Five sneaky bench sleepers for 2025: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Kyle Monangai, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, and Chig Okonkwo headline the late-round targets to stash. The strategy centers on last picks with high upside to beat the waiver wire when Week 1 breakout happens. Croskey-Merritt is highlighted by explosive flashes in Washington’s camp, Monangai draws praise for Rutgers’ yards after contact, Benson has a path to a bigger role in Arizona, Corum could carve into Williams’ touches with McVay seeking explosiveness, and Okonkwo looks primed to surge if Ward boosts Titans’ offense.

The piece leans into training-camp buzz, draft-day value, and the dual-threat appeal of Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round rookie with first-team looks; Monangai’s late-round mobility; Benson’s spot-start upside in a clingy backfield; Corum’s post-hype potential as a more explosive option than Williams; and Okonkwo’s TE1 ceiling in a tighter Titans’ weapon pool. It treats these picks as strategic, season-long bets rather than one-week wonders, emphasizing upside, role progression, and the payoff of late-round depth in a crowded 2025 field.

Beyond the sleepers, the feature reinforces the philosophy that late picks should push the waiver wire in Week 1—where one breakout can swing the entire season. It leans on current rosters and coach commentary to map plausible paths for each sleeper, balancing risk with measurable upside as fantasy managers craft championship rosters for 2025.