15 Best Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers Who Can Help You Win A League Championship

Michael Fabiano | Aug 29, 2025

Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby has a chance to be a major deep sleeper in 2025 fantasy football drafts. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Fantasy football managers who can find late-round gems, or what we call “sleepers,” can have a major advantage over the competition. I’m not talking about players in the top 100, either. I’m going deeper, into pick 120 and beyond, where astute fans were able to find guys like Chuba Hubbard, J.K. Dobbins, and Jakobi Meyers last year.

Imagine getting players picked in Round 10-plus who would go on to become true fantasy starters? That’s like paying a few bucks and landing a Paul Skenes rookie card!

With that in mind, there are 15 players who you can get at pick 120 and beyond (based on FantasyPros ADP data) who could help you win a fantasy title this season.

Best Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders (ADP - 105): When the Commanders decided to trade Brian Robnson Jr., it opened the door for Croskey-Merritt to play a much bigger role in the offense. And when you consider he didn’t start the final preseason game, some would see that as him being the favorite to start in Week 1. The rookie will share the workload with Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr., but he’s still made a major move upward in terms of his average draft position (ADP) in the last two weeks.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (ADP - 116): Coleman, a high second-round choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, will have every chance to find statistical success in Year 2. He’s projected to start on the perimeter in an offense led by Josh Allen, and there’s no real alpha on the roster to take significant targets. While Khalil Shakir will be the first Buffalo wideout picked in drafts, it’s Coleman who might have the most sleeper appeal.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, 49ers (ADP – 120): Christian McCaffrey entered training camp healthy and will see a big workload for the Niners this season … as long as he can avoid injuries. That has not been the case lately, however, as CMC has played in seven or fewer games in three of his last five seasons. If he falls prey to the injury bug again in his age-29 season, Robinson Jr. would see a huge rise in fantasy value.

Jaydon Blue, RB, Cowboys (ADP – 135): The rookie out of Texas has been getting rave reviews lately, as head coach Brian Shottenheimer even compared him to Darren Sproles. That might be a pie-in the-sky scenario, but Blue certainly has a chance to etch out a role with only Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders to compete against in the backfield. Blue will have more sleeper appeal in PPR formats in his rookie year.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jaguars (ADP – 139): Bigsby earned a role in a backfield committee with Travis Etienne Jr. last season, but he’s still being picked three rounds behind him on FantasyPros. Can you say … bargain? There’s also been reports that suggest Bigsby will be a big part of the Jaguars offense under new head coach Liam Coen. Based on where their ADP, I’d much rather have Bigsby than Etienne Jr. in 2025 drafts.  

Jayden Higgins, WR, Texans (ADP - 145): Higgins landed in a great spot with the Texans, who should use him as a starter right out of the gate. He’ll benefit from playing alongside Nico Collins, who will draw defensive attention, and the rookie should also see more than his share of targets with Tank Dell out for the season. He’ll be a nice late-round pick as a WR4/WR5 with the potential to push for flex value.

Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Broncos (ADP – 148): Mims Jr. started to emerge into a useful fantasy asset in the second half of the season, posting 434 yards, six touchdowns and 108.2 fantasy points in his final seven games. During that time, he averaged an impressive 15.5 points. With the emergence of Bo Nix, Mims Jr. could push to be a No. 3 fantasy wide receiver in 2025. He’s an attractive WR4/WR5 selection.

Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals (ADP – 155): Benson had a very quiet rookie year, as James Conner was able to avoid injuries for the majority of the season. In fact, he played 16 games for the first time in his career! While he showed no signs of slowing down, Conner will be entering his age-30 campaign. He also recently said that both he and Benson are “RB1s,” hinting at a potential committee in the desert. Benson is cheap, too.

Jets RB Braelon Allen could play a bigger role in the Jets backfield this season, yet he's being picked late in drafts. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Braelon Allen, RB, Jets (ADP – 165): Allen has been getting positive reviews in training camp, so much so that some reporters think he’ll play a big role alongside Breece Hall in the Jets backfield rotation. Remember, new head coach Aaron Glenn comes from a Lions team that had a nice backfield duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery … maybe he wants to use Hall and Allen in a similar fashion? Regardless, Allen is almost free based on his current ADP and well worth a late-round pick in fantasy drafts.

Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (ADP - 189): Tillman had a three-game stretch last season where he posted 21 catches, 255 yards, 3 TDs and averaged 22.2 fantasy points. He suffered a concussion in Week 12 and didn’t play again, however, but he showed real potential. He’s also locked into a starting role this season opposite Jerry Jeudy, so the targets should be there. I love Tillman as a late-round flier in drafts.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jaguars (ADP – 190): The Jaguars cut Evan Engram in the offseason and didn’t replace him on the roster, so Strange has a clear path to targets in the passing game. The Jaguars also cut Gabe Davis, so Strange could be the third option for Trevor Lawrence behind Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. He’s the definition of a sleeper at the tight end position, so grab him late in your fantasy drafts.

Kyle Williams, WR, Patriots (ADP - 218): I’m hesitant to list Williams as a sleeper, as the trend of wide receivers drafted by the Patriots is, well, not positive. However, he’s gained a lot of steam in camp and now projects to start on the outside opposite Stefon Diggs. There’s a lot of opportunities in the New England passing game too, especially when you consider that Diggs is 31 years old and coming off a torn ACL.

Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions (ADP – 236): TeSlaa should be on your fantasy radar after looking great in the preseason ... so great, in fact, that the Lions traded Tim Patrick to Jacksonville! That opens up a starting role for the rookie. While he's still no better than the fourth option in the passing game, I still see TeSlaa being well worth a late flier.

Mason Taylor, TE, Jets (ADP – 245): The son of first-ballot Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, Mason had three successful seasons at LSU. He’s the clear favorite to start for the Jets, who let Tyler Conklin walk as a free agent. The team doesn’t have what you would call a lot of depth in terms of pass catchers either, so it’s within the realm of possibility that he’s in the top three in targets as a rookie. I’d take him late in drafts.

Dont’e Thornton, WR, Raiders (ADP - 254): Thornton, not Jack Bech, has been the best rookie wide receiver in Raiders camp. In fact, it appears that he currently projects to start along with Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. Thornton is basically free in drafts with an ADP in the 250s, but managers in larger leagues should take notice.