Caleb Williams, Travis Hunter, And 17 More Undervalued Fantasy Football Draft Targets

Every fantasy football draft has players flying under the radar who can deliver league-winning upside. In 2025, a handful of undervalued stars are primed to smash their ADPs and give savvy managers a massive edge, including Caleb Williams, two-way star Travis Hunter, and more.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Over the past four seasons, Murray has underperformed expectations due to some injuries and less value running the ball. His passing floor is reasonable based on his best four seasons while still showing big-play ability in the run game (7.3 yards per carry). The key to his climb up the quarterback rankings (10th in early August) is finishing more drives with touchdowns and bigger plays via the pass. His chemistry with Marvin Harrison must improve in his sophomore campaign.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

In his rookie season, Williams had minimal moments where he made the fantasy market giddy about his potential. He ran the ball well and minimized the damage from interceptions. The next step in his development requires him to fix his command and timing issues with the football.

The Bears surrounded him with a deep core of receiving options while also upgrading their coaching staff in the offseason. Just by connecting all the dots, Williams has the tools and talent to take Chicago from the doormats of the NFC North to a division title over the next few seasons.

This draft season, Williams has a range from QB6 to QB20 depending on draft flow and league format. I expect his offensive package to gel this year, creating a winning opportunity for his price point.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

In his third season with the Cowboys, there was an expectation that Ferguson would reach a higher ceiling after a breakout year in 2023 (71/761/5 on 102 targets). He ended up missing three games while the Cowboys’ passing attack had a significant step back in success. Ferguson failed to score a touchdown while gaining only 8.4 yards per catch (10.7 in 2023). He looks poised to have a bounce-back season while ranking favorably (TE13) in August.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

Based on his tight end ranking (4th) in August, LaPorta is getting plenty of respect. He falls into the value category at his position due to his ADP from the top three tight ends this year. Over the last 29 drafts in one of the high-stakes formats (PPR), LaPorta had a minimum pick of 50 and a maximum of 81, pricing him as a seventh-round pick.

Over his first two years with the Lions, he has shown scoring ability (17 TDs over 33 games) while delivering an elite rookie season (86/889/10 on 120 targets – highest scoring tight end). LaPorta tends to come off the board two and a half rounds later than George Kittle in this format, allowing a fantasy manager to focus on developing their running backs and wide receivers depth.

Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers

Last year, Reed scored almost half of his fantasy points (PPR) in four of his 17 starts. He has 17 touchdowns over his 33 career games, with growth in his catch rate (73.3%) and yards per catch (15.6) last season. The Packers only looked his way 75 times (4.4 per game) in 2024, which was vastly under his potential. Green Bay will give him some carries to help his fantasy value. Reed should lead this offense in catches and receiving yards, unless Matthew Golden comes quicker than I expect. At the very least, he is mispriced (WR45) in August when adding his previous success with a below-par opportunity.

Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

Some fantasy drafters have put Mixon in the avoid category in August based on his sudden drop in ADP. Over the past week or so, he ranks 25th at running back in PPR formats with a wide range of pricing (min – 36 and max – 116). One drafter believes Mixon has top 12 running back potential, and another puts him in the mid-tier RB4 category. I’m treating Mixon as the Texans’ starting running back while expecting his injury noise to shake out by Week 1. I’m willing to draft him at a discount, with the understanding that I will fight for Nick Chubb as his handcuff.

Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

In mid-August, Hunter draws a backend WR3 rating, sandwiched around three other talented young wideouts – Rome Odunze, Emeka Egbuka, and Ricky Pearsall. Any of these four players could break out, and each could outperform their ADP. Unfortunately, at the end of the year, one player may emerge as the best wide receiver difference-maker in this area of drafts.

Jacksonville recognizes that Hunter’s best early value to the team lies at wide receiver early in his career, but they must also find a balance to utilize him on defense. His unique skill set clouds his fantasy wide receiver profile, almost putting him in coin toss territory – I want some shares, but do I want to fight for him in drafts? His talent is immense, and Hunter should be the clear number two option in the passing game for Trevor Lawrence.

Some of Hunter’s apprehension stems from a lack of trust in the Jaguars’ starting quarterback. Their rookie wideout brings big play and scoring ability, and Jacksonville will give Hunter plenty of chances close to the line of scrimmage to move the chain.

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

Pacheco is one of the more intriguing running backs this year due to the fantasy market’s lack of interest. Over the first third of August, he ranks 25th at running back. The threat of Kareen Hunt stealing touches and possible goal-line touchdowns is a factor. In addition, Brashard Smith may be more involved catching the ball out of the backfield.

In 2023, Pacheco was the 15th highest scoring running back (215.20) in PPR formats despite missing three games due to shoulder, quad, and concussion issues. He gained another 373 combined yards over four playoff games with three touchdowns and 12 catches on 93 touches.

The Chiefs’ running backs struggled to run the ball last year (3.8 yards per rush – 388/1,478), but they scored 13 times on the ground. Patrick Mahomes looked for his backs on 94 passes in 2024, leading to 70 catches for 603 yards and one touchdown. Over the previous three seasons, Kansas City’s running backs reached the end zone on 24 passing plays (2021 – 5, 2022 – 12, and 2023 – 7), with about 30% more catches yearly (90, 89, and 89).

