The 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching, and with it comes a new year of fantasy football. Every year, many find it difficult to navigate the world of fantasy football and make the right decisions to lead their team to a championship. This article, and the one that will follow every week, is meant to provide the best ways to claim victory.

Unfortunately, fantasy football is always unpredictable, and the only way to make decisions is through informed guesses, either from coach statements or training camp news. Many players’ situations have changed, and they haven’t played a single snap of football since last season. From that info, here are some hidden gems for your rosters:
WR Emeka Egbuka:

Emeka Egbuka was the first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite being behind veteran names like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Egbuka will have his time to shine as Godwin nurses an ankle injury from last season.

Coaches and players at training camp have been gushing over him, His quarterback, Baker Mayfield, said that “[He] reminds me of Amon-Ra St. Brown in a way… he just does everything the right way.” With Godwin looking to miss the first few weeks of the season, Egbuka could have significant production as Tampa Bay’s WR2, and with a low ADP (average draft position) of 60, Egbuka could provide high value at a low cost.

RB TreVeyon Henderson:

TreVeyon Henderson has a similar story to Egbuka. As a second-round pick by the New England Patriots in this year’s draft, his stock is quickly rising due to tremendous training camp performances. Not only was he playing well as a running back, but he spent a lot of time catching passes from Drake Maye, more so than some of the wide receivers.

In his first preseason game, Henderson dazzled with a 100-yard kick return touchdown on the opening snap. His diverse skill in the run and pass game makes him a top rookie to target, especially in PPR leagues.

Both of these players are rookies, and it’s important to remember that it will likely take time for them to solidify their roles on their teams. However, with patience and good roster management, Egbuka and Henderson could help you win your league later in the season.

There are also some players that may not be as skilled or as popular, but have been put in great opportunities to potentially succeed. Because they are not as high profile, it’s likely that you’ll be able to get them off of the waiver wire as free agents, only costing you a spot on your bench. Some of these players include:

RB Ollie Gordon:

Ollie Gordon was selected with the 179th pick by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Two years ago in college, he accumulated a staggering 1,732 yards, leading all collegiate running backs in rushing yards. That same year, he received the Doak Walker award, an award given to the best running back in college football. Of the last ten players to receive the Doak Walker award, five have made a Pro Bowl in the NFL, and two of the five who didn’t are Gordon himself and Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Now, on the Miami Dolphins, he sits behind both Jaylen Wright and De’Von Achane on the depth chart. However, with Wright expected to miss multiple weeks and Achane experiencing a minor calf injury, Gordon has a clear path to fantasy relevance as a potential RB2 in deeper leagues.

WR Adam Thielen:

Adam Thielen is the definition of a veteran in the NFL. He came into the league in 2014 as an undrafted free agent, and was able to prove himself as an NFL caliber receiver as he earned a spot on the Minnesota Vikings. He played there for 9 seasons, before signing with the Carolina Panthers in the 2023 offseason. Over his 11 seasons, he has racked up 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns. Despite his age, Thielen was valuable to Carolina’s offense for the last two years. 

This year, he returns to Minnesota and will fill the WR2 role for the team as Jordan Addison, their usual WR2, faces a three week suspension. For the first few weeks of the season, he should likely provide a cheap FLEX option for anyone in need.

RB Woody Marks:

Out of all the players that have been mentioned, Woody Marks likely has the lowest chance to return value. Despite this, his situation provides plenty of opportunity. Marks was drafted in the fourth-round in this year’s draft by the Houston Texans, who also signed RB Nick Chubb in the offseason. Marks was solid in college, but didn’t stand out during Houston’s training camp.

However, with starting RB Joe Mixon beginning the season on injured reserve, and backup RB Nick Chubb looking unlike his former self, Marks has the opportunity to become Houston’s lead back. If he plays well in their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams, this will be the last time you will be able to take him off of waivers. He might be a gamble, but it’s those risky moves that provide you a championship.

This Week’s Defense:

A trend this year will likely be that the best defense for fantasy football will be whoever is playing the New Orleans Saints. Their offense is projected to be horrible, as their starting quarterback Spencer Rattler was subpar in his rookie season last year, and his backup, Tyler Shough, is a rookie who was taken in the second-round. This week, the Arizona Cardinals are playing New Orleans. Not only is the matchup great, but Arizona’s defense has greatly improved over the offseason and could prove to be a threat regardless of who they play. With additions like rookie CB Will Johnson and free agent pickup DE Josh Sweat from Philadelphia, the Cardinals’ revamped defense has a perfect matchup against New Orleans’ weak offense.

As previously mentioned, fantasy football is unpredictable, and there’s no way to guarantee that any of the players that were discussed will actually perform well. But, the best way to win is to stay informed and make what you believe are the right choices each week. Good luck to all who are competing this year!