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Liz Loza
Dart throws. Tremendous sleepers. Ultimate-round fliers. Digging for upside in fantasy football after Choose 100 may be branded in quite a lot of methods. One factor is for certain, nonetheless: touchdown a high-value lotto ticket is one in all fantasy’s most satisfying experiences. It might additionally save your season and aid you win your league. Listed below are the gamers I am anticipating to outkick their capital come draft day.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
The Dak Prescott Expertise™ has been an up-and-down affair, significantly since Prescott suffered a compound ankle fracture and dislocation in 2020. He bounced again sturdy and completed seventh or higher in 2021 and 2023, averaging over 20 fantasy factors per recreation in every marketing campaign. Nevertheless, he additionally completed exterior of the highest 18 fantasy QBs in 2022 and 2024. Including to the frustration of final 12 months, a torn hamstring ended Prescott’s season in Week 9.
Reportedly totally wholesome, Prescott enters 2025 with huge bounce-back attraction. He did, in spite of everything, throw for a formidable 4,516 yards (QB3) with Brian Schottenheimer calling the performs simply two years in the past. Given the state of the Cowboys’ secondary, Prescott may very well be, as soon as once more, utilizing his arm fairly a bit in high-scoring affairs. His odds of connecting are excessive, too, particularly with George Pickens added to the receiving corps. Throw in a good pass-catching again like Javonte Williams, a succesful chain mover in Jake Ferguson and the electrical abilities of CeeDee Lamb, and Prescott has all the components wanted to ship QB1 fantasy stats. Recency bias has torpedoed his ADP, making him out there within the thirteenth spherical (120.8), which works properly for traders inquisitive about ready on the place.
Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Mason has been overshadowed for many of his profession. He shared the sphere with Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech, in the end going undrafted in 2022. In his first two seasons as a professional, he registered a complete of simply 83 totes with the 49ers as a backup to Christian McCaffrey. Now, he is slated to work behind Aaron Jones Sr. in Minnesota.
Nonetheless, when given a chance, Mason has risen to the event. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry final season, rating sixth amongst working backs with at the least 100 carries. Moreover, he was a top-five fantasy producer on the place in three of his first 4 video games because the 49ers’ starter. Admittedly, accidents slowed his roll, however reviews point out he is again to full well being and all techniques go heading into 2025.
Jones stayed wholesome in 2024 after lacking six video games the earlier season with the Packers. Nevertheless, he additionally touched the ball over 300 instances. That is not nothing for a again getting into his age-30 season. Furthermore, Jones logged a meager 5 dashing scores regardless of registering 12 makes an attempt contained in the 5-yard line. In the meantime, Mason was twenty second amongst RBs in crimson zone touches, scoring in three of 4 video games wherein he carried the rock 15 or extra instances. Given his dimension and energy working model, Mason figures to emerge as the favourite in short-yardage and goal-line conditions.
The 26-year-old’s inventory would clearly soar ifJones have been to go down. However noting his complementary ability set, the top-ranked offensive line he is working behind and the ascendant offense he is part of, Mason moreover gives managers weekly upside. That is not dangerous for a again being chosen exterior of the highest 40 on the place.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner did one thing in 2024 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 undergo 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. Nevertheless, that does not imply Benson, Conner’s backup, will not have utility in 2025.
An influence runner with 4.39 pace, a compact body (6-foot, 216 kilos) and dependable palms, Benson was the second again chosen in final 12 months’s NFL draft. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has already intimated that Benson would possible have a bigger function in his second marketing campaign, which is smart given Conner’s harm historical past and Benson’s versatile ability set. With the fourth-easiest power of schedule amongst RBs but at present being chosen fiftieth RB off the board in ESPN fantasy drafts (161.8 ADP), Benson is among the highest upside backups on the place.
Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos
Mims’ pattern dimension is equally diminutive to his body (5-foot-11, 183 kilos), however what he flashed down the stretch of 2024 should not be ignored. Averaging 5.2 seems to be per contest from Weeks 12-18 (up from 1.9 targets per recreation over the primary 11 weeks of 2024), Mims posted two 100-yard receiving efforts and tallied 5 TDs through the Broncos’ last six regular-season outings. A top-12 fantasy wideout in three of these video games, Mims usually crushed after the catch. Using the 4.38 pace that helped make him a second-round choice in 2023, the Oklahoma standout managed a large receiver-best 12.1 YAC per reception for the season.
These quicks complement the remainder of the Broncos’ receiving corps. With Courtland Sutton filling the possession function and TE Evan Engram more likely to emerge as Bo Nix’s most-looked-to short-yardage choice, Mims figures to excel because the squad’s greatest burner. Given the rapport he and Nix found within the double-digit weeks of final season (enjoyable truth: Nix averaged 62 extra passing yards per recreation as soon as Mims was extra thoughtfully integrated into the offense from Weeks 11-18), it is affordable to imagine the 23-year-old WR will choose up in 2025 the place he left off in 2024. Out there as late because the sixteenth spherical of 10-team workouts, rostering Mims is a risk-free solution to put money into a presumptive No. 2 WR on an ascending offense.
Kyle Williams, WR, New England Patriots
It might have taken Mims a minute to choose up the fantasy tempo, however that does not imply a fellow ace accelerator cannot produce as a rookie. A transformed highschool quarterback, Williams” draft inventory rose after turning heads on the Senior Bowl and posting a 4.4 40-yard sprint time on the mix. The Washington State product (by means of UNLV) is a pure deep-ball tracker with harmful after-the-catch means. He averaged 17.1 yards per reception and was credited with 14 scores as a Cougar in 2024.
New England’s first (and solely) choice on the place (69th total), Williams joins a shallow corps set to be coordinated by Josh McDaniels. Regardless of becoming a member of the group for a 3rd stint, McDaniels enters as a part of the Pats’ “new” regime, which figures to stage the inner enjoying discipline and affords Williams a legit shot of competing for a beginning gig out of the gate. Given the 23-year-old’s positional versatility, he is a powerful candidate for No. 2 WR duties. More likely to flirt with 70 seems to be, Williams’ ceiling screams steal, significantly because the sixty fourth receiver (167.6) coming off draft boards.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Chosen within the second spherical of the 2023 NFL draft, Unusual was pressured into early motion in 2024 as Evan Engram handled a bunch of maladies. Unusual proved to be a serviceable substitute, posting a 40-411-2 stat line. Extra importantly, he flashed sufficient throughout his sophomore marketing campaign to earn the beginning gig. Whereas not precisely a fluid runner, Unusual does have the explosiveness and pace to thrive as a complementary pass-catcher. His feisty blocking abilities and tenacity after the catch determine to maintain him on the sphere and make him a key determine within the Jags’ offense this fall.
Unusual averaged practically 5 seems to be per recreation when Engram was sidelined final season. That quantity ought to climb with the exits of Engram and Christian Kirk opening up 111 targets. Admittedly, rookie Travis Hunter figures to attract a wholesome dose of these alternatives, however as a two-way participant his workload is hard to mission. Regardless, whilst Trevor Lawrence’s third choice, Unusual gives loads of attraction. It is value nothing that Cade Otton logged 59 grabs in Liam Coen’s offense final season with the Buccaneers.
In an offense constructed to (as soon as once more) unlock Lawrence’s potential, and given GM James Gladstone’s enthusiastic feedback about Unusual’s upcoming marketing campaign, the Penn State product is giving breakout vibes. The identical cannot be stated of most gamers being drafted round 2 hundredth total. Unusual is a perfect dart throw for managers bored with sweating the place on draft day.
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