Fantasy Football Sleeper of the Year (2025)
Fantasy Football Sleeper of the Year (2025) Targeting value by identifying which players will outplay their consensus ADP is the preferred strategy for all fantasy enthusiasts. Securing these sleepers can make all the difference in compiling a championship roster. After
Fantasy Football Sleeper of the Year (2025)
Targeting value by identifying which players will outplay their consensus ADP is the preferred strategy for all fantasy enthusiasts. Securing these sleepers can make all the difference in compiling a championship roster. After much debate, the FullTime Fantasy staff has selected our Fantasy Football Sleeper of the Year (2025).
Before that, check out our picks for Breakout and Comeback Player of the Year. It’s all part of FullTime Fantasy’s World Famous Draft Kit. It includes access to our Preseason Pro Portal, with exclusive advice and tips from some of the world’s best high-stakes players.
Last August, we implored you to wait on quarterback and select Washington Commanders’ rookie Jayden Daniels, our 2024 Fantasy Football Sleeper of the Year.
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2025 New England Patriots Fantasy Preview
2025 New England Patriots Fantasy Preview The New England Patriots entered the 2025 offseason with a clear mandate to rebuild around second-year quarterback Drake Maye after consecutive 4-13 seasons in 2023 and 2024. With new head coach Mike Vrabel, the most cap space in the NFL ($120 million), and nine draft picks, the Patriots focused on bolstering the offensive line, adding playmakers for Maye, and reinforcing the defense. Maye far exceeded expectations in Year One. Despite playing behind the second-worst pass-blocking line and a questionable group of pass-catchers, Maye showed real promise. In 10 starts where Maye attempted 20-plus passes, he averaged 223.1 passing yards with 15 TD passes and 10 interceptions. He also chipped in another 41 yards with two more scores on the ground. That’s a 17-game pace of 3,793 passing yards, 697 rushing yards, and 29 total touchdowns. Even better, GM Eliot Wolf invested the No. 4 pick on OT Will Campbell, the premier tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft. Additional reinforcements and the arrival of Vrable bring a renewed sense of optimism to New England for the first time in three years. Second-round RB TreVeyon Henderson is one of those upgrades for a Patriots’ offense that ranked 31st in 2024. New England’s rushing attack ranked 26th in yards per carry (4.0) and 28th in EPA per rush (-0.08). Henderson’s 8.1 percent explosive run rate complements Rhamondre Stevenson (6-0, 227 lbs, 4.2 YPC) and Antonio Gibson (6-0, 228 lbs, PFF grade: 75.4), forming a dynamic backfield. Henderson is an excellent blocker and offers three-down potential in an ascending offense. Another significant addition for the club was signing WR Stefon Diggs to a three-year deal. Diggs is coming off a torn ACL but is expected to be ready for Week 1. Diggs brings slot/perimeter flexibility and an alpha mentality to a unit that sorely needed a veteran infusion. Third-round rookie WR Kyle Williams boasts 4.4 speed and excellent downfield ball skills. Williams also scored 14 touchdowns for Washington State and provides much-needed speed on the perimeter. With Diggs and Williams outside, Demario Douglas will remain a consistent source of targets in the slot. Douglas should be a reliable, high-floor source of targets. Maye relied on his tight ends a ton last year. New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels prefers versatile tight ends, which bodes well for Hunter Henry, who is coming off a TE11 finish. Henry will likely see more in-line snaps, where he can’t be put in favorable mismatches. New England also re-signed Austin Hooper, who caught 45 balls for 476 yards and three scores last season. Fantasy Grade: C QB Maye, Drake, NE [QB1] There is a lot of hype around Drake Maye after a rookie season that resulted in 17 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maye made a mark as a runner, where he led the league with 7.8 yards per rush. He wasn’t as effective as a passer. In 10 full games, Maye topped 250 yards only twice. He also ranked 30th in adjusted yards per attempt (5.7) and 28th in air yards (190.8/game). But the additions of veteran WR Stefon Diggs and a pair of rookies (RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Kyle Williams) will help. ADVICE: