Who are the pass-catchers I’m targeting as a “must-have” wide receiver? Let’s dive in and take a look at fantasy wide receivers I must have on my fantasy teams this season and their FantasyPros expert consensus ranking (ECR).
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Must-Draft Wide Receivers (Fantasy Football)
Davante Adams (WR – LAR) | ECR: WR16
Davante Adams joined the Rams in free agency this past March and honestly, that move couldn’t be a better one for him. Adams replaces Cooper Kupp and will now be schemed open by one of the best offensive gurus in the NFL in Sean McVay. The Rams are one of the most condensed offenses in the NFL in terms of personnel, so as long as he’s healthy, he’s not coming off the field.
Davante Adams was one of just ten Wide Receivers to post 17+ PPG last season
he did so despite playing for two below average offenses
32 years old or not…
Adams with Stafford is a BUY pic.twitter.com/7YmunQwJiH
— DynastyIM (@dynasty_im) July 21, 2025
Adams has historically been one of the best fantasy wide receivers in the league, dating back to 2016. In PPR, Adams has been a top-12 wide receiver each of the last five seasons and has earned no fewer than 141 targets in a season. He’s scored at least eight touchdowns in every season but one since 2016. It’s safe to say it’s bankable production from Adams, but what about the age concerns?
Sure, it’s mildly concerning from a historical standpoint that Adams is entering his age-33 season in 2025, but he hasn’t fallen off by any significant degree in terms of per-route metrics. Adams’ yards per route run (YPRR) came back up over 2.00 last season. He’s still stayed plenty strong in the target-earning department as he’s earned a look on 25% of his routes. He’s as safe as it gets in the first few rounds for a wide receiver that could earn 130-140 targets this season.
And before you ask, no, I’m not worried about Matthew Stafford, who has had back injuries previously to this offseason and has managed them quite well to provide his wide receivers the opportunity to hit ceiling outcomes time and time again. There’s a reason they call him “The Kingmaker,” and Adams should continue to wear that crown in 2025.
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN) | ECR: WR15
The best part about drafting Tee Higgins is that it gets your access to the prolific Bengals’ passing game without having to spend your first-round pick and likely 1.01 on Ja’Marr Chase. The duo of Chase and Higgins will maintain the status quo as one of the best wide receiver tandems in fantasy football and the NFL, too.
The Bengals’ offense is one of the most fruitful offenses for fantasy production, and with Mike Gesicki remaining in Cincinnati, there’s not much preventing the Bengals’ train from rolling in 2025. Cincinnati has been a top-three team in pass rate over expected (PROE) in each of the last three seasons, so there’s no danger of the team rolling back the passing game in the immediate future.
a Tee Higgins tweet perhaps pic.twitter.com/KoD8IYvpna
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) June 12, 2025
As for Higgins, he’s been amazingly consistent throughout his career, with four out of five NFL seasons with at least 1.80+ YPRR, a 20% target per route run (TPRR) rate, and all five seasons with at least six targets per game. Higgins is entering his age-26 season squarely in his prime and ready to produce in a prolific passing offense that’s perfect for fantasy football.
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Kevin Tompkins is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his profile and follow him on Bluesky @ktompkinsii.bsky.social.
