Who are the top WR targets to aim for?

By Martin Richardson

Part one of my rankings saw players like Mike Evans and Terry McLaurin fail to break into the Top 15, perhaps a little bit of a surprise given their pedigree. But there are some very exciting names that we have yet to see and they are some excellent Fantasy football players for you take make sure you take aim at when the time comes for you to make your selections in round two and that premium pick in round one.

15. DAVANTE ADAMS

My second part of the ranking starts with someone who would want to forget last season. Most people who drafted him no doubt want to ignore last season too. Adams has landed on his feet and I think he can be a good receiver for McVay and Stafford. I wouldn’t be shocked if he sneaks into the second round of some people’s drafts. He will certainly be in the conversation when players get to round 3. But one things is certain: the Rams will make him work. He has the talent to be a top player and like Chase and Higgins, you can’t cover Nacua and Adams well all the time. And the Rams love a red zone passing game.

14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

This guy shocked a lot of people. He does have a new QB in Sam Darnold and a new WR partner in Cooper Kupp; there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to kick on now. Kupp won’t have a huge impact on his target share. Think about it, JSN had DK Metcalf with him last season and he still had big numbers. And Kupp just can’t stay healthy either. JSN has got massive upside going into 2025. The only issue will be what does the passing game look like given that new OC Klint Kubiak was ranked 31st as a passing offense last season.

13. Drake London

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We’re waiting for him to kick on and be that guy. But that being said, he led the league with 42% of redzone targets for the Falcons. Week 18 showed that with Micheal Penix it could happen. Let’s see what happens. He has good YAC. It’s a risk, but fantasy law dictates if he gets the ball enough, he’ll get you points. So, he’s worth the punt to take in fantasy, as much as it pains me being a Bucs fan to have him higher than Mike Evans.

12. AJ Brown

There is no doubt that Saquon Barkley has had an impact on Brown here. Barkley was simply too good. So, they gave him the ball a lot. I just can’t see that changing in 2025. Brown was elite one week, absent on others. His name and that legacy of big plays keeps him high this year too. But you do wonder if this will change in 2025. Can you afford to take someone who is considered inconsistent?

11. Ladd McConkey

Anyone who destroys the Falcons is always good for me as a Bucs fan. He’s a top target for Herbert. He’s a top target for me in Fantasy too if I am honest. He is exactly what you want in Fantasy football: an inside and outside threat for Herbert to aim for. The last 11 games saw him have an average of 98 yards. The only concern may be is that he puts it all on the field and every catch, there could be an injury waiting to happen to him with how he plays. But the upside of him being healthy makes him such an exciting year two breakout player.

10. Tee Higgins

He gets the WR2 tag because of Chase, but you could easily draft him high knowing you’ll get touchdowns from him throughout the season. He’s a top player and don’t overthink it if you get the chance to draft him. Dare I suggest that if he played for anyone but the Bengals, he would be a top 5 WR. This is a great shout to take at the top of round two of your draft.

9. Brian Thomas Jr

Travis Hunter fans calm down. Brian Thomas Jr fans rejoice. You can’t cover both. He will make people miss and when he had an average of 96 yards per game in his last 7 games, this could be a big year for him. They play him a range of positions at WR and in each one of them, he made defenses miss. I suppose the only question is whether Trevor Lawrence is good enough for Thomas and Hunter.

8. Malik Nabers

The offense was dreadful last year and he still showed so much promise for the Giants and Fantasy players. Now they have a better O line and three QBs who can sling it to him every week. He will get the ball. A lot. I don’t think you’ll see Wan’Dale Robinson getting 39% of redzone targets this year on this offense. Don’t use the Giants’ record last year to  fool you into thinking Nabers will not be good. He’s going to be very good. Does he make it into round 1 of fantasy leagues? There is a case for it.

7. Amon Ra St Brown

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Let’s get this out of the way: there’s no Ben Johnson anymore. So does it have a bigger impact on him? Personally, I think he’s so good all over the field so it shouldn’t be an issue. I’m not so sure there will be much of a fall in his production for the Lions and Fantasy players alike. He’s been in the offense for a while and he knows how to make it work all the time. Like Collins, draft him high. I think he could sneak into round 1 of fantasy drafts, and if he does, you know he’ll be solid and do well.

6. Nico Collins

He’s my guy.  I love him for Fantasy football. The connection to Stroud is outstanding. He had an average 84 yard per game. That’s WR4 territory in 2024. He’s a dude. Draft him high. You won’t regret it. Christian Kirk has come in: don’t worry about it. A host of rookie WR have arrived: don’t worry about it. There’s a new play caller in town: don’t overthink it. What you need to know is that Stroud loves Collins. When he scores, they are high value scores for the Texans and you too.

5. Tyreek Hill

Last year, he was the talk of the town for being a number one overall pick with the likes of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase. This year there are some lingering questions: does he want to be part of the Dolphins in 2025? Will be quietly quit on them if times get tough? There is the age old, almost cliched question of can Tua stay healthy enough to keep feeding Hill the ball? If he does, Hill will be a Top 5 WR for Fantasy players. It is just whether you want to make that very big decision that would impact your Fantasy season.  

4. Puka Nacua

I think if he has a great season this year, he could break into the top 3 Fantasy WR. There is just something explosive and exciting about him. He averaged 98 yards per game last season. Key word there: averaged. Meaning he got more than that several times, which is a Fantasy football home run. Does Davonte Adams change things? Either way, he’s a top player. With Kupp, albeit he was injured a lot, he still balled out and I think that history is instructive here. Kupp and Adams fall in a similar bracket so don’t be afraid to draft Nacua even with the arrival of Adams here.

3. Justin jefferson

As we reach the top three, it is no surprise to see Justin Jefferson be part of that conversation. The only potential concern is the unknown quantity in returning from injury QB JJ McCarthy. Is this a downgrade compared to the resurgent Sam Darnold, only time will tell. But he is just an elite Fantasy player in an offense that has Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson so he will get the ball a lot and be a big outlet for the rookie play caller. What a way to learn how the NFL game works when you are throwing to someone like Justin Jefferson.

2. Ceedee lamb

Even after a poor season by the standards of the Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb is still one of the top Fantasy football WR you could draft. Now don’t get me wrong, if an injury happens to him, the Cowboys are going to struggle. Which means he will get a lot of targets every week, which is great for Fantasy players. His target share is going to be huge: there is no real RB1 and George Pickens is just a weird WR2. He’s going to ball out this season and could get a monster share of the ball, easily most on his team, but that could also be massive compared to other WR in the league too.

1. Ja'marr chase

Is this much of a shock?

He was head and shoulders ahead of any other WR in most Fantasy leagues. Last season he had the most Red Zone targets in the league, so he is always going to give Fantasy payers a chance to win and win big. He’s got his big money contract; he gets his big plays every week and he gets his big fantasy contributions. There is no doubt that he is the number one WR in Fantasy football and that won’t change even with the Higgins contract being resolved as well.

MARTIN RICHARDSON

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

A Yorkshireman living in Lancashire, Martin is a massive NFL fan but his heart belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also a huge Fantasy Football enthusiast and spends far too long crunching the numbers! Follow him at @MRBucsFan31

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