There are several ways that a Nuclear option can present itself. To piggyback on the handcuff method, let’s assume a starting RB has been named for Texas. You could draft the second string player late in a draft with the hopes that if the starter goes down with injury, the back-up’s fantasy value explodes. Another way that Nuclear options can present themselves is when there is an expected starter that now looks to see a massive increase in workload.
Typically in this situation, players from the previous year’s team that were fantasy productive have left, vacating workload opportunities. When I identify these type of Nuclear options I look for two items. First, I want coaches who have a history of big performances at that position group. Second, I look for situations where the player in question has a low risk level of other players that could eat too much into the anticipated workload share.
Just like nuclear weapons, the Nuclear options in this article vary in size. Some of the Nuclear options could win you your fantasy league, while others could be very good fantasy players at their position. I am focusing on both larger and smaller Nuclear options since these are high upside players you should keep in mind during your fantasy drafts.
**This article will be updated as position battles sort themselves out through the summer**
HONORABLE MENTIONS
HAWAII
QB Micah Alejado
One of the more optimistic names for the 2025 season is Micah Alejado. He spent last season as the back-up quarterback, but in one lone start had 57 pass attempts for 469 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs. He entered spring camp as the unquestioned QB1 and showed that he brings more talent to the quarterback position than any other QB that head coach Timmy Chang has had at Hawaii. Chang’s history at Hawaii has not provided the type of fantasy fruit we have expected from his run-and-shoot offense yet, but the hopes are that Alejado will change all that. He is still very green and has lots to prove this season so its best to secure a solid QB1 & QB2 before taking a shot on Alejado’s Nuclear potential.
WR Pofele Ashlock
During the 2023 season Pofele Ashlock led the Hawaii receivers in targets and fell just shy of being the fantasy WR1 in the offense. The 2024 season was marred with inconsistent quarterback play which held Ashlock’s fantasy value in check. With the possible Nuclear storm that Micah Alejado could bring at the quarterback position you can’t ignore that Ashlock could shatter expectations in 2025. Ashlock’s role in the offense suffers from a bunch of very short routes that require him to catch the ball and make plays in space. For him to crack 10+ TDs he will need to be used more in the deep and intermediate passing game. But the sheer volume of 120+ targets is too much to ignore for a potential huge year.
INDIANA
QB Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza transfers into Bloomington from California to take the reigns of the Hoosier offense. While only posting 107 yards and 2 TDs on the ground last year, Mendoza is a nimble quarterback who can run with the football. When offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan has had mobile quarterbacks he has generated great fantasy success. Its still to be seen if Shanahan will let Mendoza carry the ball 90 times to match the type of utilization that we see in Shanahan’s history.
IOWA STATE
RB Carson Hansen
Carson Hansen finished 2024 as the RB1 for Iowa State. While he dominated the TD production from the backfield, his carries were held in check at 151 as Abu Sama was able to siphon off 124 carries for himself. If Sama gets injured, Hansen’s workload should exceed 200 carries. Running backs that meet the 200 carry mark for head coach Matt Campbell have been strong fantasy assets.
LOUISVILLE
RB Duke Watson
For Duke Watson to have Nuclear potential in 2025, it requires starting running back Isaac Brown to go down with injury. Watson brings a talent level that is close to being on par with Brown, and we should see Watson eat into some of Brown’s carries. But with a Brown injury we could see the first running back for head coach Jeff Brohm reach the 200 carries mark. If Watson is allowed to be the workhorse back with Brown out of action, he could become a player that wins you your fantasy league. In terms of draft potential, taking Watson with the hopes he goes Nuclear should only be done in best ball leagues, or potentially a very deep league with 20+ fantasy teams.
