Diving into the NFL Draft isn’t just for the Dynasty fantasy football crowd anymore. Numerous rookies make an impact in regular redraft and best ball fantasy football leagues every season. Just look at Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, and Jayden Daniels in 2024, to name a few. Leading up to the NFL Draft, we’ve mostly looked at one or two of the top prospects at their position in each Rookies to Know post. With the draft coming up quickly, we’re going to dive a little deeper and look at a few Day 2 and 3 prospects that could be names to know for fantasy football in 2025.
These guys might not be ones you invest major draft capital into initially in a re-draft or best ball league, but as the season goes on, they may turn out to be good stashes or names to know to pick up off the waiver wire. For those in keeper leagues, these names may be especially valuable. Contrary to the likes of Ashton Jeanty and Tetairoa McMillan, who command high draft capital in early best ball leagues, the players below likely can be had for a later round investment. If they flash or show significant promise as a rookie, you may potentially get multiple rounds of value by being able to keep them for a late-round selection. Giants Running Back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the perfect example of a Day 3 pick who you were likely able to grab in the late rounds of re-draft/best ball leagues, or even pick up off the waiver wire. He had plenty of highly relevant weeks for fantasy, so let’s see who may turn out to be the Tyrone Tracy of 2025.
RJ Harvey, Running Back, University of Central Florida:
The 5’8″, 205-pound back has shown to be a playmaker with the ball in his hands as his 32 runs of 15+ yards was second among all running backs in the 2025 class. His 6.8 yards per attempt was just behind Ashton Jeanty and TreVeyon Henderson in this crop of rookie running backs, some good company to have. He’s difficult to bring down in one-on-one situations and maintains good contact balance. Harvey creates yards on his own, exhibiting good elusiveness, and was at times explosive in the passing game as well. He has an enraged running style, not willing to back down from contact, as mentioned in this breakdown by Todd McShay.
His frame may not project to be the most ideal goal line back, however, and raises questions about whether or not he can manage a heavy NFL workload. He’ll likely start as part of a committee with the hopes of earning more touches as the season progresses, similar to Tyrone Tracy and Bucky Irving from a year ago. The NFL mock draft database site has him as a projected 4th-round pick and as the 127th overall ranked player, meaning a featured role in the backfield is one he’ll have to fight for. Regarding fantasy football, his ADP (average draft position) in Underdog best ball leagues sits in the early 15th round, so he’s a dart throw for now.
Jayden Higgins, Wide Receiver, Iowa State:
Between his size (6’4″, 214 pounds) and versatility, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Higgins go in the first round. However, according to the NFL mock draft database, the consensus board has him ranked 54th, qualifying him as a Day 2 prospect. NFL teams may fall in love with some of his metrics, such as his 88th percentile wingspan and vertical jump. To emphasize his versatility, even at 6’4″, he was 13th among the entire draft class in yards per route run out of the slot. He’s a chess piece for an offense and the definition of a power slot, or a big-bodied receiver that can line up inside. He was effective both inside and outside at Iowa State and was highly productive with his 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons, things the fantasy football world loves to see in prospects.
His hands are as reliable as they come, as he has just seven drops on 350 targets. As Tom Grossi highlights in this breakdown, the Packers surely could use a receiver with dependable hands and have a huge need for a big-framed receiver with Christian Watson out for most of 2025. He caught 14 of 24 contested targets, according to PFF, showing more often than not he was able to secure a tough catch.
A noticeably unique aspect of Higgins’ game when watching him was his ability to snag off-target throws. For a guy his size, you’d think it would be difficult ot quickly adjust to a throw behind him, but Higgins does just that. He can be a little cemented in his route running when it comes to common patterns like curls and comebacks, but a 6’4″ receiver with reliable hands who can also snag contested catches and off-target passes is someone we should at least be aware of before the 2025 fantasy football season heats up. His current ADP in Underdog best ball drafts is around the 11th round, according to Fantasy Pros, a bit higher than a dart throw, but someone that’s still very manageable to draft.
Cameron Skattebo, Running Back, Arizona State:
Those who follow college football at least remember Skattebo from his prolific end to the 2024 season, especially in the Peach Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff. Not that production automatically translates to the NFL, but the 5’11″, 215-pound back had eight games of 100+ yards last season, including a 262-yard performance in September. He’s not some sort of projection or a guess as to whether he can produce on the field, as he has 99th percentile fantasy points per game of all drafted running backs over the past 20 years.
Josh Norris from Underdog Fantasy made an excellent point in a draft profile video for Skattebo. If Kyren Williams and Bucky Irving can be small, slow, and still good, then why can’t Cam be big, slow, and still good? Trust me, at his 4.65 speed, he won’t be blazing by defenders for 50-yard touchdowns, but that’s not his calling card. He does have some juice to him, though, with his 39.5-inch vertical putting him in the 95th percentile. A thick back like Skattebo might not profile as a great receiving back, but he had 13 receptions of 15+ yards, showing he can get it done in multiple ways on the field. His 1.95 yards per route run is second among ball carriers in this class, which is not what I was expecting to see when I started looking into Skattebo, but it was a pleasant surprise.
The California native also converted 78% of third and short situations in 2024, according to nfldraftbuzz.com. He’s a guy who can punch the ball into the endzone from deep in the redzone, exactly what we’re hoping for as fantasy managers. His ability to be utilized in multiple ways by offenses is one of his best traits, as this short breakdown indicates, and adds even more to his fantasy value.
Skattebo has some ball security issues with his ten fumbles over the past three years, but we’ve seen running backs improve in this area with NFL coaching. His workload of 521 carries the past two seasons and his injury history before Arizona State is a long-term concern, but for 2025, he’s got more than enough ways to make an immediate impact in the fantasy football world. James Conner and David Montgomery profile as similar backs, and they’ve long been great assets in fantasy football land. He can currently be had in the 10th round of Underdog best ball drafts, and sits squarely in the third round as the 73rd-ranked player in this class, according to the consensus board from the NFL mock draft database site. Skattebo could just be the next mid-round Running Back that’s a useful fantasy piece in his rookie season.
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