After years together as head coach and offensive coordinator, Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Bears head coach Ben Johnson have a similar philosophy when it comes to wide receivers. They both have endorsed the "no block, no rock" mantra, and that's something that rookie wide receivers Luther Burden III and Isaac TeSlaa are already taking to heart. So can they use a willingness to do the dirty work to earn their way onto the field early, and make an impact in their debut seasons?
Having a reliable set of live-updated 2025 Fantasy football rankings can help managers identify young players on the verge of outperforming their 2025 Fantasy football ADPs. So who are some of the 2025 Fantasy football breakouts that you need to be aware of this draft season? 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: 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The Florida product was a first-round pick in last year's draft, but he was shot during a botched robbery attempt just before the start of his rookie season. Miraculously, he only missed six games, but the setback definitely delayed his full incorporation into the offense in 2024.
However, by the end of the season, trust earned and some injuries in the San Francisco wide receiver's room finally yielded a larger role. Over the last two games, Pearsall was targeted 18 times and had 14 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns. With Deebo Samuel moving on this offseason and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) still hurt, Pearsall looks primed for an even larger role and the model predicts he outperforms Jameson Williams and Tetairoa McMillan, who are going at least a round earlier on average.
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 (1.67)
2. Bijan Robinson (2.56)
3. Saquon Barkley (3.17)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs (3.90)
5. CeeDee Lamb (7.27)
6. Justin Jefferson (7.61)
7. Derrick Henry (7.64)
8. Christian McCaffrey (8.94)
9. Ashton Jeanty (11.68)
10. Josh Jacobs (11.81)
