Fantasy football rankings 2025: Breakouts, top picks from model that called Jayden Daniels’ big season

Despite the Raiders drafting receiver Jack Bech in the second round and then Dont’e Thornton in the fourth round, it’s Thornton who was running with the first team in Vegas during preseason. The 6-foot-5 wideout is the type of big-bodied receiver that Geno Smith liked targeting in Seattle with D.K. Metcalf. That puts Thornton on the radar as a possible 2025 Fantasy football breakout, with him playing in an offense coordinated by guru Chip Kelly.

Outside of Jakobi Meyers and the returning Amari Cooper, the Raiders have little else in terms of proven wideouts. Brock Bowers is the de facto No. 1 option, but there are still lots of targets to be had for a team that’s likely to be throwing often late in games. Where does Thornton fall in the 2025 Fantasy football rankings compared to other mid-round rookies like Savion Williams, Pat Bryant and Tai Felton? 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: Packers receiver Matthew Golden. After leading the SEC with nine touchdown catches last year, Golden was taken 23rd overall by Green Bay. That selection is notable as he became the first wide receiver taken in the first round by the Packers in 23 years. Green Bay didn’t invest in Golden simply for him to be a decoy as the team clearly has a need for a number one wideout.

No Packer reached even 900 receiving yards in each of Jordan Love’s two years as a starter. Golden played his best versus the best last year as he averaged 102.8 yards during his four games from the SEC Championship through the College Football Playoff. Then, he went out and ran a 4.29 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine, which was second-fastest amongst all players. He is the missing piece in Green Bay’s offense as the model slots him ahead of Emeka Egbuka, despite the latter being taken earlier in the 2025 NFL Draft. 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 (2.57)
3. Saquon Barkley (3.16)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs (3.91)
5. CeeDee Lamb (7.27)
6. Justin Jefferson (7.58)
7. Derrick Henry (7.73)
8. Christian McCaffrey (8.98)
9. Ashton Jeanty (11.69)
10. Josh Jacobs (11.85)

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Author: Ryan Wooden