Kyle Pitts, Fantasy Sleepers Who Could Emerge in 2025 NFL Training Camp

It’s a time of great hope in fantasy football leagues, but it can be a perilous period as well.

With training camps underway, preparation for fantasy draft season is in full swing. Reports from camp play a sizable role in that preparation. It's our first real glimpse into how the position battles that will go a long way toward shaping this year's fantasy landscape will pan out.

It can also be difficult to separate truth from fiction, though. At this time of year, just about every report about almost every player is a glowing report effusive in its praise. It's not often a coach says: "Yeah, that guy has really sucked so far."

However, just because training camp raves should be taken with a grain of salt doesn't mean they should be dismissed, either. Maybe a rookie really is about to hit the ground running in the NFL or a veteran is on the cusp of his best-ever season.

And maybe those players are going to be the sort of fantasy values that win leagues.

All the players listed here are being drafted outside the top 100 overall on average in fantasy drafts this summer. All have drawn praise in the early days of training camp.

And that puts all of them squarely on the "sleeper" radar for 2025.

TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

ADP: TE18, 146th Overall

Let's kick things off with a player who doesn't exactly excite fantasy managers.

Kyle Pitts is persona non grata to many fantasy managers after he came up short of expectations for the third straight season in 2024.

However, the 24-year-old has been one of the early stars of training camp, and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris believes he can recapture the success he had as a rookie in 2021:

"I think the way he is going to do that is what he's been doing the last couple weeks: Working with Michael Penix, having the ability to go out there and have a plan for him to operate individually. Those are the things we're working on right now. The communication between him and Zac Robinson is at a very high level right now. Him and Mike. Him and the organization."

The Florida product scored just two touchdowns in his rookie season, but he caught 68 passes, surpassed 1,000 yards, averaged over 15 yards a catch and finished the year sixth in PPR points among tight ends.

There's a reason he was drafted fourth overall—earlier than any tight end in NFL history. If Penix can unlock the talent Pitts displayed in that first season, he could be one of fantasy's biggest steals in 2025 at any position.

QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

ADP: QB24, 153rd Overall

It's difficult to remember a No. 1 overall pick in recent years who has been talked about less than Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans. But conversation is starting to heat up over the former Miami star.

The quarterback competition in Nashville ended before it started—with the news Will Levis will have season-ending shoulder surgery, Ward was elevated to the top of the depth chart by default.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan told reporters he's seen some good things from the 23-year-old while conceding there's work to do to get him ready for Week 1:

"There's going to be things that we got to correct every day. And there's going to be things that he's going to do really well every day that we're going to try to continue those things. Every single day I think is going to be an opportunity for development for him, and I'm looking forward to it."

The offense in Tennessee isn't without passing-game talent in the form of veteran receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett and youngsters Treylon Burks and Elic Ayomanor.

Ward has the mobility fantasy managers crave in quarterbacks—he scored 12 times on the ground over his last two collegiate seasons. And, frankly, the Titans aren't going to be very good.

With an ADP at the back end of fantasy QB2 territory, Ward could sail past an asking price in the back half of the 13th round.

QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

ADP: QB25, 154th Overall

The Carolina Panthers have endured seven straight losing seasons in the NFL.

However, head coach Dave Canales is determined this year's Panthers team won't be playing the role of NFC South doormat.

"I think the sky's the limit for this group," he said. "I think this is going to be a very competitive team. I don't think people are going to want to play us by the style of football that we play. I'm expecting that. My expectations are really high for this group."

If the Panthers are going to turn things around, it's going to take another step forward from third-year quarterback Bryce Young.

It's been a bumpy ride for the 2023 first overall pick. After struggling at the beginning of his second season, he was benched for Andy Dalton.

After returning to the starting lineup later in the season, though, Young was a different player. He was more decisive, more accurate and made fewer mistakes with the football.

It's a little strange the Alabama product hasn't generated at least a little hype this summer. With the addition of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, he has the best weapons of his career at his disposal.

From Week 12 on last season, Young was quietly ninth in fantasy points among quarterbacks.

An improving young player. An improved offense. And a stretch of low-end QB1 fantasy production to close out the 2024 campaign.

What's not to like?

RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants

AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

ADP: RB34, 101st Overall

The New York Giants hit the Day 3 jackpot last year with running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who went from fifth-round afterthought to lead back and a 1,100-yard season.

They went back to the well at running back again on Day 3 of the 2025 draft, selecting fourth-rounder Cam Skattebo, who went off last year to the tune of over 2,300 total yards and 24 touchdowns.

