May 5, 2025
Chris Olave is coming off an injury-plagued season. Plus, the Saints are projected to be a dumpster fire, starting either Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough at quarterback. But there's one key reason to be optimistic on Olave this season: Kellen Moore.
Moore has shown a knack for getting layup targets for his receivers. We've seen him use DeVonta Smith, Keenan Allen, and CeeDee Lamb in the slot to get easier looks. Expect him to do the same with Olave.
The former Ohio State standout is more of a clinical route runner who can win underneath, making him a better fit for this role than Rashid Shaheed.
With the Saints likely playing from behind quite often, we could see Olave turn in a career season. It wouldn't surprise me to see him eclipse 1,200 yards given the scheme upgrade.
You're able to draft Olave in the sixth or seventh round in most drafts. This is a potential high-end WR2 that you can take as your WR3.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Reminder that Emeka Egbuka is priced as if he's competing for a targets with a fully healthy and in-form Chris Godwin, but he's not...
There's risk that Godwin takes time to get back to form (if he even does at all this year).
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) July 21, 2025
Emeka Egbuka is a first-round wideout who has been lighting up camp for the Bucs. This is a pass-catcher with a fantasy-friendly profile, as he can be a high-volume target that can win at all three levels of the field.
Playing in a pass-heavy offense that should be involved in plenty of shootouts, Egbuka is likely to yield a large profit on his sixth to eighth round ADP.
Remember, Chris Godwin is returning from a serious ankle injury, and it's unclear if he'll be able to get back to regular form this year. Mike Evans is also entering his age-32 season. With Father Time being undefeated, would it shock you if Egbuka was the top target for Baker Mayfield in the second half of the year?
With that in mind, Egbuka looks like a terrific target as your WR3. Remember, rookie wideouts are some of the best picks you can make in fantasy, as their best work tends to come when you need it most.
Take a shot on Egbuka, just make sure to insulate him with players who can produce in the early part of the year, in case you need to wait for him to get going.
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