"My Guys" For 2025 Fantasy Football - Thunder Dan's Favorite Draft Picks

Thunder Dan's favorite 2025 fantasy football sleepers, draft values and targets that he can't stop drafting. He discusses fantasy players he is all-in on this season.

The preseason is behind us, and now we play the waiting game as the first game of the regular season is only about a week away. Fantasy drafts are happening daily, and the anticipation for NFL Week 1 is mounting.

This article will be another installment of the "My Guys" series here at RotoBaller, in which our fantasy football analysts go on the record with their "flag-plants" and "must-own" players for the 2025 season.

I tried to pick at least one player at each position and from different parts of the draft, too. If you really want a detailed description of how I am approaching my redraft leagues this season, check out my fantasy football draft guide.

• 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

Jalen Hurts, QB - Philadelphia Eagles

I truly believe that the fantasy community, and really the entire NFL fanbase, is sleeping on Jalen Hurts this season. How many top-10 quarterback lists do I have to see without Hurts' name on them this offseason?

Hurts was flawless in the playoffs and then dismantled the two-time defending champs in the Super Bowl. Yes, he leads a run-first offense that is at its best when he throws less than 30 times a game, but he's made major improvements in his efficiency and brings a solid rushing floor to your lineup every week.

Hurts finished as the QB6 last season, despite throwing for five fewer touchdowns than he did the year before. He had 14 rushing touchdowns and has averaged 13 rushing TDs per season in his four-year run as the starter in Philadelphia. In those 62 starts, he's averaged 44.8 yards rushing and 0.8 touchdowns on the ground, meaning he's totaling 9.28 fantasy points per game before he ever attempts a pass!

The "Tush Push" is back this year, so there's no reason not to project Hurts for his usual allotment of rushing touchdowns. But what I also expect is for defenses to load up the box to stop Barkley and the run game, daring Hurts to beat them through the air. If Hurts can increase his passing yards and passing touchdowns this season, he could push back up towards overall QB1 territory.

Dart. Dot. Dime. Whatever you want to call it. 55 yards on a rope to ice the Super Bowl.

Just an insane throw from Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/gx7JWqHRIa

— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) February 10, 2025

Let's not forget that he finished as the QB1 in 2022 and the QB2 in 2023 in terms of fantasy points per game. Don't let a "down year" (it's funny even saying that given the Eagles' massive success in 2024) in fantasy fool you into thinking that Hurts is not primed for a massive season. He's at the top of his game and loaded up with more weapons than ever.

Go ahead and let someone else take Jayden Daniels ahead of him and scoop up Hurts in the late third or early fourth round, and thank me later!

Bucky Irving, RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If I can leave the second round of drafts with Bucky Irving or Chase Brown, then I'm a happy drafter. I've seen a lot of Brown love from some of our other analysts, so I wanted to take this opportunity to pump up Bucky as one of my "must-have" running backs for this season.

Irving was a true "league-winner" last season, and I know we toss that term around a little too loosely these days. But if you drafted Irving in the late rounds or plucked him off the wire last season, then you had one of the most valuable fantasy football players of the second half without having to invest much draft capital.

Irving's success was no fluke; he was dynamic as both a runner and receiver. It doesn't matter which metrics we examine, Irving rated quite well. He was one of only six running backs to average more than five yards per carry and ranked sixth among qualifying backs with 0.94 rushing yards over expected per attempt.

Bucky Irving highlight reel is ridiculous 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7h3reZD2FN

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) August 4, 2025

He finished seventh among running backs with a 90.8 run grade per PFF (Pro Football Focus) and received the second-best grade as a receiver with a 90.5 mark.

Finally, he finished first among all NFL backs in YCO/A (yards after contact per attempt) with a 3.93 average. Despite doubts about his size and speed, the fourth-round pick delivered results when he was on the field that were on par with the best backs in the league.

