- Garrett Wilson could play the Amon-Ra St. Brown role: The New York Jets have a new offensive coordinator who previously coached the Detroit Lions and three new wide receivers, which will lead the room to look very different from last season.
- Travis Hunter plays 100% of the 11 personnel snaps with the starters: The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback played significantly with the offense during the first week of the preseason, including several snaps out of the slot.
- Win with PFF+: From draft day to championship week, PFF+ is the ultimate Fantasy sidekick. Get the Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator, Live Draft Assistant, Fantasy Draft Kit, weekly waiver suggestions, Start/Sit Optimizer and more.
Estimated reading time: 19 minutes
Each season, ESPN produces a list of players who were most represented on fantasy football playoff teams and championship teams. This article highlights five wide receivers with the potential to be true league winners in 2025. Each offers excellent value at their current ADP and has a clear path to finishing among the top scorers at their position by season’s end.
The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.
Last updated: Sunday, August 31
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets (ADP: 3.12)
Wilson was drafted with the 10th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jets had the lowest team passing grade in 2022 and the third-lowest in 2023. In 2024, Wilson had Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. His targets went down, and the team didn’t run as many pass plays, but his receptions and receiving yards went up. He doubled his career touchdown total, which helped him to his best fantasy season yet. His receiving grade was slightly ahead of Davante Adams, who was also heavily involved in the passing game.
His 85.4 three-year grade ranks 22nd-best among wide receivers with at least 500 routes run. A few of the wide receivers ahead of him are older, declining receivers, and some are coming back from injury, so it’s fair to expect Wilson to be considered at least a top-20 wide receiver, if not top 15. His fantasy production made a leap with Rodgers but not enough to suggest that Wilson is among the elite receivers in the league.
Wilson has the fourth-most targets among wide receivers over the last three years, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s among the top four this season. He finished third on the team in targets last season despite competing for catches with Davante Adams. Adams is now on the Los Angeles Rams, and tight end Tyler Conklin is with the Los Angeles Chargers. The only players remaining on the roster with at least 30 targets last season are Wilson, running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Allen Lazard. There are rumors that Lazard could be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers if Aaron Rodgers signs there.
New York spent a few draft picks on receivers, including fourth-round wide receiver Arian Smith and second-round tight end Mason Taylor. They also signed Josh Reynolds. None of them will be a threat to Wilson’s target share. New York could trade for a solid WR2 option, but that still probably wouldn’t be enough to get worried about Wilson’s target rate.
The Jets have a brand new coaching staff with Tanner Engstrand taking the lead as the offensive coordinator. He’s never been the lead of an NFL offense before, but he’s spent the last five seasons on the Detroit Lions staff.
The preseason likely didn’t give us a great look at how the Jets will use their wide receivers in the regular season. They released the six players who lined up in the slot for them the most in the preseason. Allen Lazard and Arian Smith both lined up on the outside and on the line of scrimmage for over 80% of their snaps, which isn’t where they have typically played. Wilson had the highest slot rate of the group, which could mean they plan on using him more in the slot this season. With Detroit, that was Amon-Ra St. Brown’s role.
Wilson will likely be on a Jets offense with fewer targeted passes but a higher percentage of those passes going to Wilson, leaving him somewhere similar to last season. His best shot at improving his fantasy points per game is simply dominating his target rate even more than the earlier parts of his career.
WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 6.11)
Hunter spent the past two seasons as a full-time wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado. His efficiency at wide receiver was strong but not elite, and he produced on a surprisingly high sample size, given his additional playing time on defense. His numbers improved across the board from 2023 to 2024. His production by situation was strong, too, but it’s worth noting that many of his routes were gos or hitches.
His 89.7 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons is directly in the middle of the other receivers who were drafted in the first or early second round. He racked up the most touchdowns and the fewest dropped passes of the five, and his separation rate against single coverage is the best among the group.
