Sportsnaut
The 2025 NFL season has arrived and that means it’s time for another fall with fantasy football. With drafts in the rearview mirror and Week 1 closing in, it’s time to dive into the wide receiver position and what might unfold this weekend.
Let’s dive into our in-depth Week 1 fantasy WR rankings, providing some NFL stats and matchup analysis that helped determine why our top 20 wide receivers landed where they did in our Week 1 fantasy rankings.
The game script has a lot to do with CeeDee Lamb landing atop our Week 1 fantasy WR rankings. The Dallas Cowboys defense is probably going to take a further step backward in 2025, meaning Dak Prescott has to pass even more to try and play catch-up. In a game where we expect the Philadelphia Eagles to be leading by two scores, Lamb will have all the targets he can handle in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday.
Related: Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings, Analyzing Matchups
There’s some risk with New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, considering the back and shoulder injuries that hampered him this summer. What we can’t deny is the talent. As a rookie, he led the NFL in target share (34.9 percent) and averaged the sixth-most fantasy points per game. In two starts against the Washington Commanders, he averaged 93 receiving yards per game on 29 targets with 19 receptions. The volume and talent are a combo that just can’t be ignored.
Related: Week 1 Fantasy RB Rankings, Analyzing Matchups
Most weeks, Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson will sit atop our fantasy WR rankings. It’s a little different in Week 1, with the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Cleveland Browns. Game script is part of the issue, as we don’t envision the Browns’ offense putting up enough points to make this a shootout. It’s also worth highlighting that Chase averaged just 76 receiving yards per game last season vs Cleveland, but he did score 2 touchdowns. With the Browns’ defensive line able to generate some pressure on Burrow and Cincinnati likely not needing to put up a ton of points, Chase’s ceiling is just diminished a bit.
Related: NFL Defense Rankings, Week 1 D/ST Rankings
The Houston Texans have one of the best defensive lines in the league and an outstanding cornerback tandem. However, the Los Angeles Rams can shift Puka Nacua into the slot to get him away from All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Nacua is a magician at getting open quickly underneath, as evidenced by his 7.9 average depth of target (aDOT) last season that ranked 88th among wide receivers. He’ll be the go-to guy with Matthew Stafford needing to get the football out quickly to avoid being sacked.
Fantasy managers can feel...
