Three 'Hail-Mary' players for fantasy football

Every fantasy player loves hitting on a sleeper pick.

But what if you could take it a step further and land an impactful player that was almost completely off the radar? Here are three players that are being ignored altogether, but with a few small breaks could put up big numbers in 2025.

RB Nick Chubb | Houston Texans

Chubb missed the first six games of 2024 while recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered in 2023, and missed the last two games of the season after breaking his foot in Week 15. At 29 years old, Chubb isn’t the same running back that posted four straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Browns, but he could be in better shape than teammate Joe Mixon.

Houston’s No. 1 running back is currently on the non-football Injury list with foot and ankle issues that could keep him out of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Rams in September.

Chubb had five carries for 25 yards against the Panthers on Saturday after running well against them in joint practices. With 10 games played over the past two seasons, Chubb is certainly well rested and worth a look at the end of drafts.

RB Austin Ekeler | Washington Commanders

Ekeler had 733 total yards and four rushing touchdowns in his first season as a Commander despite missing five games to a pair of concussions in 2024. The nine-year veteran received 110 fewer carries than No. 1 running back Brian Robinson, but should see more attempts this season.

Robinson sat out Monday night’s preseason game against the Bengals in what NFL Network's Mike Garafolo called a mutual decision. Robinson could even be traded before the regular season, leaving the Commanders with Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez in the backfield.