One of the biggest storylines around rule changes for the upcoming NFL season that would have had a significant impact on the 2025 Fantasy football season was the potential banning of the “Tush Push,” which the Philadelphia Eagles have seemingly perfected and no one else in the league can run nearly as efficiently. Having a quarterback like Jalen Hurts is nearly unstoppable in 1-yard to go situations, and the goal line takes crucial Fantasy points away from Eagles running backs. However, Saquon Barkley still finished as the RB1 in Fantasy football from Weeks 1-17 despite Hurts rushing for 14 touchdowns compared to Barkley’s 13 rushing scores. There was a chance the Tush Push would be banned, however, the play remains for this season, so will Barkley be able to replicate his success from the 2025 Fantasy football season with the Tush Push still in play?
No running back has finished as the top-scorer at the position in back-to-back seasons, dating back to 2013, so should Barkley sit atop running backs in 2025 Fantasy football rankings? Or should a running back like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs or Christian McCaffrey be the first RB selected in 2025 Fantasy football drafts, especially with the Tush Push still looming? Before setting your 2025 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2025 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud might take a step back in his second season. He finished as QB18 and anybody who avoided drafting him early dodged a major headache in their Fantasy football lineups. The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021 and calling Rachaad White’s breakout in 2023. Additionally, it has called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The 2025 Fantasy football PPR rankings and 2024 Fantasy football standard projections update multiple times daily, so you’re always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest 2025 Fantasy football rankings, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Fantasy football sleepers
One of the 2025 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. A 2023 second-round pick, Rice followed up his excellent rookie season with a phenomenal start to the 2024 campaign, racking up a 24-288-2 receiving line in Weeks 1-3 before injuring his knee. Rice averaged 7.3 targets and 16.2 PPR points per game when he was on the field last season.
He unfortunately missed the remainder of the season, but appears to be fully healthy leading up to the 2025 NFL season. Kansas City’s receiving corps is one of the deepest in the league, which could benefit Rice as he’s expected to see a lot of one-on-one coverage. Rice is averaging one touchdown for every 11.4 catches he’s made thus far in his career, so there’s value to be had in selecting him on draft day. SportsLine’s model ranks him as a top-20 wide receiver for 2025, making him one of the top sleepers to target for your Fantasy football lineups. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2025 here.
Top 2025 Fantasy football breakouts
One of the 2025 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Broncos running back RJ Harvey. Despite being the fifth running back selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, the model projects Harvey to outperform many of the rookies selected above him in the 2025 NFL Draft. Harvey could step right into a prime spot in Denver without a clear starting running back. The Broncos also signed veteran J.K. Dobbins, but given Dobbins’ injury history, he may be used more in relief.
Harvey was sixth in college football in rushing yards (1,577) on the 17th-most carries (232) at UCF last year. The 5-foot-8 running back led the Big 12 in yards per rush (6.8) despite a heavy workload, and he led the conference in rushing touchdowns (22). Denver’s offense improved throughout the season under rookie quarterback Bo Nix with Denver scoring at least 24 points in each of the final seven games, averaging 32.6 points per game over that span. The model expects Denver’s offense to ascend with head coach Sean Payton entering his third season in Denver, and with Harvey having a strong chance at leaving camp as the RB1, he could be in for a breakout rookie campaign. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2025 here.
Top 2025 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Chargers running back Najee Harris as one of its 2025 Fantasy football busts. Since being drafted in 2021, Harris ranks first amongst running backs in games played (68) and second in carries (1,097). While his durability may carry over from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles, don’t expect his volume to. Harris was clear-cut No. 1 RB for the Steelers, ahead of Jaylen Warren, but with L.A. taking Omarion Hampton in the first round, Harris will have to adjust to a complementary role out west.
With that, it’s hard to envision Harris carving out a sizable role. He’s never been a proficient goal line back, as he’s never had more than eight rushing scores in a season, and he offers little in the passing game as he ranked 25th amongst RBs in catches in 2024. He’s also currently on the active/non-football injury list after sustaining an eye injury during a fireworks mishap. Harris finished 20th in positional Fantasy points in each of the last two seasons, but the model doesn’t even have him in the top 25 RBs in its Fantasy football rankings 2025. See more Fantasy football busts 2025 here.
How to find proven 2025 Fantasy football football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising wide receiver you aren’t even thinking about being taken in the early rounds of 2025 Fantasy football drafts. This wide receiver is listed as a shocking top-15 option ahead of stars like A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill. You can only see who it is, and the 2025 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2025 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade, and which WR shocks the NFL with a top-15 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2025 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called C.J. Stroud’s disappointing sophomore season in 2024, and find out.
