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Liz loza
Dart throws. Super sleepers. Final-round fliers. Digging for upside in fantasy football after Pick 100 can be branded in a variety of ways. One thing is certain, however: landing a high-value lotto ticket is one of fantasy’s most satisfying experiences. It can also save your season and help you win your league. Here are the players I’m expecting to outkick their capital come draft day.
Dak PrescottQB, Dallas Cowboys
The Dak Prescott Experience™ has been an up-and-down affair, particularly since Prescott suffered a compound ankle fracture and dislocation in 2020. He bounced back strong and finished seventh or better in 2021 and 2023, averaging over 20 fantasy points per game in each campaign. However, he also finished outside of the top 18 fantasy QBs in 2022 and 2024. Adding to the disappointment of last year, a torn hamstring ended Prescott’s season in Week 9.
Reportedly fully healthy, Prescott enters 2025 with massive bounce-back appeal. He did, after all, throw for an impressive 4,516 yards (QB3) with Brian Schottenheimer calling the plays just two years ago. Given the state of the Cowboys’ secondary, Prescott could be, once again, using his arm quite a bit in high-scoring affairs. His odds of connecting are high, too, especially with George Pickens added to the receiving corps. Throw in a decent pass-catching back like Javonte Williamsa capable chain mover in Jake Ferguson and the electric talents of CeeDee Lamband Prescott has all of the elements needed to deliver QB1 fantasy stats. Recency bias has torpedoed his ADP, making him available in the 13th round (120.8), which works well for investors interested in waiting on the position.
Jordan MasonRB, Minnesota Vikings
Mason has been overshadowed for most of his career. He shared the field with Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech, ultimately going undrafted in 2022. In his first two seasons as a pro, he registered a total of just 83 totes with the 49ers as a backup to Christian McCaffrey. Now, he’s slated to work behind Aaron Jones Sr. In Minnesota.
Still, when given an opportunity, Mason has risen to the occasion. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season, ranking sixth among running backs with at least 100 carries. Additionally, he was a top-five fantasy producer at the position in three of his first four games as the 49ers’ starter. Admittedly, injuries slowed his roll, but reports indicate he’s back to full health and all systems go heading into 2025.
Jones stayed healthy in 2024 after missing six games the previous season with the Packers. However, he also touched the ball over 300 times. That’s not nothing for a back entering his age-30 season. Moreover, Jones logged a meager five rushing scores despite registering 12 attempts inside the 5-yard line. Meanwhile, Mason was 22nd among RBs in red zone touches, scoring in three of four games in which he carried the rock 15 or more times. Given his size and power running style, Mason figures to emerge as the favorite in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
The 26-year-old’s stock would obviously soar ifJones were to go down. But noting his complementary skill set, the top-ranked offensive line he’s working behind and the ascendant offense he’s a part of, Mason additionally offers managers weekly upside. That’s not bad for a back being selected outside of the top 40 at the position.
Trey BensonRB, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner did something in 2024 he had not been able to do in the previous seven seasons of his pro career: He suited up for 16 games. While the 30-year-old running back did suffer a right knee injury in Week 16 (which he attempted to play through the following week), he proved to be a consistent producer for fantasy managers. However, that doesn’t mean Benson, Conner’s backup, won’t have utility in 2025.
A power runner with 4.39 speed, a compact frame (6-foot, 216 pounds) and reliable hands, Benson was the second back selected in last year’s NFL draft. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has already intimated that Benson would likely have a larger role in his second campaign, which makes sense given Conner’s injury history and Benson’s versatile skill set. With the fourth-easiest strength of schedule among RBs yet currently being selected 50th RB off the board in ESPN fantasy drafts (161.8 ADP), Benson is one of the highest upside backups at the position.
Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos
Mims’ sample size is similarly diminutive to his frame (5-foot-11, 183 pounds), but what he flashed down the stretch of 2024 shouldn’t be overlooked. Averaging 5.2 looks per contest from Weeks 12-18 (up from 1.9 targets per game over the first 11 weeks of 2024), Mims posted two 100-yard receiving efforts and tallied five TDs during the Broncos’ final six regular-season outings. A top-12 fantasy wideout in three of those games, Mims regularly crushed after the catch. Utilizing the 4.38 speed that helped make him a second-round selection in 2023, the Oklahoma standout managed a wide receiver-best 12.1 YAC per reception for the season.
Those quicks complement the rest of the Broncos’ receiving corps. With Courtland Sutton filling the possession role and TE Evan Engram likely to emerge as Bo Nix’s most-looked-to short-yardage option, Mims figures to excel as the squad’s best burner. Given the rapport he and Nix discovered in the double-digit weeks of last season (fun fact: Nix averaged 62 more passing yards per game once Mims was more thoughtfully incorporated into the offense from Weeks 11-18), it’s reasonable to believe the 23-year-old WR will pick up in 2025 where he left off in 2024. Available as late as the 16th round of 10-team exercises, rostering Mims is a risk-free way to invest in a presumptive No. 2 WR on an ascending offense.
Kyle WilliamsWR, New England Patriots
It may have taken Mims a minute to pick up the fantasy pace, but that doesn’t mean a fellow ace accelerator can’t produce as a rookie. A converted high school quarterback, Williams” draft stock rose after turning heads at the Senior Bowl and posting a 4.4 40-yard dash time at the combine. The Washington State product (by way of UNLV) is a natural deep-ball tracker with dangerous after-the-catch ability. He averaged 17.1 yards per reception and was credited with 14 scores as a Cougar in 2024.
New England’s first (and only) selection at the position (69th overall), Williams joins a shallow corps set to be coordinated by Josh McDaniels. Despite joining the team for a third stint, McDaniels enters as part of the Pats’ “new” regime, which figures to level the internal playing field and affords Williams a legit shot of competing for a starting gig out of the gate. Given the 23-year-old’s positional versatility, he’s a strong candidate for No. 2 WR duties. Likely to flirt with 70 looks, Williams’ ceiling screams steal, particularly as the 64th receiver (167.6) coming off draft boards.
Brenton StrangeThe, the Jacksonville Jaguars
Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, Strange was forced into early action in 2024 as Evan Engram dealt with a host of maladies. Strange proved to be a serviceable replacement, posting a 40-411-2 stat line. More importantly, he flashed enough during his sophomore campaign to earn the starting gig. While not exactly a fluid runner, Strange does have the explosiveness and speed to thrive as a complementary pass-catcher. His feisty blocking skills and tenacity after the catch figure to keep him on the field and make him a key figure in the Jags’ offense this fall.
Strange averaged nearly five looks per game when Engram was sidelined last season. That number should climb with the exits of Engram and Christian Kirk opening up 111 targets. Admittedly, rookie Travis Hunter figures to draw a healthy dose of those opportunities, but as a two-way player his workload is tough to project. Regardless, even as Trevor Lawrence’s third option, Strange offers plenty of appeal. It’s worth nothing that Cade Otton logged 59 grabs in Liam Coen’s offense last season with the Buccaneers.
In an offense built to (once again) unlock Lawrence’s potential, and given GM James Gladstone’s enthusiastic comments about Strange’s upcoming campaign, the Penn State product is giving breakout vibes. The same can’t be said of most players being drafted around 200th overall. Strange is an ideal dart throw for managers uninterested in sweating the position on draft day.
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