ClutchPoints
The 2024 NFL Draft class was stacked with rookies who thrived on the field and put up huge fantasy football numbers. There were six first-round quarterbacks, and Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix Jr. all made big impacts during their first seasons.
Malik Nabers also broke the rookie record for receptions, just for Brock Bowers to then break it not long after. Other first-year stars, such as Brian Thomas Jr. and Bucky Irving, made immediate impacts as well, so expectations are sky high for the rookies from the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Projections have some impressive youngsters thriving right away. Cam Ward was the No. 1 pick and should fix the Tennessee Titans’ quarterback problem. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is well-renowned for his two-way ability, and Ashton Jeanty is coming off one of the best collegiate rushing seasons ever.
Those players are well-known, though. So what rookies are the best sleeper picks who aren’t being talked about much but could become fantasy football league winners?
RJ Harvey is a known commodity, so he isn’t as big of a fantasy football sleeper as the other rookies on this list. Still, he deserves a spot here because he is ranked below Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and TreVyion Henderson among rookie running backs. Harvey very well could have the best rookie season of that bunch.
The Denver Broncos made a huge leap last season because of Nix’s success as a rookie. The team lacked running back talent, but they could take another step forward with Harvey carrying the ball.
The second-round pick from UCF is a bowling ball who can run through or around opposing defensive players. He had 22 rushing touchdowns during his final collegiate season, and the Broncos will likely use the ball carrier as their red zone weapon as well.
Harvey is only competing for carries with J.K. Dobbins, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime. Dobbins rarely stays healthy; McLaughlin is just an undersized change-of-pace back; and Estime has had conflict with the Broncos’ coaching staff.
The Broncos only listed Harvey as their fifth-string running back on Denver’s initial depth chart, but his role will be much bigger than that in 2025. Sean Payton lists rookies at the end of the depth chart so that they earn their place, but Harvey has already started to do that through training camp and Denver’s preseason games.
Harvey currently resides in Colorado. Tory Horton used to be a Coloradan, as he spent the majority of his college career at Colorado State University. Horton put up massive numbers for the Rams in his first two seasons with the program. Horton had 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns during his third collegiate season, and he added five more yards to his total the next year.
Then, as a senior, Horton played in just six games and had only 353 receiving yards. The down season led to many fans forgetting about...
