We continue our positional previews today by turning our eyes to the wide receivers – splashy divas that are capable of turning the tide any given week with chunk plays. Wideouts are traditionally viewed as one of the two cornerstone pieces of a fantasy team, along with running backs. Over the last decade, receivers have been coming out of college and instantly making an impact on the fantasy football landscape, due in part to the pass-heavy nature of the NFL, coupled with programs running pro-style offenses. Expectations are that receivers will produce out of the gate beginning in Week 1, and that they will not need a “ramp-up” period like tight ends.
Here at FantasyPros, we constantly update our ECR (Composite rankings) based on format, broken down by tiers – you can find our latest update here. For this article, I’ll provide my player analysis, along with a recommendation on which player I would target in the given tier (through the WR2s) – based upon my expectations and underlying ADP data.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Running Back Overview
Tier One
Chase is universally being selected as the overall 1.01 pick in fantasy drafts, with Lamb and Jefferson flying off the board in the middle of the first round. Chase is about as safe of a selection that I can remember in modern memory. Provided he stays on the field and is healthy, he will produce, as the alpha option in Cincinnati’s potent passing attack. He’s coming off an absurd 127/1,708/17 season and those numbers are attainable again. Lamb’s totals from 2024 aren’t eye-popping, but you’d do well to remember the injuries he continually played through and the absence of Dak Prescott under center. Even with those obstacles, he still finished as the WR8, and he is a strong bet as a rebound candidate. Over Justin Jefferson’s career, when he has played a full season, the WORST fantasy finish he has had was WR6. Ponder that for a moment. A 100/1,500/8 statline is a safe floor for Jefferson, given his ability to roast any opposing cornerback.
Favorite Pick
Chase is in the best situation, given his chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals’ offense will need to throw to remain competitive in games, and it isn’t easy to envision a scenario where Chase doesn’t finish as a top three receiver.
Tier Two
- Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
- Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
- Nico Collins (WR – HOU)
- Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX)
- Drake London (WR – ATL)
Nabers was paired with a rotating cast of subpar players at quarterback in New York during his rookie season, and he still finished with a 109/1,204/7 split as the WR6. He has otherworldly talent, and has the potential for even greater things with Russell Wilson or Jaxson Dart under center.
Want the pinnacle of consistency? “ARSB” has averaged 113 receptions for 1,313 and 9 scores each of the past three seasons. His role as Jared Goff‘s favorite target remains unchanged, and shouldn’t be phased by a change of offensive coordinators in Detroit.
Puka Nacua dealt with injuries in his sophomore season, but still finished with 106 targets across 11 games as the apple of Matthew Stafford‘s eye.The addition of Davante Adams doesn’t change our outlook on Nacua as a WR1, mainly since his floor is buoyed more by volume than touchdown receptions.
Nico Collins began 2024 on an absolute TEAR before missing Weeks 6-10 due to a nagging hamstring injury. His underlying metrics suggest that even after the shakeup around him at wideout in Houston, competition shouldn’t hinder him from exploding again this year. Durability is his biggest issue.
Brian Thomas Jr. was one of the lone bright spots for Jacksonville last season, finishing with an outstanding 87/1,282/10 split as the WR4. Capable of lining up all over the field and dominating, Thomas now has a full season under his belt with Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen at the controls, calling plays. Invest.
Drake London finally came into his own last season, shattering his career high marks across the board. His long-awaited breakout resulted in a WR5 finish, an impressive feat considering how poorly Kirk Cousins played for most of the year.
Favorite Pick
As there isn’t a significant ADP difference amongst players in this tier, I’m going to favor Brian Thomas Jr. He isn’t as big-play dependent as London, has a similar volume to Nabers, without the same competition as ARSB. He has a very high floor and absurd ceiling.
Tier Three
- A.J. Brown (WR – PHI)
- Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
- Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
- Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
- Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
Brown continues to be a wide receiver who maximizes his production on a per-touch basis. Even though he fought through an injury designation for the majority of the season, he still cobbled together a WR20 finish across 13 starts, anchored by strong touchdown totals and a knack for YAC.
Ladd McConkey – Wes Welker 2.0? Scrappy with a lunch pail mentality? I digress. He’s a talented, diminutive option who is peppered with targets by Justin Herbert every week. Los Angeles signing Keenan Allen dents his value somewhat, but it is hard to dismiss McConkey too much.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba answered any questions that detractors had about his ability to be used all over the field. The WR17 in fantasy points per game, his breakout allowed Seattle to dismiss DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in the offseason. Seattle’s gameplan will shift towards a more run-heavy approach in 2025, but we still anticipate a fine season for JSN.
