The 2025 NFL preseason is wrapping up and that means fantasy football draft season is underway. We finally made it people.
The key to assembling a roster that could carry you to your league’s championship game in January is hitting on the sleeper picks that you make in August and there’s no better feeling than one of your later selections paying immediate dividends. That especially rings true at wide receiver, where finding a hidden gem late in your draft could make a huge difference for your roster.
Below, I’ll give you four deep sleeper wide receivers for you to consider ahead of your respective drafts. Considering that the average fantasy football league consists of 10-12 teams, I’ll define a sleeper for this exercise as someone currently falling No. 55 or below in ADP (average draft position) according to FantasyPros. We’ll use PPR rankings for further clarity. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
Establishing himself as an All-Pro kick returner as a rookie in 2023, Mims played an important role down the stretch of Denver’s postseason push last season. He didn’t make much of an impact as a pass-catcher until late in the season, where he became an explosive weapon for the Bronco offense.
From Week 11 onwards, he hauled in 28 targets for 434 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.5 fantasy points per game during that stretch as the team secured the last AFC Wild Card spot. Head coach Sean Payton was kicking himself for not taking advantage of Mims’ speed earlier in the year and is determined to not make that same mistake again. Underdog’s Hayden Winks noted that Mims spent 15 of his 16 snaps during the team’s preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers on the outside, a possible indicator that he’ll be used more as a downfield threat this season.
Combine that with his prowess as a special teams returner and he’s a top target for fantasy managers to take a late-round flyer on.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s offense boasted the top passing EPA last season and Bateman played a vital role in its efficiency. After years of dealing with injuries, he finally experienced a breakout season for the Ravens in 2024, catching 45 targets for 756 yards and nine touchdowns as the team cruised to a 12-5 record and their second straight AFC North title.
Bateman proved to be one of the best big-play wideouts in the NFL last season as his 16.8 yards per reception was third in the league behind Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts and Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions. He was one of the elite route runners in the league and that was evidenced by him ranking 12th in ESPN’s open score, a metric that measures a receiver’s ability to get open on every route. That allowed him to finish as WR40 in PPR leagues, averaging 10.3 fantasy points per game.
Signing a three-year contract extension this offseason, he’ll be locked in as one of Lamar Jackson’s go-to weapons for the foreseeable future and he’ll be relied upon heavily this season as the Ravens enter the year as one of the top favorites to win Super Bowl 60. Even with the presence of Zay Flowers and DeAndre Hopkins in the receiver room, fantasy managers should consider him when scrounging for quality receiver options in later rounds.
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans
Want a slightly under-the-radar rookie wideout that can become a notable fantasy name by the end of the season? Well, can I interest you in Elic Ayomanor? The Canada-born receiver was taken in the fourth round of this year’s draft after a solid two-year run at Stanford where he combined for 1,844 yards off 125 receptions and 12 touchdowns.
If his name vaguely rings a bell, you remember him from Stanford’s 2023 matchup against Colorado, where the Cardinal erased a 29-0 deficit to down the Buffaloes 46-43 in double overtime. Ayomanor went off for 13 receptions, 294 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback, notably cooking a fatigued Travis Hunter throughout the night. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and the combination of his quickness and size at 6’2”, 206 pounds was enough for the Titans to bring him to Nashville.
He’s been building chemistry with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward throughout the offseason and have potential to be a viable duo in the AFC South in the future. Even with veterans like Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett present, he’s bound to get plenty of snaps throughout the season and could be a savvy pickup towards the end of drafts.
Jalen Nailor, Minnesota Vikings
Nailor was a solid WR3 during Minnesota’s 14-3 campaign last season, hauling in 28 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns throughout the campaign. With linebacker Brian Asamoah II being waived during training camp, he and running back Ty Chandler are now the only remaining members of the Vikings’ 2022 draft class still on the roster three years later.
The fourth-year wideout will be now be thrusted into a bigger role for Minnesota right out the gate in 2025 due to Jordan Addison being suspended for the first three games of the regular season. If Nailor is able to prove himself as a comfortable target for J.J. McCarthy during that time, more looks could come his way even after Addison returns to the lineup. That makes him a quality stash and draft target for your drafts.
