• Travis Hunter is the ultimate high-risk, high-reward player: He has the tools to become one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, but his playing time could be split on offense and defense in a way that limits his fantasy ceiling.
• Tetairoa McMillan is the top X receiver in the 2025 class: McMillan’s production, combined with his physical traits, should provide a major boost to a Carolina Panthers offense that lacked a true X receiver last season.
• Subscribe to PFF+: It’s quick and easy. You’ll unlock industry-leading rankings, unlimited Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator use, Live Draft Assistant and weekly our Start/Sit Optimizer. It’s time to win.

Estimated reading time: 30 minutes

Each season, ESPN produces a list of players who were most represented on fantasy football playoff teams and championship teams. This article highlights 10 players with the potential to be true league winners in 2025. Each offers excellent value at their current ADP, as I have each ranked at least one round earlier than ADP. Every player listed below has a clear path to finishing among the top scorers at their position by season’s end.

The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.

Last updated: Thursday, August 28

WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 6.11)

Hunter spent the past two seasons as a full-time wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado. His efficiency at wide receiver was strong but not elite, and he produced on a surprisingly high sample size, given his additional playing time on defense. His numbers improved across the board from 2023 to 2024. His production by situation was strong, too, but it’s worth noting that many of his routes were gos or hitches.

His 89.7 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons is directly in the middle of the other receivers who were drafted in the first or early second round. He racked up the most touchdowns and the fewest dropped passes of the five, and his separation rate against single coverage is the best among the group.

While Hunter wasn’t as accomplished as a receiver as others in the class, many consider him the best receiving option. PFF’s Draft Guide notes, “As a receiver, he doesn’t have as much polish in releases, route nuance and beating press. However, all that can be improved and explained by not devoting all his time to one position.” If Hunter becomes a full-time receiver, he will be the top wide receiver in dynasty drafts based on his talent.

Hunter joins the Jaguars, who have Brian Thomas Jr. and minimal other competition for targets. The first preseason game gave us a great look at how the Jaguars plan on using Hunter.

He started the game for Jacksonville and played in 11 of 12 snaps with the starters. The one play he missed was a two-wide receiver set with Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown on the field. If this ends up being how he’s used in the regular season on offense, he can be a consistent fantasy starter. Several borderline fantasy starters only played in three-receiver sets last season, including Jayden Reed, Josh Downs, Khalil Shakir and Adam Thielen. The differences are that Hunter is more talented and the Jaguars should stay in 11 personnel for most of the game. Head coach Liam Coen’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked eighth in 11 personnel usage last season at 71.9%, despite multiple wide receiver injuries. His 2022 Los Angeles Rams led the league at 90.9%. On the first drive, the Jaguars used it 91.8%.

Coen also commented that they have focused on 11 personnel, and that he’s learning 12 personnel, so he could also start playng snaps in 12 personnel in the upcoming weeks.

One surprising part of his usage is that Hunter lined up in the slot on five of his 11 snaps, tying Thomas at five of 12 snaps. Thomas was expected to be the primary slot receiver after leading the league in yards per route run out of the slot. Hunter played significantly out of the slot in 2023, but in 2024, he only lined up in the slot 36 times compared to 736 snaps outside. This is significant because Coen’s top wide receivers, from a fantasy perspective, have primarily played out of the slot. This includes Chris Godwin averaging 19.7 PPR points per game last season, which ranked second-most in the league, and Cooper Kupp leading the league in 2022 at 22.4. This is enough reason to raise expectations for Hunter this season while somewhat dampening expectations for Thomas.

Hunter didn’t play the first drive on defense, but he played left cornerback on the Jaguars’ second and third drives, playing all eight snaps on those drives. Tyson Campbell was one of multiple Jaguars defenders who only played the first drive. Jarrian Jones started the game at left cornerback and switched to right cornerback when Hunter entered. Jourdan Lewis, who joined the Jaguars from the Dallas Cowboys, played as their slot cornerback, even though Jones held that position last season. If Hunter plays on defense in the regular season, it would likely be at Jones’ expense. This wouldn’t necessarily need to be in any particular personnel groupings. 

The sky is the limit for Hunter, a truly unique athlete. That uniqueness makes it difficult to project how much he can help a fantasy manager at the wide receiver position. As the offseason has progressed, the risks around Hunter have decreased, but his ADP hasn’t increased at a commensurate rate.

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (ADP: 6.06)

McMillan has spent the past three seasons as a starting receiver for the Arizona Wildcats, dominating his opposition over the last two. He recorded at least 80 receiving yards in 64% of his games during that span.

McMillan improved in most key metrics during his final college season, except dropped passes — he dropped seven of his 131 targets in 2024 after dropping just two passes in 2023. One notable area of growth was his performance on contested catches. He gained more separation in 2024, resulting in fewer contested targets, and he converted a higher percentage of those contested opportunities into receptions. While his separation rates were lower than those of other top wide receivers in this class, that is understandable given his higher average depth of target compared to his peers.

While many college receivers who have posted dominant numbers have been Z receivers or slot specialists, McMillan stands out as one of the most accomplished taller receivers of the past decade. His 89.5 receiving grade ranks fifth among Power Five receivers 6-foot-2 or taller during that span, with only CeeDee Lamb accumulating more receiving yards. McMillan ranks ahead of Rome Odunze, Courtland Sutton, Bryan Edwards and Denzel Mims. Notably, Lamb, McMillan, Odunze and Sutton were all within 2.2 grading points of each other, while they were at least five points clear of Edwards and Mims.

