Fantasy Football 2025: Late-Round Lottery Tickets That Could Win Your League

Fantasy Football Late-Round Lottery Tickets for 2025

You know that rush of picking up a Powerball ticket when the jackpot flirts with a billion dollars? You probably won’t win—but man, it’s fun to dream. That’s exactly how I feel about late-round picks in fantasy football drafts. The odds are slim, but if you scratch the right ticket, you could be holding a league-winner for the price of pocket change.

And let’s be real—there’s no better time in a draft than those final rounds. Pressure’s low, the room gets looser, and you’re no longer worried about “safe picks.” Instead, you’re chasing upside. If these players flame out? No problem—you cut them as fast as tossing last week’s losing numbers. But if one of them hits? That’s where leagues are won.

For clarity, I’m setting my late-round cutoff around ADP 150+. In a standard 10- or 12-team league with about 15 rounds, this is where you’re grabbing dart throws, upside stashes, and guys other managers have stopped paying attention to. So grab a pen, fire up your spreadsheets, and let’s run through some of my favorite fantasy lottery tickets for 2025.

Rashid Shaheed – WR, New Orleans Saints (ADP 145, WR55)

Shaheed is that electric receiver who makes you lean forward on the couch every time he takes the field. Before his season-ending knee injury in Week 6 last year, he was flat-out cooking—leading the NFL in total air yards (721) and posting a ridiculous 50% team share of air yards. With Spencer Rattler taking over as QB1 in New Orleans and Kellen Moore now steering the offense, Shaheed could easily re-emerge as one of the league’s premier deep threats.

Why I love him: Rattler isn’t shy about chucking it deep, and Moore’s offenses are historically pass-happy. This is the perfect setup for a big-play guy.

Keenan Allen – WR, Los Angeles Chargers (ADP 146, WR56)

Allen is back in L.A.—but this time as the savvy veteran playing alongside Ladd McConkey, the Chargers’ new alpha. Don’t let that fool you though; Allen’s history with Justin Herbert is golden. Between 2020 and 2023, Allen averaged over 10 targets per game and racked up nearly 400 catches.

Even if he’s not the WR1 anymore, I’ll happily grab a guy in the 12th round who has five 1,000-yard seasons and five 100-catch seasons on his resume. At this cost? Sign me up.

Ollie Gordon II – RB, Miami Dolphins (ADP 161, RB56)

Talk about a lucky break—well, for fantasy managers, anyway. Miami’s backfield has been a revolving door of injuries this preseason. Alexander Mattison is out for the year, De’Von Achane is dinged up, and Jaylen Wright just had surgery. Enter rookie Ollie Gordon, a sixth-round pick who suddenly finds himself staring at real opportunity.

If Achane isn’t 100% out of the gate, Gordon could be one of those late-round rookies who gets meaningful carries right away. I’d rather be early on him than fight over him on waivers after he pops.

Geno Smith – QB, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP 185, QB25)

Smith’s last couple of seasons have been a rollercoaster. But now he’s in Las Vegas, and the supporting cast is juicy—rookie phenom Brock Bowers, veteran Amari Cooper, and Jakobi Meyers. Add in rookie RB Ashton Jeanty to keep defenses honest, and suddenly Geno looks like a sneaky QB2 with upside.

I’m not trusting him as my every-week starter, but as a bench stash? Absolutely.

Chig Okonkwo – TE, Tennessee Titans (ADP 198, TE23)

Every rookie QB needs a security blanket, and in Tennessee, Cam Ward may have just found his. Despite shaky QB play the past two years, Okonkwo still managed back-to-back 70-target seasons. With Calvin Ridley being the only true WR threat, Okonkwo could slide into a bigger role than many expect.

He’s the kind of TE dart throw who might end up being your weekly starter if things break right.

Mason Taylor – TE, New York Jets (ADP 222, TE26)

Another TE sleeper I like late is Mason Taylor. Outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets’ pass-catching corps is paper-thin. With Justin Fields under center, history tells us he’ll lean on his tight ends—remember how Cole Kmet thrived in Chicago?

Taylor could easily emerge as Fields’ safety valve and push his way into fantasy relevance, even in a run-first scheme.

Dameon Pierce – RB, Houston Texans (ADP 255, RB77)

This one’s for the gamblers. Joe Mixon is hurt, Nick Chubb may never be the same, and while rookie Woody Marks is exciting, I’m betting Pierce gets another shot. He flashed as a rookie with 939 rushing yards before falling out of favor. If he gets the first crack at Houston’s RB1 job, even a couple of strong early weeks would make him worth a stash.

Final Thoughts

Late-round picks are like lottery tickets—cheap, low-risk, and often forgotten until someone wins big. You’re not drafting these guys to be sure things. You’re drafting them for their upside and the chance to turn spare change into a jackpot.

Quick tips for late-round fliers:

• Target uncertain depth charts (injuries, rookies, or aging vets).

• Look for coaching or QB changes that open new opportunities.

• Don’t be afraid to cut bait early—waivers will always give you fresh options.

If one or two of these lottery tickets hit? You might just be holding the fantasy version of a billion-dollar jackpot.