I expect him to be a steady fantasy contributor as RB2 while playing in an offense that should have a rebound in scoring this year. I view him as the drop-off at the running back position, where he comes off the board. The key to him ranking higher is scoring more touchdowns. Think steady with upside, even with about 55% the Chiefs’ running back opportunity.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

Over his first two seasons in the NFL, Waddle was an attractive WR2, highlighted by a 100-catch season (2021 – 104/1,015/6 on 141 targets) and more big plays in 2022 (18.1 yards per catch – 75/1,356/8 on 117 targets). Unfortunately, his catches have declined in three consecutive years, with the latter two coming due to five missed games. He caught 69.9% of his 83 targets last year over 15 starts, but worked closer to the line of scrimmage (12.8 yards per catch).

As the 31st-ranked wideout in mid-August, his value rating is starting to percolate for someone reviewing his past success and connecting his potential dots. Waddle has an 80-catch profile with over 1,000 yards receiving and some help in touchdowns if he can stay on the field for 17 games. He’s battling a minor, undisclosed injury in mid-August that needs to be followed.

Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers gain a veteran receiver by re-signing Allen, but he clouds up their backend receiving structure in the eyes of the fantasy market. He has a long resume of success, but age (33) is not his friend. His chain-moving profile and experience should lead to a reasonable floor in catches, yards, and touchdowns, putting Allen in a steady (5/50) range at wide receiver in many games.

As a borderline WR5/WR6 in August, he should provide bye week and injury cover value at the flex position in PPR formats. I don’t view him as a player to fight for in drafts, but his price is favorable this year compared to the other wideouts drafted around him.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers downgraded Herbert’s passing opportunity to 29.6 passes per game last season, making him an upside game manager. His worst game came in the postseason, when he threw four interceptions (more than he threw over his 17 starts in the regular season). Herbert only had one outing with more than two touchdowns (293/3).

When reviewing his career body of work in the NFL, Herbert has passed for over 5,000 yards in a season, delivered over 40 TDs, and ranked near the top of the league twice in pass attempts (672 and 699). The new coaching staff for the Chargers had a different offensive game plan last year to help win games, and their philosophy worked. At the same time, their star quarterback has more clubs in his bag to reach a much higher ceiling if his overall receiving corps improves, and Los Angeles ups their passing attempt this year.

In mid-August, Herbert is the 16th-ranked quarterback, putting him in a favorable range to beat expectations. He even has a reasonable floor running the ball. The addition of a high-profile running back is the icing on their offensive cake.

Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams

As the 17th-ranked wide receiver in August in this format, Adams appears to be an overlooked asset. He ranked 12th in fantasy points (PPR) last season (241.30) despite sitting out three games with a possible phantom hamstring issue (wanted to get traded). In 2022 (third) and 2023 (tenth), he also ranked highly at wide receiver while also being a beast over the two previous years (115/1,374/18 and 123/1,553/11).

Adams starts this season at age 32, with five consecutive years with more than 1,000 yards receiving. He continues to bring scoring value, and Matt Stafford (hopefully, he stays healthy) will get him scores in close. Based on the usage of Puka Nacua, Adams should get more chances downfield.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

A long-time friend of mine, a big Patriots fan for many years, questioned Maye's ceiling this summer. He gravitated to his record last year (1-9) when playing a full game while starting. New England won two other games with him as a starter, but left after short snaps (20 and 3) in those matchups.

The Patriots’ offensive line is expected to be better this year. Maye gets a great upgrade at running back, and his wide receiving corps is trending much higher than initially expected. If the stars align in 2025, New England should have a true number one wide receiver, with an intriguing, unproven talent behind Diggs.

Maye helps his floor with his legs, and his natural progression should be a league-average quarterback in passing stats. He ranks 15th at quarterback in mid-August in the high-stakes market. His next step should be 4,000 combined yards with about 23 touchdowns, making him a backend QB2 with upside.

Breece Hall, New York Jets

Let’s remember why many fantasy drafters liked Hall in 2024. In 2023, he gained 20 yards or more on 14 of his 299 touches, with five plays gaining at least 40 yards. Hall led all running backs in catches (76) and receiving yards (591), which helped boost his consistency. His season ended with three high-volume touch games (32, 22, and 39), resulting in 507 combined yards, four touchdowns, and 23 catches (97.70 fantasy points in PPR leagues).

Last year, Hall continued to shine as a pass-catcher (57/483/3 – 8.5 yards per catch with five receptions gaining over 20 yards). The Jets' upgrade in running back depth led to him never receiving more than 18 rushing attempts in a game. As a result, he rushed for over 100 yards in one matchup (18/113).

The Jets’ new coaching tree comes from Detroit, and their new head coach (Aaron Glenn) is defensive-minded. New York will try to control the clock via the run by their quarterback or talented running backs. Fewer pass attempts should be expected, but Justin Fields may finish with the best passing opportunity of his career, a win for Hall in his catch total.

