X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers: Must-Target Second-Year Breakout Players to Buy Now (2025)

Jayden Reed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

The 2023 NFL Draft class might be one of the best fantasy units in recent memory. Several players from the draft class have already become fantasy football superstars.

Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are most fantasy experts’ top two running backs in their dynasty rankings. De'Von Achane and Puka Nacua have been fantasy superstars when healthy despite being mid-round NFL Draft picks. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Zay Flowers have been weekly starting options for fantasy options over their first two years in the league.

Those six players have been the best from the 2023 rookie class. Trading for them will cost fantasy players a significant haul. However, let’s look at five others from the draft class that fantasy players should buy in dynasty leagues this offseason before they have a breakout 2025 season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

Stroud won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 despite Puka Nacua’s record-breaking season. He completed 63.9% of his pass attempts for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 contests. The former Ohio State star led the NFL with 273.9 passing yards per game.

Unfortunately, Stroud regressed last year. He completed 63.2% of his pass attempts for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 17 games. Furthermore, the star quarterback was unstartable for fantasy players. He ended the season as the QB18, averaging 13 fantasy points per game, a lower average than Daniel Jones (13.5).

However, Stroud wasn’t completely to blame for his fantasy struggles. The Texans’ offense was dysfunctional all year. Their offensive line struggled to protect him. Meanwhile, his wide receiver core struggled with injuries, as Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell played four healthy games together in 2024.

Hopefully, Houston improves Stroud’s offensive line and receiving core this offseason. While he lacks rushing upside, the former Ohio State star was a low-end QB1 as a rookie with a limited supporting cast. Don’t be surprised if Stroud returns to that level of production next year under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

 

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Many called Brown a sleeper candidate entering the 2024 season. He didn’t have much fantasy production as a rookie, as the former Illinois star didn’t get a chance with Joe Mixon on the roster. Yet, that changed last year despite the Bengals signing Zack Moss in free agency.

Brown began the season as the No. 2 running back behind the veteran. However, he became a fantasy star, starting in Week 4, totaling 17 touches for 92 scrimmage yards, two touchdowns, and 22.2 half-point PPR fantasy points against the Carolina Panthers.

The second-year pro finished the season on fire. Brown had 886 rushing yards and seven touchdowns from Week 4 through Week 17. More importantly, he was the RB6 over those 14 weeks, averaging 16.4 fantasy points per game, a higher average than James Cook (15.5) and Kyren Williams (15.3).

Cincinnati will likely release Moss this offseason in a salary cap-saving move. However, don’t expect the Bengals to add a big-name replacement to their backfield. Brown was outstanding once taking over as the starter, giving the team no reason to spend significant capital on their backfield.

 

Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers

While Josh Jacobs called the Packers to add a No. 1 caliber wide receiver this offseason, Reed can fill that role. The former Michigan State star finished the 2024 season as the WR26, averaging 10 half-point PPR fantasy points per game despite Green Bay’s inconsistent passing attack.

Reed had a solid second year in the NFL. He finished with 55 receptions on 17 targets for 857 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 17 games. Furthermore, Reed had another productive season on the ground, totaling 20 rushing attempts for 163 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he was wildly inconsistent.

The former Michigan State star averaged 5.3 receptions on 6.5 targets for 95.8 receiving yards, 0.8 touchdowns, and 19.6 fantasy points per game over his first four contests with Jordan Love under center. However, he averaged 2.6 receptions on 3.7 targets for 37.7 receiving yards, 0.3 touchdowns, and seven fantasy points per game over the final 12 weeks.

Despite his struggles, Reed is an excellent trade option for fantasy players. Green Bay is unlikely to add a big name in the offseason. Furthermore, Christian Watson will likely miss most of the 2025 season with a torn ACL, giving Reed a clear pathway to have a third-year breakout.

 

Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Fantasy players had high hopes for Rice in 2024. The former SMU star was outstanding to end his rookie year, ranking as the WR6 over the final six weeks of the fantasy season, averaging 14.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.

The second-year pro started last season on fire. Rice was the WR4 over the first three weeks, averaging 17.6 fantasy points per game, scoring 13.8 or more in every contest. Furthermore, he had a spectacular fantasy performance in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, earning a 35.9% target share in the win.