Rushing upside puts him in upside QB2 range. QB Dobbs, Joshua, NE [QB2] After trading Joe Milton, the Patritos signed journeyman Josh Dobbs as a mentor and insurance for Drake Maye, who missed four games in his rookie season with separate hand and head injuries. Dobbs was decent with extended playing time in 2023 and boasts a 103.4 Athletic Score. He performs well as a runner but is more limited than Maye as a passer. If a Maye injury occurs, Dobbs has some QB2 streaming appeal. But he is better off left on the waiver wire. ADVICE: Potentially a streamer if Drake Maye is injured. RB Henderson, TreVeyon, NE [RB1] Sleeper TreVeyon Henderson dazzled in his freshman year, with 184 carries for 1,255 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added 27 catches for 312 yards and four scores. Injuries and sharing carries with Quinshon Judkins later curbed his role, but his career 77 catches for 853 yards and six touchdowns on 95 targets, paired with a 4.43 40-yard dash, and 91st-percentile Speed Score, showcase his potential. Unfortunately, the presence of Rhamondre Stevenson complicates Henderson’s early role. However, he’s a better runner than Stevenson and had no fumbling issues at Ohio State. ADVICE: Potential three-down speedster is the most explosive back in New England. High-upside RB3. RB Stevenson, Rhamondre, NE [RB2] New England wanted to add speed to their backfield and did so by adding TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Stevenson has regressed for two consecutive years. He ranked 39th in yards per touch (4.0) last season, led all running backs with seven fumbles, and ranked 140th with a (-39.1) EPA. Mike Vrabel will likely start with a committee, but Henderson checks all the boxes to emerge as New England’s best back. That makes Stevenson a change-of-pace option with some plus pass-catching and red-zone value. ADVICE: More likely to be New England’s 1B than 1A, Stevenson has middling RB3 value. RB Gibson, Antonio, NE [RB3] Gibson was in and out of the starting lineup last season. Overall, he compiled 744 scrimmage yards and a single score on 143 touches (RB47). However, with TreVeyon Henderson now in the fold, it will be hard for Gibson to command enough touches to be fantasy-relevant. WR Diggs, Stefon, NE [WR1] Diggs saw a 52.8 percent slot rate last season in Houston before he tore his ACL. Now 31 and coming off a major knee injury, that inside usage makes sense for the Patriots, who desperately needed wide receiver help. Diggs posted top-20 weekly numbers in four of his eight games last season, catching four-plus balls in every game. Sans much established target competition in New England, Diggs will be the team’s No. 1 wideout. Reportedly, Diggs is running ahead of pace in his recovery, putting him tentatively in
2024 New England Patriots Fantasy Preview
2024 New England Patriots Fantasy Preview The New England Patriots will move into a new era after selecting Drake Maye out of UNC with the No. 3 Draft pick. Maye has the prototypical size of an NFL quarterback with exceptional arm talent and reliable running ability. He can stand in the pocket and has great velocity and deep-ball accuracy. However, if his first read is covered, he is often prone to mistakes and occasionally lacks accuracy on intermediate throws. While he’s certainly an upgrade from Mac Jones, he won’t be fantasy-relevant except in Superflex and dynasty formats. New England doesn’t have a ton of offensive firepower and will likely struggle in Maye’s debut season. Look for the Patriots to lean on the running game with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in the backfield. Stevenson only played 12 games last season but still finished as the RB35 and averaged 12.1 PPR points per game. He’s one year removed from a 1,000-yard season. Stevenson should get the bulk of the early down opportunities but Gibson will see plenty of action in a change-of-pace role. Maye will likely check it down as much as possible until he gets used to the speed of the NFL, so Gibson could be a sneaky late-round fantasy pick. The Pats have some solid tight ends in Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and even rookies Mitchell Wilcox and Jaheim Bell. But New England’s receivers leave a lot to be desired. Mac Jones was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL last year while having to lean on receivers Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. None of those players