Chasing upside is the name of the game when building a championship-winning fantasy football roster. Whether you’re looking for breakout stars, league-winning late-round picks, or high-risk, high-reward talents, targeting players with massive ceilings can be the difference between a good team and a great one. To help you identify this year’s top boom-or-bust candidates, we’ve gathered insights from our collection of Featured Pros experts. These analysts have pinpointed their favorite high-upside players for the 2025 fantasy football season. Check out the wide receivers who could explode and become true difference-makers. Let’s dive into the expert picks.
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High-Upside Fantasy Football Draft Picks: Wide Receivers
Wide Receivers
Which wide receiver comes with the most upside at his current positional half-PPR ADP and which player(s) would you pass on with a higher ADP at his position?
Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)
“Jordan Addison is a massive steal as the WR37 in the ADP despite facing a potential suspension. The former USC star was the WR21 as a rookie, averaging 11 half-point PPR fantasy points per game before finishing as the WR20 last year, averaging 12.1 fantasy points per contest. Furthermore, Addison had a higher fantasy points per route run average (0.39) than Tyreek Hill (0.37), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (0.35), and Garrett Wilson (0.33) last season (per Fantasy Points Data). More importantly, he has been a scoring machine, totaling 19 receiving touchdowns since entering the NFL, the fourth-most in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase (24), Mike Evans (24), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (22). There are several wide receivers with a higher ADP that I wouldn’t draft over Addison, including Chris Olave, Jerry Jeudy, and George Pickens.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
“The WR comes with the most upside at his current positional half-PPR ADP is Jameson Williams. I think that this is the year that Williams finishes as at least an WR2, with an outside chance of finishing as a WR1, even in the presence of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams has been held back by injuries and off-the-field incidents, but this is the year that he finally puts it all together. The player that I would pass on with a higher ADP at his position is Tyreek Hill (WR-MIA). You are paying for a player who is now 31 years old and is coming off a sub-1000-yard season. And his QB, Tua Tagovailoa, is one tough hit away from another concussion and missed playing time.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
“I can’t stop taking Jameson Williams in my drafts as WR27 off the board. I understand he’s a boom-bust fantasy play who has just lost one of the best offensive coordinators in the league, but Williams still plays in a highly competent offense with a potent run game that will move the football. He’s also the most explosive wide receiver in the NFL. Fight me. Williams will win you weeks this season. On the other hand, I’ll pass on WR25 Zay Flowers. Flowers is an excellent talent, but he is ignored in the red zone. He’s fine at cost in PPR leagues, but in half-PPR, there is no ceiling here.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
“Calvin Ridley is a bargain at an ADP of WR35, No. 70 overall. Since missing the 2022 season due to a gambling suspension, Ridley has turned in two straight 1,000-yard seasons and hasn’t missed a game over that span. After trying to catch passes from Will Levis and Mason Rudolph last year, Ridley gets a QB upgrade with No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward, an aggressive downfield thrower. The Titans don’t have many other proven pass catchers on the roster, so Ridley should get a smorgasbord of targets. I’d pick Ridley ahead of Jameson Williams, Chris Godwin, Travis Hunter, and several other receivers with higher ADPs.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Stefon Diggs (WR – NE)
“Stefon Diggs is ready to be a CARDI BEAST after an offseason filled with drama from pink cocaine to Cardi B relationship drama. If there is one thing for sure, Stefon knows that he will have a whole new fan base of Cardi B worshippers watching him play this year and look for him to capitalize on that fact alone. Stefon has always been a player who wants the spotlight, and somehow he has brought a very large light to the now small market Patriots.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
“I’m on the Rome Odunze hype train this offseason and won’t be stepping off any time soon. Another offseason/training camp will go a long way for Caleb Williams and Odunze to further their rapport and get on the same page with offensive-minded head coach Ben Johnson after one of the least efficient seasons of 2024. The Bears added several weapons across their offense, including the line and rookie TE Colston Loveland. They’re all in on Williams, so I’m taking Odunze well ahead of his current ADP and believe he has WR2 potential.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
“Tetairoa McMillan is tragically mispriced as the WR28 in ADP. McMillan could be a wonderful volume hog this year in what looks to be an ascending passing offense. Last year, in Weeks 12-18, when Young was hitting his stride, the Panthers ranked 13th in neutral passing rate. We could see that number increase this year, with a true number one option leading the way. Last year, during that same stretch, Young ranked eighth in CPOE, fifth in deep throw rate, 12th in highly accurate throw rate, and second in hero throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). McMillan is an incredibly talented receiver who can step up quickly. During his final two collegiate seasons, he ranked 17th and 21st in yards per route run. He’s a battle-tested man coverage beater as well. In 2023-2024, McMillan had the third-most and the tenth-most man coverage targets (among FBS wide receivers) while also ranking eighth and tenth in yards per route run against man coverage (per PFF). Don’t be surprised if McMillan is a WR1/2 in his rookie season. I’ll draft him over Jameson Williams, Xavier Worthy, Zay Flowers, D.K. Metcalf, D.J. Moore, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Courtland Sutton.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“Panthers rookie WR, Tetairoa McMillan, has tremendous upside for Year 1. Just based solely on his top-10 draft capital, one could expect T-Mac to surpass 80 catches, over 1,000 yards, and 6 TDs based on the average output of top-10 drafted WRs the past four seasons. But if McMillan can truly establish himself as the alpha in the passing attack…wheels are up. Bryce Young has shown two years in the NFL that he can support fantasy viable WRs between Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson. In Thielen’s last six games in 2024, he averaged 14.6 fantasy points per game – a mark that would have ranked 8th among all WRs last season. Draft McMillan aggressively in 2025 over Zay Flowers, DeVonta Smith, and DK Metcalf.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Travis Hunter (WR, CB – JAC)
“Travis Hunter is going several rounds too late. The Jaguars struggled to run the ball last year and will need to air the ball out if they are to chase down opponents due to their mediocre defense. Christian Kirk feasted from the slot in his last healthy season, and Hunter is a significantly more talented player. I would take Hunter ahead of Rashee Rice, who is competing with a pile of additional receiving talent in a lower-volume offense than his WR22 finish in 2023.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)
Kyle Williams (WR – NE)
“Get your hands on Kyle Williams right now. Being drafted as the WR64 at 163rd overall feels like theft, for reasons that have been discussed seemingly all offseason long. Williams’ ceiling for 2025 is simple: He emerges as the Patriots’ WR1, yes, over Stefon Diggs, and is a fantasy stud given his abilities on the ball, and once he has the ball in his hands. All it is going to take is for Williams to have positive noise in camp or one huge preseason game for his stock to skyrocket. Get Williams while he is this cheap, and that is over the likes of Jayden Reed and Brandon Aiyuk, both going 15+ places ahead of him in current half-ADP.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Jakobi Meyers (WR – LV)
“Jakobi Meyers gets a massive QB upgrade with Geno Smith. He is currently being drafted as WR41. Every year, he is valuable, and the trend continues. Someone you can draft late and start in your flex every week. Low-end WR2, High End WR3 with a WR4 price tag.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
“Marvin Harrison, Jr. was last year’s consensus WR1 in rookie drafts. He has a good year, but not what owners expected, finishing WR29 in half PPR. This year, he is being drafted as WR18 and will far exceed his draft spot. From week 12-18 of 2024, he recorded no fewer than 6 targets with as many as 12. This will grow during his second season with Kyler Murray, and he will be many owners’ mid-round league winner. Owners can comfortably draft him before Terry McClaurin, Tee Higgins, and Garrett Wilson as he competes to be a WR1 in all fantasy formats.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
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