Speaking of receivers that finally came through to match the hype, hello there, Garrett Wilson. He might not be efficient, and it sure wasn’t pretty, but Wilson finished with a 101/1,104/7 split on the heels of Aaron Rodger’s Jekyll and Hyde performances. Justin Fields under center isn’t the downgrade that many are making it out to be, and we still anticipate an upside-WR2 finish for the youngster.
When Tee Higgins was on the field, few other wideouts matched his level of production. The problem was staying on the field. For the second season in a row, Higgins finished with just 12 starts, but still had an impressive 73/911/10 split opposite Ja’Marr Chase. If he can play all 17 games, the Bengals offense would be nearly unstoppable.
Tyreek Hill suffered the same fate as the rest of the Miami Dolphins receivers in 2024, tanking in production while Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined. Finishing with his worst season since 2019, Hill enters the year as a major question mark due to his advanced age and drop in efficiency. Though some consider him a discount, he has major red flags.
Favorite Pick
Even with a new quarterback under center and presumptive shift towards a more run-heavy approach under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, I still have faith that JSN can provide fantasy value as an early-fourth round selection.
Tier Four
- Davante Adams (WR – LAR)
- Mike Evans (WR – TB)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
- D.J. Moore (WR – CHI)
- Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)
- DK Metcalf (WR – PIT)
- Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
- DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
- Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
Adams landed in the ideal spot with Los Angeles desperately needing a replacement for Cooper Kupp, alongside Puka Nacua. Even at 31 years old last year, Adams still showed that he has plenty left in the tank, thanks to his ability to roast man coverage and create separation. Matthew Stafford will deliver him quality targets for the first time in years, and we anticipate another stellar season. Mike Evans, what is there left to say at this point? The poster child for consistency, this future Hall of Famer has reached 1,000 yards receiving every year since 2014, and has scored more than 11 touchdowns in four of the past five seasons. His chemistry with Baker Mayfield is fantastic, and until we see any regression, he should be viewed as a high-floor option in standard formats as a WR2.
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. live up to the hype in his sophomore season? Drafted as a top-12 option last year, Harrison Jr. finished as the WR30, thanks to erratic play by Kyler Murray and Arizona’s puzzling decision to only use him on go-routes early in the year. We can’t dismiss the potential or pedigree, but it’d be nice to see him get out of the gate quickly in 2025. I’ve written about DJ Moore all offseason, but I’ve never seen a football player more continually miserable than him in 2024. A lack of catchable passes and quality targets was the main culprit, along with the sieve-like offensive line in Chicago. Improvements to the Bears’ front will help, but Moore has a LOT of competition for targets in the passing game.
Terry McLaurin’s contract dispute has been one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, with him only recently being activated to Washington’s roster off the PUP. A favorite target of Jayden Daniels, “Scary Terry” finished as the WR7 on a strong 82/1,096/13 split. A decline in touchdowns is coming, but McLaurin should still break 1,000 yards if he can get inked in time for Week 1.
DK Metcalf took a backseat to JSN and dealt with shoulder and knee issues all year long, causing him to experience a statistical decline during his sixth season with Seattle. Now the alpha option for Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh, he is likely due to an increase in targets. What he does with those is anyone’s best guess, especially with Arthur Smith still calling the plays. Courtland Sutton finished as the WR13 in fantasy last year and was the clear-cut go-to option for Bo Nix to look for, especially in the red zone. His target volume appears to be in question after Denver signed Evan Engram at tight end and Marvin Mims broke out, but he still has the floor of a mid-range WR2.
When passes come in the direction of Devonta Smith they are certainly quality targets, given how much opposing defenses need to concentrate on stopping Philadelphia’s ground game. The “Slim Reaper” experienced his second straight decline in production after an outstanding 2022 sophomore year, largely due to a lack of overall volume. He is a safe player with a low ceiling and breakout potential, given the offense of the Eagles. Tetairoa McMillan is the first rookie to make our list, and he fell into an interesting scenario with Carolina. Lacking any true alpha-option that was a game changer, McMillan should immediately be the Panthers’ first look in the passing game, alongside a dramatically improved Bryce Young. With a massive catch radius and the ability to out-muscle man coverage, McMillan has some serious breakout potential.
Favorite Pick
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a prime example of a player who didn’t fulfill or meet lofty expectations leveled upon them by the media, who could make a dramatic rebound in his sophomore season. During his rookie year, little went right for him and he appeared out of sync with quarterback Kyler Murray, yet he still finished with a 62/885/8 line. Arizona lacks elite receiving threats opposite Trey McBride, and Harrison Jr. is sure to be peppered with targets and chances to prove himself in 2025.
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