instill fear in opposing secondaries. Douglas was the most efficient wideout on the roster in 2023 but only managed to finish as the WR63 in PPR formats. The Pats realized that to compete, they needed to improve their skill position players. Enter second-round Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk. Polk should be on the field in three-receiver sets next to Bourne and Douglas. Additionally, the Patriots also took a shot on Javon Baker out of UCF in the fourth round but he’ll be more of a project. For the first time in two decades, the New England Patriots are in a complete rebuild. They aren’t expected to contend but they have some young players worth monitoring. Overall, this is not an offense to prioritize in fantasy drafts. Quarterbacks QB DRAKE MAYE – BYE WEEK FILL-IN Drake Maye has the toughest road of the presumptive 2024 rookie starters. New England is just starting a rebuild after falling to 30th in offense and last in scoring in 2023. Maye (6-4, 223) has ideal size, excellent athleticism, and a cannon arm. On the other hand, Maye was a divisive prospect whose production plummeted when facing pressure and he struggled to consistently go through progressions. Additionally, the Patriots will give veteran Jacoby Brissett every opportunity to open the season as their starter. New England also has the second-lowest win total this season. Even if he starts Week 1, Maye will face plenty of attrition this year, making him a fantasy option to avoid. ADVICE: QB2 only in dynasty formats QB JACOBY BRISSETT – LOW POTENTIAL ADVICE: If Drake Maye isn’t deemed ready the Pats won’t hesitate to open the season with Brissett under center. The veteran journeyman is capable of posting solid fantasy QB2 numbers in spurts. Subsequently, Brissett is becoming more fantasy-relevant in deeper Superflex drafts. Running Backs RB RHAMONDRE STEVENSON – QUALITY BACKUP Stevenson was a popular breakout candidate last summer. However, New England put the ‘offense’ in offensive and Stevenon’s season was cut short due to a high-ankle sprain. Before going down, Stevenson was averaging 15.0 fantasy points per game in the final four games in which he received double-digit carries. The Patriots are projected to win the fewest games in the AFC. They also have the league’s second-toughest schedule. Additionally, Antonio Gibson looms as a threat to cut into Stevenson’s receiving role. Stevenson should lead the backfield in carries and if Gibson struggles to adapt, could be a sneaky ‘hero’ RB candidate at a discounted price. ADVICE: Flex play with some pass-catching. RB ANTONIO GIBSON – QUALITY BACKUP Gibson only had a 43% success rate in zone concepts last season, some 10% worse than Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots will switch to a zone-blocking scheme. That means Gibson may be reduced to change-of-pace duties. Gibson has been a productive receiver but appears to firmly be the RB2 behind Stevenson. Things can change, of course. There has been some talk of Gibson having a legitimate chance of unseating Stevenson and being a quality post-hype sleeper. However, the analytics have not been in his favor. View Gibson as more of an RB4/5 with some pass-catching upside. ADVICE: RB4 with limited potential in a zone-blocking scheme. Wide Receivers WR DEMARIO DOUGLAS – BYE WEEK FILL-IN Douglas emerged as New England’s top receiver last year, catching 49-of-79 targets for 561 scoreless yards. He commanded a healthy 24.8% target share but wasn’t particularly effective. Douglas ended up with a negative EPA for an offense that ranked 28th in passing. New England’s 2024 offense is in a state of flux, with a new quarterback and several new pass-catchers added to the mix. Douglas is the favorite to open the season as the Patriots’ slot receiver but he’s assuredly going to see a reduced target share. He’s little more than a WR5/6 in deeper leagues. ADVICE: Will contend for starting slot duties but has very little fantasy value. WR KENDRICK BOURNE – BYE WEEK FILL-IN ADVICE: Bourne will enter training camp penciled in as one of New England’s starters. But with a new regime, new quarterback, and added competition, he is by no means a sure bet. View Bourne as an end-of-roster depth add with limited ceiling. WR JA’LYNN POLK – BYE WEEK FILL-IN ADVICE: New England’s receiving corps is tough to handicap, but Polk has good size (6-1, 203,) hands, and excelled against zone coverage. The odds are good that Polk will earn a