Unfortunately, Rice suffered a significant knee injury early in the Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Patrick Mahomes attempted to make a tackle after throwing an interception but crashed into Rice’s knee, ending his season. Thankfully, the star wide receiver should be ready for the start of next year.

However, Rice likely will miss time with a suspension from an off-the-field incident last offseason. Yet, the likely suspension and injury create the perfect buy-low window for the star wide receiver. More importantly, Travis Kelce could retire this offseason, making Rice Mahomes’ top weapon in the middle of the field.

 

Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions

LaPorta surprised everyone in 2023. The former Iowa star ended his rookie year as the TE1, averaging 11.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game when many had low expectations for him. He was even better during the fantasy playoffs, averaging 13.8 fantasy points per game.

Furthermore, LaPorta scored 11.7% more total fantasy points than any other tight end that year. Many fantasy players drafted him as the TE1 in their dynasty startup drafts after his outstanding rookie season. Unfortunately, the young star struggled in 2024.

The former Iowa star finished last year as the TE7, averaging nine fantasy points per game. LaPorta finished the season with 60 receptions on 83 targets for 726 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 contests. While he got off to a slow start, the young tight end finished the year playing well.

After scoring 7.3 or fewer fantasy points in five of his first six games, LaPorta scored 12.3 or more in six of the final 10 contests. Furthermore, he averaged 8.3 targets and 14.1 fantasy points per game during the fantasy playoffs. While LaPorta is no longer the dynasty TE1, the young star is an excellent trade target.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Eli Morgan17 mins ago

Sent To Triple-A
Jordan Wicks23 mins ago

Optioned To Minors
Cade Cavalli29 mins ago

To Face Live Hitters
Jorge López35 mins ago

Jorge Lopez To Throw On Friday
Jalen Brunson37 mins ago

Sheds Walking Boot
Orelvis Martinez40 mins ago

Headed To Triple-A
Dillon Tate44 mins ago

Optioned To Minors
Cole Anthony49 mins ago

Questionable For Friday Night
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander58 mins ago

Off The Injury Report
Pittsburgh Steelers1 hour ago

James Pierre Re-Signs With Pittsburgh
Feleipe Franks1 hour ago

Joins Atlanta
Robert Williams III2 hours ago

Undergoes Another Knee Surgery
Tennessee Titans2 hours ago

Lorenzo Carter Inks Deal With Tennessee
Marc-Edouard Vlasic2 hours ago

Unavailable Against Hurricanes
Dorian Finney-Smith2 hours ago

Is Doubtful On Thursday
Miles McBride2 hours ago

Cleared To Face Charlotte
Miles Bridges2 hours ago

Cleared To Suit Up On Thursday
Zach Benson2 hours ago

Unlikely To Play Thursday
LaMelo Ball2 hours ago

Available Versus The Knicks
JJ Peterka2 hours ago

Cleared To Return Thursday
Jarred Vanderbilt2 hours ago

Is Doubtful For Thursday
William Karlsson2 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Stefon Diggs2 hours ago

Patriots, Stefon Diggs To Stay In Touch
Thatcher Demko2 hours ago

Dresses As Backup Thursday
Tyrese Haliburton2 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Thursday
Gavin Sheets2 hours ago

Added To 40-Man Roster
Andrei Svechnikov2 hours ago

Doubtful For Thursday
Cleveland Browns3 hours ago

Jerome Baker Visits With Browns
Leon Draisaitl3 hours ago

Likely Out On Thursday
Rui Hachimura3 hours ago

Ruled Out Again On Thursday
Cleveland Browns3 hours ago

Teven Jenkins Signs With Browns
Jamal Agnew3 hours ago

Falcons Agree With Jamal Agnew On One-Year Deal
Ranger Suárez3 hours ago

Ranger Suarez To Play Catch On Friday
Austin Reaves3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Clarke Schmidt3 hours ago

Throws Live Batting Practice On Thursday
Kris Bubic3 hours ago

Appears To Be Favorite For No. 5 Rotation Spot
Carson Spiers3 hours ago

Andrew Abbott To Start On IL, Carson Spiers To Open As Fifth Starter
Jordan Montgomery3 hours ago

