Emeka Egbuka, Ricky Pearsall and More Late-Round Fantasy Targets With Big Upside
Ian Hartitz reveals his favorite late-round targets for 2025, including Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Mason, and more.
You want some late-round fantasy football targets with upside? Yeah? YOU WANT THAT?
Okay fine. Chill. Presenting:Â
Some of my favorite late-round fantasy football targets with upside for 2025.Â
I stuck to guys with triple-digit ADP on more home sites than not in an attempt to not be a total fraud, loser, b*tch, etc.
Make sure to check out the Fantasy Life rankings for updates throughout the offseason (code "Ian" for 20% off if you're into that kind of thing), and feel free to check out my (free!) site-specific strategy guides for more in-depth information on ESPN, Sleeper, and Yahoo before your drafts.
As always: It's a great day to be great!
Vikings RB Jordan Mason
- ADP: ESPN (RB39, 140.3), Sleeper (RB36, 103.8), Yahoo (RB32, 97.1)
- Fantasy Life consensus rank: RB29, 80
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has informed us Mason is fully expected to be featured alongside incumbent starter A-aron Jones in a 1.B/goal line role. This seems good considering:
- Mason regularly made the most out of his opportunities with the 49ers last season, racking up more rush yards over expected per carry than anyone not named Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley.
- The Vikings' revamped offensive line comes in as ETR's Brandon Thorn's fifth-best unit entering 2025.
- KOC's offenses have ranked seventh, 10th, and 12th in total yards over the past three seasons, scoring the 11th-most points in the league along the way.
Basically, Mason profiles as a cheaper version of David Montgomery or Kaleb Johnson: A "FLEX with benefits" capable of providing weekly top-30 value on the back of spike TD weeks and sky-high handcuff upside should the starter ever miss any time.
Bottom line: I get not going out of your way to take Mason around the RB30 mark when there are still clear-cut starters on the board, but man, some of these near-RB40 ADPs are pretty wild–Mason is going in the same range as guys like Rachaad White, Zach Charbonnet and Trey Benson, who simply don't have the same likelihood of carving out anything close to solid standalone value.
Packers WR Matthew Golden
- ADP: ESPN (WR38, 99.1), Sleeper (WR44, 95.7), Yahoo (WR45, 117.8)
- Fantasy Life consensus rank: WR42, 92
The Packers' first-round pick has received full-time starting usage from the jump inside a WR room dealing with all sorts of injuries to guys like Jayden Reed (foot), Christian Watson (knee, PUP), and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). Now, the former and latter receivers should be back before too long, but either way it sure seems like Golden has an opportunity to lead this ever-well-schemed Matt LaFleur offense in targets.
In fact: That's exactly what Golden is expected to do. Fantasy Life Projections have the rookie looking at a team-high 98 targets this season, which is pretty rare to see at his WR4-level price tag.
Reminder: Jordan Love is just one season removed from throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 TDs, and last year he still managed to average a robust eight yards per attempt (5th!) despite dealing with early- and mid-season knee and groin injuries and watching his WRs drop seemingly every other pass thrown their way.
Again: This is before even considering Golden's standing as a quality 1st-round prospect. Fantasy Life NFL Draft Expert Thor Nystrom comped Golden to Garrett Wilson, and the Texas product also graded out well in Fantasy Life Director of Analytics Dwain McFarland's Rookie WR Super Model.
Bottom line: The four key factors that we look for when evaluating any given fantasy WR: 1.) Talent, 2.) QB and offensive scoring upside, 3.) Volume, and 4.) Age/injury. It sure seems like Golden has a chance to check each of these boxes, and accordingly he's my WR31–easily the highest among Fantasy Life Rankers.
49ers WRs Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings
- ADP: Pearsall: ESPN (WR43, 118), Sleeper (WR43, 94.1), Yahoo (WR42, 106.2), Jennings: ESPN (WR45, 121.7), Sleeper (WR46, 115.2), Yahoo (WR40, 127.8)
- Fantasy Life consensus rank: Pearsall (WR38, 77), Jennings (WR36, 73)
Pearsall AKA Slick Rick AKA Ricky Bullets didn't manage to get too much going during his first professional season until posting quality 8-141-1 and 6-69-1 receiving lines against the Lions and Cardinals in the final two games. A summer hamstring injury helped suppress too much year-two hype … until last weekend.
Catching three of four targets for 42 yards in *one* drive was cool and all, but it was the chemistry between Pearsall and Brock Purdy that was especially great to see.
Clearly a healthy Pearsall is capable of earning targets at a high level from a QB that ranks … FIRST in NFL history in career yards per attempt and passer rating. Now, Purdy has certainly benefited from playing in one of the league's more QB-friendly systems during his short career, but the 49ers' 265-million-dollar man deserves credit for largely maintaining high-end efficiency in 2024 despite dealing with largely catastrophic injuries all over the offense.
