Wide Receiver Tiers For Fantasy Football 2025: Ja'Marr Chase, Malik Nabers, and More
Ian Hartitz unveils his wide receiver rankings and tiers for the 2025 fantasy football season.
Fantasy football draft szn is upon us. 'Tis the season to ignore friends and family for the next five months in order to hopefully win a (likely relatively minor) cash prize and/or avoid a humiliating last-place punishment!
This brings us to today's goal: Breaking down my WR rankings and tiers (use code IAN for 20% off!) ahead of the 2025 season. We'll roll with half-PPR scoring, and for the sake of brevity, I'll be sticking to no more than 50 words for every key player listed (except for Marquez Valdes-Scantling).
As always: It's a great day to be great.
2025 WR Tiers For Fantasy Football
Tier 1: THE WR1, y'all (WR1)
Mama, there goes that man …
WR1 Ja'Marr Chase: No player at the position offers a better combination of talent (WR1 in career PPR points per game), youth (turned 25 in March), volume (projected for a whopping 158 targets), and QB play (Joe f*cking Burrow). Firmly in his prime, Chase is my easy 1.01 pick this season.
Tier 2: Easily imaginable path to overall WR1 status (WR2-6)
If you told me one of these five gentlemen was going to finish this season as the position's top-scoring fantasy WR, I would not scream at you. In fact, I might even start to agree with you after six-ish Kona Big Waves …
WR2 CeeDee Lamb: Nobody (including Chase) has scored more half-PPR points per game than Lamb since 2023. The Cowboys sure look a lot like an NFC version of the Bengals, given 1.) Their lack of viable RBs, and 2.) Reigning 31st-ranked scoring defense. Meaning: Fun Red Zone content and fantasy-friendly shootouts!
WR3 Justin Jefferson: Learned doctors aren't concerned with Jettas' hamstring issue. Kevin O'Connell's undisputed No. 1 WR has a 17-game average of 169 targets during the last three seasons, and it's possible Jefferson receives career-best QB play if J.J. McCarthy is even half as good as Thor Nystrom says he is.
WR4 Nico Collins: The NFL's leader in yards per route run since 2023 legit looks like Julio Jones out there. I prefer the 26-year-old talent over these other (also awesome) receivers due to similar talent, lesser target competition, and a QB who is just one year removed from being pretty f*cking awesome.
WR5 Puka Nacua: Chartbreaker? Chartslayer? Just spitballing here, but yeah: Every chart measuring per-route efficiency winds up being a Puka chart. While I don't love his 37-year-old QB actively dealing with a bad back, the YAC and sideline ability remain elite enough to warrant high-end WR1 fantasy treatment.
WR6 Malik Nabers: Just averaged the third-most PPR points per game by a rookie WR in NFL history behind only Odell Beckham Jr. and Randy Moss. Nobody is projected for more targets than Nabers (162.5). The QB play probably can't get any worse. Just please let that toe be okay.
Tier 3: I don't have 99 problems, but I do have one (WR7-12)
Great players, and you won't hear anything different from me. That said, target competition and QB ability can separate the men (high-end WR1s) from the boys (low-end WR1s). Or at least that's what I tell myself when deciding to rank these aforementioned ballers "this" low …
WR7 Brian Thomas: The only rookie WRs to average more yards per route run than BTJ since 2015: A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, and Ja'Marr Chase. Still, Travis Hunter could make a gaudy target total tough to come by. Trevor Lawrence has also been more Daniel Jones than "generational."
WR8 Drake London: Racked up 39 targets during Michael Penix's three starts while the next-closest Falcon had … 12. That said, Darnell Mooney had more receiving yards in Weeks 1-14 last season, and the verdict on Penix remains very much out. That said: I'm buying–Atlanta joins Dallas as potential NFC-Bengal doppelgangers.
WR9 A.J. Brown: Has finished as the WR8, WR8, and WR12 in PPR points per game since being shipped off to Philadelphia back in 2022. It'd be a lot cooler if millennial Terrell Owens were in a more pass-happy offense, but Brown sure knows how to make the most out of his opportunities.
WR10 Amon-Ra St. Brown: Oddly underreported offseason knee cleanups are never ideal, but it's hard to debate the back-to-back PPR WR4's standing as a top-10 fantasy wide-out when healthy enough to be on the football field. Potential problem: Maybe more Jameson Williams this year? Idk. I'm nervous having St. Brown "this" low.
