With Week 6 now in the books, we’re now officially a third of the way through the 2025 NFL season and now is a good time to take stock of some of the biggest breakouts in fantasy football up to this point. And it would be an understatement to say that there’s been plenty of them throughout the league this year.
There’s no better feeling than when a player that you drafted in a later round ends up immediately exceeding preseason expectations. Or perhaps a guy that you took a flier on off the waiver wire began paying dividends that you couldn’t have foreseen. Whether it’s good foresight or just flat out luck, a key factor of any fantasy title run is hitting on these picks and some of them are probably single handedly carrying your lineups as we speak.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest breakout performers in fantasy football so far by comparing their average draft position before the season to their current position ranking following Week 6. We’ll use half PPR rankings for reference.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Current Fantasy Ranking: QB7
Current Stat Line: 71.1%, 1,502 Passing Yards, 8 Passing TD’s, 3 INT’s, 4 Rushing TD’s
The biggest surprise of the 2025 NFL season so far has been Jones’ career resurrection in Indy and I think it’s safe to say that no one saw this coming. Just 11 months after being benched and later cut by the Giants, “Indiana Jones” has the Colts sitting atop the AFC with a 5-1 record in a year where many believed they’d finish somewhere near the bottom.
The veteran has the best success rate among starting QB’s in the league at the moment and it helps that he has the combination of an offensive line that is actually protecting him and an early MVP candidate in Jonathan Taylor to lean on in the backfield. That’s made for some quality fantasy performances for “Danny Dimes” and we’ll see if that holds up as the Colts schedule gets more difficult over the next month.
Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Current Fantasy Ranking: RB5
Current Stat Line: 476 Rushing Yards, 5.2 YPA, 5 Rushing TD’s, 22 Receptions, 83 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD
Dallas took a flier on Williams by signing him to a one-year deal in the offseason and he’s become a key piece to one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league. The former Bronco has been a reliable force on the ground and currently finds himself in the top five in categories like EPA per rush and yards after contact.
Another noteworthy thing is him being one of the more effective red-zone backs in the league this season and it takes pressure off Dak Prescott and company knowing that Williams can be relied on whenever they get inside of the 20. The Cowboys will most likely be involved in many more shootouts down the stretch, opening the door for more great fantasy efforts out of the veteran.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
Current Fantasy Ranking: RB12
Current Stat Line: 472 Rushing Yards, 5.8 YPA, 2 Rushing TD’s, 12 Receptions, 104 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD
Dowdle didn’t even begin the season as the Panthers’ starting tailback and in just a few short weeks, he’s immediately shot up the fantasy football boards. The veteran was backing up Chuba Hubbard through the first month of the campaign before he got his chance to start after Hubbard went down with a calf injury. And boy, did he take full advantage of the opportunity.
He posted back-to-back 30+ point performances in games against the Dolphins and the Cowboys, combining for 389 rushing yards, 84 receiving yards, and two touchdowns total in both outings. The latter game was personal for him considering that Dallas let him walk this offseason in favor of the aforementioned Williams and he was able to back up his pregame trash talk. He’s provided a sudden spark to a previously lifeless Carolina squad and there’s a possibility that he can remain their starter moving forward. Buckle up.
Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
Current Fantasy Ranking: RB10
Current Stat Line: 338 Rushing Yards (4.1 YPA), 5 Rushing TD’s, 20 Receptions, 155 Receiving Yards
Skattebo is like if the Tasmanian Devil started playing football and his popularity grows with each passing week. The fourth-round rookie back out of Arizona State has done a little bit of everything from rushing, to receiving, to throwing sick blocks in pass pro and his reckless abandon has quickly made him a fan favorite among Giants fans. And he formally introduced himself to the viewing public at large with his three-touchdown performance against the Eagles last Thursday night.
The combo of him and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has suddenly breathed some life into the struggling franchise and we’ll see if they can keep the momentum going as they reach the midway point of the season.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Current Fantasy Ranking: WR3
Current Stat Line: 32 Receptions (16.4 Y/R), 525 Receiving Yards, 6 Receiving TD’s
Fantasy managers understandably pegged Pickens as a WR2/high Flex option in their drafts with the idea that CeeDee Lamb would get top billing in the Cowboys’ offense. Of course, Lamb’s ankle injury forced Pickens into the WR1 role and man, he’s been incredible. The former Steeler has scored at least one touchdown in each of their last five games and has two 130+ yard performances in that stretch.
