Top 5 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers for Redraft Leagues
As we gear up for the 2025 fantasy football season, the wide receiver position remains stacked with elite talent. These top five wide receivers are poised to dominate redraft leagues based on their 2024 performances, team situations, and projected roles. Let’s dive into the rankings!
Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase is the undisputed WR1 for 2025. In 2024, he led the NFL in targets, receiving yards, yards per game, and receiving touchdowns, cementing his status as a fantasy juggernaut. With five 100+ yard games, Chase showcased his big-play ability and consistency. His electric connection with Joe Burrow, dating back to their LSU days, remains a cornerstone of Cincinnati’s passing attack, which is expected to stay unchanged in 2025. Chase’s combination of volume, efficiency, and red-zone dominance makes him a no-brainer top pick.
Why He’s Elite: Chase’s unrivaled production and chemistry with Burrow make him a safe, high-upside choice. He’s the focal point of a high-powered offense, ensuring a massive target share.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Despite a quarterback change in 2025, Justin Jefferson remains a fantasy superstar. In his career, he’s thrived with six different QBs, proving his quarterback-proof status. Jefferson has never dipped below 100 targets in a season (his lowest was 100 in a 10-game season) or 1,000 receiving yards, showcasing his consistency. Coming off a strong 2024 with Sam Darnold, Jefferson silenced doubters about quarterback risk. While there’s always some uncertainty with a new signal-caller, his talent and role as Minnesota’s alpha receiver keep him in the elite tier.
Why He’s Elite: Jefferson’s floor is unmatched, and his ability to produce regardless of QB play makes him a safe bet for massive fantasy points.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb is primed for another monster season under new head coach/offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, whose pass-heavy scheme will keep the ball in the air. Lamb has been Dak Prescott’s go-to target, posting five straight seasons with at least 110 targets, four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and three straight years with 100+ receptions. The arrival of George Pickens in Dallas should draw defensive attention, giving Lamb more favorable matchups. His consistent volume and elite production make him a rock-solid WR1.
Why He’s Elite: Lamb’s target share in a pass-first offense, combined with reduced defensive focus, sets him up for another top-tier season.
Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Malik Nabers burst onto the scene in 2024, leading all rookie wide receivers with 107 receptions. Despite skepticism about his quarterbacks (Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, or Jaxson Dart), all three have the arm strength to push the ball downfield accurately, complementing Nabers’ playmaking ability. As the top target in New York’s offense, Nabers excelled in the red zone, racking up strong numbers in targets, receptions, and touchdowns. With a year of experience under his belt, Nabers is poised to take another leap in 2025.
Why He’s Elite: Nabers’ massive rookie production, red-zone prowess, and growing chemistry in the Giants’ offense make him a high-upside WR1 with room to climb even higher.
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua edges out Amon-Ra St. Brown for the final spot due to his massive target volume in Sean McVay’s pass-heavy offense. In 2024, Nacua led the Rams in targets, even with Cooper Kupp back from injury, and saw double-digit targets in five of his 12 games. The addition of Davante Adams in 2025 will draw defensive coverage, creating more opportunities for Nacua to exploit single matchups. McVay’s scheme ensures Nacua remains a focal point, making him a high-floor, high-ceiling option.
Why He’s Elite: Nacua’s role as a target hog in a dynamic passing attack, combined with Adams easing defensive pressure, solidifies his status as a top-five receiver.
These five wide receivers offer a blend of proven production, favorable team situations, and massive upside for 2025 redraft leagues. Chase leads the pack with his unmatched dominance, while Jefferson and Lamb provide elite consistency. Nabers brings breakout potential, and Nacua rounds out the group with his high-volume role. Draft these players with confidence, as they’re poised to anchor your fantasy roster to a championship run!
Player News
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reports that the NFLPA is appealing the ruling in regards to a potential collusion case regarding fully-guaranteed contracts.
Per Florio, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to pause everything in the post-ruling process indefinitely, but by choosing to file the appeal of the January 14 hearing, that’s no longer the case. It will now go forward, with a three-member appeals panel considering the ruling.
Rams RB coach Ron Gould told reporters that Kyren Williams has looked “more explosive” during the offseason.
Williams put together a solid season, but his 27 explosive rushes — runs for more than 10 yards — were tied for just 11th in the NFL last year. The 24-year-old has competition in the backfield with Jarquez Hunter and Blake Corum in the fold, but if Williams can show the ability to break off more big carries on top of being one of the best short-yardage backs in the NFL, he should remain the bellcow for the Rams again in 2025.
Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post mentions Marvin Mims as a potential number two wide receiver option behind Courtland Sutton.
Mims has yet to break out in the NFL, but the 23-year-old took a big step forward last season, registering 39 catches on 52 targets for 503 receiving yards with six touchdowns. He has made the Pro Bowl twice as a return man and only played on 27 percent of the Broncos’ offensive snaps last season, so he will need to be given a larger role if he’s truly going to emerge in this offense. He led the team in catches of 40 yards or longer, so he can break a big play when given the chance, but he’ll need to beat out second-year receivers Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele if he’s going to see an uptick in snap share.
Bijan Robinson said the Falcons have “outlandish goals” for the team’s rushing production in 2025.
Robinson and the Falcons believe they can improve on the ground after finishing 2024 with the league’s tenth most rushing yards and ninth most rushing scores. They were seventh in rush EPA and first in rushing success rate. “If he touched the ball every play and the defense knew, we’d still make big-time plays. He’s that guy,” QB Michael Penix said of Robinson. “He’s the guy that when you go to a Little League game, and there’s that one kid that never gets tackled, that scores every time, that’s him but in the NFL. As many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we’re going to do it.” It’s the latest sign the Falcons will be a run-first team in 2025, as they were in the final month of 2024. That could mean more consistent usage for Tyler Allgeier, though Robinson will remain the workhorse back in Atlanta.
The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs (knee) is likely to miss “at least the first couple games of the regular season.”
The All-Pro tackle underwent knee surgery this week and will miss training camp and the preseason. He could be back sometime in September, though that seems optimistic right now. Bucs coaches said in June that Wirfs sitting out minicamp was strictly precautionary and that he would be ready for training camp. Instead, he will start the season on the PUP list, which will cost him at least four games. It’s an outsized loss for the Bucs offense. Pro Football Focus graded Wirfs as 2024’s top pass blocking offensive lineman. He allowed just one quarterback hit over 16 games. Wirfs’ absence will likely impact Baker Mayfield and the team’s pass catchers.
Philly Voice’s Geoff Mosher believes Eagles RB Will Shipley is the offensive player most “under the microscope.”
Shipley was a fourth-round pick out of Clemson last year and played sparingly out of the RB3 role. Mosher is watching how the 22-year-old will step up to fill the back-up running back role that Kenneth Gainwell - who departed for the Steelers - occupied last season. Gainwell was important in pass protection and a good presence when Saquon Barkley was out on possessions for blitz pickup and pass-catching. Mosher says, “if Shipley can show growth in those areas, he could undertake Gainwell’s role and give the offense even more optionality.” The Eagles added AJ Dillon in the offseason, though Dillon is more of a downhill-runner than a third-down back for the RB2 role. Shipley won’t have much value in redraft leagues, but could find his way to production through filling in an open role in the Eagles backfield.