Irving's rookie season was so impressive when you consider that he averaged 89 yards from scrimmage and 0.5 touchdowns per game despite only playing 45% of the offensive snaps! As the season went along, the Bucs had no choice but to put him on the field more often, and Irving eventually became the feature back and even ate into Rachaad White's role as the pass-catching back. He still only played 60% or more of the snaps in just two games, despite being hyper-productive when he had the ball in his hands.

The Bucs lost their offensive coordinator and, yes, they'll be without their best offensive lineman, Tristan Wirfs, for at least a few weeks. But Irving should be set to dominate the touches this season in an offense that should still be a very good unit. He's proven that he can produce both as a runner and receiver, and I'm viewing his second-half breakout as a preview of what's to come this season.

Irving was no fluke. He's a versatile and dynamic back who is poised for an even bigger year in 2025.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR - Seattle Seahawks

There are a lot of receivers that I could have picked here, but I find myself drafting JSN in the third round quite often this season, and he may end up being my most highly-rostered player by the time I finish drafts this weekend.

JSN finished the 2024 season 10th in receiving yards and seventh in catches. He had just six receiving touchdowns - a number that he can improve upon in 2025.

I discussed here in detail just how big a void DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are leaving behind in Seattle in terms of both air yards and targets. Go read more if you'd like, but the short version is that even with the arrival of Cooper Kupp, we may see JSN targeted even more often this season and that he sees an increase in his aDOT (average depth of target) as Kupp is likely to stay in the slot with JSN moving all over the formation and running more of the deep routes that Metcalf used to run.

Klint Kubiak can also be very creative with these two receivers, as we saw him stack them together in the slot this preseason. It's going to be a nightmare to cover them in man coverage from that formation. Kupp finished first in yards per route run vs. Cover-O coverages last season, with JSN finishing fourth. If defenses want to play zone, both receivers are adept at finding the holes in the coverage, too.

I'm cracking up at the way Klint Kubiak used Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in presason.

Almost feels like a middle finger up at the "they're too similar" narrative. Seahawks stacked their slot receivers basically ON TOP of each other on every passing play.

🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/kksPWhONtH

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) August 26, 2025

After JSN and Kupp, the WR room gets awfully thin. Jake Bobo, rookie fifth-rounder Tory Horton, and veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling are the other options, and it's hard to see any of them really eating into JSN's target share. There are plenty of doubters about Sam Darnold and his ability to replicate his 2024 season, but comparing Darnold in Kevin O'Connell's scheme in Minnesota to what he's going to be asked to do in Kubiak's system this season feels like comparing apples to oranges.

Kubiak's motion-heavy, play-action passing game had the Saints off to an incredible start last season before Derek Carr, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed all went down with injuries. Seattle has two talented running backs who can both run it effectively inside and be used in the passing game. If this offense can find success running the football, then a balanced approach would be ideal for Darnold and JSN, as opportunities should open up in the play-action passing game.

JSN already busted out in a big way last season, but with Metcalf gone and another year of experience under his belt, I look for him to take another step towards stardom. He's going to be a target monster every week and bring both a high floor and ceiling for our lineups.

Tyler Warren, TE - Indianapolis Colts

Does Tyler Warren really need more touting? I mean, who isn't on this guy, right?

Maybe it just feels that way, but there's no doubt that Warren is getting his fair share of love across the industry. I have been targeting the former Penn Stater aggressively in all formats, and lately I've been willing to pay his increased price, too, because I think he's worth it...and then some.

The Colts took Warren in the first round because they have had a huge hole in their offense at the tight end position for years. Warren brings size, speed, competitiveness, toughness, and some big-time playmaking. He showed the ability to win contested catches at the collegiate level, while also running over and past defenders after the catch.

If you didn't watch any PSU games last year, they even lined him up at quarterback and had him run the football out of a "Wildcat" formation. He was a cheat code for the Penn State offense, and while he will face bigger, faster, and stronger competition in the NFL, I think he's still going to be a tough guy to cover and tackle at the next level.

