5 Late-Round Targets for 2025 Rookie Drafts in Dynasty Fantasy Football

Chances are that you don't need my help for your first-round pick in a rookie draft in dynasty leagues. We've clamored over prospect rankings for months since the season ended, and the 2025 NFL Draft saw those top stars find homes.

If you still need it, I've done a deep dive on those guys in my top dynasty rookie draft prospect rankings, but when the clock shifts to later rounds, who do you take? These guys went on Day 3 of the actual draft. Most don't have a current path to playing time. Should we just take whoever is at the top of the rankings?

No way.

This is where variance becomes king and knowing prospects a tiny bit more than your leaguemates can find you a star for next to nothing. Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Jordan Love, and Khalil Shakir are recent examples from the last half-decade of guys who came from this tier.

Who are 2025's best candidates? These are my five picks.

Note: These recommendations are for half-PPR "superflex" or two-quarterback leagues, emphasizing the quarterback position. Consensus data comes from FantasyPros.

Rookie Draft Sleepers for Dynasty

Will Howard, QB, Steelers

Interestingly, consensus' QB6, Will Howard, has a clearer path to playing time than at least three (if not five) quarterbacks in front of him. Dynasty managers must think he's not very good.

Once of that belief, I changed my tune as my evaluation was complete.

Firstly, my colleague Jim Sannes' quarterback prospect model is scorching and felt he was the third-best prospect in the 2025 draft. While his age (23.6) isn't ideal, that came with 50 college games and a ton of experience.

There's no doubt that the best of those came in this year's College Football Playoff, ripping four solid defenses apart for a 75.2% completion rate. His 175.3 passer rating was third in FBS among those with at least 300 attempts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have just Howard and Mason Rudolph as options to start Week 1 -- even with rumors of Aaron Rodgers still present. As Rodgers delays his choice, could Howard stay hot in these camps and win the job? Absolutely.

It's a worthwhile risk in Round 3 of your dynasty draft when his size (6'4", 235 pounds), mobility, and college production all make the grade.

Tory Horton, WR, Seahawks

I'll call my shot that Tory Horton is the best late-round pick in rookie drafts this year.

Horton was just outside my overall top 100 as the WR13 in this draft class but tumbled to the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round. Some of that could have been due to a college knee injury, but Horton ran 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the combine at 6'3". I'm not overly worried when injury risk plagues all these prospects.

Coming off three straight effective seasons with the Colorado State Rams, I thought he'd be a Day 2 pick as a classic boundary receiver that can win vertically down the field. In 2023, he was 13th in yards per route run (2.74 YPRR) among FBS wideouts that saw at least 100 targets despite lining up wide 71.2% of the time. I don't think a first-round prognosis would have been crazy with a healthy 2024.

The fit couldn't be better, either. Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are aging ahead of him on the depth chart when Jaxon Smith-Njigba has done a lot of work from the slot in two seasons.

I'd argue Horton is the best intersection of talent and opportunity you'll find beyond Round 2.

Brashard Smith, RB, Chiefs

I'd be shocked if Brashard Smith didn't go well before his consensus rank (49th) in every single draft. People want players tied to Patrick Mahomes.

Smith's seventh-round selection makes it seem like he wasn't a priority for the Kansas City Chiefs, but I think they were just playing the board in a deep draft. Samaje Perine departed in the offseason, leaving a huge void on third downs in this backfield.

The former Southern Methodist Mustangs running back is a perfect guy to occupy that. A converted wide receiver, Smith had 39 catches on a 12.3% target share last year. As with most rookies, it'll all come down to how he fares in pass protection.

Though an every-down role would be quite the leap right now, Smith was my RB8 in a generational class and oozes potential with low mileage out of college. He and Carson Steele are the only running backs under contract for the Chiefs in 2026, so there will be an opportunity for him to earn a fantasy-relevant role in this offense at some point.

Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Chargers

Consider the flag planted on Oronde Gadsden II.

Some saw the Los Angeles Chargers' fifth-rounder as a depth addition to a mediocre tight end room. I've been singing his praises for weeks and think he landed in a perfect spot for a team that needs an athletic difference-maker at tight end.

Embarrassingly, the son of Oronde Gadsden was one of my top 100's whiffs (76th) when he fell to 165th overall. He was my TE4 above three tight ends going before him in rookie drafts. I kind of gathered that he didn't have much Day 2 buzz, though.

Why? I really don't know. Gadsden was top five at the position in contested catches (17), deep catches (9), and deep yards (228) across FBS last season, and he had above-average blocking metrics at Pro Football Focus (PFF).

It's somewhat unheard of that a guy leaps from a fifth-round tight end to immediate contributor, but I'll bet on his NFL pedigree and solid college production.

Kyle Monangai, RB, Bears

Drafting "landing spot" over "talent" has burned me in many spots before, but this fourth-round dart is a low investment.

To the surprise of many, the Chicago Bears didn't prioritize a running back early in the 2025 draft. In fact, they didn't take one until the seventh round. That was Kyle Monangai from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Monangai had back-to-back seasons with over 1,200 rushing yards, which is even more impressive considering Rutgers' deficiency at quarterback. Undersized at 5'8", he's built like a tank to tip the scales at 211 pounds during the combine.

Ben Johnson, likely deploying a run-first approach like he showed with the Detroit Lions, is this team's new head coach. He's inheriting only D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson at running back, though.

With only 22 receptions since the start of 2023, Monangai doesn't seem fit for work on passing downs, but could he snag early-down and goal-line work from Swift and Johnson in his rookie season?

Definitely. Plus, I'm looking to invest in a running back that Ben Johnson actually drafted to be on the roster. The last player of note fitting that description was Jahmyr Gibbs.

Which futures stand out to you this offseason? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.