Teams Showing Interest In Jordan Montgomery
Luka Dončić3 hours ago

Luka Doncic Unavailable Thursday Versus Bucks
Zac Gallen4 hours ago

To Start On Opening Day For Diamondbacks
Zack Gelof4 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative For Zack Gelof
Félix Bautista4 hours ago

Felix Bautista Not A Lock To Be Ready For Opening Day
Gunnar Henderson4 hours ago

"Running Out Of Time" To Be Ready For Opening Day
Drew Thorpe4 hours ago

Leaves Minor-League Outing With Elbow Discomfort
Brooks Lee4 hours ago

Scratched On Thursday With Back Tightness
Detroit Lions5 hours ago

Rock Ya-Sin Agrees To Terms With Lions
Cincinnati Bengals6 hours ago

Bengals Hosting Lucas Patrick On Visit
Ramón Urías6 hours ago

Ramon Urias Returns To Action On Thursday
Washington Commanders6 hours ago

Nate Herbig Joins Commanders Offensive-Line Group
Miami Dolphins6 hours ago

Benito Jones Re-Signs With Dolphins
Alex Verdugo6 hours ago

Inks Contract With Atlanta
Ryan Weathers6 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Seattle Seahawks6 hours ago

Seahawks Rework Uchenna Nwosu's Contract
Michael Gallup7 hours ago

Commanders Add Michael Gallup To Receiver Room
Casey DeSmith7 hours ago

Starting On Thursday
DeAndre Carter7 hours ago

Browns Sign DeAndre Carter To One-Year Deal
Sergei Bobrovsky7 hours ago

Facing Columbus On Thursday
Jeff Petry7 hours ago

Traveling With The Team
Nick Jensen7 hours ago

Not Playing On Thursday
Erik Gustafsson8 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Alexander Romanov8 hours ago

Not Expected To Play On Thursday
Gary Payton II10 hours ago

Iffy For Thursday
Ja'Kobe Walter10 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Gradey Dick10 hours ago

Remains Out Against Warriors
Jakob Poeltl10 hours ago

Off The Injury Report Thursday
RJ Barrett10 hours ago

Misses Third Straight Contest
Marcus Garrett10 hours ago

Questionable Thursday
Moussa Diabaté10 hours ago

Moussa Diabate May Sit Out Thursday's Game
Cameron Johnson11 hours ago

Resting Against Pacers
Matt Boldy13 hours ago

Strikes Twice In Victory
Filip Gustavsson13 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Kraken On Wednesday
Auston Matthews13 hours ago

Extends Goal Streak To Three Games
Joseph Woll13 hours ago

Stands Tall Against Colorado
Chandler Stephenson13 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Wednesday
Marco Rossi13 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Kansas City Chiefs21 hours ago

Chiefs Re-Sign Marlon Tuipulotu
Las Vegas Raiders21 hours ago

Raiders Sign Christian Elliss To An Offer Sheet
Detroit Lions21 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Al-Quadin Muhammad To One-Year Deal
Miami Dolphins21 hours ago

Willie Gay Signs One-Year Deal With Dolphins
Houston Texans21 hours ago

Texans Make Danielle Hunter The Second-Highest-Paid Defensive End
Cedrick Wilson Jr.22 hours ago

Saints Rework Cedrick Wilson Jr.'s Contract
Noah Brown22 hours ago

Working His Way Back From Kidney Injury
Shea Theodore1 day ago

Takes Full Contact In Practice
Cole Sillinger1 day ago

Closing In On Return
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Looks To Stay Hot At Valspar Championship
Adam Hadwin1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valspar Championship
Cam Davis1 day ago

Avoid Cam Davis At Valspar Championship
Sepp Straka2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valspar Championship
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Looking To Get Back Into Form At Valspar Championship
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate At Valspar Championship
Alex Smalley2 days ago

Aims To Continue Strong Form At Valspar Championship
Adam Scott2 days ago

A Risky Play At Valspar Championship
Shane Lowry2 days ago

A Home Run Pick At Valspar Championship
Stephan Jaeger2 days ago

Looks To Continue Momentum At Valspar Championship
Thomas Detry2 days ago

Aims To Regain Form At Valspar Championship
Justin Thomas2 days ago

Continues To Spark But Hopes To Keep It Lit At Innisbrook
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Tom Kim2 days ago