WR11 Ladd McConkey: McConkey-Kong's 19.2 PPR points per game from Week 8 through the playoffs were good for WR5 status behind only Ja'Marr Chase, Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. And the per-route numbers are even better. A top-five overall season should not surprise you. The man is GOOD.
WR12 Tee Higgins: F*ked around and finished as the WR5 in PPR points per game last season. Triple-digit targets should again present double-digit TD upside inside the game's most fantasy-friendly offensive environment. Sadly, those damn Injury Gods suck: Higgins has experienced a hamstring injury of some degree in every year since 2019.
Tier 4: Look at them, they're old! (Or their QB situation isn't ideal) (WR13-19)
A mix of formerly amazing, and still potentially great, WRs mixed with Buckeye young'ins who aren't exactly dealing with the world's best QB play. It's still not overly difficult to envision WR1 finishes, but the associated red-ish flags aren't exactly easy to ignore ...
WR13 Davante Adams: 32-year-old WRs typically don't put up big numbers in fantasy football land. And yet, nothing about Adams' 2024 performance indicates that we're looking at a washed veteran here. The departures of Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson leave 164 vacated targets alongside Puka. I'm buying (just please be okay, Matthew Stafford).
WR14 Tyreek Hill: Only have to go back *one* season to see Hill leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,799) and TDs (13). The 31-year-old speedster is still fast! Of course, 2024 did happen, and Hill's finish as the WR30 in PPR points per game (WR24 with Tua Weeks 8-16) wasn't great.
WR15 Garrett Wilson: Would you be THAT surprised if Wilson earned 200 targets? Primary competition: Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds. The list of WRs with 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons is borderline erotic. And yet: Tough to be too optimistic about the Justin Fields experience (but not impossible).
WR16 Marvin Harrison Jr.: 885 yards and 8 TDs were disappointing because of WR1-worthy ADP. The separation and YAC ability (1 forced missed tackle!) also left a lot to be desired. That said, Marv is still an ELITE prospect who is the undisputed No. 1 WR in a passing game capable of not sucking.
WR17 Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Bad football players don't catch 100-plus passes (but sometimes they can catch 93). The rising third-year slot maven faces change in the scheme (Klint Kubiak), QB (Sam Darnold), and competition (Cooper Kupp) departments, although overthinking a 23-year-old WR with a top-20 fantasy finish already under his belt probably isn't wise.
WR18 Mike Evans: Mr. 1K displayed elite separation ability on his way to posting his second consecutive WR10 per-game finish. The loss of wunderkind OC Liam Coen and the addition of training camp HOFer Emeka Egbuka isn't ideal, but Evans should remain a staple inside weekly top-15 rankings whenever healthy enough to suit up.
WR19 Terry McLaurin: You would think scoring 16 TDs in 20 games is actually a bad thing with the way fantasy football nerds cry about regression. Contract concerns are real, but Scary Terry (again) profiles as the clear-cut No. 1 pass-game option inside a high-end scoring offense with a rather great young QB.
Tier 5: Their offense's No. 1 WR … for what that's worth (WR20-24)
I've drafted the former and the latter WRs in this tier more than most this offseason–but that doesn't mean this group doesn't come without some scary downside …
WR20 DK Metcalf: The size-speed freak has been a boom-or-bust WR3 throughout most of his career, although the Steelers have 150 million reasons to feed the ex-Seahawk the football. Metcalf's 121.5 target projection is within shouting distance of far more expensive options like A.J. Brown (124.5) and Ladd McConkey (122).
WR21 Xavier Worthy: Averaged 17.1 PPR points per game (WR15) from Weeks 11-Super Bowl, although his decrease in aDOT (11.9 vs. 7.5) reflects the potential for opportunities to dry up when Rashee Rice is available. But hey, a potential extended suspension for Rice could alleviate those concerns in a hurry.
WR22 Tetairoa McMillan: The NFL Draft's No. 8 overall pick should see all the targets he can handle inside a passing game that managed to not suck during the second half of 2024. Still, only three of 19 top-10 drafted WRs finished as WR1s (16%) as rookies, just six managed WR2 production (32%).
WR23 DJ Moore: The ex-Panther dodged, ducked, dipped, dived, and dodged his way to the ninth-most PPR points per game among all WRs with Justin Fields at QB in 2023, but his production with Caleb Williams was more akin to what DJM managed with Tyson Bagent in 2024. That said: Ben Johnson!