We compared Tyler Warren's situation to Brock Bowers' last year... they're actually pretty similar 👀 pic.twitter.com/zg1E7zCAlJ

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 22, 2025

The tight end position has become a huge part of NFL offenses in the modern game. Teams that have versatile tight ends who can be used as blockers and as valuable pass-catchers tend to utilize them a lot, as these players present major mismatches for opposing defenses. Corners are too small to cover them, while linebackers often lack the speed or athleticism to hang with them on vertical routes.

Could Warren turn in a Brock Bowers-esque season in Indianapolis? Probably not that good, as there are more weapons in this offense for the Colts than there were in Las Vegas last season, which is part of the reason that Bowers emerged in such a big way. However, I do think Warren's talent is similar and that the opportunity is going to be there for him to pile up catches and stats this season.

Warren is going to be a nightmare for defenses, and the Colts would be wise to feature him. With Daniel Jones starting at quarterback, I have a lot of confidence in Warren getting peppered with targets on safe routes as a way to keep the chains moving. He's poised for a huge rookie season, especially in PPR formats, and if he has any luck finding the end zone for a handful of touchdowns, he could easily finish as a top-5 tight end in fantasy football.

Or maybe even the overall TE1?

Braelon Allen, RB - New York Jets

Let's finish up with a late-round pick that I find myself making in nearly every draft. Most late-round running backs are handcuffs or specialists who are ticketed for a limited share of touches unless something happens to the back ahead of them on the depth chart.

But what if you can draft a running back in the 10th round or later who could carve out a timeshare as early as Week 1 and who has the potential to take over the backfield as the season goes along?

I know that I am not the only fantasy analyst who has fallen in love with Braelon Allen and his immense talent. Allen has generated a lot of buzz in camp this summer, breaking off long runs and leaving many of us in awe of his chiseled physique. He's listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, but is rumored to be only 6% body fat and moves a lot quicker than you would expect for a man his size.

.@PriscoCBS thinks the Jets could follow the Sonic & Knuckles approach the Lions have patented with their two-RB set up:

Braelon Allen = David Montgomery

Breece Hall = Jahmyr Gibbs

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/UXYLuVsP6z

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) August 26, 2025

Allen enters his sophomore season in New York still just 21 years old. He had a few big games last year, but was mainly used as Breece Hall's backup, rushing 92 times for 334 yards and two touchdowns while catching 19 passes for another 148 yards and a score. Allen is a one-cut runner who is at his best when running downhill and barreling over defenders. However, he's shown some nice hands as a receiver and has deceiving speed in the open field that has drawn comparisons to Derrick Henry, who we often watch and think, "How can a guy that big also be that fast?"

With Justin Fields under center and an improved offensive line, New York should have a formidable run game in 2025. The concern with drafting Allen is that he could end up splitting touches not only with Braelon Allen but with the Jets' third back, Isaiah Davis.

But I am banking on Allen's talent and ability to win out this year. He finished the year with the 14th-best run grade from PFF, while Breece Hall was ranked 38th, behind backs like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Brian Robinson.

The Jets' staff has already mentioned using Hall more as a receiver this season, which would be a great way to get him the ball in space and create mismatches. They've also experimented with using both Allen and Hall on the field at the same time, something that would benefit both backs and create problems for defenses. Can Allen and Hall be the latest rendition of the "Thunder and Lightning" trend that is gaining popularity across the league?

Ultimately, Allen's physical running style and ability to keep the chains moving could earn him plenty of early-down work. If he can eat into the goal line carries (he handled just 20% of runs inside the five to Hall's 80%), then we should see more touchdowns in 2025.

I know he is a popular breakout pick for this season, but it's for good reason. Allen is a physical specimen who can run over and around defenders. I'm higher on the Jets offense than probably a lot of folks, and I think they are going to surprise a lot of people this year with Fields, Allen, and Hall forming a formidable trio in the run game.

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