7 Second-Year Fantasy Football Players to Draft or Fade: Sophomore Sleepers and Busts (2025)

Joey's fantasy football second-year players to target or fade in 2025 drafts. His sophomore sleepers and busts, including Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., and more.

Not every player who comes into the league will immediately make a strong impact. While several rookies do, it takes most players at least one full year to get accustomed to the pro level. That was certainly the case last season, as we saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tucker Kraft, and Bryce Young all show promise in their second seasons. 

It's fair to assume that a handful of players entering their sophomore seasons will break out in 2025. The list below will feature second-year players looking to prove something this year. We will then determine whether fantasy managers should select these players or leave them for others in drafts. 

So, let's dive in and analyze whether these seven second-year players are sleepers or potential busts in 2025. 

• 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

QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

There was a ton of hype surrounding Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in fantasy drafts last season. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and had the weapons to succeed in Chicago in his first year (DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze). However, Williams wasn't the best fantasy QB in his rookie campaign. 

He finished as the overall QB16 and averaged a mere 15.3 fantasy points per game. Williams also finished outside the top 20 at the quarterback position in 10 of 17 games. Although the fantasy numbers weren't there for the USC product last year, his overall numbers were quite solid. He threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. 

#Bears QB Caleb Williams training during the offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/UjeHEO05Lo

— Chicago Bears Network (@bearsnetwork_) June 29, 2025

With Williams entering his second year, the sky is really the limit for the former No. 1 overall pick. Offensive guru Ben Johnson will now be calling the plays in Chicago, and Johnson helped quarterback Jared Goff finish as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in three consecutive years (2022-2024). As a result, the Bears quarterback is in a prime spot to break out in 2025. 

He has the weapons around him to succeed (Moore, Odunze, and Cole Kmet), and the Bears selected a pass catcher in each of the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft (Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III). Given that Williams also has some sneaky rushing upside after totaling 489 rush yards in his rookie campaign, he is a must-draft at his 115 ADP. 

Verdict: Draft 

QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots

No quarterback might have been in a worse situation than New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye last season. His top pass catchers were DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, and Ja'Lynn Polk, and New England arguably had the worst offensive line in football. Still, Maye was a capable low-end QB1 in most weeks in his rookie campaign. 

He scored above 18 fantasy points in six of his 10 full starts and averaged a solid 16.4 fantasy points per game in those contests. There is now a real chance that Maye is an even better fantasy option in 2025. The Patriots upgraded both the wide receiver room and offensive line group this offseason, meaning the second-year quarterback could easily take that next step in his sophomore season.

New England signed veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year deal in free agency, selected tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and added two offensive linemen in Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses in free agency. That should all make a difference for Maye in 2025.

The 22-year-old is currently going as the QB18 in fantasy drafts, and that feels like a bargain for a player who could break out this season. He finally has a WR1 in the passing game, and we shouldn't sleep on his rushing upside. The Patriots quarterback rushed for at least 30 yards in six different contests last year, including a 95-yard rushing effort in Week 9 against the Titans. 

Verdict: Draft 

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

The biggest knock on New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. in his rookie season was his fumbling issues. Tracy fumbled five times across his 230 touches. Aside from that, though, the Purdue product showed a ton of great things on the field. He rushed for 839 yards and five touchdowns while also catching 38 passes for 284 yards and one score. 

Those solid numbers helped Tracy emerge as a reliable RB2 option for fantasy managers in 2024. He averaged 13.2 PPR fantasy points per game from Week 5 onward and finished as a top-24 fantasy running back in seven of 13 games during that span. The 25-year-old really made the most of his opportunities as a rookie. 

However, he will have some competition this year after the team selected versatile playmaker Cam Skattebo in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Skattebo just totaled 2,316 yards from scrimmage in his final college season at Arizona State and is capable of taking snaps away from Tracy throughout the season. 

Tyrone Tracy or Cam Skattebo? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Dw8gTArCvw

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 20, 2025

On top of that, Tracy wasn't the best runner on the ground in 2024. He ranked 23rd in evaded tackles (47), 31st in explosive play rating, and 33rd in true yards per carry (4.1) among all running backs last season. With the fumbling issues a real problem, we could see things quickly change out of this backfield. That's why the second-year playmaker is a fade in most formats at his 82.1 ADP.

Verdict: Fade 

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was one of the biggest fantasy busts last season. Despite being a rookie, fantasy managers had high hopes for the former Ohio State star in Year 1. Harrison was being drafted in the second round of most leagues. Unfortunately, he finished well below his preseason ADP. 

