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Hayden's fantasy football risers, breakouts, waiver wire sleepers for Week 14 of 2025. Are these unexpected booms legit for Dontayvion Wicks, Adonai Mitchell, Devaughn Vele, others?
There were many competitive games with major implications in Week 13. The Packers and Cowboys both won close Thanksgiving contests to boost their postseason prospects. The Panthers knocked off the Rams on Sunday, moving Chicago into the top seed in the NFC. Houston's victory over Indianapolis has also thrown the AFC South race into chaos.
Several big names put up big numbers for their fantasy managers, too. A.J. Brown caught 10 of his 12 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns versus the Bears on Black Friday. The day before, Rashee Rice caught eight balls for 92 yards and two scores on Thanksgiving. Finally, Bijan Robinson compiled 193 scrimmage yards and scored once against the Jets.
These stars' stat lines were unsurprising, though. Some far more unexpected names joined these established players among the week's fantasy leaders. Let's dive into five of this week's unexpected booms to evaluate their chances moving forward for fantasy managers, beginning with a wideout who balled out for Green Bay.
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Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Green Bay Packers
Wicks has been a valuable contributor for the Packers for three seasons now. He has not posted much fantasy production this season, though. In his first nine games of the year, Wicks made just 20 catches on 34 targets for 213 yards. He also entered Week 13 without a touchdown on the season, and his season-high in half-PPR points was 6.4.
All of this made Wicks an unlikely hero on Thanksgiving. Still, he defied expectations and put up an elite performance. Wicks caught six of his seven targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit. His first score came from 22 yards out in the second quarter, and the second was a one-yarder in the third quarter. Wicks's efforts helped Green Bay win 31-24 in the crucial NFC North matchup.
On 4th down, Dontayvion Wicks makes an incredible catch for the touchdown @packers up 10-0
GBvsDET on FOX/FOX One/Tubi
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/56vQWJ7RxQ— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2025
Wicks scored 25.0 half-PPR points in the game, making him Week 13's WR3 through Sunday. He paced the Packers in receptions and receiving yards, though Christian Watson led the squad in targets with 10. Moreover, both Watson and Romeo Doubs played more snaps than Wicks. Per PFF, Wicks was targeted on seven of his 23 routes run (30.4%), his highest rate this season so far.
Despite Wicks's big game, he is not the best waiver wire target this week. His role behind Watson and Doubs in the pecking order will remain unchanged, making consistent fantasy production from him unlikely. With that said, Wicks showed far more on Thursday than he had all season. Keep an eye on him as the Packers face the Bears in Week 14.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets
Mitchell struggled to make an impact at the start of his second NFL season. In eight games with Indianapolis this year, he averaged merely 1.1 receptions on 2.0 targets for 19.0 yards per game. Mitchell was acquired at the trade deadline by the Jets, though, and he immediately saw more involvement. He got 13 targets over his first two games with New York.
Mitchell really exploded in his third appearance with the franchise, though. He caught eight of his 12 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown. The score was on a 52-yard strike after Mitchell got behind the Atlanta secondary. Mitchell and the Jets went on to defeat the Falcons 27-24 for New York's third win of the season.
Tyrod goes DEEP to AD Mitchell for the 52-yard TD!
ATLvsNYJ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/1Vn37w4nNN
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
With 20.2 half-PPR points, Mitchell stands as Week 13's WR6 ahead of Monday Night Football. He accounted for 36.4 percent of the team's targets, 42.1 percent of the team's receptions, and 59.3 percent of quarterback Tyrod Taylor's 172 passing yards. Star receiver Garrett Wilson has been sidelined for the last three games with a knee injury, but Mitchell has stepped up to fill the void.
Mitchell is a viable waiver target entering Week 14, but expectations should remain in check. The Jets have gained the fewest passing yards in the NFL this year. Moreover, teammate John Metchie III had eight targets on Sunday and has been a fellow riser. Still, feel free to take a chance on Mitchell ahead of his upcoming matchup with Miami.
Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints
Like Mitchell, Vele is a second-year receiver whose season changed dramatically at the trade deadline. Through Week 9, Vele had just five receptions in eight appearances. That was all the time Rashid Shaheed spent with New Orleans before being traded to Seattle, though. Vele's snap share immediately jumped up to 87 percent in Week 10 after being below 40 percent in seven of his first eight games.
