Trevor Lawrence piloted two crisp opening drives for the Jaguars, finishing 8-of-10 for 76 yards and a touchdown before a first-drive fumble—an encouraging sign for Duval’s Week 1 optimism. The ground game clicked behind an improved O-line, with Etienne torching space and Tank Bigsby weaving through tacklers, aided by Mekari’s standout blocking. Bhayshul Tuten continued to impress in both run and pass games, while Brenton Strange and Parker Washington supplied reliable early returns for Lawrence.

The defense sent a message too, with constant interior pressure and multiple stops in Saints territory, even as depth pieces at corner faced tests. Kicking and punting hiccups sprinkled the day, but Cam Little connected on a 53-yarder and the return game flashed with Washington and Bigsby. Overall, the Jaguars flashed high upside in Week 2 of the preseason, balancing stellar starting-unit performance with coaching and situational execution that could shape roster decisions in September.

Offensively, Jacksonville leaned into clean protection and quick-hitting throws, while the run game gained traction in chunks. Lawrence’s command, the O-line’s reliability in pass protection, and the dynamic movement in Etienne’s game plan should translate to fantasy upside if the rhythm holds into Week 1. The rookie backs and Brenton Strange’s development offer additional depth, and Parker Washington’s timely catches and return touches give this receiving corps a real floor as the regular season approaches.

Thunder Dan Palyo spotlights six late-round fantasy football sleepers for 2025 who could flip the backhalf of your roster into a weekly contributor. Braelon Allen (NYJ) stands out as a potential early-down hammer with breakout upside in a improved Jets’ run game, while Jaylen Wright (MIA) is presented as a high-leverage handcuff behind Devon Achane. At tight end, Zach Ertz (WSH) is framed as a durable veteran safety blanket, with Brenton Strange (JAX) intriguing as a Week 1 starter and two-tight-end pairing value. DeMario Douglas (NE) is pitched as a slot-win in Drake Maye’s offense, and Keaton Mitchell (BAL) is flagged as the ultimate Henry-style handcuff. ADPs anchor the hype, inviting managers to chase upside late rather than rely on stale rankings.

Kevin’s 2025 NFL sleeper list centers on four late-round bets with clear paths to upside in best-ball formats. Marvin Mims Jr. lands as Denver’s outside option if he earns more routes and targeted volume, turning efficiency into spike-week potential. Isaac Guerendo sits behind Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco and thrives as the prime contingency if McCaffrey misses time, offering strong late-round value. Brenton Strange in Jacksonville profiles as a slot/inline mismatch with room to command targets as Engram’s role remains uncertain. Matthew Stafford proves a steady floor play in Los Angeles, where the supporting cast and McVay’s scheme could push him toward a multi- TD, 4,000-yard season if he remains efficient. The piece stresses that true late-round gold comes from players with traits plus favorable situations, not just pedigree.

Jacksonville’s Friday session was a breezy, helmet-and-shorts tune-up after a heavy pad day, with 67 plays spread over four periods and no drops or penalties. Trevor Lawrence directed an efficient attack, finishing 9-of-10 in 11-on-11 and delivering crisp red-zone work. He connected for touchdowns to Brenton Strange and Dyami Brown, while undrafted Dorian Singer flashed with a late corner-end-zone grab. The day also highlighted pass-protectors Anton Harrison, Chuma Edoga, and Cole Van Lanen in limited work, and John Wolford led a productive backup showing with Nick Mullens following suit. Travis Hunter sat out as a precaution, and other players remained sidelined or limited, including Harrison, Campbell, and Pancol. The Jaguars head to New Orleans for a preseason test, hoping the clean execution carries over against the Saints.

Brock Purdy tops the sleepers list for 2025 with San Francisco’s soft schedule, followed closely by Bijan Robinson in Atlanta’s run-leaning offense. Ricky Pearsall looks like a late-round pop, and Brenton Strange could become a bargain TE with Jacksonville’s friendly schedule. The piece also highlights CJ Stroud, Alvin Kamara, James Conner, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tetairoa McMillan and Chig Okonkwo as notable honorable mentions, each benefiting from their teams’ favorable early matchups. The core idea: map last year’s data against this year’s projections to find outliers who gain extra value against weak opponents, and exploit SoS to anchor bench and draft-day value.

Laghezza leverages a schedule-grid approach, blending efficiency signals (like Purdy’s +0.17 EPA/dropback, 65.9% completion, 8.5 Y/A, 47.9% throws to sticks) with mid-season workload projections. Indoors and soft early schedules amplify upside for a few players who might otherwise be drafted later. The strategy emphasizes not forcing picks but identifying where a favorable SoS can tilt a mid-round selection into potential league winner territory—particularly at QB, RB, WR, and TE where small sample variance is magnified by schedule.

The spread of targets in SF, the Falcons’ drive for high box-score games for Robinson, Pearsall’s route-heavy role, and Strange’s TE path in Coen’s offense all point to a coherent, schedule-driven plane for early-season rosters. Even as some players carry risk, the SoS edge gives rational paths to upside in standard and best-ball formats, with honorable mentions offering fallback value if early-week usage aligns with projected rhythms.