We’re approaching the 2025 season. Every year, a few players seize on the right opportunity and surprise fantasy players. The value comes from trying to predict who it will end up being this time of year and stashing them. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at some 2025 sleeper candidates at each of the key fantasy positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Hopefully, these are players you can acquire at a value that will propel you to fantasy glory.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Dallas Cowboys’ backfield was a question. Who would emerge? What kind of production would we see? The answer was Rico Dowdle, and a robust fantasy option. As we head into the 2025 season, we’re looking at the same situation. The Cowboys cleaned out their running back room and added new faces, but who will emerge?
Whoever gets the lead role will doubtless be of value for fantasy. While it might not be a great long-term option, the player that caught my eye is Javonte Williams. He’s on a one-year deal from Denver but has a chance to step into a lead role. Can he have a career year in Dallas? Let’s dive in.
The Case for Javonte Williams
Williams was a Second-Round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a Broncos fan, I was excited. And it didn’t take long for Williams to deliver. Despite splitting the backfield, as a rookie, he saw 203 carries, turning it into 903 yards and four touchdowns. He finished that season as RB17, seeing his dynasty ranking soar as he headed into a feature role in year two. He was hurt and lost for the season in Week 4 of his second season. He’s never gotten back to the promise we saw during his rookie season.
In 2023 and 2024, he was part of a committee for Sean Payton. While he produced well at times and was a factor in the passing game, Williams never seemed the ideal fit for the Broncos’ new scheme. Now, he’s moved on to Dallas. He’s not the only back that the Cowboys brought in, but Williams profiles as the one with the best potential to step into the lead role. And that role could prove to be valuable for those with Williams on the roster.
Last season, the Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott and had Dowdle still. While Elliott seemed likely to take the lead role, his production never showed up. Meanwhile, Dowdle made the most of his chances and developed into a solid asset for fantasy. He saw 235 carries, rushing for 1,079 yards. He also caught 39 passes. All that led him to an RB23 finish. That production is now wide open, providing Williams with a chance to capitalize.
The Case Against Javonte Williams
Williams isn’t the only option for the Cowboys. The team also brought in Miles Sanders on a one-year contract. While Sanders flamed out in his two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, prior to that he had a decent run with the Eagles. His last season as a lead back, in 2022, he saw 259 carries and turned it into 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. If he got volume, could he return to form for the Cowboys?
The Cowboys also snatched a back in the draft. The team took Jaydon Blue in the Fifth Round. At Texas, Blue rushed for 734 yards and eight touchdowns, catching 42 passes in 2024. He’s also something of a hometown option, having played at Texas, and the only one of these three backs under contract for 2026. Last season, after Elliott flamed out, the Cowboys only had one real option in the backfield, so they leaned on Dowdle. That’s not the case currently, as the team has three viable options, all of whom may have a role.
That’s nothing new for Williams. In 2023 and 2024, he was given a chance to be the lead back for the Broncos, but never quite reached that rookie-year production. He ended up part of a three-headed committee. While Williams produced, he was more of a flex option, finishing as RB30 with some peaks and valleys. The same fate could await in Dallas.
The Bottom Line
I like Williams and have since he was drafted. His rookie season saw a template for what he could be in the NFL. An injury and changing schemes seemed to cap his ceiling. In Dallas, a team that saw a relative unknown produce a 1,000-yard season, the potential for a resurgence is there. But most backfields in the NFL are a committee, and the Cowboys have positioned themselves to have options. That risk is baked into Williams’ cost, as he’s currently sitting at an ADP of RB41. Even as part of a committee, Williams outproduced the past two seasons in Denver. I think there’s also a decent chance he can take over a bulk of Dowdle’s role and soar back into the low-end RB2 range. His one-year contract doesn’t provide much long-term security in dynasty, but his 2025 upside could make the difference in a playoff run.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