WR24 Calvin Ridley: I grow angrier every time I look at Fantasy Life projections and see they still have Calvin Ridley set to see just 113 targets ahead of next season. Really? Van Jefferson, Tyler Lockett, and day-three rookies are going to limit the Titans' 92-million-dollar man? What the f*ck man!
Tier 6: Bob Ross could paint a picture of greatness (WR25-33)
A mix of No. 2 WRs in potentially baller passing offenses as well as oddly underrated No. 1 options in potentially good passing attacks. Of course, there's a reason they aren't ranked higher…
WR25 George Pickens: Has averaged 16.3 yards per reception and 9.7 per target since entering the league–seventh and 11th among 105 qualified WRs. The ex-Steeler will be the clear No. 2 option in this offense, but hey, maybe that's still more than enough considering the potential newfound high-end QB play.
WR26 Jameson Williams: Racked up 1,062 total yards and eight TDs (WR24 status) last season on just 91 targets. On the one hand, I don't love buying into players who need incredible efficiency to return borderline-WR2 production. On the other hand, what if this demon gets more targets in 2025?
WR27 Courtland Sutton: Tied for sixth in receiving TDs by a WR since 2023 … and has just WR39 and WR25 per-game finishes to show for it. While Denver has 92 million reasons to feed Sutton the rock, there are at least a few more capable playmakers in the offense than last year.
WR28 DeVonta Smith: Has posted three consecutive top-20 finishes in PPR points per game despite being the Robin to A.J. Brown's Batman since 2022. Good news: Smith and AJB's combined 58% target share and 80% air yard share ranked second and first, respectively, among teammate WR duos last season.
WR29 Jaylen Waddle: Was WR15 in PPR points per game as a rookie. WR12 in 2022 despite the newfound presence of Tyreek Hill. WR21 in 2023 … and WR51 last season–and just the WR39 in Weeks 8-16 with a healthy Tua under center. C'mon man! Then again: Still just 26 years young.
WR30 Zay Flowers: Viable WR1 for future United States flag football Olympic teams. The short-area quickness and separation ability on hand are a ton of fun to watch. And yet, the best fantasy finish from a Ravens WR with Lamar Jackson is … Hollywood Brown putting up WR23 numbers back in 2021.
WR31 Travis Hunter: What if the 2025 NFL Draft's No. 2 overall pick is the next great rookie WR who you can draft at a WR3 cost? Or what if Hunter's offensive participation is limited enough to be the clear No. 2 catching passes from a QB with (again) Daniel Jones-esque career numbers?
WR32 Jakobi Meyers: Has ripped off back-to-back top-24 finishes, but continues to be shoved into the proverbial ADP WR4 locker due to the idea that this upside still isn't good enough. Maybe getting career-best QB play in an improved scheme in an offense with *one* additional proven receiver leads to more WR2 production.
WR33 Chris Olave: The Santana-level smooth route-runner has largely gotten open at will since being selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Yes, the QB situation in New Orleans looks awfully gross. Also, yes, Olave checks every other box when it comes to youth, volume, and talent.
Tier 7: Could very well look dumb for not ranking higher (WR34-41)
From limited old men coming off season-ending knee injuries, to rookie busts, to Family Night snap count losers: This tier is full of maybes … but damnit if you can't envision a scenario where everything breaks their way…
WR34 Stefon Diggs: Everyone seems to be loving the breakout potential of Drake Maye ahead of 2025 … so why not also love his $63.5 million No. 1 WR, who hasn't finished worse than the WR25 in PPR points per game since Obama was still in office? The knee is good! (Hopefully).
WR35 Jordan Addison: Arbitrary cutoff be damned: Justin Jefferson (WR4) AND Addison (WR5) both returned top-five PPR production during Weeks 9-17 last season. A short suspension to start the year, sure; just realize Addison finds himself in pretty damn elite company when looking at his early-career TD scoring production.
WR36 Jauan Jennings: The reigning WR26 in PPR points per game would have cleared the 1,000-yard mark with better health. While Jennings' current calf issue is far from ideal, there's a legit opportunity here for him to work as Purdy-Shanahan's No. 1 target with Brandon Aiyuk (knee, PUP) all banged up.
WR37 Rome Odunze: Training camp hype has been kind to the former ninth overall pick. Yes, the history of WRs breaking out after such a rough start isn't great. Also yes, Odunze's affordable ADP will look like a bargain if Ben Johnson's witchcraft brings out the best from his alleged generational QB.
