Training camp is underway and fantasy players are hunting for elite upside late in drafts. Andy Smith highlights six breakout candidates and league-winners for 2025, led by Dak Prescott’s bounce-back case in Dallas as the offense sheds a ground-game emphasis. Chase Brown stands out as a mid-round RB with clear target upside in Cincinnati, while Trey Benson has late-round sleeper value in Arizona after a weight and explosiveness boost. Courtland Sutton—now extended—offers a robust ceiling as Denver’s primary weapon, with Deebo Samuel stepping into a versatile role in Washington. T.J. Hockenson is positioned as a value TE in Minnesota’s pass-heavy system, giving fantasy managers a late-round edge. All ADP references come from the NFFC, and the piece stresses targeting players who can deliver down the stretch.

RotoBaller’s analysis leans into offense-friendly narratives: Prescott’s volume should rise with George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Jake Ferguson back in the mix, potentially lifting the entire Cowboys passing game. Brown’s late-season run spells RB1 potential if Cincinnati keeps pace offensively. Sutton’s extension aligns with a more dynamic Denver attack, while Samuel’s relocation to Washington pairs with a play-caller who can maximize space for big plays. Benson’s sophomore development and Benson’s weight gain signal a bigger role if Conner’s workload improves, and Hockenson’s mid-range ADP offers a high floor with a chance for TD regression to be offset by targets in a potent offense.

NFL teams are trimming from 90 to 53 this week, the most consequential roster move window of the offseason. Across the league, 1,182 players will be waived as clubs finalize the 53-man rosters by Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET. The waiver wire opens a 20-hour window for players with under four accrued seasons to be claimed; those with four or more accrued seasons become free agents. Because practice squads allow up to 16 players (17 if International Pathway players are on the roster), the released players still have a path to the 69-man roster via promotion or practice-squad elevation. Teams with International Pathway players can stash one extra, while others are capped at 16. These cuts shake fantasy rosters by creating opportunities for surprise promotions, depth-chart shifts, and early-season value picks, especially for teams planning to lean on youth, special-teams contributors, and pass-catching backs or tight ends emerging from the practice squad. In short, the next 48–72 hours will reveal a number of preseason sleepers who could become Week 1 difference-makers due to depth chart reorders, injuries, and coaching staff decisions.

Micah Parsons trade chatter around Dallas is heating up, with Green Bay viewed as a plausible destination if Dallas ever tabs the market. The price tag would be astronomical, described as a Herculean, Herschel Walker–sized haul that would redefine the return for a top defensive star.

The Cowboys reportedly want to keep Parsons, even as he skews toward a contract dispute and an eye on tag leverage. Parsons is in the final year of his rookie deal (2025) and is not at camp, adding urgency for Dallas to decide whether to shop him. ESPN’s Fowler and NFL Network’s Rapoport flagged Green Bay as a potential buyer, while time ticks toward the season opener vs Philadelphia and a possible franchise-tag path. If a move materializes, fantasy and betting markets will swing dramatically as teams recalibrate pass rush and cap math.

For fantasy managers, the simmering rumors underscore Parsons’ elite value and the risk of upheaval if he changes teams. A Parsonsto-Packers scenario would maintain his ceiling while shifting surrounding pieces and defensive schemes, making immediate ripple effects across DL rankings and matchup strategies. Until Dallas opens the door or closes it definitively, the chatter remains a high-stakes what-if with real fantasy consequences.

Two NFC West powerhouses open as favorites, but both carry clear risks. San Francisco and Los Angeles are the class of the division, yet the Niners’ veteran outflow and a thinner depth chart raise questions about staying power, while the Rams hinge on Stafford’s health to reclaim a title shot. Arizona sits in rebuild mode with Kyler Murray’s health as the fire under it, and Seattle is juggling a quarterback transition with limited obvious upgrades around it.

Brock Purdy and Fred Warner anchored San Francisco’s offseason, signaling the plan is to win now even if the roster isn’t as deep. Matthew Stafford’s presence keeps LA in play, though Cooper Kupp’s departure matters. Arizona’s ceiling relies on Murray’s health and a tougher defense, while Seattle’s odds reflect doubt about a Darnold-driven offense and whether the rest of the roster can support a playoff push. Fantasy angles tilt toward early value on Purdy and Stafford if they stay healthy, with Adams and Kupp shaping high-upside stacks in a Rams offense that may lean on volume in a post-Kupp environment.

Adam’s fantasy spotlight this year is simple: steer clear of five high-ADP wideouts who come with significant risk in 2025. Malik Nabers sits at WR5 in consensus ADP but carries toe, shoulder, and back concerns in camp, plus a brand-new QB in Russell Wilson and a defense with tape to study him. Tyreek Hill, at ADP WR12, looks like a headache awaiting, as injury chatter, waning efficiency, and a noisy short-yardage run game complicate a cost that still reflects peak past seasons. Garrett Wilson (WR15) lands in a high-volume role with Aaron Rodgers, yet the Jets’ quarterback portrait, run-pass balance, and Fields-like volatility risk a return to mid-pack production, even with heavy targets. Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR16) brings ceiling but deployment questions in a same-offense-and-QB scenario temper the upside, while Rome Odunze’s path with Ben Johnson and the evolving Chicago group adds more ambiguity.

To anchor a stable WR plan, the piece points to safer targets like Nico Collins, Drake London, and Brian Thomas Jr., plus a trio of familiar names in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jameson Williams, and DeVonta Smith as smarter mid-to-late targets. The piece emphasizes offensive environment and QB stability as the ultimate swing factors, rather than pure talent alone. In short: the 2025 drafts demand a sharper eye for how likely each WR can sustain or grow target shares in an environment that’s shifting faster than ADP can lock in a price.