Looking For Putter Form At Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard2 days ago

Looking For Form At Valspar Championship
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Needs To Find Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Valspar Championship
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Looks To Keep Short But Successful Run Going At Innisbrook
Eric Cole2 days ago

Needs To Find A Spark At Innisbrook
Sam Burns2 days ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young3 days ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry3 days ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger3 days ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez3 days ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron4 days ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott5 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron5 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Here's How Kaleb Johnson Will Be A Bust: 2025 Rookie Film Analysis

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson is a highly regarded RB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class, and many dynasty fantasy football managers are likely considering using a pick in the first two rounds to select the back, who finished his 2024 season with 240 carries for 1,537 yards (averaging 6.4 yards per carry) and […]


J.K. Dobbins - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

J.K. Dobbins Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

J.K. Dobbins was coming off another devastating injury to begin the 2024 season. A torn Achilles tendon ended his 2023 season in Week 1. The veteran back had lobbied for a new contract in the run-up to the 2023 season, so this was an incredibly tough blow for Dobbins's prospects. He wound up signing a […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Best Dynasty Fantasy Football Formats: Five Ways To Set Up Your League

There are plenty of major fantasy football formats to play. You can play Daily Fantasy Sports cash games or season-long money tournaments. You can set up a casual redraft league with your friends. You can also play Dynasty, which is the preferred format of many of fantasy football's biggest fans. But there are plenty of […]


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers For 2025

Most players don't retain the rankings they had the year before in dynasty fantasy football. There could be a million reasons for this, but change is one of the only constants in the NFL. Whether due to injury, poor seasons, trades, or unrealistic expectations being adjusted as the reality of each player's situation set in […]


Jalen Milroe - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Draft Rankings for Fantasy Football: Top 9 Quarterbacks

Last year's rookie quarterback class was special. The first three players drafted were all quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams going to the Bears at No. 1 followed by Jayden Daniels to the Commanders at No. 2, and Drake Maye to the Patriots at No. 3. Daniels won Rookie of the Year. Maye made the Pro Bowl. […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL First-Round Mock Draft (Featuring Trades)

The 2025 NFL Draft is less than six weeks away. Every NFL team has different needs than they did two weeks ago because of free agency. There are still a few big-name players available on the open market. However, let’s dive into my first mock draft of the year for RotoBaller. This mock draft is […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Florio's Non-Free Agent Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Free Agency takes over the football world every March. It is always such a fun week that shakes up the league. It is followed by plenty of analysis over which players ended up in good fits and which hurt their stock.  Free agents are not the only players whose value is shaken up this week, […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Regression Candidates: Potential Sophomore Slumps

No one, and especially not Dynasty fantasy football managers, wants to hear that their rookie breakout player is going to slump in their second season. Yet we see that happen pretty much every season with certain players. The best example from 2024 was quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award […]


Tre Harris - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

Three Fantasy Football Rookie Wide Receiver Sleepers: Yards Per Route Run Analysis

In one of my first fantasy football articles covering NFL Draft prospects, we looked at three rookies who stood out via yards per route run. The landing spot and actual draft capital mattered since they showed how NFL teams value those players. That said, we will switch it up and examine the 11 wide receiver […]


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football RB Rankings Analysis: Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Breece Hall

Dynasty startup drafts are in full swing. There’s nothing that quite matches the dopamine hit and adrenaline rush of beginning a new dynasty draft. As any good dynasty manager knows, running backs are critical elements when it comes to building a perennial contender. Some of the top backs available in startup drafts this year are […]


CeeDee Lamb - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Rankings Analysis – CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua

The cool thing about dynasty fantasy football is that rankings change all the time. At this time last year, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. were being drafted in the first round of rookie drafts. Now, both wide receivers are top-15 dynasty assets.  Three wideouts whose […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency

The biggest NFL free-agency frenzy of 2025, namely the first few days of free agency, is now in the books, so the majority of the biggest moves have been made by now. There are still a few big names that haven't signed yet, but most of the most coveted players have found new landing spots […]