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Dave Ventresca discusses several potential sleeper candidates for 2025 dynasty fantasy football leagues. These players could be sneaky adds for your squad.
Sleeper picks are one of the most fun parts of playing fantasy football. There’s nothing better than hearing one of your league mates exclaim “Who?” immediately after making your pick.
Finding sleepers in dynasty leagues can be much more difficult compared to standard redraft leagues. Benches are deeper, waivers are thin, and that can make finding potential diamonds in the rough more difficult. While that is sometimes true, there are still sleepers available even in the deepest of leagues. You just have to look in the right places.
Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Here are several sleeper candidates you should acquire in your dynasty fantasy football league.
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Jalen Coker - WR, Carolina Panthers
Coker is an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross. He latched on with the Carolina Panthers and began producing during the second half of the 2024 season. In 11 games, Coker posted a 32-478-2 line and showed an affinity for making big plays.
Coker 83 yards to the house!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/tNU6kz0H9u
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 15, 2024
He legitimately looked the part of an NFL-caliber receiver, and his underlying data backs that up. Among 100 receivers with at least 40 targets, Coker finished a respectable 43rd in PFF's Receiving Grade.
Out of 169 receivers with at least 50 routes run, Coker finished 86th in Fantasy Points Data Suite's Average Separation Score. He fared better in this metric than the likes of Davante Adams, Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore, and DK Metcalf.
Coker's presence helped elevate Bryce Young and the team's passing game down the stretch. He won't be mistaken for Justin Jefferson anytime soon, but Coker is a solid player with room to grow into a very useful dynasty asset.
His price tag is also very cheap as he's currently ranked as RotoBaller's dynasty WR79. He shouldn't cost much in a trade and is a great throw-in target as part of a bigger deal.
Coker makes for a good late-round dart throw in dynasty startup drafts as well. Carolina looks to have found a diamond in the rough with Coker. Dynasty managers lucky enough to have him on their rosters could be in store for a nice surprise.
Marvin Mims Jr. - WR, Denver Broncos
Mims' sophomore season looked eerily similar to his 2023 rookie campaign for most of the season. However, things changed starting in Week 13. Mims posted a 3-105-1 line, which was highlighted by a 93-yard touchdown catch.
93 YARDS TO THE 🏡!!!!!!!!!!@marvindmims | 📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/DbkJnOqy7j
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 3, 2024
In his last five games, Mims caught 23 passes for 341 yards and five touchdowns on 26 targets. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Mims posted an impressive 32 percent targets per route run (TPRR) along with an incredible 4.37 yards per route run (YPRR) during that stretch. Denver made it a point to get him more involved in the offense. That decision was certainly validated, given Mims' play.
Head coach Sean Payton has already stated this offseason that Mims deserves a larger role in the offense in 2025. He may not perform quite at the same level he did to close the 2024 season, but we should expect Mims to exceed his 2024 numbers and have a career year.
Also, keep in mind that Mims was Payton's first pick after taking over as Denver's head coach and the team traded up to draft him.
Mims is currently RotoBaller's dynasty WR73. He's been more of an afterthought in dynasty leagues following a slow start to his career, but 2025 could be the season dynasty gamers have been waiting for. Mims is a great cheap option to gamble on if you're in a bad spot at receiver.
Justin Fields - QB, New York Jets
Fields posted a 4-2 record in six games as the Steelers starter last year before being benched in favor of Russell Wilson. Despite the benching, Fields still managed to provide results for dynasty gamers thanks in large part to his legs. He scored five rushing touchdowns in his six starts and finished as a QB1 three times.
Justin Fields scores his first rushing TD with the @Steelers!
📺: #LACvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/mHjDNMx55Y— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
The fifth-year pro signed with the New York Jets in free agency. With that, he is an immediate QB1 option for fantasy owners. However, keep in mind that he has notoriously struggled as a passer and could wind up being a placeholder for a rookie quarterback.
If you’re in a bad spot at QB2 in a Superflex league, Fields is a great cheap option on the off chance he finally hits his ceiling. Despite all his flaws, we know for a fact he is a great fantasy option whenever he’s on the field.
Tank Bigsby - RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
After a highly disappointing rookie season in 2023, Bigsby showed signs of life in 2024. He ran for 766 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore season.
TANK BIGSBY STIFF ARMS HIS WAY TO A 65-YARD TD.
📺: #INDvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/oVugPI0X5s— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
He looked the part of an NFL-caliber back and outshined incumbent starter Travis Etienne Jr. all year. Bigsby even finished higher than Etienne in Next Gen Stats' rush yards over expected (RYOE), PFF’s Rushing Grade, and PFF’s signature Elusive Rating. It was pretty clear Bigsby was Jacksonville’s best back in 2024.
The previous regime (Urban Meyer and Trent Baalke) that used a first-round pick to draft Etienne is gone. Liam Coen takes over as Jacksonville’s new head coach in 2025. It’s unclear who Coen will use as the team’s lead back, so Etienne is by no means a lock to lead the team in touches.
Bigsby outproduced Etienne last year, and if he does it again in 2025, Coen could hand the reins over to Bigsby, similar to what he did with Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay last year.
Bigsby is currently RotoBaller’s dynasty RB44. He needs to survive the NFL Draft, as there’s a chance Coen wants to handpick his own back from the loaded incoming running back class. Even with that risk, Bigsby is a great cheap option for managers needing a running back.
Jerome Ford - RB, Cleveland Browns
Ford led the Browns in rushing yards for the second consecutive season in 2024. However, he did so with only 565 rushing yards. He did average a robust 5.43 yards per carry and posted 37 receptions on the year. While his numbers weren't great, he did post several RB1 finishes down the stretch and was a nice flex play in deeper leagues.
He also graded out well in several advanced metrics. Among 46 backs with 100+ carries, Ford finished 13th in Next Gen Stats' rush yards over expected (RYOE), fifth in rush yards over expected per attempt (RYOE/ATT), and sixth in PFF's Elusive Rating.
Jerome Ford runs 62 yards for the TD!
📺: #KCvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/SUozPWSvm1— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Cleveland has already announced it will let Nick Chubb test free agency. This leaves Ford as the only running back currently under contract. The team will likely add a few backs this offseason, so Ford’s time atop the depth chart could be short-lived.
His advanced metrics are strong enough that it's worth taking a gamble on him in trades and startup drafts. Don’t give up much for him in a trade, as it's highly likely he will be part of some kind of backfield committee in 2025. He might even be outright replaced by a rookie back. However, he could remain a viable flex play in deeper dynasty leagues with an upside for more if the cards fall right.
Michael Mayer - TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Mayer has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks. He was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, he soon found himself stuck behind Brock Bowers after the team took Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The former second-round pick hasn’t done much thus far in his career, but he has reportedly drawn a lot of trade interest across the league. He is still just 23 years old and was regarded as a top tight-end prospect two years ago. It seems many teams still believe in the former Notre Dame star, and he could get another shot as a starter.
Mayer might not be good, but if multiple NFL teams are willing to give him a second chance, then that’s reason enough to target him in dynasty leagues. He’s worth a flyer, particularly in tight-end premium leagues, if you need help at the tight-end position.
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