Day 3 is Here: NFL Draft Standouts to Watch
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by FantasyLife+:
Days 1-2 of the NFL Draft always get the most shine, and deservedly so, but every year there are guys selected on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) who end up making a difference in the NFL.
If you look at our 2025 fantasy football rankings—and, yes, we already have these live on the site and ready to go because we're sick like that—you'll see that two of our consensus top 12 are guys who entered the NFL as Day 3 selections: WRs Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
And not too far after them are RBs Bucky Irving and Kyren Williams, selected respectively in Rounds 4 and 5 over the past few years.
What happens on Day 3 matters—and Day 3 is here.
So in this Saturday edition of the Fantasy Life Newsletter, I want to look at Thor Nystrom's best players available to identify and highlight some of the best RB and WR prospects still available—and then I'll give the Day 1 guys more attention by looking at their early production props in the betting market.
Right after the draft, we will update our rankings and projections and push out a ton of fantasy content for 2025, so now is the perfect time to subscribe to our FantasyLife+ package. Use the code EARLY25 to get a 25% discount through April 27.
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A Deep Dive Into Day 3
Day 3 RBs
Of the RBs still available, these are the three who stand out to me the most, with some brief notes from Thor's RB rankings and Dwain McFarland's Super Model RB rankings.
Cam Skattebo: I have a bet (+114, FanDuel) that he'll be selected ahead of Dylan Sampson. Wish me luck. He's an early-down bowling ball runner who has the second-highest production rating in the class.
Dylan Sampson: Turning 21 years old in September, Sampson is the youngest back in the class, and he had a productive junior campaign in 2024 with 1,634 yards and 22 TDs from scrimmage in 13 games.
Bhayshul Tuten: You can't teach speed, and Tuten has it (4.32-second 40-yard dash at 5-9, 206 lbs.). His running style is unpredictable but explosively kinetic.
Day 3 WRs
Here are three WRs still available who most catch my eye, with brief notes from Thor's WR rankings and Dwain McFarland's Super Model WR rankings.
Elic Ayomanor: He's a bully on the boundary, and he has a satisfactory combination of size (6-2, 206 lbs.) and athleticism (4.44-second 40-yard dash).
Jalen Royals: A sleek and strong route runner, Royals put up 126-1,914-21 receiving in 20 games at Utah State over the past two seasons.
Tory Horton: A boundary long strider, Horton put up 2,620 yards receiving in his 30 games at Colorado State.
What the Betting Markets Say About the 2025 Round 1 Rookies
DraftKings and FanDuel have already posted a few props for the 2025 rookies—and sickos that we are, we already have Fantasy Life player projections for them.
Here's how our numbers compare with the market for five rookies:
Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty's rushing yardage prop at FanDuel is a laughably low 999.5. I've already bet the over and logged it in our Fantasy Life Bet Tracker.
At DraftKings, he's -110 to have 1,100 yards rushing, which is right in line with our projection of 1,114.
In all rookie formats, Jeanty is the easy No. 1 selection, and in redraft, best ball, and Guillotine Leagues he's a locked-in Round 1 pick.
I like him at +340 to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year (FanDuel).
Travis Hunter
The "problem" with Hunter is that we don't know the extent to which he'll be a full-time pass catcher in the NFL. And he'll need to compete with No. 1 WR Brian Thomas for targets.
As a result, despite Hunter's unquestioned upside, we have him projected for a modest rookie campaign with 704 yards and 4.3 TDs receiving.
At FanDuel, his receiving yardage prop is 650.5. At DraftKings, he's -110 to hit 700 yards and -155 to have five TDs receiving.
Drafters will likely invest in him because of his upside, but his first-year median expectations should be kept in check.
WHAT ABOUT WARD, MCMILLAN, AND MORE?
Our favorite content from the fantasy football and NFL Draft watercooler, from us to you …
🦬 Breaking down the first two days of the draft. Big drop for a Buff.
😴 Don’t sleep on these Day 3 options. We could hear their names a lot in fantasy land if things break right …
🤝 The Jags are making moves. Let’s hear it, “Duuuuuuuvaaaaal!”
📝 Best available players for Day 3. No. 1 comes as no surprise …
🤔 Were the signs there all along? Matthew Berry explained what he heard about Shedeur Sanders at the NFL Combine.
💨 Or maybe it was something else?
🙌 Jalen Milroe gets high praise from his former coach.
🐢 Cam Ward proves that slow and steady wins the race.
