Fantasy Football 2025 Sleepers Generating Buzz After Preseason Week 2

NFL preseason games may not count the standings, but they can be very meaningful for fantasy football managers.

With two games in the books, seeds are already being sowed regarding this campaign's biggest sleepers, breakouts and busts.

While it can be tricky to tell for certain what matters and what doesn't, managers must still pay attention to what's taking place, so they can make educated guesses about its meaning. That's what experts are doing, at least, so let's spotlight three sleepers on the rise with Week 2 of the preseason slate being nearly in the books.

Nick Chubb, RB, Houston Texans

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It was objectively awesome to see Chubb back in action Saturday given that his 2023 campaign was cut short by a gruesome injury, and he never looked like his old self in eight games for the Cleveland Browns last season.

Moreover, it also felt revealing to see Chubb working with the Texans' first team in their second preseason contest. He didn't see a ton of opportunities, but he handled them just fine, delivering 25 rushing yards on five carries and converting his lone target for a four-yard reception.

"I thought it went good," Chubb told reporters. "I think as a whole, the whole team played well. Offensively, the big guys up front did a good job getting push, opening up holes. For me, I haven't played since December, so a lot of anxiety, a lot of nerves, but it felt good to go out and get tackled again."

With Joe Mixon (foot/ankle) still stuck on the non-football injury list, Chubb could have a path toward becoming Houston's Game 1 starter. And if he flashes anything like his old form (1,764 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns in his last healthy season), maybe he'll just take the gig and run away with it.

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers

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Pearsall's stock should've been climbing even before the preseason opened. He closed his rookie year on a tear (14 catches for 210 yards and two scores over his last two outings) and has since scaled the pass-catching pecking order due to subtractions (Deebo Samuel) and injuries (Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings) around him.

If you hadn't bumped Pearsall up the board for those reasons, though, then his preseason connection with Brock Purdy should be all the motivation you need. The two connected three times during the starters' lone drive against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, meaning Pearsall accounted for more than half of Purdy's completions (three of five) and passing yards (42 of 66).

"We watched a lot of stuff from last year," Purdy told reporters. "Understanding where we both need to be better when I'm throwing to him. I think we honed in on some things this year in camp, and in the game we just go out there and I think it's pretty natural."

There's every reason to believe Pearsall is about to open the season as San Francisco's WR1, and there's a non-zero chance he holds that role throughout the campaign. If he's ready for this spotlight, the 49ers won't keep it away from him after spending last year's 31st overall pick.

Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears

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During Williams' first preseason action under new head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago's offense did something it failed to do during the entire 2024 campaign: score a touchdown on its opening possession. In fact, Williams had the Bears marching a full 92 yards for that score, which was punctuated by a 36-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus.

"To a month ago, I think I've grown a lot," Williams told reporters. "Now, my mindset is to keep growing. ... Where I see myself, I think the idea is to be able to handle every single thing that I can and everything that Ben says I should be able to handle. If that's handling everything at the line, handling everything and taking things off of other people's plates, that's what it is. Being able to do that consistently over the next couple of years is important for me.

Williams looked in complete control Sunday. He completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards and that touchdown.

While his first year was rocky, it doesn't take much imagination to picture the top pick of the 2024 draft becoming a fantasy asset. Even in that up-and-down season, he managed to pair 20 passing touchdowns (against six interceptions) with 489 rushing yards, pointing to his sky-high potential as a dual-threat producer.