Fantasy football wide receivers, 2025: Get your wideouts early and often

Thanks to high-volume workloads and points awarded for receptions, wide receivers are by far the top commodity in fantasy football, and there's no shortage of target-monster pass catchers that can help you win a league championship. The elite of the elite go off the board fast – your draft will probably see the top dozen wideouts go in the first two rounds – but the best owners can smell a breakout star in the middle rounds.

Last year, 21 different wideouts produced a 1,000-yard season (compared to 16 running backs) and eight of those 21 – more than 33 percent – caught 100 or more passes, showing the wide variety and depth of outstanding point-scorers, many of which can be found later than the first two rounds.

It's fine to get your running back(s) early in your draft, but don't wait too long to pounce on a true No. 1 receiver. They are the absolute championship-winners in fantasy football.

The elite 

At very least, six wide receivers should be off the board within the first 12 picks of your draft – Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, Brian Thomas Jr., and Puka Nacua. Don't be shocked if Malik Nabers and Amon Ra St-Brown make their ways into your first round, either.

Judging by his current ADP (17th), owners are sleeping on A.J. Brown. An early season injury and the Eagles' run-heavy offense made it seem like Brown had a down year, with just 1,079 yards on six catches, but his 83 receiving yards per game ranked fifth in the NFL last year, behind only Chase, Jefferson, Nacua and Collins. No issues here with ranking Brown among the top five WRs and taking him late first round (but smart owners will sense the general opinion of Brown and get him in the second).

Here's the list of WRs worth taking in Rounds 1-2:

The next best

You'll notice three rookies from last year grace this year's top 12, as first-year receivers drafted in the top 50 are frequently No. 1 targets for their bad teams (like Malik Nabers) or end up linked with a decent QB/offensive-minded HC (like BTJ and McConkey). This year's draft wasn't rife with game-changers at the position, but don't wait around too long for Panthers first-rounder Tet McMillan, a contested-catch titan who will be Bryce Young's primary target right away.

A change of scenario (and QB) can do wonders for a good wide receiver, so look for George Pickens to capitalize on his new pairing with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, and for 32-year-old Davante Adams to post his sixth straight 1,000-yard season playing alongside Matthew Stafford, if Stafford is healthy. If Stafford isn't healthy, 

Potential breakout

Those who pounced in the middle or later rounds last year on Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Terry McLaurin and Courtland Sutton were rewarded. It's always good to gamble on young former first-round picks or receivers who get paired with first-round rookie QBs. Look for Titans WR Calvin Ridley to benefit from Cam Ward pulling the trigger this season; Ridley could be this season's Terry McLaurin. Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers went over 1,000 yards last year with guys like Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew throwing to him; the switch to Geno Smith should benefit the 28-year-old wideout.

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Buyer Beware

He's in the top 20 for now, but it's been a bad offseason for Tyreek Hill, coming off a subpar 2024 season. The 31-year-old receiver could be headed out the door as the Dolphins last year shifted away from him and more toward a short passing game that featured tight ends and running backs. He still has world-class speed, though, so he could easily vault back into the top 15 with a bounce-back season, but the floor is even lower than 20 if things continue to go south.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison's stats last year were basically the same as his rookie season despite Sam Darnold's breakout. He's definitely a deep threat, but will new QB J.J. McCarthy be able to drive the ball? In the last two years, the Bears have drafted WRs Rome Odunze (9th overall, 2024) and Luther Burden (39th overall, 2025), and pass-catching tight end Colston Loveland (10th overall). That's probably not great for WR D.J. Moore, who's coming off a down 2024 season.

Here's the rest of the top 40:

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