Per Matt Sidney of GMenHQ, Skattebo certainly made a good first impression on the practice field at camp"

"On Day 1 of training camp, Skatt was seemingly everywhere. It's clear as day this kid is going to have a major role in Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka's scheme—and it's going to be electric.

"Skattebo was everywhere. The rookie lit up practice from the jump, and it’s already obvious this team has a real weapon on its hands. The offense, which has spent the last few seasons allergic to the end zone, finally has a guy who can help change that. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart may be the long-term face, but Skattebo could be the one who changes things this fall."

Tracy isn't just going to vanish from the offense, and a full-blown committee would be bad news for both backs. But the Purdue product's per-touch numbers last year were just OK, and he had fumbling issues.

If Skattebo continues to shine, he could wrest the lead role from Tracy.

And any potential lead back available outside the top-100 picks is a player worth keeping a close eye on.

RB Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/John Raoux

ADP: RB44, 131st Overall

To be fair, this writer has spent a good part of the summer talking up Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. And I'm still not as ready to give up on him as others in the fantasy community.

However, only a fool would ignore what's coming out of training camp in Jacksonville's cloudy backfield. And rookie Bhayshul Tuten has wasted no time turning heads, according to Mia O'Brien of ESPN.

"Tuten stood out among all RBs. 3 runs in team period where side-to-side agility, burst, reading the hole on full display. Made it look easy," she wrote.

Derek Brown of Fantasy Pros noted explosiveness has never been an issue for the 23-year-old:

"Tuten has the juice to make the most of his touches. During his final collegiate season, he ranked 10th in yards after contact per attempt and breakaway percentage and eighth in elusive rating (per PFF). Tuten is an upside flier who could pay off handsomely in 2025, much like Bucky Irving did last year."

Every back in Jacksonville has their faults. Etienne is easily the most proven NFL option, but he was mostly awful last season. Tank Bigsby was the team's best runner a year ago, but he's a complete non-factor in the passing game. Ball security was a major issue for Tuten in college—11 fumbles is rather a lot.

If Tuten continues to display this kind of juice and can hold onto the football, though, all my hyping of Etienne may have been full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

WR Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Denis Poroy

ADP: WR54, 134th Overall

Tre Harris made quite the dent at Ole Miss last year—despite playing in just eight games, the 6'2", 204-pounder surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. He scored seven touchdowns, averaged over 17 yards per catch for the second straight season and posted a ridiculous 128.8 receiving yards per game.

That big year got the 23-year-old drafted in the second round of this year's draft by the Los Angeles Chargers, and quarterback Justin Herbert told reporters the rookie has wasted no time making a positive impression on his new team.

"He runs really crisp routes and he's picked up the offense well, too," the Chargers signal-caller said. "You know when you're out there, he's going to run the right route and you don't have to worry about that."

Harris opened camp working with the second team, but it's not that hard to imagine that changing quickly. The Chargers are already dealing with a hole in the roster at wide receiver after Mike Williams suddenly retired.

There's no doubt Ladd McConkey is the top receiver for the Bolts, but things get blurry quickly after that. Quentin Johnston has impressed as well in camp, but the 2023 first-round pick's first two seasons have been less than impressive.

Worst case, Harris could open the season on the boundary in three-receiver sets. But it’s also more than possible the Johnston hype is just that—and by the time Week 1 rolls around, Harris will have bumped him from the starting lineup.

WR Joshua Palmer, Buffalo

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

ADP: WR70, 195th Overall

The Buffalo Bills have the loftiest of goals in 2025, and quarterback Josh Allen told reporters he has been doing what he can to rally the troops:

"Just put your head down and work. It's two-and-a-half weeks in camp. They go quick, but you can really show who you are as far as a person, as a player, over these next two-and-a-half weeks. Again, everything that we do is centered around the team and building this team. Let's tune everything out. Give me two-and-a-half weeks of everything that you got, and we'll go from there."

It sounds like veteran wide receiver Joshua Palmer took those words to heart, because Allen also had good things to say about the fifth-year pro, who joined the Bills on a three-year, $29 million deal in free agency.

"His separation with his feet. His body language. His catch radius is one of the best I've ever been around," Allen said.

The size of Palmer's contract was a bit surprising—his best season came in 2022, when he caught 72 passes for 769 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bills thought enough of the 25-year-old to hand him almost $10 million a season. The depth chart at wide receiver in Buffalo is in flux, especially with youngster Keon Coleman struggling to open camp.

If Palmer carves out a real role in Buffalo's passing game, his ADP is sure to spike. Right now, though, he's essentially a last-round dart-throw.

One that might just hit the bullseye.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather