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Rookie Sleepers to Target in Your Dynasty Fantasy Football League

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Luke Easterling | Last updated May 29, 2025 3:58 PM ET

Every year, fantasy football managers in every kind of league are always looking for those underrated gems and sleeper picks that can end up being the difference between winning a title or coming up short.

If you're playing in a dynasty league, that means finding late-round sleepers who might even slip through the cracks of your rookie draft and end up on the waiver wire.

So, who are the names you should be targeting as you prepare for the 2025 NFL season?

On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," I sat down with Thor Nystrom of Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life to break down his favorite rookie sleepers picks in this year's class.

"I think Tahj Brooks is a lot better than people think," Nystrom said to start his list. "I think that situation (in Cincinnati) is better than people think. The reason they were thrilled to get him where they did is, if nothing else, you have a personal bodyguard for Joe Burrow when they spread the field. He will immediately be on the field for passing downs because of that, and he will also immediately take over the short-yardage stuff. Around the goal line, you're gonna see him in there. He's gonna siphon off a lot of touchdowns."

A sixth-round pick by the Bengals out of Texas Tech, Brooks topped 1,500 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons for the Red Raiders, finding the end zone 27 times on the ground over that same two-year stretch.

He lands in a Cincy backfield where Chase Brown is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign, but his passing-down skill set and short-yardage effectiveness could give him a significant role right away, and any injury to Brown could quickly make him a full-time workhorse in an offense that already features one of the most dangerous passing games in the NFL, leaving him plenty of light boxes.

"Les Snead and Sean McVay were drooling over Jarquez Hunter," Nystrom said, referencing behind-the-scenes footage from the Rams' draft room. "Yeah, they have Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, but they've shown over the years that if you're the best guy, they will play you. He easily could bypass Corum right away, and could start challenging Williams."

A productive runner at Auburn, Hunter was a fourth-round selection who showed off a tough, physical running style against top competition in the SEC, and he could thrive in McVay's offensive scheme if given the opportunity to challenge for meaningful snaps right away.

To see the entire conversation, including deep dives on Cam Ward's dynasty value, which top tight end prospect you should go after this year (Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren), and which position group features the most value in dynasty drafts this year, check out the full episode of BPA here: