Wide Receivers, Tier 1
1. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota
3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas
A trio of pass catchers take residence in the tier 1 group, leading off with Ja’Marr Chase. Last season the Bengals’ All-Pro caught 17 TDs with more than 1,700 receiving yards. Yup, that’s a player worthy of consideration at the number one overall pick.
When debating who’s the best WR in the NFL, it’s either Chase or his teammate at LSU, Justin Jefferson. A WR duo of that caliber is unfathomable to think about on a college team. What separates the two receivers for fantasy purposes this year – Chase catches his balls from Joe Burrow, while Jefferson will rely on JJ McCarthy, who may eventually be terrific but has yet to throw an NFL pass in a regular season game. Regardless, Jefferson’s that good…he’ll produce at an elite level regardless of the caliber of his QB. A competent McCarthy will give Jefferson a shot at a WR1 overall season.
CeeDee Lamb rounds out tier 1, who had 135 catches and more than 1,700 yards just two seasons ago, while enduring the loss of QB Dak Prescott for half of 2024. As long as Prescott stays healthy, Lamb remains right there as best in class.
The tier 1 WRs should all depart draft boards during the first half of round 1.
Wide Receivers, Tier 2
4. Malik Nabers, NY Giants
5. Nico Collins, Houston
6. Puca Nacua, LA Rams
7. Amon-ra St. Brown, Detroit
8. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville
9. AJ Brown, Philadelphia
10. Drake London, Atlanta
Malik Nabers flashed superstar skills with the Giants last year, amassing more than 1,200 yards despite putrid QB play. With a slight QB upgrade this season and health permitting, Nabers will be pushing towards tier 1 status. Nico Collins was well on his way to a banner season last year, only to get injured and miss five games. With CJ Stroud looking for Collins as his top option, the Texans’ WR has potential for a 1,500 yard, 12 TD season.
Puca Nacua has been a stud ever since entering the league as a fifth round pick. Nacua fell just short of 1,000 yards last season, while missing six games. You can do the math as to where those numbers project over a full slate. But factor in a bit of risk given Matthew Stafford’s age and iffy health.
Amon-ra St. Brown has three straight years with 100 plus receptions, and should be bumped even higher in full PPR leagues. No pass catcher has been more consistent than the Lions’ WR. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr emerged for the Jaguars last season, averaging just under 100 receiving yards over his final seven contests. Two-way player Travis Hunter’s arrival in Jacksonville will help direct some attention from defenses away from Thomas…look for an encore performance in 2025.
A full season of Super Bowl champion AJ Brown gets you 1,400 yards and 90 plus receptions. Brown missed four games last season, and otherwise was on track to hit right around those numbers for the third straight season. We end with the Falcons’ Drake London, whose numbers skyrocketed once the team shifted from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix at QB. Penix targeted London on a whopping 39% of his targets. While that number is likely to drop a bit, the point remains…London will be the heavy focus of Penix’s passes this season, many of which will carry a high average depth of target.
This superb tier 2 group should fly off draft boards starting the second half of round 1 and through round 2.
Wide Receivers, Tier 3
11. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati
12. Ladd McConkey, LA Chargers
13. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle
14. Davante Adams, LA Rams
15. Garrett Wilson, NY Jets
16. Tyreek Hill, Miami
17. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona
Tee Higgins leads off tier 3, resident in a dynamic passing game with Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow, while on a Cincinnati offense that will need to throw a lot to win games. In other words, a very successful recipe for volume statistics. Ladd McConkey emerged as Justin Herbert’s primary receiving threat last year, and will continue in such role in 2025 – the addition of Keenan Allen notwithstanding.
Similarly, it was Jaxon Smith-Njigba who emerged as the Seahawks’ lead wideout last year, to the point of making the Seahawks’ brass comfortable with trading DK Metcalf. JSN caught 100 balls last season, and as an expert route runner who can operate from the slot and outside, look for new Seahawks’ QB Sam Darnold to target him heavily.
While 32 years old now, Davante Adams still has his route running chops and ability to get open. He’s the perfect complement to Puca Nacua and so long as Stafford remains healthy, expect another vintage season from Adams. Garrett Wilson goes from a fading Aaron Rodgers to run first Justin Fields at QB? Is that an upgrade? Not sure, but Wilson and Fields were teammates at Ohio State, so there will at least be much better chemistry between the Jets’ battery mates.
