Fantasy Football Breakouts!
Fantasy football season is in full effect, and the hunt for this year’s league-winning breakouts is on. Forget the cookie-cutter advice you’ll find on corporate sites. We’re cutting straight to the truth — no fluff, no fluff pieces, no rankings based on last year’s stats alone.
These 2025 fantasy football breakouts are primed to explode in production based on talent, situation, and opportunity — not just hype. We’ve studied training camp, preseason reps, depth charts, and injury news.
These 10 players could win you your league… and the last two on this list are going undrafted in many leagues while having top-5 positional upside.
The Top 10 Breakouts:
1. Omarion Hampton – RB, Chargers
Current ADP: Late 2nd / Early 3rd Round
Why He’s a Breakout: Elite size-speed combo (6’0”, 220 lbs, 4.46 forty), 1,600+ yards last season, and now staring at a clear path to RB1 duties thanks to Najee Harris injury concerns.
Situation: Great offensive line, proven RB-friendly system (see: Austin Ekeler’s fantasy success).
Counselors Take: Draft him in Round 2 — if you wait, you’ll miss out. Hampton is the type of back who doesn’t just win you weeks — he can win you the season. Omarion Hampton is a stud and can finish as the top fantasy football RB in 2025.
Set to breakout is Keon Coleman (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire)
2. Ricky Pearsall – WR, 49ers
Current ADP: Round 7-8
Why He’s a Breakout: Injuries to Brandon Aiyuk open the door for Pearsall to command WR1 volume in one of the NFC’s most explosive offenses.
Upside: Route technician with YAC skills, great value for a potential top-20 WR finish.
Counselors Take: You don’t need to force WRs early when value like this is available mid-draft.
3. Keon Coleman – WR, Bills
Current ADP: Round 9-10
Why He’s a Breakout: With Gabe Davis gone and Khalil Shakir banged up, Coleman is poised to be Josh Allen’s top target.
Upside: Size, hands, and red-zone dominance in an offense that will throw plenty.
Cousnelors Take: Draft the WR1 attached to an elite QB — Coleman fits that bill perfectly.
4. Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR, Cardinals
Current ADP: Round 3-4
Why He’s a Breakout: Disappointing rookie year, but opportunity remains massive with little target competition.
Caution: Kyler Murray’s inconsistency is a factor — but volume wins in fantasy.
Counselors Take: If you need a WR in the 3rd, MHJ offers bounce-back WR1 upside.
Fantasy football breakout(Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire)
5. Emeka Egbuka – WR, Buccaneers
Current ADP: Round 8 (could rise to Round 6-7 in sharp leagues)
Why He’s a Breakout: Godwin injury opens the door for immediate high-volume role.
Upside: Baker Mayfield threw the 5th-most pass attempts last year.
Counselor Take: Classic case of talent + opportunity. Egbuka could be this year’s “Justin Jefferson rookie explosion” story. Evans is over the hill, and Baker does throw the ball a lot. Emeka is proof that you don’t have to invest a 1st or 2nd round pick on a WR and you can get value later in the draft. But don’t wait too long as he will come off the board sooner than you think!
6. Trey Benson – RB, Cardinals
Current ADP: Round 9+
Why He’s a Breakout: James Conner is aging and inefficient; Benson’s burst and hunger give him RB1 takeover potential midseason.
Counselors Take: Draft him late and stash. Could be your RB1 on his team sooner than you think. Conner really is over the hill and Benson is super hungry to dominate and become the one on this team.
7. Cam Ward – QB, Dolphins
Current ADP: Undrafted in most 1QB leagues
Why He’s a Breakout: 1st overall pick pedigree, “ice water in his veins” under pressure, and an underrated dual-threat skillset.
Upside: Surrounded by capable weapons; could finish as a top-12 fantasy QB.
Counselors Take: Perfect late-round QB or superflex upside play. It seems like the fantasy football and the NFL community are really sleeping on Cam Ward this season. He has a chip on his shoulder and will prove everyone wrong, I feel. He has the skill to make a massive impact this season. Look out for a major breakout at the QB position.
8. Kaleb Johnson – RB, Steelers
Current ADP: Round 6-7
Why He’s a Breakout: Najee Harris gone, 260+ vacated touches, and Mike Tomlin’s history of feeding a workhorse.
Upside: Rookie with violent running style and goal-line prowess. He also has reliable hands and can’t be stopped this season.
Counselors Take : Criminally undervalued RB who could finish top-10. Warren is going to be backup to this stud. Do not hesitate to pick up Kaleb on your rosters this season. You won’t regret it.
Kaleb is gonna be the workhorse on the Steelers (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)
9. Elijah Arroyo – TE, Seahawks
Current ADP: TE30+ (free in most drafts)
Why He’s a Breakout: Clear TE1 role, strong red-zone target profile, and elite hands.
Counselors Take: If you wait on TE, Arroyo is a high-upside bench stash.
10. Dont’e Thornton – WR, Raiders
Current ADP: WR100+
Why He’s a Breakout: Raiders’ WR1 role up for grabs, and Thornton’s 6’5”, 4.3-speed profile is impossible to ignore.
Upside: Could lead the team in targets and be 2025’s biggest late-round league winner.
Counselors Take: Speed is the key here— and Thornton is a missile with hands. This man is an absolute stud that is really being slept on. It blows my mind how good his value is in drafts. I have him on all my rosters1
FAQs on Fantasy Football Breakouts 2025
Q: What defines a fantasy football breakout?
A breakout is a player who significantly outperforms their ADP, often due to increased opportunity, improved talent usage, or team changes.
Q: Should I draft all these breakouts?
No — but you should target at least 3-4 from different rounds to maximize upside.
Q: Are breakouts the same as sleepers?
Not exactly. Sleepers are often low-ADP players; breakouts can be from any draft range but exceed expectations.
Q: How do I know which breakout to trust?
Look for:
Clear path to volume
Proven or elite-level talent
Offensive system fit
Final Takeaway
The sheep in your league will draft based on last year’s rankings. You’ll draft based on future production. These 10 2025 fantasy football breakouts are your blueprint to domination.
Draft them. Dominate your league. Raise the trophy.
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