MINNESOTA
RB AJ Turner
Darius Taylor is the locked and loaded RB1 of this team. In the event he were to go down with injury, his replacement could be a juicy nuclear option if he can dominate the carries. Cameron Davis transfers in from Washington and would be a contender but I don’t feel like he has the ability to be a replacement bell cow back. This leaves us with AJ Turner as the only candidate with enough talent that could step in and command a large workload in the event Taylor is lost to injury.
SMU
TE RJ Maryland
The 2024 season was not what RJ Maryland had hoped for. He had up and down performances as the quarterback play struggled, then eventually went down for the season with a knee injury. If you go back to the 2023 season Maryland scored 111 fantasy points on 55 targets for 518 yards and 7 TDs. He sat out spring camp while rehabbing his knee and we’ll have to wait until fall camp to see if he is healthy enough to return to his 2023 form. If he doesn’t have any limitations in his play from the knee injury Maryland could be considered a small yield Nuclear option, only because the tight end position lacks fantasy heavy hitters in 2025.
NUCLEAR OPTIONS
BOISE STATE
RB Sire Gaines
I previously covered the Boise State running backs in my “Cornering The Market: Handcuffs” article and I highly recommend reading that section of the article. In terms of a Nuclear option in this backfield, Sire Gaines appears to be the best suited for that title. He is the only back who looks like he could handle a monster workload, and has the ability to earn hard second-effort yards which is critical in this offense for fantasy success. Gaines has been dealing with a lower body injury since the start of last season and he sat out of spring camp. We need news from fall camp that he is 100% healthy and dominating in early scrimmages for him to start to be considered a Nuclear option. Until we get that news you should focus your sites on drafting Malik Sherrod as the RB1 for Boise State.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
QB Caden Veltkamp
In his first year as a starting QB at Western Kentucky last year, Caden Veltkamp put up 280 fantasy points. New head coach Zach Kittley targeted Veltkamp to be the man to lead his offense at Florida Atlantic in 2025. Veltcamp wrapped up spring camp as the unquestioned QB1. We’ve only seen one Nuclear performance by a Kittley quarterback and that was Bailey Zappe in 2021 when he put up 544 fantasy points. Kittley knows Veltkamp is a perfect fit for this offensive system and he has his top receiver from last season Easton Messer with him this year to make a smooth transition to fantasy success in 2025.
WR Easton Messer
Easton Messer is one of my favorite Nuclear options for the 2025 season. While playing at Western Kentucky last season he scored 135 fantasy points from 83 targets for 55 receptions, 793 yards, and 4 TDs. During the winter Messer decided to follow his quarterback from Western Kentucky Caden Veltkamp to Florida Atlantic to play in Zach Kittley’s pass happy offense. Kittley had a monster performance by Jerreth Sterns in 2021, scoring 369 fantasy points from the slot position. Last season Josh Kelley underperformed expectations but still produced 176 fantasy points from the slot. Messer was the man all spring long and dominated in every spring scrimmage. Expect more of the same once the 2025 season kicks off from Messer.
FRESNO STATE
RB Bryson Donelson
2024 was an okay season for Bryson Donelson. He had 77 carries for 462 yards and 3 TDs, but in the bowl game he had his best performance. He was featured as the lead back during that game and ran the ball 15 times for 82 yards and 1 touchdown. During spring camp it was evident that Donelson is going to be the workhorse back in offensive coordinator Josh Davis’ offense. Last season at South Dakota Davis split the workload between two running backs with both putting up 260+ fantasy points. Donelson looks to command a larger workload than Travis Theis’ 187 carries from last season at South Dakota. I’m planting my flag that Donelson finishes 2025 as a lock to be a top 10 fantasy running back, and potentially a top 5 fantasy back.