The word out of Dolphins’ camp has not been great with respect to Tyreek Hill, especially as it relates to his head coach and QB. He’s also 31 years old and has in part relied on track level footspeed for his elite performance. This may be the year to fade Hill in your drafts. Finally, think about buying Marvin Harrison Jr, who’s now in year 2 with QB Kyler Murray. While Harrison Jr’s rookie season disappointed somewhat, the underlying skills – elite route running and sticky hands- remain. Look for him to take a leap.
The high upside tier 3 group should be picked starting in round 3 and into the top part of round 4.
Wide Receivers, Tier 4
18. Terry McLaurin, Washington
19. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay
20. Rashee Rice, Kansas City
21. Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina
22. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City
23. DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh
24. DJ Moore, Chicago
For the first time in his career, Commanders’ WR Terry McLaurin played with a really good QB in 2024. Ironically, his receptions and yards didn’t move much from prior seasons, but his 13 TDs nearly doubled his career high. You can count on 80 receptions, 1,100 yards and 8 – 10 TDs from McLaurin. Speaking of double digit TDs, Mike Evans has achieved this mark in 4 of his past 5 seasons. Evans will play the 2025 season at age 32, but you can bank on him for similar stats to those of McLaurin.
We next turn to two high upside plays, each with a mitigating fact. Rashee Rice showed fantasy WR1 potential in a cup of coffee last year, crossing the 100 yard mark and scoring a TD in two of his three games played. The eye test backed up the stats. The issue - Rice is likely to receive a suspension this year for his off-field transgressions. So you are likely getting 11 – 13 games of Rice at maximum. Likely worth it, but you need to be able to stomach risk if you select him.
Much less complicated, the risk with Tetairoa McMillan solely has to do with him being a rookie. McMillan looked great in his first preseason game, and unlike another WR in this tier to be later identified, he’s skilled at using his big frame to make contested catches. Meanwhile, Xavier Worthy’s ranking bakes in a potential Rice suspension, along with ascension now as a second year player.
It\\\'ll be weird to see DK Metcalf in a Steelers’ uniform…while catching passes from QB Aaron Rodgers. So Metcalf has a massive frame similar to McLaurin, though he struggles with contested catches. How much Rodgers has in the tank will impact Metcalf as well. Call me concerned. We wrap up with DJ Moore, who also brings questions as to the strength of his connection with QB Caleb Williams.
The back half of round 4 through round 5 serve as appropriate draft areas for tier 4. Rashee Rice and Tetairoa McMillan have the best ROI potential here.
Wide Receivers, Tier 5
25. Jaylen Waddle, Miami
26. Devonta Smith, Philadelphia
27. George Pickens, Dallas
28. Rome Odunze, Chicago
29. Courtland Sutton, Denver
30. Zay Flowers, Baltimore
Jaylen Waddle kicks off tier 5, looking to get back on track. After posting three straight 1,000 yard seasons, Waddle had a rather pedestrian (for his standards) 58 catches, with only 744 receiving yards and two TDs – though much of this can be attributed to QB Tua missing several games. Look for a bounce back season, especially for PPR leagues.
Devonta Smith sits in the shadow of AJ Brown, but he’s a terrific WR in his own right. When healthy for a full season, Smith has sat consistently in 90 catch / 1,100 yard / 7 TD land. No reason to materially move off those numbers. Newly a teammate of CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens heads to his best football environment to date with the Cowboys. With Lamb commanding priority attention from defenses, Pickens has the opportunity to post career numbers this year.
Year 1 in the Caleb Williams era didn’t go as planned for the Chicago Bears, which brought about a new coaching staff and offensive scheme. The arrow points up for the Bears’ offense, and look for Rome Odunze to have a much better sophomore season. Odunze boasts fantastic route running ability and good hands…you’ll see more of this in the 2025 season.
