Six sleeper rookie targets for 2025 dynasty drafts emerge: Jalen Milroe, Brashard Smith, Jaylin Noel, Jalen Royals, Harold Fannin Jr., and Terrance Ferguson. Milroe’s rushing floor and athletic ceiling give him 1QB-round3/4 appeal, while Smith could inject KC with burst if Pacheco or Hunt run into trouble. Noel looks poised to step into Houston’s passing game with Dell sidelined, Royals adds Chiefs upside behind Brown, Fannin Jr. could become Cleveland’s athletic tight end sooner than later, and Ferguson offers a path to late-round TE value in LA.

Target these six in rounds 3–4 of dynasty rookie drafts, with Milroe as the standout 1QB option and Noel/ Royals as high-leverage WR bets in strong offenses. The others provide high-upside dart options, particularly in leagues needing youth at TE behind Njoku and Higbee.

Five ultra-deep sleepers push past the usual late-round names: Higgins, Johnston, Strange, Rodgers, and Smith. Higgins could surge in Houston if Nico Collins and Christian Kirk miss time, while Xavier Hutchinson offers growing intrigue behind a banged-up WR mix. Johnston finally shows real upside in Los Angeles with Keenan Allen back, but the range-pick appeal remains clear. Brenton Strange steps into Engram’s vacancy in Jacksonville, with a pass-game bite that could yield steady targets. Aaron Rodgers provides a back-end QB2 with upside in Pittsburgh, and Brashard Smith offers upside as a Chiefs’ late-round flyer in a high-efficiency offense. Injuries and uncertain depth in surrounding castes temper risk, but the landing spots are ripe for fantasy intrigue.

Pathways to value hinge on opportunity: Higgins’ trajectory depends on Texans’ injury luck; Johnston is a leap-of-faith bet with a clear path to volume; Strange benefits from TE scarcity and a rookie head coach’s offensive taste for tight ends; Rodgers’ veteran pedigree meets a Steelers system that can camouflage aging wheels; Smith’s speed and versatility could carve a niche on passing downs in KC. These players sit outside the top 150 in consensus, yet offer meaningful upside in best-ball and dynasty formats.

Kansas City’s backfield is shaping up as a multi-headed committee for 2025. Isiah Pacheco opened as the lead, but a fracture and coaching shifts push the Chiefs toward a committee vibe with Elijah Mitchell in the mix. Brashard Smith is highlighted for pass-catching upside and possible eventual ground-game workload, while Kareem Hunt’s 2024 stumble casts doubt on any big rebound. DK-style depth charts aside, Smith carries the best dynasty and late-redraft appeal, with Mitchell providing veteran depth and Rice growing into a potential midseason target.

Kansas City’s 33-16 loss to Seattle in the NFL preseason Week 2 underscored a stiff test for the Chiefs’ depth chart. Gardner Minshew connected efficiently, finishing 7-of-9 for 70 yards and the team’s lone TD to Robert Tonyan, while Carson Steele and Brashard Smith each ripped 22 yards on seven and three carries, respectively, hinting at a small-but-present ground committee behind the usual starter. The showing kept KC’s offense in a wary-but-hopeful mode as rotation players built reps for the regular season.

Defensively, the Chiefs’ second and third units allowed 477 net yards and four touchdowns, a reminder that depth still needs tightening. Jack Cochrane and Cooper McDonald each logged seven tackles to pace the stops, but Seattle’s defense limited KC’s execution while KC was built around reserve personnel. Fantasy managers should note the pass-game efficiency from Minshew and Tonyan, plus the backfield split that could translate into occasional touches if KC sticks with a committee approach in the earlygoing.

In short, KC’s preseason performance offered a mixed bag: a clean turnover count, a promising quick-strike connection between Minshew and Tonyan, and two backfield options showing flashes without seizing control. For now, Tonyan could emerge as a reliable tight-end limb in late rounds, while Steele/Smith represent speculative depth. The road to Week 1 will hinge on how much these units are trusted in closer-to-real-game conditions.

Overall, the result keeps fantasy rosters in a wait-and-see mode, especially around KC’s backfield roles and the reliability of the defense’s reserve corps. Adjust expectations accordingly and monitor how these units are deployed in the next exhibition to gauge late-round depth or potential breakout opportunities.