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With the 2025 NFL season approaching, it's time for fantasy football managers to start shaping their fantasy football draft strategy for the 2025 season. Rookies often bring high-risk, high-reward potential, and this year is no exception. Players like Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty and Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren are already turning heads, earning praise in many early 2025 fantasy football rankings and potential sleepers or breakout candidates. But do Jeanty or Warren deserve a place on your draft board?

Other first-year players to keep an eye on include Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward, Jacksonville Jaguars two-way standout Travis Hunter, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Will one of them become a breakout fantasy star, or could they end up as draft-day disappointments? 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. 

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest 2025 Fantasy football rankings for PPR and non-PPR leagues, 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: Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh traded a second-round pick to Seattle and then signed Metcalf to a five-year, $150 million extension this offseason, so the Steelers clearly have big plans for the veteran receiver. Metcalf, at 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, shows up every season in incredible shape, and he had some time with his new quarterback before the signal caller even officially signed. Metcalf worked out with Aaron Rodgers at times during the offseason before the two make their Steelers debuts this season.

When Rodgers has had a true alpha receiver, he's often spoiled them with targets, as he did with Davante Adams in Green Bay and New York. Especially after Pittsburgh traded George Pickens to Dallas this offseason, Metcalf is in line for a significant workload. Metcalf has shown consistency as well, with at least 900 yards in all six of his NFL seasons. The model has a lot of belief in the Rodgers-Metcalf connection, making Metcalf a top 20 Fantasy football receiver in its 2025 Fantasy football rankings. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2025 here.

Top 2025 Fantasy football breakouts

One of the 2025 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. In its latest projections, the model ranks Nabers as the No. 2 overall wide receiver, forecasting a major surge in production this season. New York bolstered its quarterback room this offseason by adding Jaxson Dart, Russell Wilson, and Jameis Winston -- moves aimed at bringing much-needed stability to the position. That upgrade should significantly benefit Nabers as he enters his second NFL season.

Despite dealing with inconsistent quarterback play in 2024, the former first-round pick out of LSU delivered an impressive rookie performance, recording 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. His 109 catches were the most ever by a rookie wide receiver, underscoring his elite route-running ability. With more reliable quarterback play in 2025, SportsLine's model projects Nabers to deliver top-tier production and emerge as a potential early first-round fantasy pick. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2025 here.

Top 2025 Fantasy football busts

As for players to avoid, the model lists Packers tight end Tucker Kraft as one of its 2025 Fantasy football busts. The South Dakota State product had a breakout sophomore season, posting a stat line of 50-707-7 en route to ranking seventh amongst tight ends in Fantasy points. That came with Green Bay not having a true No. 1 wideout as four different players, including Kraft, finished with in between 70 and 76 targets. The team, however, finally took a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time in 23 years by taking Matthew Golden, which could affect Kraft's targets.

Each of those four Packers with at least 70 targets remain on the team, so it's not like Golden is replacing anyone. It seems the holdover Packers pass catchers will all have to give up some targets in order to make room for Golden. After being the TE7 last season, the SportsLine model doesn't even have Kraft among the top 12 Fantasy tight ends this year. He's someone forecasted to underperform relative to his 2025 Fantasy football ADP, making him one to avoid in Fantasy football drafts. 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.