This brings us to present day drafts, which feature Pearsall AND Jennings lagging behind in the ADP department on home sites (ESPN, Yahoo, Sleeper) relative to bigger-money formats (RT Sports, FFPC). This is usually a good sign that we're looking at a value worth investing in.
Bottom line: I prefer Pearsall straight up to Jennings at this point due to the latter WR's ongoing calf issue, but man, both profile as pretty great late-round options at the position. Hell, Brandon Aiyuk (knee, PUP) is also worth a late-round dart at the right price particularly in keeper formats. Ultimately, all parties involved are far too cheap when looking at their respective potential to clear triple-digit targets inside one of the game's most consistently awesome passing offenses.
Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka
- ADP: ESPN (WR48, 126), Sleeper (WR47, 102.3), Yahoo (WR43, 107.6)
- Fantasy Life consensus rank: WR40, 86
Your favorite fantasy analyst's favorite late-round WR might be getting fitted for his gold jacket as we speak after spending August tearing up Bucs training camp. I was hesitant to expect TOO big of waves from Egbuka as a rookie considering the team's crowded WR room, but suddenly Chris Godwin (ankle) looks poised to start the season on the PUP list, and Jalen McMillan (neck) is also a candidate to miss early-season action.
This leaves Egbuka as the likely No. 2 target for the NFL's leader in passing TDs since 2023. THE Ohio State University's all-time leader in receptions earned first-round draft capital for a reason and possesses the sort of polished all-around skill-set that should make him more pro-ready than most 22-year-olds at the position.
There's a lot of noise that floats around during the course of any given training camp, so following the constant drum beats of praise is advised relative to latching on to one or two random reports. It's tough to think of anyone other than maybe Jacory Croskey-Merritt who has received more consistent praise from reporters, teammates, and coaches alike than Egbuka over the past month.
Bottom line: Egbuka was a fine enough late-round dart to throw a month ago simply thanks to his first-round pedigree and production at the WR factory that is Ohio State. Those factors remain true, but now it's also reasonable to project triple-digit targets inside this graveyard of a WR room.
Bears TE Colston Loveland
- ADP: ESPN (TE12, 123.6), Sleeper (TE13, 113.5), Yahoo (TE16, 122.5)
- Fantasy Life consensus rank: TE13, 117
The 10th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft looks a lot like one of the better pure pass-catching options that the position has seen in years. No, I'm not crowning Loveland as better than Brock Bowers or anything like that, but man, we're talking about a smooth criminal when it comes to route-running ability–and his ability to earn targets at Michigan was patently absurd.
The latter note has translated to the preseason thus far, as Loveland has earned a ridiculous 0.44 targets per route run in his limited action. Look, Cole Kmet isn't likely to become a complete afterthought here–there's annoying Dalton Kincaid/Dawson Knox potential in this offense–but the cheap borderline TE1 price tag being afforded to the lead pass-catching TE in Ben Johnson's every-well-schemed offense is still something worth investing in.
Bottom line: I like Tyler Warren at cost too late when failing to come away with an elite top-three option at the position. It's fine to bet on talent this late in drafts, particularly when in Loveland's case it's being deployed in an ascending offense with a play-caller who we know is capable of getting plenty out of young players at the position.
Patriots DST
- ADP: ESPN (DST9), Sleeper (DST17), Yahoo (DST16)
Yeah baby: DST! The good stuff!
Look, I don't want to spend anything other than a final two round pick on a DST or (god forbid) a kicker. If the Vikings, Eagles, or Broncos make it to you then, go for it, but that's unlikely based on current ADP.
Enter: The Patriots. Stud CB Christian Gonzalez presents the unit with a legit elite difference-maker in the back end, and a plethora of offseason additions has Mike Vrabel's crew sitting as the league's sixth-most expensive unit in terms of 2025 dollars. They have the potential to be a good to maybe even really good real life unit, but that's not even the best part.
"What's the best part, Ian, or whatever your name is writing this article?"
Thanks for asking: It's the schedule. Holy f*ck does this set up nicely:
- Week 1: LV (Geno Smith, who tossed the league's third-most INTs last season)
- Week 2: MIA (probably Tua)
- Week 3: PIT (old man Aaron Rodgers)
- Week 4: CAR (Bryce Young)
- Week 5: BUF (f*ck)
- Week 6: NO (Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough)
- Week 7: TEN (Cam Ward)
- Week 8: CLE (Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, or a rookie)
- Week 9: ATL (Penix has some Gen-Z Jameis Winston/Jay Cutler in him)
- Week 10: TB (not ideal but Baker does lead the NFL in INTs over the past two seasons)
- Week 11: NYJ (Justin Fields)
The 49ers are another group with a nice blend of real-life goodness and a quality early-season schedule. The Cardinals don't stack up as favorably in real life, but do have a nice start to the year.
Best of luck to everyone in your drafts this year!