MEMPHIS
RB Gregory Desrosiers
Its amazing how the fantasy potential of the Memphis running backs changed big time during the spring. Before the spring there was the expectation that there would be a split production backfield, but when Rashod Amos transferred out of the program the door was opened for Desrosiers to become a bell cow. Over the past two seasons he has averaged 8.1 & 7.4 yards per carry, and he is an explosive pass catcher out of the backfield. In the Tulane game last year he had 9 targets for 8 receptions, 84 yards and 2 receiving TDs. Offensive Coordinator Tim Cramsey’s RB1 has scored 290+ fantasy points three times in the past four seasons. Desrosiers should be considered a RB1 for your roster in fantasy drafts moving forward.
MISSOURI
RB Ahmad Hardy
I am torn as to the extent of how much of a Nuclear option Ahmad Hardy can be in 2025. Last season at UL-Monroe he scored 220 fantasy points while commanding a 237 carry workload. If history has proven anything these last several years its that running backs that move up from the Group of 5 level to the Power 4 (let alone the SEC), have struggled to meet fantasy expectations. There was concern that Missouri would bring in another running back during the spring transfer portal to eat into Hardy’s workload but that never occurred. So we have a strong workload outlook for Hardy this season, the question is can he be productive in the SEC?
NOTRE DAME
RB Jeremiyah Love
My love for Jeremiyah Love’s Nuclear potential took a hit this spring when he suffered a hamstring injury. Love was the top running back last year for the Irish and returns to take up that mantle again. Last season Notre Dame utilized a rushing quarterback in the offense that had 187 carries. Redshirt freshman CJ Carr takes over under center in 2025. Carr is athletic enough to run the football but he won’t be used as extensively in thebrun game like we saw last year. This means there are more carries freed up in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s offense for Love to inherit. I think Love is a lock for 200 carries this year and if he can it the 225 carry mark he has a chance for a small-yield Nuclear performance.
OREGON
TE Kenyon Sadiq
Kenyon Sadiq might be the hottest name at the tight end position for fantasy owners in 2025. The hype is real, as he possesses far better athletic ability than Terrance Ferguson, the starting tight end from 2023-2024. I don’t see Sadiq putting together a 200 fantasy point Nuclear season, but he has the potential if the new receiver core fails to provide a standout receiver. The 59.5 target average we saw from Ferguson the last two seasons should likely be a floor what we could expect to see from Sadiq in 2025.
PENN STATE
RB Kaytron Allen
Kaytron Allen is the RB2 in this backfield but it could be argued that he is the top running back in the offense based on usage. He had almost 50 more carries than Nick Singleton has in 2024, but 25 fewer targets. If Nick Singleton has to miss any playing time Allen would inherit a big chunk of Singleton’s carries on top of the 196 carries he’s been averaging over the past two seasons. When you add in the receiving production to the mix, this makes Allen one of the biggest Nuclear options out there, albeit requiring an injury to do so.
SAN JOSE STATE
WR Matthew Coleman
Over the last three seasons Matthew Coleman has been paying his dues in the San Jose offense. Last season was his most productive season, playing in all 13 games with 34 receptions for 401 yards and 2 TDs. What grabbed the eyes of the fantasy community was his bowl game performance. While being featured as the WR1 in the offense, he had 15 targets for 12 receptions, 119 yards and 1 TD. Not much news came out of spring camp about Coleman, but his toughest competition for the WR1 role transferred out of the program. This leaves a clear path for Coleman to command the coveted slot receiver position in offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann’s high volume passing offense.
SOUTH FLORIDA
QB Byrum Brown
Byrum Brown suffered a foot injury that cost him the 2024 season. The year before he nearly scored 400 fantasy points which was aided by his rushing ability. If his foot is fully recovered and it doesn’t impact his cutting, he could be a fantasy volcano about to erupt. Head coach Alex Golesh has a rich history of quarterbacks being fantasy studs. If everything comes together Brown should definitely go Nuclear this fall.