While Hunter wasn’t as accomplished as a receiver as others in the class, many consider him the best receiving option. PFF's Draft Guide notes, “As a receiver, he doesn’t have as much polish in releases, route nuance and beating press. However, all that can be improved and explained by not devoting all his time to one position.” If Hunter becomes a full-time receiver, he will be the top wide receiver in dynasty drafts based on his talent.
Hunter joins the Jaguars, who have Brian Thomas Jr. and minimal other competition for targets. The first preseason game gave us a great look at how the Jaguars plan on using Hunter.
He started the game for Jacksonville and played in 11 of 12 snaps with the starters. The one play he missed was a two-wide receiver set with Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown on the field. If this ends up being how he’s used in the regular season on offense, he can be a consistent fantasy starter. Several borderline fantasy starters only played in three-receiver sets last season, including Jayden Reed, Josh Downs, Khalil Shakir and Adam Thielen. The differences are that Hunter is more talented and the Jaguars should stay in 11 personnel for most of the game. Head coach Liam Coen’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked eighth in 11 personnel usage last season at 71.9%, despite multiple wide receiver injuries. His 2022 Los Angeles Rams led the league at 90.9%. On the first drive, the Jaguars used it 91.8%.
Coen also commented that they have focused on 11 personnel, and that he’s learning 12 personnel, so he could also start playng snaps in 12 personnel in the upcoming weeks.
One surprising part of his usage is that Hunter lined up in the slot on five of his 11 snaps, tying Thomas at five of 12 snaps. Thomas was expected to be the primary slot receiver after leading the league in yards per route run out of the slot. Hunter played significantly out of the slot in 2023, but in 2024, he only lined up in the slot 36 times compared to 736 snaps outside. This is significant because Coen’s top wide receivers, from a fantasy perspective, have primarily played out of the slot. This includes Chris Godwin averaging 19.7 PPR points per game last season, which ranked second-most in the league, and Cooper Kupp leading the league in 2022 at 22.4. This is enough reason to raise expectations for Hunter this season while somewhat dampening expectations for Thomas.
Hunter didn’t play the first drive on defense, but he played left cornerback on the Jaguars’ second and third drives, playing all eight snaps on those drives. Tyson Campbell was one of multiple Jaguars defenders who only played the first drive. Jarrian Jones started the game at left cornerback and switched to right cornerback when Hunter entered. Jourdan Lewis, who joined the Jaguars from the Dallas Cowboys, played as their slot cornerback, even though Jones held that position last season. If Hunter plays on defense in the regular season, it would likely be at Jones' expense. This wouldn’t necessarily need to be in any particular personnel groupings.
The sky is the limit for Hunter, a truly unique athlete. That uniqueness makes it difficult to project how much he can help a fantasy manager at the wide receiver position. As the offseason has progressed, the risks around Hunter have decreased, but his ADP hasn’t increased at a commensurate rate.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (ADP: 6.06)
McMillan has spent the past three seasons as a starting receiver for the Arizona Wildcats, dominating his opposition over the last two. He recorded at least 80 receiving yards in 64% of his games during that span.
McMillan improved in most key metrics during his final college season, except dropped passes — he dropped seven of his 131 targets in 2024 after dropping just two passes in 2023. One notable area of growth was his performance on contested catches. He gained more separation in 2024, resulting in fewer contested targets, and he converted a higher percentage of those contested opportunities into receptions. While his separation rates were lower than those of other top wide receivers in this class, that is understandable given his higher average depth of target compared to his peers.
While many college receivers who have posted dominant numbers have been Z receivers or slot specialists, McMillan stands out as one of the most accomplished taller receivers of the past decade. His 89.5 receiving grade ranks fifth among Power Five receivers 6-foot-2 or taller during that span, with only CeeDee Lamb accumulating more receiving yards. McMillan ranks ahead of Rome Odunze, Courtland Sutton, Bryan Edwards and Denzel Mims. Notably, Lamb, McMillan, Odunze and Sutton were all within 2.2 grading points of each other, while they were at least five points clear of Edwards and Mims.
