With the football season back in full swing, there are many exciting aspects to look forward to, whether it’s watching NFL, collegiate, or playing Madden, or doing none of the above out of spite if you’re a Giants fan. Something that gains more and more traction every single season is fantasy football, and some leagues still haven’t been drafted, so here’s my top five fantasy football sleepers of the 2024-25 NFL season.
5: Jake Ferguson
Getting the obvious out of the way, Jake Ferguson has recently been diagnosed with an MCL sprain. However, if you’re willing to look past this, he’s slated to play in Sunday’s week 5 matchup against the Steelers. You will be able to acquire a respectable backup tight end who improved from a measly 1 point a game to a much more respectable 5.3 PPG last season. If you have a star like Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews that ends up getting injured, Jake Ferguson could be a decent bench player in a pinch.
4: Joe Burrow
While you may be tempted to pick up someone like Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes with your first pick, consider for a second that Quarterbacks are significantly higher scoring than skill players. While you could pick up one of those previously mentioned faces of the league QBs, it would be much smarter to pick up someone like Saquon Barkley or Tyreek Hill, then following it up with Joe Shiesty in the second or third round.
3: Deebo Samuel
Like Ferguson, Deebo Samuel is currently injured, although he is expected to return in the 49ers’ week 5 matchup against the Cardinals. With his return being right around the corner most likely, you might want to go for Deebo Samuel as once he is back, he’ll be playing more of the same, which is an amazing thing for him as he has averaged 23.7 points on fantasy throughout his career.
2: Jalen Hurts
If you are in a league with people who think that how good a player is on the field equates to how good they are in fantasy, do not hesitate, draft Jalen Hurts IMMEDIATELY. This line of thought will draw them to the previously mentioned big names while leaving Hurts, who averages 18.6 PPG who will be able to be a really decent QB, and will be a great trading piece if someone else is struggling at that position.
1: Travis Kelce
There are not many star studded tight ends in the NFL, as has always been the case. If you look at the stars of the league you will see players like Josh Allen and AJ Brown, but one of the few TEs up there is Travis Kelce. It is due to this that picking up Kelce is the smartest pick you can make while drafting, as you can easily be stuck with someone mediocre if you do not prioritize the tight end position.