After the Saints had their Week 11 bye, Vele started to fill the stat sheet. He set a new season-high with seven targets in Week 12, and he caught three of them for 37 yards. Vele's best game of the year so far came on Sunday, though. He caught all eight of his targets for 93 yards and an impressive toe-tapping touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Saints still fell short against Miami, though, losing 21-17.
Shough to Vele toe-tapper for a Saints TD!
NOvsMIA on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Jcp0lGWT8J
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
Vele put up 19.3 half-PPR points on the day, earning him the week's current WR8 ranking. He and Chris Olave both played 63 of the team's 72 offensive snaps, and Vele finished with one more target than Olave's seven. Tight end Juwan Johnson did lead the Saints with nine targets, however, and Olave had been listed as questionable due to back spasms.
Vele will finish out the season as the WR2 in New Orleans, making him a worthwhile add on waivers this week. The Saints are not a quality offense, but they are more effective at converting deficits on the scoreboard into passing production for their weapons than the Jets are. Look to see if Vele can continue his rise on Sunday against the Buccaneers in a decent matchup.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Hubbard had an excellent 2024 campaign, and he started well in 2025. Hubbard had at least 15 touches and 75 scrimmage yards in each of the first three weeks before suffering a calf injury. While he did suit up for Week 4, he sat out Weeks 5 and 6. During that time, backup Rico Dowdle asserted himself in the backfield. Dowdle rushed for 389 yards in the two games Hubbard missed.
Hubbard had two straight games with double-digit carries upon his return before Dowdle emerged as the team's RB1. From Week 9 through Week 12, Dowdle had 68 rushing attempts compared to Hubbard's 15.
Week 13 was far different, though. Hubbard saw 17 carries, matching his season-high set in Week 3. He rushed for 83 yards and added 41 receiving yards on two catches. In the first quarter, Hubbard had a 35-yard receiving touchdown to give the Panthers their first points. Carolina went on to win 31-28 over the L.A. Rams.
🏡 📞 Chuba Hubbard#probowlvote
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/IqgHvmuJPC
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 30, 2025
Hubbard scored 19.4 half-PPR points in the upset victory. That was enough to tie him with De'Von Achane for the week's RB5 slot through Sunday Night Football. Importantly, Hubbard was back to being Carolina's RB1 snap-wise; he saw the field more than Dowdle for the first time since Week 8, per PFF. Dowdle did have a team-leading 18 carries, however.
In a fair number of fantasy leagues, Hubbard was dropped due to his slump. That should be corrected before Week 14. With 6.5 yards per opportunity, Hubbard outperformed Dowdle's average of 4.0. The pendulum has clearly swung back in his direction. The Panthers have a bye in Week 14, but Hubbard will be back in action at New Orleans in Week 15.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Meyers had a strong start to the year with 14 catches for 165 yards over the first two weeks. His production with the Raiders fell off after that, though, as he averaged 3.8 catches for 37.4 yards over his next five games. Las Vegas then opted to move the unhappy Meyers at the trade deadline by dealing him to Jacksonville.
Meyers spent his first game getting acclimated to his new team, but in Weeks 11 and 12, he totaled nine grabs on 12 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown. Brian Thomas Jr. was absent for these games, though, and he returned to face the Titans in Week 13. The natural expectation was that Meyers's usage would dip somewhat with the additional target competition.
As it turns out, he had his best game as a Jaguar. Meyers caught all six of his targets for 90 yards and a score. He led the Jaguars in every receiving category. Meyers had a 50-yard catch in the first quarter, and he followed it up with a three-yard touchdown. He was a major contributor in Jacksonville's 25-3 win over Tennessee.
Jakobi Meyers TD for the lead!
JAXvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/bJ6QtTtDix
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
Meyers finished with 18.3 half-PPR points and currently stands as Week 13's WR11. Thomas was in his first game back from an ankle injury, and Parker Washington's exit due to a hip issue may have also contributed to Meyers' stat line. Still, Meyers put forth a promising performance that he can replicate in the coming weeks.
Fantasy managers should be adding Meyers in any league where he is still available. He has quickly established himself as a reliable target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Meyers will seek to continue his momentum in Week 14 against Indianapolis.
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