Five Fantasy Football Sleepers To Target In Dynasty Rookie Drafts

January 29, 2025

The 2025 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching. Target these five sleepers in the late rounds in dynasty rookie drafts to accelerate your team's rebuild.

With just one football game left in the season, fans of 30 of the 32 teams in the NFL have already turned their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft. Dynasty fantasy football sickos have already been focused on the draft since midseason, but it is just about time for everyone else to start paying attention.

While this draft class does not appear to offer nearly as many “can’t miss elite prospects” as last year, such as Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., or Brock Bowers, the talent pool appears to be very deep this year at skill positions. Everyone is saying it, but it could not be more true that this running back class is one of the deepest in recent memory and should produce a multitude of fantasy-relevant players.

Everyone is familiar with the top prospects: Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, etc. Today, we’re taking a dive down the rookie draft board and analyzing five later-round selections that could become fantasy stars. Let’s dive in.

R.J. Harvey, RB, UCF

My favorite sleeper in this year’s loaded running back draft class is UCF’s R.J. Harvey. He is an older prospect, but aside from his age, there is not a single metric not to love about this guy. At 5-foot-7, 207 pounds, Harvey is projected to have 4.4 speed.

RJ Harvey (RB, UCF) cooking Shemar James (LB, Florida) to end the offensive one-on-ones at #SeniorBowl @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/IqzqkxQbUW

— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) January 28, 2025

If not for his age, he would likely be in the top five conversation at the position. Over the past two seasons, Harvey rushed for 2,993 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 505 yards and five touchdowns. He should go somewhere between late Day 2 and early Day 3, but no matter where he lands, his talent should lead him to opportunities. Draft him in dynasty leagues.

Tai Felton, WR, Maryland

Maryland’s Tai Felton improved drastically in every season that he spent in College Park. In a class with less receiver intrigue than usual, Felton checks all the boxes and could rise up draft boards with a strong pre-draft process.

His senior season consisted of 96 catches for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns, with highlight reels along the way. He stands at 6-foot-1, 186 pounds, offering ideal size for an outside receiver in the league. Keep an eye on Felton throughout Senior Bowl week and the NFL Combine.

Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa

Dinged by injuries and poor quarterback play throughout his time at Iowa, Luke Lachey is yet another Iowa tight end that fantasy football fans need to keep their eye on. Standing 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, Lachey played alongside Sam LaPorta for two years and caught 36 passes for 531 yards and four touchdowns. 

He then missed most of 2023 due to injury and was banged up while suffering through incompetent quarterback play in 2024.

Fully healthy as he transitions to the NFL, Lachey is my favorite late-round tight end prospect by a mile in what is a strong tight end class. The soon-to-be rookie is comparable to George Kittle, another Iowa Hawkeye who did not produce in college and was a late-round draft pick. He has similar size and athleticism, leading many to believe that he could follow a similar career trajectory. 

#Iowa TE Luke Lachey has some awesome reps

He is extremely tenacious as a blocker and underrated as a receiver@luke_lachey pic.twitter.com/AtkiXdVPqW

— Hail Mary Sports (@hailmarysportss) January 13, 2025

Lachey has been lighting up East-West Shrine Bowl practice this week and could shoot into the late Day 2-early Day 3 range on draft weekend.

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State

The former Kansas State Wildcat put together a very impressive run to the National Championship, which in turn catapulted his draft stock. Will Howard threw a career-high 73% completion percentage for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions this season. He also scrambled for 226 yards and seven scores. 

While he is on the older side after spending five seasons in college, Jayden Daniels’ recent success likely has general managers looking the other way when it comes to age. There are a number of teams without a franchise quarterback in place, and in what is considered a weak quarterback draft class, teams may pass on a quarterback early for more surefire cornerstone players. 

There will be opportunities for young quarterbacks to get onto the field this season, and Howard has shown a blend of skill, improved decision-making, and leadership that could land him a shot at a starting job.

Damien Martinez, RB, Miami

Age is king in dynasty at the running back position, and Damien Martinez is entering the league after just three seasons in college. Making an impact since his true freshman season, the 5-foot-11, 226-pounder offers a blend of size and speed that NFL teams covet.

This incoming RB class is shaping up to potentially be one of the best we’ve seen#Canes RB Damien Martinez (6’0”, 232 lbs) is a big, bruising power back with some sneaky finesse to his game as well 🌪️

🎥: Here’s 2 and a half minutes of some of his best plays of the season 👇 https://t.co/6JWYsKoMpK pic.twitter.com/OEvW9j3o2a

— The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) December 31, 2024

The incoming rookie spent his first two seasons at Oregon State, rushing for 2,167 yards and 16 touchdowns. He then transferred to Miami after the fall of the Pac-12, rushing for 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Hurricanes. 

The depth of the running back class will cause Martinez to fall down boards to the Day 2-Day 3 range, but if he had been in the draft last year, he might have been the top running back in the class prospect-wise.

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