One Wide Receiver to Target in Each Round of Your 2025 Fantasy Football Draft

Just a decade ago, running backs made up five of the first six picks in fantasy football by average draft position (ADP) -- even in PPR formats.

In 2024, six of the first nine players by ADP are now wide receivers in PPR formats. The "Zero RB" strategy changed the fantasy football world forever, and it's varied the way that all positions are accumulated in drafts.

Regardless of when you nab productive wideouts, there's no debating their current importance to winning fantasy football championships. With an ADP of 8.0, Ja'Marr Chase was the skill player most commonly found on ESPN winning rosters last season (37.9%). Including Chase, I gave you three of ESPN's seven most common wideouts found on title teams in last year's piece. You could have easily nabbed the entire trio.

You can find top-of-the-line wideouts at nearly any point in a fantasy football draft, so whether you want to draft them early, late, or anywhere in between, I wanted to again devise a "grocery list" of wideouts to look out for in each round.

Though tastes may differ, the ultimate goal with the groceries is the same -- a delicious meal that ends in a fantasy football title. Here's my favorite set of ingredients.

If you're looking for running backs, that piece is also available.

Note: A player's ADP data comes from FantasyPros' half-PPR data. The basis of 12-player leagues was used to determine rounds in this piece.

One Wide Receiver to Target in Each Round of Fantasy Football Drafts

Round 1

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (5.7 ADP)

Being a "Hero RB" truther for years, there are three wideouts I realistically will take in Round 1 this year. Ja'Marr Chase is the rare 1.01 that I'm excited to target, and CeeDee Lamb is the other guy I'd love to secure in the top five. Malik Nabers should be fed, too.

Passing game volume is the biggest upgrade for Lamb that could push the 2023 WR1 back toward that league-best mark. Somehow, Dallas downgraded its backfield from Rico Dowdle, and they shifted playcallers to new coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose Seattle Seahawks were 14th in pass rate (59.6%) the last time he called plays in 2020.

Dak Prescott missed the final nine games of 2024. Before that, Lamb was still just 0.6 fantasy points per game (FPPG) behind Justin Jefferson for the league lead.

Some see newly acquired George Pickens as an obstacle, but Lamb's opposite wideouts were Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert last year. They badly needed someone to take away attention from Lamb like all of the other first-round wideouts have -- and that assistance doesn't hurt them.

I expect the Cowboys to be a top-five squad in pass rate over expectation (PROE), and their defense could be awful if Micah Parsons' wish is granted. Fast games and shootouts seem on the horizon in Big D.

Round 2

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (19.7 ADP)

Though I'm not close to the highest fantasy football analyst on Drake London's prospects this season, it's weird to see him roughly in the same ADP spot as last year. His situation is undoubtedly better.

I'm sure you've heard by now that, when Michael Penix Jr. took over at QB for the Falcons, London's production went to the next level. He led the NFL in target share (39.8%) and was second in FPPG (19.3) in the three weeks where Penix was Atlanta's starter.

To me, the best argument for London is his floor because, even with Kirk Cousins struggling and Darnell Mooney soaking up an unexpectedly high target share (22.0%) for the 15 weeks of the season, he still posted 12.6 FPPG, which would have been the WR18 overall.

Mooney (shoulder) is already trending out for Week 1, so the targets will be there even if Kyle Pitts and Penix Jr.'s chemistry seems to be real.

London caps a "sleeper" tier of top overall wide receiver candidates that I don't mind waiting for in order to select Ashton Jeanty in the first round, including Nico Collins, A.J. Brown, and Brian Thomas Jr.

Round 3

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (32.0 ADP)

Some are squeamish about a third-round pick that has no path, at full health, to even lead his own team in fantasy points or target share. The Bengals could be a special exception.

Cincinnati's historic defensive impotence should be even worse in 2025, thrusting so much work onto the NFL's most expensive passing game. Tee Higgins is a huge part of that even if Ja'Marr Chase is the headliner.

Injuries limited Higgins to just 12 games where he played at least 50.0% of the snaps, but in those games, he still had a 24.6% target share and posted 15.6 FPPG. That was tied with Justin Jefferson for the WR3 in fantasy if extrapolated to the whole season.

Plus, though no one loves to think this way on draft day, what if something happened to Chase? Higgins is a WR1 weekly. He posted 22.5 fantasy points in the lone 2023 contest where Chase was absent, and Tee averaged 15.6 FPPG a four-game stretch without Ja'Marr in 2022.

Chase and Joe Burrow might be Paul McCartney and John Lennon, but Ringo Starr didn't do too poorly himself.

Volume is a decent argument for Garrett Wilson or Jaxon Smith-Njigba as undisputed top targets on their squads, but they're not attached to an MVP candidate on a team that led the NFL in PROE (8.2%) last year.