WR38 Rashee Rice: All Rice did last season was score 21.6 PPR points per game, and he's in special company when looking at yards and targets per route run during the first two seasons of a career. Still, a long suspension is possible, as is reduced efficiency coming off 2024's knee injury.
WR39 Jayden Reed: Even considering Reed's unfortunate 15.4% drop rate (second highest in the league behind only … Dontayvion Wicks), the fact he only had 75 targets last season despite regularly looking like a baller is pretty wild, man. Let's add some newfound usage in two-WR sets and see what happens. (Unlikely).
WR40 Jerry Jeudy: Gained 266 receiving yards in Weeks 1-7 (62nd) … and 963 in Weeks 8-18 (3rd!). Jeudy basically put up identical numbers to Puka Nacua during the latter stretch! The problem: Cedric Tillman and David Njoku missed a lot of late-season time, and the QB room is a dumpster fire.
WR41 Chris Godwin: Ja'Marr Chase was the only WR with more fantasy PPR points than Godwin in Weeks 1-7 last season. Of course, Week 1 availability is in question following last season's dislocated ankle, and the presence of Emeka Egbuka could lead to reduced targets in an offense possibly due for some regression.
Tier 8: The last of us (WR42-53)
Great TV Show, and also the last tier of WRs who I'm at all confident in relying on for consistent production ahead of next season…
WR42 Matthew Golden: A first-round WR who blazed the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL combine history with the potential to start from day one in a Jordan Love-Matt LaFleur-led offense that has scored the eighth-most points in football during the last two seasons—is that something you might be interested in?
WR43 Keon Coleman: Five WRs have led the position in yards after the catch above expected per reception since 2018 (Next-Gen Stats): DJ Moore, A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, Jaylen Waddle … and Keon Coleman! Throw in demonstrated contested-catch goodness and near league-best QB play, and I'm buying stock in the 22-year-old talent.
WR44 Ricky Pearsall: Boomed vs. Detroit (8-141-1) and Arizona (6-69-1) to end the season. Also had a five-game stretch with 21 total yards despite a 69% route rate. Maybe the bad was all due to Pearsall getting shot in the preseason—either way, more opportunity is coming without Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk (knee).
WR45 Deebo Samuel: Averaged 14.1 PPR points per game during the first six weeks of last season before rib/illness issues contributed to him averaging 9.4 in Weeks 8-17. Kliff Kingsbury's screen-heavy offense and this shallow depth chart could help bring out the best of Deebo … if he's not washed.
WR46 Khalil Shakir: Provides all sorts of YAC goodness as the offense's go-to underneath option. The reigning WR37 in PPR points per game earned a four-year, $53.1 million extension, cementing him as Josh Allen's slot maven of the present and future, even if the best-case ceiling might be meh. Please be okay.
WR47 Josh Downs: Only Malik Nabers, Mike Evans, and A.J. Brown had a higher "Open Rating" than Downs in 2024. Caleb Downs' brother managed to post WR29 numbers in PPR points per game despite playing through ankle, toe, and shoulder injuries. If only the QB situation weren't so bleak.
WR48 Michael Pittman: The 27-year-old veteran pulled a Mike Tyson and played through a lower back fracture throughout last season. Reminder: Pittman had previously finished as fantasy's WR24, WR22, and WR14 in PPR points per game before last year's WR45 mark. If only the QB situation weren't so bleak.
WR49 Rashid Shaheed: WR1 in yards per target (10.4) since 2022. Shaheed racked up four top-18 PPR finishes in six games last season–more than guys like Jaylen Waddle, George Pickens, and DK Metcalf! Similar to partner in crime Chris Olave, Shaheed checks the talent, age, and volume boxes … just not QB.
WR50 Emeka Egbuka: The training camp Hall of Famer and all-time reception leader at THE Ohio State University should start the season in three-WR sets with the potential for further upside should Chris Godwin (ankle) start the season on the PUP. Not a shabby profile to target in the mid-to-late rounds.
WR51 Darnell Mooney: F*cked around and had more receiving yards than Drake London during the first 14 weeks of last season. The ex-Bear is an absolute demon when it comes to picking up chunk gains on deep outs. The current shoulder injury isn't ideal, but Mooney *should* be fine by Week 1.
