The Top 5 Rookie Wide Receivers For Fantasy Football in 2025

Since the 2018 NFL season, there has been at least one rookie wide receiver to finish WR20 or better in fantasy football when factoring half-PPR scoring. Just a season ago, there were three rookie wideouts (Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, and Ladd McConkey) to conclude the year as WR12 or better.

During the 2025 NFL Draft, there were four receivers selected in the first round, and a total of eight wideouts heard their name called in the first two rounds. Which first-year wide receivers are in the best position to be fantasy-relevant in the upcoming season?

Let's take a look at the top five rookie wide receivers in fantasy football for the 2025 season and consider their outlooks before they take their first snaps in the NFL.

Note: Odds are subject to change after this article is published. The ADPs (average draft position) used in this article come from FantasyPros' Consensus ADP for half-PPR leagues.

Top Rookie WRs for Fantasy Football 2025

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

Overall ADP: 59.7 (WR28)

Of the incoming rookie wideouts, Tetairoa McMillan seems like the safest option, as he has a clear-cut case to immediately become the No. 1 option in the Carolina Panthers' aerial attack after being taken with the eighth-overall pick. Aside from the Panthers entering their second year with Dave Canales as their head coach, Carolina desperately needed a true target-earner in their offense, especially after 34-year-old Adam Thielen led the team in receiving last season.

Among college receivers with 50-plus targets during the 2024 regular season, McMillan tallied the 6th-most receptions (84), 2nd-most receiving yards (1,316), and 15th-most yards per route run (2.87), per PFF. McMillan's size and knack for finding the end zone -- he hauled in 26 touchdowns across his three years at Arizona -- should benefit Bryce Young and Carolina's offense immediately.

Following a slow start that led to him being benched early in the year, Young finished the 2024 season strong, slotting in as the overall QB12 and QB18 in fantasy points per game from Week 8 to Week 18. If Young can carry over some of that success to the 2025 campaign, then it's tough envisioning a scenario where McMillan isn't pacing the Panthers' pass catchers in nearly every receiving metric in his rookie season.

Travis Hunter, Jaguars

Overall ADP: 66.0 (WR29)

Travis Hunter is one of the most interesting players in fantasy football entering the 2025 season due to his ability to play on both sides of the ball. While the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to the No. 2 overall pick to get Hunter in this year's draft, it remains to be seen how he splits his snaps on offense and defense, which will determine what his fantasy production will be.

With the Jaguars beginning training camp, first-year head coach Liam Coen revealed that the team will have Hunter bounce back and forth from offense and defense in practices. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but if Hunter isn't going to see the majority of snaps on offense when Week 1 arrives, then his value in fantasy football could take a slight hit.

Along with Hunter flashing the necessary skills to be a talented cornerback in the NFL, he totaled 92 receptions, 1,152 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns, and 2.45 yards per route run in his final season at Colorado in 2024. Besides being the No. 2 receiver behind Brian Thomas Jr. on the depth chart, taking Hunter at his current ADP is betting on him to get enough snaps on offense to be productive in a new-look offense under Coen, which is undoubtedly possible given his rare skill set.

Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers

Overall ADP: 124.3 (WR49)

The closer we get to the start of the 2025 season, the more my interest in Emeka Egbuka as a late-round target at wide receiver increases. Aside from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers using a first-round pick on the Ohio State product, Chris Godwin is recovering from a season-ending ankle injury he suffered in Week 7 of last season, and he's begun training camp on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list after reportedly undergoing another procedure on his ankle in the offseason.

Even after signing Godwin to a 3-year, $66 million in free agency, the Buccaneers shouldn't be in any rush to get him back on the field until he's fully healthy. As a wideout who led the Buckeyes in slot rate (80.9%) a season ago while notching 2.59 yards per route run, Egbuka fits the mold of someone who can play a similar role as Godwin, and he's in an above-average offense.

The departure of Liam Coen at offensive coordinator could certainly cause Tampa Bay's offense to take a step back in 2025, but they still have Baker Mayfield (the overall QB4 in fantasy football last season) under center and an assortment of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Although Egbuka will need to compete for targets alongside Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan to begin his rookie season while Tristan Wirfs is also on the PUP list, Egbuka wins on the field in different ways than the other healthy receivers on the Bucs, setting him up for a decent-sized role immediately.

Matthew Golden, Packers

Overall ADP: 106.0 (WR46)

On the surface, Matthew Golden's college numbers are a bit underwhelming, but context matters when it comes to his final collegiate season at Texas. Aside from Quinn Ewers producing disappointing results at the quarterback position in 2024, Golden totaled 17 receptions, 362 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, and 3.81 yards per route run across his final three games -- which came against Georgia, Arizona State, and Ohio State.

After turning heads in the college football playoffs, Golden improved his draft stock even further by running the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds at the NFL Combine, leading all receivers who participated in this year's event. The Green Bay Packers would proceed to use the 23rd overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft on Golden, putting him in an offense that has been desperately searching for a true No. 1 wideout since Davante Adams was traded before the 2022 season.

Despite Golden not being a consistent go-to option throughout his college career, his ability to stretch the field and play bigger than his size in contested-catch situations makes him an enticing option in fantasy football, especially with Jordan Love being a signal-caller who isn't afraid to push the ball down the field. However, the only thing preventing me from being all-in on Golden this season is the fact that the Packers still have a handful of wideouts that will earn snaps and targets, so I'm willing to take a shot at all of them in drafts.

Luther Burden, Bears

Overall ADP: 148.3 (WR54)

With Luther Burden III still not practicing to begin training camp due to a hamstring injury he suffered in OTAs earlier this offseason, there's a chance Tre Harris of the Los Angeles Chargers replaces Burden here, as he's attached to Justin Herbert in an offense that needs someone to step up alongside Ladd McConkey. But if Burden is able to practice soon, his profile is intriguing in a revamped Chicago Bears offense that has Ben Johnson calling plays now.

Burden is another receiver that needs some context explained for his 2024 production after he finished with only 61 receptions, 676 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns. On top of having inconsistent quarterback play in his final season at Missouri, Burden did have 86 catches, 1,212 receiving yards, 9 receiving touchdowns, and 3.50 yards per route run in 2023, and he still managed to log a modest 2.32 yards per route route this past season.

Burden already has to compete for targets with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and fellow rookie Colston Loveland in Chicago's offense, and each day he misses of training camp is another day where he is losing out on meaningful reps and snaps. While Burden does bring a versatile skill set to the Bears, if he continues to miss time due to his injury, he'll be someone I'll likely be heavily targeting in fantasy football for the 2026 season.

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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.