TCU
WR Eric McAlister
After spending the 2023 season as the standout receiver for Boise State, Eric McAlister transferred to TCU with high hopes he would become the WR1. That didn’t materialize last season, only garnering 57 targets for 762 yards and 5 TDs. But the TCU receiver core has been decimated, leaving 255 targets from last year’s offense up for grabs. Head coach Sonny Dykes has a history of force feeding his top receiver which can be seen in the chart below during the 2018-2019 seasons. While its been five years since a Dykes WR1 has had 150+ targets, there’s a chance that McAlister could hit that mark if everything goes right this season.
TOLEDO
RB Chip Trayanum
I want to start out by saying I have my reservations about Chip Trayanum going Nuclear this year. He was a highly recruited running back out of high school and through stops at Arizona State, Ohio State, and Kentucky has failed to live up to expectations. I am including him as a potential Nuclear option due to his move down to the Group of 5. There is no running back to challenge Trayanum for carries in the Toledo backfield, and he “should” carve up MAC defenses. I’m taking a cautious approach here, waiting until I have at least 3-4 running backs on my fantasy roster before I look at drafting Trayanum.
UTSA
QB Owen McCown
2025 looks to be “wheels up” for the UTSA passing game. Owen McCown scored 303 fantasy points last season and returns as the starter. He also returns several of his top receivers and tight ends to give him plenty of passing targets to choose from. One thing that is overlooked is that McCown is a decent rusher. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry last season on 86 rushing attempts for 342 yards and 3 TDs. If he can squeeze a little more juice out of the rushing game to go along with the expected improvements in the passing game, McCown could but everything together for a nice Nuclear yield season.
WAKE FOREST
RB Demond Claiborne
Demond Claiborne was the brightest shining light in the Wake Forest offense during the 2024 season. He produced a 213 fantasy point season with a 228 carry and 34 target workload. He enters 2025 as the centerpiece of the new offense brought in by offensive coordinator Rob Ezell. While Ezell featured a split backfield in 2024, we can see there’s enough workload for Claiborne to at least match his workload from last season. I’m not sure how high of a fantasy ceiling he has for this season, but the potential is there for a modest Nuclear performance.
WASHINGTON
QB Demond Williams
Head coach Jed Fisch spent the 2024 season grooming Demond Williams to take over the starting quarterback job in 2025. His opportunity to be the starter came early when he took over the reigns of the offense in November against Oregon. Over his last two games he had 42 carries (much of those were sacks) and his rushing ability is the key to Williams’ Nuclear future. Fisch has never featured a dual-threat quarterback before so we can’t base Williams’ potential rushing workload off of any historical data. I can’t see him maintaining a 20 carry per game workload in 2025. If we look at star running back Jonah Coleman’s workload from last season, he only carried the ball more than 15 times in a game five times. I’m keeping a more modest 12-15 carries per game expectation for Williams heading into this season.
WEST VIRGINIA
RB Jahiem White
Jahiem White has been stuck in a split carry offense the past two seasons, but in the offseason the school hired Rich Rodriquez as the new head coach. Rodriquez promised White that he would be the feature back in the offense and refused to bring in another big name rusher to challenge him for carries. White liked what he heard and stayed at West Virginia instead of testing the waters in the transfer portal. That’s because White saw what Tre Stewart did at Jacksonville State last year for Rodriquez. Stewart scored 351 fantasy points and an astonishing 25 rushing TDs. I’m not going to say that White is a lock for 300 fantasy points but I like his chances of trying to hit that barrier.
WESTERN KENTUCKY
QB Maverick McIvor
Head coach Tyson Helton knows how to create fantasy gold from the quarterback position. From 2021-2022 his QB1 scored 544 & 445 fantasy points. This offseason Helton hired Rick Bowie from Abilene Christian as the new offensive coordinator. Maverick McIvor was the starting quarterback for Abilene Christian last season throwing for 3847 yards, 30 TDs and 7 INTs. McIvor followed Bowie to Western Kentucky during the spring locked down the starting quarterback job. He knows this system, and Helton’s offensive knowledge will help Bowie get the most of out McIvor as the FBS level.
