Cramming in a last-minute fantasy football draft before the season starts? Identifying draft values in fantasy can take heaps of research throughout the offseason, as new faces compete with more familiar ones for roster spots. For those who pay little attention to the offseason or simply want some final inspiration before their draft, here are six fantasy sleepers who should prove massive values.
All values are based on PPR scoring. Be sure to keep that in mind and double-check your league’s scoring settings before drafting.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
I’ve tried to find other quarterbacks to campaign for as sleepers this offseason, but picking the right pocket passer outside the top five guys can be a lottery. Bryce Young, however, proved his dual-threat ability down the stretch last year and is the most criminally undervalued quarterback in fantasy football.
Young finished 2024 as the QB20 in fantasy, despite starting just 12 games and struggling early on. Having been dropped in favor of Andy Dalton, Young bounced back upon his return to the starting lineup and showed the talent that made him a first-overall pick in 2023.
Bryce Young scores on a 23-yard run!
📺: #AZvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/DH5yk10PPf— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
The Panthers’ QB was the QB15 in FPPG (fantasy points per game) from Week 8 on (minimum five games), and the QB8 in FPPG after the team’s Week 11 bye (minimum five games). Following the bye, Young threw 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions and rushed for five further scores on the ground.
The Panthers arguably have as much shout-out potential as any team in the NFL this year, and Young could easily finish as a top-10 player at his position.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Taking running backs on bad teams is usually a bad idea in fantasy, but Alvin Kamara is as much a receiver as he is a running back. The Saints star is being taken as the RB15 in drafts, and could well slip further, with TreVeyon Henderson and Breece Hall just behind him in ADP.
Kamara was the RB9 last season and the RB5 in FPPG, behind only Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, and Derrick Henry. His 89 targets led all running backs in 2024 despite him missing three games.
Even if the Saints are bad this year, Kamara should continue to get his fair share of targets. Over his three full games with Spencer Rattler last year, Kamara averaged 8.67 targets per game. Rattler has been named the starter to begin the season, and the veteran running back should prove a steal from Week 1.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
If it’s not age unfairly bringing a player’s perceived value down, it’s name value. Chuba Hubbard is still just 26 years old, but like his teammates, he is being undervalued because of the team he plays for.
The entire Panthers offense is being undervalued in drafts this year, but Hubbard stands out as a potential top-10 guy at the position. Hubbard took a couple of weeks to emerge as the clear starter and missed the season’s final two games. From Weeks 3-16, though, he was the RB8 in FPPG.
That’s a solid sample size, and his efforts were rewarded with a new contract, cementing his role as the starting back in Carolina. The arrival of Rico Dowdle shouldn’t impact Hubbard much, but Trevor Etienne could potentially steal some receiving work.
Nevertheless, Hubbard is being taken well below his value in drafts, and possibly below his floor as the 20th running back off the board.
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Davante Adams is one of the final receivers being taken in drafts who could challenge for the WR1 overall spot in 2025. That may be a long shot, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the former Green Bay Packers star land comfortably inside the top 10 at the position.
If Cooper Kupp had remained as healthy as Adams has been and had shown as little evidence of a drop-off, he would still be dominating fantasy in the Rams offense. He did fall off, though, but that doesn’t make his former role on the team any less valuable.
DAVANTE ADAMS. 71-YARD TD. JETS LEAD.
📺: #NYJvsJAX on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/CwGfbTtbpF— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Adams can thrive alongside Puka Nacua, but would receive double-digit targets on a weekly basis if his teammate were to miss time. The veteran is still one of the most talented receivers in the NFL and has dominated on three different teams so far in his career, two of which were far worse than the Rams.
Matthew Stafford’s injury concerns have possibly contributed to Adams’s WR17 ADP, but the perennial fantasy kingmaker is set to be ready for the season as usual.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
Calvin Ridley may have had some of the most skewed stats in the NFL last season, thanks to the wildly ineffective quarterback play of Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. Ridley’s 120 targets ranked 18th among all wide receivers in 2024, but his 64 receptions ranked 36th.
That 53.3% catch rate was the worst of all 35 wide receivers with at least 100 targets, highlighting how inefficient his quarterbacks were. Cam Ward is now the Tennessee Titans’ starter and should immediately improve Ridley’s production. The team invested in a host of other receivers during the offseason, but Ridley remains the clear alpha of the group.
Ridley was the WR28 in fantasy last season, precisely where he is being drafted this year, despite the clear quarterback upgrade. Minor weekly improvements on last year’s production would make an enormous difference over a full season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ridley finish inside the top 20 at the position this time around.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
David Njoku is a known commodity in the NFL, but it may surprise many to know that he was the TE4 in FPPG last season. Only Trey McBride, George Kittle, and Brock Bowers were more productive when on the field than the Browns star, including several players being drafted ahead of him this year.
DAVID NJOKU TOUCHDOWN. THE BROWNS HAVE A SECOND HALF LEAD. pic.twitter.com/rauQ5MclrI
— Max Loeb (@loebsleads) October 27, 2024
Njoku is also back with Joe Flacco to begin the season, with whom he enjoyed a brief fantasy explosion in late 2023. Despite this, he is being drafted ninth at the position in fantasy ahead of the 2025 season.
Still 29, Njoku is a freak athlete who is still in his physical prime and who looks almost impossible to stop at full speed. If your draft position denies you a top-three tight end, Njoku gives you as much upside as any of the next five guys at the position, at a much friendlier value.