The Panthers rotated Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker and David Moore at wide receiver last season, depending on who was healthy. McMillan is a prototypical X receiver, and Carolina lacked a true X option throughout 2024. All four returning wide receivers posted respectable target rates between 16% and 20%, and neither the tight end nor running back groups project to command a significant share of targets. McMillan may begin his career within that same snap and target range, but importantly, there is a clear path for him to grow into an elite target rate if his talent demands it.
Having Dave Canales as head coach should generally be a positive for McMillan’s development. Canales served as the Seattle Seahawks‘ passing game coordinator in 2020 and 2021, the two seasons when D.K. Metcalf posted double-digit touchdowns and recorded his career-high 1,303 receiving yards in 2020.
Canales was also the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, when Mike Evans scored 13 touchdowns and posted his best receiving yardage total since 2018.
Both Metcalf and Evans served as clear X receivers in those systems. On the downside, Canales’ offenses historically have not ranked among the league's best and have consistently finished below average in plays per game.
McMillan entered the draft as the safest rookie wide receiver option, and he landed in an ideal situation. He has the upside to develop into an excellent wide receiver with top-10 fantasy potential as a rookie. However, there is also a risk he takes time to adjust and gets lost in the shuffle among several Panthers receivers. In most scenarios, however, he should be a fantasy starter in his rookie season.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP: 5.08)
Rashee Rice was the 55th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was part of a heavy rotation of wide receivers for most of the season, as eight wide receivers played at least 120 snaps and no one exceeded 700. Rice made a mark in Week 1 with a touchdown while only playing 20 snaps. In Week 3, he caught five passes for 59 yards in a slightly expanded role. Starting in Week 6, he scored a minimum of 8.0 PPR points per game over the rest of the season. He exceeded 60% of Kansas City's offensive snaps in Week 8. It wasn’t until Week 14 that the Chiefs trusted him to play over 70% of the offensive snaps, despite two solid months of strong play.
By this point, the Chiefs generally considered him a normal full-time receiver, as he played 88.9% of the offensive snaps in the conference championship game and 84.8% in the Super Bowl. Rice seemed primed to be among the league’s best fantasy wide receivers in his second season until he was involved in a high-speed crash. Many believed he could receive a significant suspension from the NFL, which greatly reduced his ADP heading into the season. As it became clear a suspension wasn’t happening that season, his ADP started to rise, but he was still a steal in many home leagues.
Rice had an excellent first three weeks of the season. He continued playing 74% of the team's offensive snaps or more and caught seven passes for 103 yards in Week 1, five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and 12 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown in Week 3. His 64.9 PPR points over those three games were the second-most among wide receivers. Rice suffered a season-ending torn LCL on his fourth play of Week 4. It’s worth noting that any table with his per-game stats for 2024 was significantly impacted by him not playing in over 90% of the snaps in one of the four games.
In his 11 complete games since consistently playing at least 70% of his team's offensive snaps, he’s averaged 17.9 PPR fantasy points per game, typically suitable for a top-10 fantasy finish. Rice’s most impressive stat is his receiving yards after the catch, where his 42.05 receiving yards after catch per game ranks best among wide receivers over the last two seasons, despite being a part-time player for most of his career. His 88.9 receiving grade is the 12th-best, while his 2.54 yards per route run ranks eighth-best. Rice at 100% with his quarterback and coach would typically be considered a top-12 fantasy wide receiver.
Rice would be considered a first- or second-round pick in fantasy drafts, if not for his suspension. Rice will miss the first six games of the season. He appears fully back from his LCL injury based on his play during the preseason, but if he isn’t at 100% now, he will be by the end of his suspension. Many won’t consider Rice in their drafts because he will miss six games, which helps make him a value. The wide receiver position is very deep, and anyone drafting Rice should be able to find a wide receiver who can average at least 10 PPR points per game during those six weeks. When you’re considering how many fantasy points you’re losing due to the suspension, you should consider the value of the replacement rather than considering Rice a zero for those weeks. This makes Rice more valuable than several wide receivers from Picks 25-35 range, because there are a lot of safer players who don’t have the same upside. Those drafting a different player will benefit a little bit in those first few weeks, but those who draft Rice will benefit the rest of the season, including the fantasy playoffs.