Round 4

Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals (39.7 ADP)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the top-drafted wideout in 2023 who disappointed in his rookie season. He broke out last year. Will 2024's top-drafted wideout follow suit?

Marvin Harrison Jr. was taken first in what is shaping up to be a generational rookie wideout class, but an aggressive ADP as a rookie (15.7) produced a bust. MHJ averaged just 9.9 FPPG and failed to beat out Trey McBride (29.3%) with a 22.2% target share. Playing all 17 games compared to others with injuries masked his poor return on investment.

McBride and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing are still there, so what could be different? A bit of luck and better play from his quarterback, Kyler Murray.

Astoundingly, only 67 of Harrison's 116 targets (57.8%) were deemed catchable last year. 77.6% of McBride's were catchable. Though the degree of difficulty is higher on the perimeter, that gap doesn't seem sustainable in 2025.

Maybe time tells us that Harrison Jr. shouldn't have gone above Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. in the draft, and I just can't get past the value proposition of Harrison now going three rounds later when all have extremely similar opportunities in their sophomore seasons.

Round 5

Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (59.0 ADP)

It is bizarre to me how little love Zay Flowers gets in fantasy football.

The former first-round pick is attached to Lamar Jackson and led the team in target share (25.4%) by a mile. No other wideout was above 16.0% -- as badly as the community wants to make Rashod Bateman a thing.

Baltimore just created a perfect storm in 2024 for it to not matter. Their +157 point differential didn't require a ton of extra passing, and Derrick Henry scored 18 touchdowns last year, but I think it's unwise to assume the 31-year-old is perfectly unchanged and healthy after a 344-touch season.

Flowers also saw just 10.9% of the red zone looks in the passing game, trailing Mark Andrews (25.4%), Isaiah Likely (22.0%), and Bateman (14.1%) in that area of the field. He's not exactly built for the goal line at 5'9", but with a 78.0% route rate (best on the team), he was an option on most plays.

There are a lot of alternative universes where the wideout has a monstrous year, but this ADP is sort of assuming his role stays the exact same. That's a similar story for DeVonta Smith in this range, making both hyper-talented as potential WR3 selections.

Round 6

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans (74.7 ADP)

Last year, we saw Terry McLaurin enter 2024 approaching 30 with a rookie QB. He showed out. Is Calvin Ridley this year's version?

There's not a ton of enthusiasm for Cameron Ward in fantasy. He's the QB25 in ADP and doesn't seem like an elite rushing threat after just 204 yards and 4 scores on the ground last year in college. However, Ward -- as my top prospect in this year's draft -- should be a massive improvement from the pocket for a Tennessee offense that was 30th in schedule-adjusted passing efficiency a year ago.

Even with all of those issues, Ridley was still the WR27 in total fantasy points with another 1,000-yard season (1,017). He just suffered from five total scores as the team had the fifth-fewest offensive TDs (33) in the NFL.

There are, interestingly, a pair of Round 6 targets that could flirt with a 30.0% target share even if the team's pass-catchers stay healthy. Chris Olave's quarterback is just a significantly greater question mark than Ward. I've got the rookie ranked as my QB16, and a ton of that production should flow through Ridley.

Round 7

Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings (80.0 ADP)

Jordan Addison is one of the NFL's most talented wideouts, but he'll likely never escape Justin Jefferson's shadow. Could he be the Viking you want in fantasy this year, though?

Minnesota's targets aren't off to the healthiest start with Jefferson (hamstring) and T.J. Hockenson (groin) both out of camp at the moment. These lower-body injuries to soft tissue tend to linger, get re-aggravated, or just affect general performance. I've got both off my draft board at the moment -- which is painful especially in regards to Jettas.

Meanwhile, Addison has topped 875 yards in his first two campaigns. Last year, he saw his target share rise from 17.9% to 21.2% despite missing two games.

There are concerns. This Vikings squad pivots to J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, and Addison will likely serve a short suspension for the alcohol-related driving charge that he plead guilty to last month. Still, he has league-winning upside if Jefferson isn't able to shake off this injury. He averaged 12.2 FPPG as a rookie when Jefferson missed seven games and has become a more integral part of the team's plans.

Round 8

Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders (89.3 ADP)

Say this out loud. The WR9 in FPPG from 2023 is now heading to one of the NFL's most promising young quarterbacks, the team unnecessarily opted to give him $17 million guaranteed, and he's on most people's "do not draft" list. What?

That's Deebo Samuel's situation as, admittedly, one of the hardest players to forecast in the history of fantasy football. So much of Samuel's success was tied to a unique role in Kyle Shanahan's offense, and he's now leaving it.

