Jayden Higgins wasn’t one of the four wide receivers selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but given his landing spot and his team’s offensive situation, he could have the potential to emerge as the top rookie wideout in the 2025 Fantasy football season. The Texans traded up to select Higgins with the second pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the rookie from Iowa State could become the No. 2 pass-catcher in Houston behind Nico Collins. Houston will be without Tank Dell for the start of the season following his knee injury, leaving plenty of targets from C.J. Stroud available for the preseason favorites to win the AFC South.
Stroud passed for more than 4,000 yards as a rookie before a not-as-effective sophomore season with 3,727 yards despite playing two more games than he did as a rookie, so what should you expect from Stroud in Year 3 when making a 2025 Fantasy football strategy? Before crafting 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 Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels would comfortably outperform his ADP (QB13). The result: Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with only nine interceptions and added 891 rushing yards with six more scores on the ground to take home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He finished as QB5 in CBS Sports PPR leagues and was a great addition to 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 correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. Additionally, it’s 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.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2025, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Fantasy football breakouts
One of the 2025 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.. Despite being the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft and being touted as the best receiver prospect of the last decade, Harrison had an underwhelming rookie season, ranking just fifth among first-year players in receptions (62) and yards (885). He battled inconsistencies and a midseason concussion yet still managed to finish with eight touchdowns, matching the rookie total of his Hall of Fame father.
Harrison could benefit from the Cardinals’ evolving offensive system, which emphasizes quick passes and creating mismatches in the short to intermediate routes. The former Ohio State standout showed flashes of his game-breaking potential by averaging 11.9 yards before the catch per reception, which ranked fifth-best in the NFL. The chemistry between him and quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to improve significantly after a rocky first year, and the emergence of tight end Trey McBride should draw some defensive attention away from Harrison.
Another potential breakout that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2025 have identified: Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. It didn’t take McMillan long to showcase why he was the first receiver taken in the 2025 NFL Draft with two receptions for 43 yards from Bryce Young in Carolina’s first preseason game. McMillan had 84 receptions for 1,319 yards in a dominant junior year at Arizona last year, leading the Big 12 in receiving yards before declaring for the NFL Draft.
McMillan could be Young’s top option from Week 1, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft played significantly better at the end of his sophomore year than he did as a rookie in the NFL. Young threw for multiple touchdowns in each of his final three games last season, and McMillan has a chance to be his top target both in the middle of the field and in the end zone. The Panthers are desperate for playmakers to surround Young, and after taking the 6-foot-4 receiving No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the model expects McMillan to quickly justify Carolina’s investment. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2025 to pick here.
How to find proven 2025 Fantasy football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a rookie running back to make an immediate impact. The model ranks this player as a top-10 option ahead of more established stars like Christian McCaffrey and Bucky Irving. You can only see who it is, and the 2025 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2025 Fantasy Football breakouts should you target, and which RB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2025 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Jayden Daniels’ breakout rookie season, and find out.
2025 Fantasy football ADP
(PPR, via CBS)
1. Ja’Marr Chase (1.68)
2. Bijan Robinson (2.54)
3. Saquon Barkley (3.15)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs (3.91)
5. CeeDee Lamb (7.23)
6. Justin Jefferson (7.44)
7. Derrick Henry (7.99)
8. Christian McCaffrey (9.02)
9. Ashton Jeanty (11.65)
10. Josh Jacobs (11.95)
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