He currently has the best YAC score according to ESPN’s Next Gen Stats and that ability to turn simple grabs into big gains has fueled the number’s of what’s setting up to be a career year for the veteran. Lamb’s return appears to be imminent, so we’ll see if that has a negative effect on Pickens’ fantasy numbers.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current Fantasy Ranking: WR5
Current Stat Line: 27 receptions (17.4 Y/R), 469 Receiving Yards, 5 Receiving TD’s
People around the Bucs’ organization were raving about the first-round rookie from Ohio State throughout training camp and he’s immediately lived up to that hype. With All-Pro veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin sidelined for much of the season so far, Egbuka has immediately shined as Baker Mayfield’s top target and is an early frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
His seven-reception, 163-yard performance in Tampa’s wild shootout victory over Seattle a few weeks back was a glimpse into how dangerous he can be and savvy managers who picked him up in the later round of their drafts are certainly thrilled with his production. He unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury against the 49ers this past Sunday, so his electric rookie campaign may be put on pause for the next few weeks.
Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, Washington Commanders
Current Fantasy Ranking: WR8
Current Stat Line: 34 Receptions (9.3 Y/R), 315 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TD’s, 45 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Fantasy managers took a wait-and-see approach with the veteran Pro Bowler ahead of the season and so far, he’s proven to be an excellent addition to the Jayden Daniels-led offense in Washington. While he’s averaging less than 10 yards per reception, he’s made up for that with the volume of screens and short passes he collects and has four games with at least six receptions so far this year. That has allowed him to outperform his ADP by a significant margin, especially in PPR leagues.
Samuel has also benefitted from Terry McLaurin missing the last three games with a quad injury, but he could possibly return when the Commanders visit the Cowboys this Sunday. We’ll see if that dents the former 49er’s fantasy value.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Current Fantasy Ranking: WR9
Current Stat Line: 24 Receptions (14.8 Y/R), 356 Receiving Yards, 4 Receiving TD’s
Tucker’s 539-yard campaign in 2024 apparently did not move the needle for any fantasy manager across the board as an ADP in the 100’s among receivers means that he wasn’t even close to being drafted in most leagues. So him being a top-10 wideout heading into Week 7 makes him arguably the biggest riser in all of fantasy football so far this year.
The fourth-year wideout has been a consistent presence for what has been a mediocre Raiders squad and he put himself on the map in Week 3 when he caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns against the Commanders. Even if you take away that load-bearing effort, he’s still putting up solid numbers and is well on his way towards a career year. At this very moment, he’s still rostered in less than 60% of fantasy leagues, so there’s a chance that he’s still sitting on your waiver wire waiting to get scooped up.
Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Current Fantasy Ranking: TE1
Current Stat Line: 44 Receptions (6.9 Y/R), 305 Receiving Yards, 4 TD’s
It’s fitting that one of the NFL’s top offenses has multiple fantasy overachievers and Ferguson is right up there as the top fantasy tight end through the first third of the campaign. Managers were generally iffy about the Cowboys pass-catcher after his zero-touchdown season last year and he’s responded by already putting four on the board this season.
Ferguson has a high target share of 22.27% and leads all tight ends with 44 receptions, which is impressive considering that he’s sharing an offense with the aforementioned Pickens. Again, the Cowboys will have to keep airing it out of necessity for the rest of the season and he could very well maintain his spot at No. 1.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Current Fantasy Ranking: TE3
Current Stat Line: 24 Receptions (10.1 Y/R), 243 Receiving Yards, 5 TD’s
Philly’s offense is experiencing a major identity crisis as it approaches the midway point of the season but hey, Goedert is getting his. Fantasy managers who waited until the later rounds to take the veteran have to be pleased by what they’ve gotten out of him as he leads both the Eagles and all tight ends in general in touchdowns with five.
In fact, four out of his five catches in the red zone have been for touchdowns, joining A.J. Barner and Darren Waller at the top of the list for the best red-zone tight ends so far this season. Again, the Eagles receivers may be losing their minds over the passing game at the moment, but Goedert is cruising.
