USA Today’s Fantasy Football sleepers to watch
USA TODAY’s Joe Rivera, Tom Viera, and Jacob Camenker break down why Dak Prescott and Dalton Kincaid headline bold sleeper picks.
Sports Seriously
All week long, we’ve been highlighting (lowlighting?) players at each position to avoid in fantasy football this season.
But that valuable information is worth repeating with many fantasy leagues waiting until the last possible moment to hold their drafts.
So if you haven’t been paying close attention and want a handy list of players we think will underperform in 2025, relative to their ADPs, then you’ve come to the right place. Of course, any player can be worth drafting if the value is great enough, but these guys just don’t seem to be worth the risk.
2025 POSITION RANKINGS:Â QBÂ |Â RBÂ |Â WRÂ |Â TEÂ |Â KÂ |Â D/STÂ |Â Overall
Beware. Goff is entering the season without Ben Johnson as his offensive coordinator for the first time since 2021.
Herbert had only 25 TD passes in 2024, due in part to just 57 pass attempts in the red zone. The Chargers’ run-heavy approach limits his ceiling.
Love’s biggest issue last year was a lack of opportunities to throw the ball. He averaged just 28.3 attempts per game, which ranked 26th among 36 qualifying quarterbacks.
− Jacob Camenker
Based on recent trends, these six backs run the biggest risk of being busts this season because of their low productivity metrics.
− Elisha Twerski
New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has historically leaned far heavier on the run game than the pass, using mostly two-wide receiver sets. Smith-Njigba did most of his damage last year as a slot receiver.
McLaurin had a career-high 13 TD receptions last year, but his other key stats didn’t really improve, despite the stellar debut of rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Regression is likely.
New QB Justin Fields has struggled to throw the ball accurately and with consistency throughout much of training camp and in the preseason. That will cap Wilson’s effectiveness, despite his high volume.
Metcalf joins a Steelers attack with an aging quarterback and an offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, who has a well-established history of tanking the fantasy value of his top receivers.Â
− Jack McKessy
Kelce’s yards per route run and yards after the catch both declined in each of the last three seasons. Plus, he will turn 36 in October and will be in an even brighter spotlight this season following some recent off-field news.
Joining a new team this year, Engram is coming off his worst season and a torn labrum, which required surgery. He has also failed to find the end zone more than four times in a season since 2017.
Despite the arrival of offensive-minded head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago loaded up on offense in the offseason and it’s unlikely the rookie can make a significant mark in such a crowded room.
− Tom Viera