We wrap up with two WRs who serve as top options in run focused offenses. Courtland Sutton built good chemistry with QB Bo Nix last season, and Sutton will look to continue upon a season where he was targeted 135 times, resulting in more than 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. Moving to Baltimore, the Ravens have an explosive rushing offense, though Zay Flowers has comfortably carved out for himself the role of Lamar Jackson’s top target. In Flowers’ two NFL seasons, he’s landed right around averaging 75 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and 5 TDs. That’s the right expectation for 2025 as well.
Tier 5 possesses some interesting options, with rounds 6-7 feeling right for this group.
Wide Receivers, Tier 6
31. Calvin Ridley, Tennessee
32. Travis Hunter, Jacksonville
33. Jameson Williams, Detroit
34. Chris Olave, New Orleans
35. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco
36. Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay
37. Jacobi Meyers, Las Vegas
38. Stefon Diggs, New England
39. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland
40. Josh Downs, Indianapolis
41. Jayden Reed, Green Bay
Tier 6 contains an interesting mix of players, ranging from number one wideouts for their teams, intriguing rookies, and veterans trying to stay relevant. We’ll run through this tier and the final tier (7) quickly, as we’re entering the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” section.
No one quite knows exactly how Travis Hunter will be utilized, but early indications lean towards a full time WR with occasional time in the secondary on defense. That’s the ultimate setup for fantasy purposes. Can Jameson Williams stay healthy and become the dependable number 2 WR for the Lions? Will Calvin Ridley emerge as Cam Ward’s number one option, and will they have good chemistry? In all cases, we shall see.
Jauan Jennings had a breakout season for the 49ers in 2024, and health permitting, he has tremendous upside as Brock Purdy\\\'s new, actual number one wideout. Emeka Egbuka has been described as a veteran NFL receiver despite having yet to take a snap, given his route running skills, blocking chops and strong hands. Chris Olave has the talent to be several tiers higher, and was so last season, but is limited by perhaps the worst QB room in the NFL.
Jacobi Meyers has quietly been a very good player, ascending as his career has continued. Despite catching balls from a QB carousel last year, Meyers amassed 87 receptions for more than 1,000 yards. Enter new QB Geno Smith, who will be a massive upgrade for Meyers. Transitioning to another veteran wideout, Stefon Diggs now finds himself on his fourth team. How quickly will Diggs assimilate with QB Drake Maye? And will Diggs emerge as Maye’s top target…or will it be rookie Kyle Williams?
Jerry Jeudy will be the Browns’ number one receiver, but who will he be catching passes from? Joe Flacco? Shedeur Sanders? Kenny Pickett? Dillon Gabriel? Deshaun Watson? Oy. Meanwhile, Josh Downs has overtaken Michael Pittman as the Colts’ top WR, but we also wait to see who will be throwing the passes there. Jayden Reed leads a busy Packers’ WR group, though incoming rookie Matthew Golden could usurp Reed as the season moves along.
The tier 6 options should start coming off draft boards in round 8, lasting no longer than round 10.
Wide Receivers, Tier 7
42. Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco
43. Jordan Addison, Minnesota
44. Keon Coleman, Buffalo
45. Matthew Golden, Green Bay
46. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay
47. Cooper Kupp, Seattle
48. Deebo Samuel, Washington
49. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo
50. Jayden Higgins, Houston
51. Luther Burden, Chicago
52. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis
53. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta
54. Keenan Allen, LA Chargers
55. Kyle Williams, New England
56. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans
Briefly hitting on the tier 7 options, the upside plays here are Keon Coleman, Matthew Golden, Jayden Higgins, Luther Burden and Kyle Williams…aka the rookies. Ricky Pearsall and Jordan Addison fit that category as well. The veterans in this group are less enticing, as they’ve got pronounced injury histories at this point.
Rounds 11 and onward should be your target for this group, as you fill out your roster.
Draft Strategy:
WR depth remains as strong as ever. As such, the pressure to get a top option right away shouldn’t persist, though you may very well do so because of the way the board lines up. The gameplan at WR – try to grab at least one from the tier 1 – 2 group, with your top 2 WRs coming from within tiers 1 – 4, though your second WR coming from tier 3 would be preferred . From there, snag 2-3 guys from within the tier 4-6 block, pursuing upside plays, to fill out your roster at WR3 / flex and depth. There will be players from the later tiers who perform well above their draft slots, so make sure to make the play for their upside.
Personal Note
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