It is typically said that sizable progress is anticipated from gamers of their second NFL season. Nonetheless, final season was such a banner 12 months for a lot of rookies, is it an excessive amount of to anticipate improved manufacturing from a few of them as we put together for our 2025 fantasy soccer drafts?
ESPN Fantasy Soccer analysts Matt Bowen, Daniel Dopp, Liz Loza and Eric Moody focus on most of the most intriguing sophomores beneath. Who’s undervalued in fantasy drafts? Who’re the favored breakout candidates? How will a pair of NFC North signal-callers reply to intense scrutiny in 12 months 2?
Undervalued
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner did one thing in 2024 that he had not been in a position to do within the earlier seven seasons of his professional profession: He suited up for 16 video games. Whereas the 30-year-old working again did endure a proper knee harm in Week 16 (which he tried to play by means of the next week), he proved to be a constant producer for fantasy managers. That does not imply Benson, Conner’s backup, will not have utility in 2025, although. An influence runner with 97th percentile pace, Benson was the second again chosen in final 12 months’s NFL draft. Coach Jonathan Gannon has already intimated that Benson would doubtless have a bigger function in his second marketing campaign, which is sensible given Conner’s harm historical past and Benson’s ability set. With the fourth-easiest strength of schedule among RBs (in line with Mike Clay) and at the moment being chosen 158th total in ESPN fantasy drafts, Benson is among the highest-upside backups on the place. – Loza
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Maye did not have the most effective rookie season from a uncooked numbers perspective, however when you look somewhat deeper, you possibly can see why there’s motive for optimism heading into 12 months 2. Not solely did he ship six video games of at the very least 17 fantasy factors, he completed sixth amongst QBs in speeding yards per sport. These wheels needs to be on full show once more in 2025, however this time he may not want to make use of them as a lot. Stefon Diggs joins the receiving corps as veteran presence, and there is pleasure round rookie third-round WR Kyle Williams as nicely. Maye definitely wants to wash up his errors after ending his rookie season with 16 turnovers in opposition to 17 complete touchdowns, however he has the potential for low-end QB1 upside in 2025 because of his speeding flooring and new-look offense. – Dopp
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Pearsall is WR46 in 2025 drafts, however he scored 17 factors or extra in three of his seven video games performed as a rookie. Plus, in Weeks 17 and 18, he had 14 receptions and averaged 23.8 fantasy factors. An in depth route runner who can present a vertical push in one-on-one matchups, Pearsall may also get alternatives in Kyle Shanahan’s system on in-breaking ideas off play-action, which result in massive performs. With Deebo Samuel Sr. now in Washington and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a knee harm, Pearsall has upside as a possible quantity goal in one of many NFL’s most closely schemed offenses. – Bowen
Breakouts
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
Harrison was the No. 4 decide in 2024, giving him optimum breakout potential in his second season. He completed 2024 because the WR30 however ranked third in finish zone targets (18), ninth in air yards (1,518) and twentieth in complete targets (116). A poor 59.3% catchable goal price restricted his upside. With improved QB play from Kyler Murray and a transparent WR1 function, Harrison has top-15 fantasy potential in 2025. – Moody
Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
Odunze averaged solely 8.5 PPG as a rookie, as he completed with 54 receptions (on 100 targets) for 734 yards and three scores. Should you look nearer on the tape, although, Odunze began to develop extra nuance to his route tree over the second half of the season. He has the bodily instruments and vertical means, plus he’s now working with an upgraded Bears offense and playcaller in Ben Johnson. I anticipate quarterback Caleb Williams to play at a better stage and with a larger sense of calm underneath Johnson, and that can open the door for Odunze to supply breakout numbers. – Bowen
Underneath the microscope
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Repeating a historic season is not straightforward, and that is precisely what Bowers is attempting to do. Solely two tight ends in NFL historical past have topped 112 catches in a season, a quantity Bowers hit final season as a rookie. As well as, solely six tight ends have seen the outrageous quantity of 150-plus targets in a season. It isn’t that I haven’t got Bowers ranked because the TE1 heading into the season. I do. However issues are very completely different in Las Vegas this season. Whereas he does have a significantly better QB in Geno Smith, he additionally provides a high-volume teammate in rookie RB Ashton Jeanty, who needs to be the point of interest of this new Pete Carroll offense. Jeanty is projected to have greater than 340 touches, which might definitely affect Bowers’ stat line. He might be hit by regression in 2025 and nonetheless be the TE1. – Dopp
Caleb Williams. QB, Chicago Bears
The Bears’ brass went all-in on Williams, intent on making final 12 months’s No. 1 decide town’s eventual savior underneath heart. Williams flashed at varied factors as a rookie, ending inside the highest eight fantasy producers on the place on 5 separate events. Inconsistent play (and playcalling), nevertheless, resulted in a largely underwhelming season, throughout which Williams was held to single-digit fantasy totals in seven video games. Heading into 12 months 2 with a very revamped offensive line, the addition of two extremely touted rookie go catchers (Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III) and Ben Johnson’s artistic genius, Williams’ state of affairs has markedly improved. He’ll have to put up top-10 positional numbers to contemplate the experiment a hit. – Loza
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy enters 2025 because the Vikings’ beginning QB after lacking his rookie 12 months due to a knee harm. Regardless of having performed zero NFL snaps, he’ll be requested to steer a pass-heavy offense by which Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins every completed high 12 in fantasy factors per sport underneath head coach Kevin O’Connell. With elite playmakers reminiscent of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, together with an upgraded offensive line, McCarthy is in a robust offensive atmosphere. His collegiate manufacturing and mobility place him as a breakout candidate to regulate. – Moody