The 22-year-old finished as the WR30 in PPR formats and only averaged 11.6 PPR fantasy points per game. More importantly, Harrison was a very inconsistent fantasy option throughout his rookie season. He finished outside the top 40 at the wide receiver position in nine of 17 games, while only finishing as a WR1 twice in 2024. 

Nevertheless, let's pump the brakes on calling Harrison a bust after one season. It usually takes time for some players to adjust to the NFL level, and that could certainly be playing out for him. As a result, there's a good chance this is the year the Cardinals' wideout shows why he was a highly touted prospect coming out of college. 

He is still the WR1 in Arizona's offense and should command upward of 130 targets in Year 2. Given that he added muscle in the offseason and ranked top-10 among all wideouts in air yards share (42.3%), unrealized air yards (829), and win rate versus man coverage (42.8%) as a rookie, a breakout season is there for the taking. So, fantasy managers should be all in on Harrison in 2025. 

Verdict: Draft 

WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

A lot of fantasy managers expected the Bears' offense to be better than it was last year. But with a rookie quarterback, a mid-season head coach firing, and a dysfunctional offensive line, there weren't many fantasy superstars in Chicago in 2024. Odunze was not one of those fantasy stars, as he was barely rosterable for most of his rookie campaign. 

The Washington product finished as the WR49 in PPR formats and averaged just 8.5 PPR fantasy points in 17 games. Odunze had a hard time putting up consistent fantasy numbers in this Chicago offense, especially since Moore and Allen maintained a 26% target share last season. That led to the young wideout scoring in single figures in 13 of 17 contests. 

However, things should be better for Odunze in his second season. Having Johnson come over from Detroit is a big win for this offense, and the 23-year-old should step in as the team's WR2 with Allen now gone. Therefore, it's safe to say he will finish higher in fantasy than he did a season ago. Even with all those positives, though, he is a fade at his 77.3 ADP.

Odunze didn't show much in his rookie campaign -- ranking 103rd in win rate versus man coverage (24.2%), 92nd in fantasy points per route (0.26), and 63rd in dominator rating (17.8%) -- and the Bears added more competition for targets this offseason with Loveland and Burden. While he will likely post better numbers in Year 2, a full breakout is hard to imagine with so many weapons emerging in Chicago's offense. 

Verdict: Fade 

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

It was a miracle that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall even played in his rookie season after being shot in the chest in late August. Pearsall worked his way back from that traumatic incident and eventually made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Chiefs. Although there were mixed results from the Florida product last year, there was a lot to be encouraged by across his 11 games. 

He totaled double-digit PPR fantasy points in four of those 11 contests, including a 28.7 PPR fantasy point effort in Week 17 against the Lions. In that game, Pearsall caught eight passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. He then followed up that performance with a six-catch, 69-yard, one-touchdown day to end the season. 

Ricky Pearsall pic.twitter.com/UWdJzi16AF

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 10, 2025

Those types of fantasy days could become more common for Pearsall in his second season. Deebo Samuel Sr. was traded to the Washington Commanders in the offseason, and Brandon Aiyuk is making his way from a torn ACL. That means the 24-year-old could start the season as the team's WR2 on the outside. 

Don't forget, Pearsall was the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The talent is undoubtedly there for him to take that next step this season. With Aiyuk likely missing the start of the year, the second-year playmaker is a fantastic pick at his 101.4 ADP. He should have a featured role in this Kyle Shanahan offense in 2025. 

Verdict: Draft

WR Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman had some ups and downs in his rookie season. That led to a rough fantasy year for the Florida State product. He finished as the WR71 in PPR formats and only averaged 8.6 PPR fantasy points per game. However, Coleman did show his fantasy potential at points throughout his rookie campaign. 

The 22-year-old scored over 16 PPR fantasy points in back-to-back games in the middle of the season, highlighted by a four-catch, 125-yard effort against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. The biggest reason Coleman could never be that consistent fantasy option, though, was due to his low target share. His 15.5% target share ranked 64th among all wideouts last year. 

Part of that low target share was due to Coleman's inability to get open. He ranked 101st in route win rate (37.2%) and 86th in win rate versus man coverage among all wide receivers last season. The Bills' playmaker also dealt with some drops throughout the year, as his five drops were the sixth-most in the NFL in 2024. 

With Coleman entering his second season, some fantasy managers believe he could take a step forward in this Bills offense. However, it's going to be hard to rely on him on a week-to-week basis. Josh Allen loves to spread the ball around, and Buffalo ranked 29th in team pass plays per game (31.4) in 2024. That all makes the second-year wideout a fade in most formats.

Verdict: Fade

More Fantasy Football Analysis