8 Breakout Players to Draft in Fantasy Football (2025)

These are the players that Dave Kluge and I believe could have career-best seasons and massively outperform their ADP. We each revealed four players, and I took direct quotes from our recent podcast and put them in an easy-to-read article with timestamps that link to the discussions on YouTube. 

1. Jameson Williams, WR – Detroit Lions (Dave)

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• Current ADP: WR24
• Dave's Rank: WR20
• "Over the last 8 games of last season: 7 targets, 73 yards, and 0.5 touchdowns per game. Extrapolate that over a full season and you're looking at potential WR1 production."
• "I think Jameson Williams already kind of broke out over the last 8 games. He could legitimately not just finish as a WR1, but be a top-five or top-three player. He is that type of talent." 
• With Ben Johnson gone, "we might see a shift in target share from Amon-Ra to Jameson." 
• Dave compared Williams to Tyreek Hill in upside: "Early-career Tyreek is a good comp for Jameson Williams." 

2. Rome Odunze, WR – Chicago Bears (Alfredo)

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• Current ADP: WR38
• Alfredo's Rank: WR34
• "The offensive line is improved, and we should see more pre-snap motion and play action to get Caleb Williams comfortable in the offense."
• "Odunze's catchable target rate was second-worst among all NFL WRs over the last three years." 
• "Keenan Allen took so many high-value targets in the intermediate and middle of the field from Odunze because of the pressure getting to Caleb. He just needed to get easy completions to someone.
• "Odunze reminds me of Nico Collins – not a speedster, but a vertical winner with sure hands." 
• "DJ Moore, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland will be moving all over the formation. It'll be hard to figure out their roles.  But we know that Odunze will primarily be the X-receiver on the outside."
• "ADP has him at WR38, and he could easily beat that with Ben Johnson running the offense." 

3. Tyjae Spears, RB – Tennessee Titans (Dave)

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• Current ADP: RB41
• Dave's Rank: RB36
• "In his one start last year: 20 carries, 4 targets, 103 total yards."
• "ADP has dropped even further this year despite more opportunity last year."
• "Brian Callahan wants a two-headed backfield; Spears could be a contingent bet."
• "He has burst, quick-twitch ability, and long speed for breakaway runs."
• "The Titans remind us of the Texans two years ago – a team no one expected to produce value."

4. Josh Downs, WR – Indianapolis Colts (Alfredo)

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• Current ADP: WR48
• Alfredo's Rank: WR36
• With Joe Flacco at quarterback, Josh Downs averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game. That would have been WR17 over a full season.
• Daniel Jones, now expected to start in Indy, heavily targets slot receivers, including 140 targets to Wan'Dale Robinson last year.
• The Colts' offensive line has declined, and when Jones is under pressure, he consistently looks to the slot for quick throws.
• Downs ran the 6th-most routes from the slot in the NFL last season and finished 4th in slot receiving yards.
• Downs creates separation at an elite rate, consistently getting open regardless of coverage type.

5. Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB – New York Giants (Dave)

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• Current ADP: RB31
• Dave's Rank: RB32
• "Elite 9.77 RAS score and 4.48 40-yard dash."
• "He's a converted WR with upside as a pass catcher and big play threat."
• "Fumbles and drops were issues, but fixable in Year 2."
• "Cam Skattebo's 4.71 speed and poor RAS (7.42) is a red flag."
• "He could become a slot/RB hybrid similar to Wan'Dale's role."
• "In a low-scoring, ball-control offense, his role could be essential."

6. Ricky Pearsall, WR – San Francisco 49ers (Alfredo)

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• Current ADP: WR41
• Alfredo's Rank: WR35
• Pearsall got shot in the chest just before his rookie season and ended up missing six weeks and all of training camp.
• Not surprisingly, he started slow and was mostly used in a gadget role early on—just a way to get him involved.
• The data bros love to knock his yards per route run and overall production, but context really matters here.
• As he got healthier, the coaches gave him more responsibility, and he started getting open consistently.
• In the final two games, he averaged 7 catches on 9 targets per game and looked like a legit breakout candidate.

7. Trey Benson, RB – Arizona Cardinals (Dave)

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• "4.39 speed at 6'0, 216 lbs – 98th percentile size-adjusted speed."
• "Benched early, but returned more decisive and physical."
• "James Conner has never played a full season; RB46 ADP bakes in upside."
• "Could be the Arizona version of what we saw with Roschon Johnson or Gus Edwards."
• "He's a top 10 RB if given a full-time role."
• "The perfect Year 2 leap candidate – added strength and NFL feel."

8. Drake Maye, QB – New England Patriots (Alfredo)

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• Current ADP: QB16
• Alfredo's Rank: QB13
• Late-round QB strategy is still very much alive. 41% of last year's top-12 QBs were drafted in Round 9 or later.
• The Patriots completely overhauled the offense around Maye: They added five new offensive linemen. Brought in legit weapons like Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, and TreVeyon Henderson.
• Maye brings big-time rushing upside. He actually averaged more rushing yards per game last season than Josh Allen.
• He also led all QBs in yards per carry (among those with at least 8 starts).
• He only scored two rushing TDs, but the team was rarely in scoring position during his 10 full games.
• Even so, he was a top-12 fantasy QB in 40% of those games, and top-16 in 80%. We're drafting him at his floor.

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