Hall falls in a soft spot in drafts (RB14), where he offers potential explosive three-down ability with a reasonable floor in most weeks. In PPR formats, he feels like a gift at the end of the third round, due to his underlying ceiling. Let’s put him in the last year’s bum category and ride his discount to a significant payday in 2025.

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts only threw the ball 448 times in his 18 complete games (24.9 per game) last season, down from 32.8 over his best 17 matchups in 2023. In essence, Philadelphia’s wide receiving corps had over a 24% drop in chances in 2024.

The Eagles were without the services of Smith for four games last season due to a concussion, a lingering hamstring issue, and a day of rest (wrist) in Week 18. He opened the year with a floor of seven catches in three games (7/84, 7/76/1, and 7/79) on 28 combined targets. From Week 6 to Week 11, Smith had six targets or fewer in five matchups, leading to two playable outcomes (6/85/1 and 4/87/1).

Philadelphia upped his opportunity in his final four contests (4/37/1, 11/110/1, 6/51, and 6/120/2) after missing two more games. Smith had four catches in all four playoff games (16/190/1 on 17 targets) despite only having five targets in one matchup. His postseason outcomes, added to 13 regular games, essentially added up to a full year of starts (84/1,024/9 on 106 targets) or an upper-tier WR2 in PPR formats.

The Eagles’ success running the ball last year and the missed games by Smith mask his overall fantasy value and price point this year. He draws a WR28 rating in 2025 in PPR formats despite scoring 240.40 fantasy points (Smith would have ranked 15th at wide receiver if his outcomes all were during the regular season) last year. Based on this, there is considerable value already baked into Smith’s price point this year, with a higher ceiling if Philadelphia throws more this year.

On a side note, the fantasy market still rates AJ Brown as a top 10 wide receiver, as they are willing to price him in a similar range as previous seasons. This alone should highlight how Smith is mispriced this year.

Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks

Kupp has a strange year in 2024. He jumped out of the gate with an impact showing (14/120/1 on 21 targets), helped by an injury to Puka Nacua. An excellent target opportunity was derailed in Week 2 when Kupp left the game (4/37) after 52% of the Seahawks’ snaps with another ankle issue. Los Angeles didn’t have him back in the starting lineup until Week 8 (5/51/1), precisely when Nacua returned as well.

His production graded well in five (11/104, 7/80, 6/106/2, 8/60/1, and 5/92/1) of his next six starts, but the Rams phased him out of their game plan over his following four games (0/0, 3/24, 1/29, and 1/29 on only 10 combined targets) while sitting out Week 18. LA gave him WR1 snaps in seven of his final eight matchups.

He missed seven games in 2024 while scoring under 8.00 fantasy points in four other matchups (4/37, 3/17, 3/24, and 1/29), but found a way to score 143.00 fantasy points over seven contests. Kupp will be a top-two target in Seattle, with a high foundation in route running. In mid-August, he is the 47th-ranked wide receiver in PPR leagues in the high-stakes market, creating a buying opportunity.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The growth of Mayfield was defined by the Bucs having seven viable receiving options who had a floor of 30 catches. He achieved a high level of success despite missing his top two wide receivers for 13 games, allowing Jalen McMillan to develop. Tampa featured their backs, tight ends, and wide receivers, and they added another talented receiving option (Emeka Egbuka) in this year's draft.

Mayfield was the third-best quarterback (428.80 fantasy points) in four-point passing touchdown formats. The most significant risk to his repeatability this year is that the Bucs have more success in close rushing for touchdowns. Despite his direction, he remains the seventh-ranked quarterback in mid-August. I have Mayfield projected to gain 4,512 combined yards, with 34 touchdowns. Emeka Egbuka looks poised to fill the injury gap of Chris Godwin.

Tampa has an excellent offensive structure this year, and they should build off of last year's success with a potential deep playoff run.

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

Over the past few weeks, Ridley has moved up draft boards, ranking him 28th at wide receiver in August, aligning with his final 2024 stats (64/1,072/5). He scored 36 touchdowns over his first 66 games while gaining over 1,000 yards three times in his career.

Ridley is Tennessee’s top receiving option this year. The Titans’ upgrade at quarterback gives him better chances to make plays and score touchdowns. He has a WR1 season (90/1,375/9) in his resume, while ranking 17th at wideout in 2023 (76/1,1039/8). In the Titans’ first preseason game, Ridley caught three passes from Cam Ward for 50 yards.

Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders

The Commanders acquired Samuel in early March for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and reworked his contract to pay him $17 million this year. He brings playing ability to Washington’s offense with more of a free-lance style to his route running. His change of pace value in the run game gives the Commanders another weapon to move the ball.

His summer reports have been positive, and Washington should get him more targets than expected initially if they don’t get the Terry McLaurin contract dispute addressed by Week 1.

After his down season, Samuel ranks 41st at wide receiver in mid-August, which requires him to score about 160.00 fantasy points to reach par for his price point. In his six-year career, he has missed 19 games. Samual will upgrade Washington’s passing attack and give Jayden Daniels another scoring option. I have him projected to catch 69 passes for 877 yards and six touchdowns with some chances in the run game (25/142/1), ranking him 32nd at wide receiver.