Washington wanted him, though, and I think it's for Kliff Kingsbury to attempt some of the creativity he had in mind for Rondale Moore in Arizona. Without a doubt, this Commanders team needed to get Terry McLaurin some assistance after feeding Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown, and Dyami Brown a combined 11.0 targets per game last year.

McLaurin isn't at practice after requesting a trade, so this could be Jayden Daniels' top target coming off the board in Round 8. Suit yourself passing on him.

Round 9

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers (111.0 ADP)

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it might just be a duck.

Matthew Golden was the Packers' first wide receiver taken in the first round since 2002, yet this ADP leaves some sort of assumption he'll be just another cog in Green Bay's seemingly endless list of wideouts. Jayden Reed still has a higher ADP (99.5).

However, initial reports out of training camp indicate he's the team's primary outside receiver. Crazy how that worked?

That might be because Golden's own college profile was wonky. He really only got a true opportunity with the Texas Longhorns at the end of 2024 but made them count with 97.6 receiving yards against Texas' five opponents that made the College Football Playoff. He was at his best opposite the best.

Golden was my WR1 and 17th-ranked prospect in April's draft. I was surprised Green Bay went away from a cornerback with such a glaring need there, but it seems the team saw Golden as an opportunity to finally give Jordan Love his go-to guy.

Round 10

Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (126.3 ADP)

This isn't the first time you've seen Emeka Egbuka's name on FanDuel Research. He was one of our best wide receiver sleepers for 2025. Skyler Carlin deep dove Egbuka's fantasy football outlook. It's a little harder for me to discuss the Ohio State Buckeyes' all-time leading receiver because I might have badly whiffed on Egbuka's draft profile.

Egbuka was 66th overall on my board as a seasoned prospect who had an 81.1% slot rate last year for the Bucks. He also battled injuries in college. That's not a general indicator of a guy who will enter the NFL and win on the outside with regularity, but the minute Tampa Bay had selected him 19th overall, I realized he might be the real deal. They do an exceptional job finding wide receivers.

Baker Mayfield is a fan, which makes this feels like a transition year to the Bucs' next elite wideout duo, Egbuka and Jalen McMillan. Mike Evans is 32, and Chris Godwin (leg) appears behind schedule after last year's gruesome injury.

Evans' quest for another 1,000-yard season might stunt McMillan this year, but we know -- at the very least -- that Egbuka is an effective slot option. There's very little risk and a boatload of upside to consider him here.

Round 11

Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (141.3 ADP)

Few prospects will ever get the opportunity that Keon Coleman is poised to get this season. There's one reason he'll fail, and it's Keon Coleman.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen was second among qualifiers in expected points added per drop back (0.24 EPA/db), and a fairly clear runway for the former 33rd overall pick is getting even clearer with Khalil Shakir (ankle) and Josh Palmer (groin) missing time in camp.

Some are optimistic about the big-bodied Coleman as he really started to turn it on with a team-best 25.1% of Buffalo's air yards, 2.27 yards per route run (YPRR), and 9.6 FPPG in five games before a wrist injury took away the rookie's momentum. Plus, the team traded for the retired Amari Cooper in his absence.

I just don't ever expect Coleman, with a 4.61 40-yard dash, to ever consistently separate in the NFL. His career hinges on finding chemistry with Allen and winning against DBs in a similar way that Alshon Jeffery did for several years. He also just turned 22 in a ripe development age of figuring that out.

There's very little risk at this spot when his opportunity, strengths, and quarterback seem very conducive to a season with 10-plus touchdowns.

Round 12

Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers (149.0 ADP)

One of my favorite fantasy football late-round targets this year is Tre Harris.

I'm not going to overreact to a mediocre Hall of Fame game or a potential signing of a 33-year-old Keenan Allen to think that the Chargers are going to leave their second-round pick for dead. He's, ultimately, supposed to become what Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston were billed to be.

Short of injury, it would be pretty shocking if Harris wasn't a decent pro receiver. He was the first Power 4 receiver ever to post over 5.00 YPRR in a season with a minimum of 200 routes for the Mississippi Rebels in 2024 with verticality to win at all three levels. He averaged 6.44 yards after the catch, too, to do his part.

L.A. has a run-first reputation, but Palmer and Johnston combined for 10.3 targets per game last year to Ladd McConkey's 7.4. McConkey has also battled lower-body injuries in three straight seasons.

Given the gaudy stats produced in the heart of the SEC, Harris not getting more hype in the pre-draft process was peculiar. He was my 32nd-ranked overall player and WR2 behind Golden in this year's draft. I don't think it's crazy that McConkey, Allen, and Harris share the work fairly evenly as a trio, but the rookie is ostensibly free in drafts.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.