Despite the suspension, a big reason to be optimistic about Rice is his situation with Kansas City. Andy Reid is the most pass-happy coach in the NFL, as he runs a ton of plays in each game. His wide receiver target rate hasn’t been high simply because Travis Kelce has been on the roster. Patrick Mahomes is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, and his low deep target rate matches how they’ve used Rice so far. There were multiple seasons where both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce reached 290 PPR points with Reid as head coach and Mahomes at quarterback. Both Hill and Kelce are future Hall of Famers, and it is very premature to consider Rice or Worthy at that level, but that’s the kind of ceiling multiple receivers could have thanks to Reid and Mahomes.
Rice was a top-two fantasy wide receiver last season prior to injury. His suspension will slow him down, but his upside is very high given his talent when he was healthy.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (ADP: 6.04)
The Detroit Lions made Jameson Williams the 12th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, despite his ACL tear just months before the draft. He returned for the last six games of his rookie season, playing at most 18 snaps in a contest. He touched the ball only twice, but both went for 40 or more yards.
Williams missed the first four games of the 2023 season due to the NFL’s gambling policy, and he was then eased into action, playing less than 50% of snaps over his first four games back. After the Lions' Week 9 bye, Williams played between 50%-70% of Detroit's snaps over the rest of the season. His impact was minimal, totaling three touchdowns with no games over 70 receiving yards or five receptions.
He started Week 1 of 2024, and it was the best game of his career to that point. He played 85.2% of offensive snaps and caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He played 79.3% of snaps over the season, excluding the two games for which he was suspended due to the league’s PED policy. Williams gained at least 75 receiving yards in more than half of his games and averaged a touchdown every other game. There were two games early in the season where he was held to single-digit yards, but after his suspension, his floor was 8 PPR points. From Weeks 10-18, Williams averaged 15.3 PPR points per game, which ranked 22nd among wide receivers.
Williams started his career as strictly a deep threat. He ranked in the top seven in average depth of target and deep target rate from 2022 to 2023 among wide receivers with at least 250 routes. Last season, the goal became to get him the ball in more situations. He increased his deep targets by two, his medium targets by 18, and his short targets by 21 compared to 2023. His 8.4 yards after the catch per catch was the best among wide receivers last season.
With Ben Johnson off to helm the Chicago Bears, John Morton now leads the Lions' offense. Morton has been part of several offenses with different wide receiver rotations at each stop. His run-to-pass ratios have also changed, so it’s hard to tell how much his offense could help or hurt Williams. In his one season as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets in 2017, he had a clear top two receivers in Chosen Anderson and Jermaine Kearse. While Williams is an undersized receiver, his PFF run-blocking grade last season was among the highest for wide receivers under 200 pounds, and higher than that of Amon-Ra St. Brown. He shouldn’t lose any playing time in the base offense despite his size.
Morton and new wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery have given a lot of praise to Williams early in the offseason for his preparation, and they are expecting a breakout year. While early offseason praise doesn’t always lead to results during the season, it is certainly better than not receiving plaudits at all. While there is plenty of competition for touches in Detroit, there is at least a chance Williams can move up the priority list while others slip down. The Lions have the talent to have another great season on offense, and in that case, there should be at least two to three wide receivers who excel.
Jameson Williams became more than a deep threat in 2024, which allowed him to be a top-30 wide receiver, despite playing for a Detroit Lions team with several fantasy assets at the top 10 of their position. With a new offensive coordinator, Williams could get a larger part of the Lions' pie this season, at the expense of one or more players, due to his unique talents and playmaking ability.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.