Jaydon Blue Leads Late-Season Fantasy Football Sleepers With League-Winning Upside
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When drafting a fantasy football league, it’s vital to find players via the draft or on the waiver wire who could emerge as late-season league winners. Identifying these assets early could be the difference in contending for the playoffs versus winning a league championship.
Heading into 2025 fantasy football’s prime drafting season, there are several rookies who can power managers to late-season success, regardless of standard, point per reception, or half-PPR formats.
Cowboys Jaydon Blue Could Emerge as Starting Running Back in Dallas
Spending three seasons with the Texas Longhorns, running back Jaydon Blue is staying in-state as a fifth-round NFL Draft pick with the Dallas Cowboys. While with Texas, Blue was not overused across his three years, and relatively fresh heading into his professional career.
Averaging 5.4 career yards per carry, 8.8 yards per reception, and scoring 18 total touchdowns shows Blue’s big-play ability. He had a very productive 2024 junior season with 730 rushing yards on 134 attempts, 42 receptions for another 368 yards, totaling 14 touchdowns, eight being on the ground and six receiving.
His dual-threat ability makes him an intriguing in PPR leagues and is currently being selected with an average draft position of 140.7. He is coming off an ankle injury this summer, but that should not deter him from early action. The Cowboys don’t have much competition in his way to eventually claim the starting running back job, and his speed and homerun hitting ability can make him a gem of a sleeper that could pay dividends late in the season and come fantasy playoff time.
Jaydon Blue is RB1. That vision and burst is unmatched. The most talented RB on the roster. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/4DawgXyFFq
— Ernie The Cowboys Fan (@E_TheCowboysFan) August 23, 2025
Houston Texans WR Jayden Higgins a Carbon-Copy of Nico Collins
The Houston Texans spent their 34th overall draft pick on Iowa State’s versatile receiver Jayden Higgins. Having an excellent two-year run in college, Higgins scored 15 touchdowns on 140 receptions for 2,166 yards. He averaged 91 yards per game in 2024 and drew comparisons to Nico Collins, who is now his teammate with the Texans.
Higgins has been a popular sleeper pick among many fantasy experts, and at 6’4’’ with the ability to play outside as well as in the slot, he could even push for a starting role as early as Week 1. With major volume going to Collins, as well as the presence of Christian Kirk, Higgins and his big play potential, could be beneficial in standard leagues, as his ADP is 126 at the moment.
He could be a steady option early on, and as the season progresses, and could be a player to help push fantasy teams over the top to championship contention.
Browns RB Dylan Sampson Could Claim Backfield in Cleveland
The running back room in Cleveland is light with Jerome Ford currently penciled in as their starter. Rookie Dylan Sampson may not even have fellow first-year player Quinshon Judkins to battle with, who may even be heading back to college after an earlier summer arrest and contract issue.
Sampson had an outstanding junior year for Tennessee, rushing for 1,491 yards with 22 touchdowns. He pitched in with 20 receptions for 143 yards and proved he can be a workhorse back, which he may eventually become in Cleveland.
He currently holds an ADP of 155.5 in standard leagues, while Ford is being selected around 137 on average. As the season moves on, Sampson could quite literally run away with the starting job and be a major help to fantasy managers during crunch time.
Giants QB Jaxson Dart Could Eventually Take Over as Starter in NY
Jaxson Dart was the New York Giants’ 25th overall pick in the draft, and even though they have Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the rookie has electrified during preseason. Dart could eventually leapfrog both, as he was drafted to clearly be the franchise quarterback in the Big Apple.
He is being selected with an ADP right now at 212, and while dynasty leagues are where he has tremendous value, there could be a push to see him as a rookie, making him a solid late-round redraft selection.
#Giants GM Joe Schoen said he was “impressed” with how quickly Jaxson Dart picked things up in the classroom, then executed on the field.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 27, 2025
Said you don’t typically see that from a rookie QB. pic.twitter.com/NsNRt5ytqi
Dart has the moxie to succeed under the bright lights in the big city, and has rushing potential along with his big arm to make him a potential potent fantasy asset. While at Ole Miss, he threw for 4,279 yards with an impressive 69.3 completion percentage to go with his 29 touchdown passes during his senior season. He added 495 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground in 2024, and scored 14 total rushing scores in his career.
Cleveland Browns Harold Fannin Jr has WR skills at the TE position
The rookie out of Bowling Green could be labeled a tight end, but his skills are almost more like a wide receiver. The 2024 collegiate leader at the tight end position with 117 receptions and 1,555 receiving yards, Fannin proved his pass-catching prowess, and he could handle the slot in the pros.
Although Cleveland has tight end David Njoku, the two could even be on the field at the same time with Fannin’s route running and ball skills. Mixed with not a ton of targets on the Browns, Fannin could be a tremendous option, especially with the injury risk of Njoku, which could give the rookie even more snaps this season.
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Jason Sarney is a seasoned sportswriter and NFL analyst with extensive experience in both professional sports and media. His work includes coverage of the Miami Dolphins for outlets such as DolphinsWire (USA Today) and Sports Illustrated, providing in-depth analysis, player interviews, and training camp coverage. In addition to his NFL and fantasy football coverage, Sarney has held professional roles with the NBA and New York Mets, offering a unique behind-the-scenes perspective. His work combines journalistic insight with a deep understanding of the professional sports landscape, making him a trusted voice for fans across platforms.