WR52 Cooper Kupp: Separation ability has gotten rough in recent years. Injuries haven't helped, but I didn't love the Rams' willingness to move on so easily. Throw in target-hog Jaxon Smith-Njigba and potential one-year wonder Sam Darnold, and it seems pretty likely the 32-year-old's best years are in the rear-view mirror.
WR53 Christian Kirk: A good candidate to be this year's Mooney, AKA the new "boring" veteran who profiles as the No. 2 pass-game option in an offense with at least decent aerial upside. Perhaps the Texans' Iowa State rookies take the lead, but you could imagine what it'd be like if they don't.
Tier 9: We're saying there's a chance (WR54-60)
But maybe not a very good one…
WR54 Brandon Aiyuk: Racked up a ridiculous 1,342 yards on just 105 targets in 2023 (truly madness), but a slow start in 2024 and prolonged recovery from his season-ending multi-ligament knee tear make it difficult to know if/when Aiyuk will be back in action. Thank the football Gods for IR spots.
WR55 Rashod Bateman: F*cked around and caught the NFL's fifth-most TDs (11) last season (including playoffs). The crowded run-first Ravens offense makes it tough to outline too great of an upside scenario here, but hey, we're still looking at a certifiably #good football player catching passes from a two-time MVP.
WR56 Cedric Tillman: Joins Michael Pittman and Cooper Kupp as the only three WRs carrying a WR50 ADP or later with a triple-digit target projection. Small sample size be damned, Tillman did work as the WR8 in PPR points per game in Weeks 7-11 last season, AKA post-Amari Cooper trade and pre-Tillman's season-ending concussion.
WR57 Jayden Higgins: The 34th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft profiles as the opposite outside starter from Nico Collins in a Texans passing game that will hopefully party more like it's 2023 than 2024 this season. The Iowa State product earned a fun Kenny Golladay comp from Fantasy Life's Thor Nystrom.
WR58 Luther Burden: The YAC beast out of Missouri has had a slow start to training camp due to an offseason hamstring injury, but continues to profile as a starter inside Ben Johnson's (hopefully) high-flying attack. Hell, maybe Burden even earns the provocative Sun-God slot role that really gets the people going.
WR59 Kyle Williams: Has seemingly been showing out at Patriots training camp and should have a solid chance to earn a starting job alongside Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas. That said, high-end pass volume isn't expected on the new look Mike Vrabel-led Patriots, meaning anything close to triple-digit targets here might be wishful thinking.
WR60 Tre Harris: Tentatively expected to start alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston in the Chargers' (likely) run-first offense. That said, high-ish-end efficiency seems possible with Justin Herbert under center if Harris can replicate some of his Ole Miss magic.
Best of the Rest
WR62 Marvin Mims offers a fun combination of YAC ability and downfield goodness, but man, the Broncos' Wild Card loss to the Bills marked the only time he cleared a snap rate north of 50% last season. … WR65 Quentin Johnston got loose for multiple coverage-bust TDs last season, and hey, the former first-rounder is indeed good after the catch and profiles for 90-plus targets at a very affordable price. … WR67 Joshua Palmer fetched a three-year, $29 million contract to work as one of Josh Allen's starting receivers. That reality alone makes him a quality late-round pick. … WR69 Darius Slayton earned a three-year, $36 million deal to catch Russell Wilson moonballs. The definition of a better in best ball pick. … WR70 Dyami Brown is earning eight figures this year to work as Trevor Lawrence's No. 3 WR. The overall production over the years hasn't been great, but Brown has proven capable of stretching the field and making some stuff happen after the catch. … WR78 Andrei Iosivas is seemingly locked in as the Bengals' No. 3 WR and thus one injury away from being one of Joe Burrow's top-two pass-game options. … WR82 Calvin Austin made a startling number of sweet plays last season and arguably deserves to be the No. 2 projected target in this Aaron Rodgers-led attack. … WR89 DeAndre Hopkins ranks eighth in ESPN's Open Rating during the last two seasons and will now be catching passes from one of the single-best QBs alive. … WR90 Dontayvion Wicks can separate with the best of them. What if he learns how to catch or figures out a way to play with stick'em? … WR103 Marquez Valdes-Scantling low-key played the best football of his career during his brief stint with the Saints. Seriously! It was fun! Second in the NFL in yards per reception (21.6) if you arbitrarily make the sample size low enough, MVS does profile as Klint Kubiak and Sam Darnold's go-to field-stretching option, which, hey, maybe it could work out a few times. Wouldn't it be hilarious if 30-year-old MVS just goes nuts in 2025?
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