Big Blue View
A first look at the receiver position for 2025
Welcome to Part III of my preliminary rankings and tiers for each major position for fantasy. My quarterback and running back rankings dropped last week, and you can find the rest of my preseason fantasy content here. I’ll round it out with the tight end position next, and I’ll update them all in August. Hopefully, these initial looks will help you to start thinking about player values and draft strategies.
Before we get to the rankings and commentary, here are some quick comments on the wide receiver position.
1. 2024 was a rough year for WRs. In my running back rankings column, I called 2024 the year of the RB. A related event was the underperformance of the wide receiver position. The number of high-profile receivers that got hurt for long stretches in 2024, or whose production suffered significantly because their quarterback got hurt, was unusually high. A bunch of receivers taken in the first six or so rounds of fantasy drafts last year ended up being big disappointments. The scoring at the top reflects that. Of the top eight non-quarterback fantasy scorers last season (Half PPR), seven were running backs and the other was receiving triple crown winner Ja’Marr Chase. If we go back and look at each of 2021, 2022, and 2023, that same metric was split evenly, 4-4, between running backs and wide receivers.
We’ll have to see whether 2024 started a new trend. The bottom line is that some very good WRs should be slightly discounted in 2025 as RBs get pushed up draft boards.
2. What will we get from the 2025 rookies? Once upon a time, rookie wide receivers usually needed time to adjust to the complexity of NFL passing offenses. Those days are mostly over. We’ve seen a lot of rookie wide receivers excel in recent seasons, and 2024 was no exception as L.S.U. teammates Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr. both finished inside the Top 10 at the position. Ladd McConkey and Xavier Worthy came on during the second half and were both Top-20 WRs from Weeks 11-17. It wasn’t all roses though, as Top-10 NFL draft picks Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Rome Odunze both underwhelmed. It’s still the case that years 2 and 3 are the most common for wide receiver breakouts.
This year’s rookie receiver class doesn’t profile as being comparable to last year’s excellent crop. Top-10 NFL draft picks Travis Hunter and Tetairoa McMillan both landed in good spots to produce right away, but I don’t think either of them will approach the production we saw from Nabers or Thomas last season. That said, there are some rookies that make for decent later-round dart throws this season, and you’ll have to be patient with them.
3. Watch for camp news. Remember what I said above about receiver injuries in 2024? Chris Godwin, Rashee Rice, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian Watson, Stefon Diggs, and Rashid Shaheed all suffered season-ending injuries at various points...