The Panthers rotated Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker and David Moore at wide receiver last season, depending on who was healthy. McMillan is a prototypical X receiver, and Carolina lacked a true X option throughout 2024. All four returning wide receivers posted respectable target rates between 16% and 20%, and neither the tight end nor running back groups project to command a significant share of targets. McMillan may begin his career within that same snap and target range, but importantly, there is a clear path for him to grow into an elite target rate if his talent demands it.

McMillan’s preseason usage was optimistic, as he played 19 of 20 snaps with the starters. This suggests he should play more than any of the Panthers’ wide receivers last season.

Having Dave Canales as head coach should generally be a positive for McMillan’s development. Canales served as the Seattle Seahawks‘ passing game coordinator in 2020 and 2021, the two seasons when D.K. Metcalf posted double-digit touchdowns and recorded his career-high 1,303 receiving yards in 2020.

Canales was also the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, when Mike Evans scored 13 touchdowns and posted his best receiving yardage total since 2018.

Both Metcalf and Evans served as clear X receivers in those systems. On the downside, Canales’ offenses historically have not ranked among the league’s best and have consistently finished below average in plays per game.

McMillan entered the draft as the safest rookie wide receiver option, and he landed in an ideal situation. He has the upside to develop into an excellent wide receiver with top-10 fantasy potential as a rookie, though there is also a risk he takes time to adjust and gets lost in the shuffle among several Panthers receivers. In most scenarios, however, he should be a fantasy starter in his rookie season.

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP: 5.08)

Rashee Rice was the 55th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was part of a heavy rotation of wide receivers for most of the season, as eight wide receivers played at least 120 snaps and no one exceeded 700. Rice made a mark in Week 1 with a touchdown while only playing 20 snaps. In Week 3, he caught five passes for 59 yards in a slightly expanded role. Starting in Week 6, he scored a minimum of 8.0 PPR points per game over the rest of the season. He exceeded 60% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps in Week 8. It wasn’t until Week 14 that the Chiefs trusted him to play over 70% of the offensive snaps, despite two solid months of strong play.

By this point, the Chiefs generally considered him a normal full-time receiver, as he played 88.9% of the offensive snaps in the conference championship game and 84.8% in the Super Bowl. Rice seemed primed to be among the league’s best fantasy wide receivers in his second season until he was involved in a high-speed crash. Many believed he could receive a significant suspension from the NFL, which greatly reduced his ADP heading into the season. As it became clear a suspension wasn’t happening that season, his ADP started to rise, but he was still a steal in many home leagues.

Rice had an excellent first three weeks of the season. He continued playing 74% of the team’s offensive snaps or more and caught seven passes for 103 yards in Week 1, five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and 12 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown in Week 3. His 64.9 PPR points over those three games were the second-most among wide receivers. Rice suffered a season-ending torn LCL on his fourth play of Week 4. It’s worth noting that any table with his per-game stats for 2024 was significantly impacted by him not playing in over 90% of the snaps in one of the four games.

In his 11 complete games since consistently playing at least 70% of his team’s offensive snaps, he’s averaged 17.9 PPR fantasy points per game, typically suitable for a top-10 fantasy finish. Rice’s most impressive stat is his receiving yards after the catch, where his 42.05 receiving yards after catch per game ranks best among wide receivers over the last two seasons, despite being a part-time player for most of his career. His 88.9 receiving grade is the 12th-best, while his 2.54 yards per route run ranks eighth-best. Rice at 100% with his quarterback and coach would typically be considered a top-12 fantasy wide receiver.

Rice would be considered a first- or second-round pick in fantasy drafts, if not for his suspension. Rice will miss the first six games of the season. He appears fully back from his LCL injury based on his play during the preseason, but if he isn’t at 100% now, he will be by the end of his suspension. Many won’t consider Rice in their drafts because he will miss six games, which helps make him a value. The wide receiver position is very deep, and anyone drafting Rice should be able to find a wide receiver who can average at least 10 PPR points per game during those six weeks. When you’re considering how many fantasy points you’re losing due to the suspension, you should consider the value of the replacement rather than considering Rice a zero for those weeks. This makes Rice more valuable than several wide receivers in the Picks 25-35 range because there are a lot of safer players who don’t have the same upside. Those drafting a different player will benefit a little bit in those first few weeks, but those who draft Rice will benefit the rest of the season, including the fantasy playoffs.

Despite the suspension, a big reason to be optimistic about Rice is his situation with Kansas City. Andy Reid is the most pass-happy coach in the NFL, as he runs a ton of plays in each game. His wide receiver target rate hasn’t been high simply because Travis Kelce has been on the roster. Patrick Mahomes is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, and his low deep target rate matches how they’ve used Rice so far. There were multiple seasons where both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce reached 290 PPR points with Reid as head coach and Mahomes at quarterback. Both Hill and Kelce are future Hall of Famers, and it is very premature to consider Rice or Worthy at that level, but that’s the kind of ceiling multiple receivers could have thanks to Reid and Mahomes.

Rice was a top-two fantasy wide receiver last season prior to injury. His suspension will slow him down, but his upside is very high given his talent when he was healthy.

RB R.J. Harvey, Denver Broncos (ADP: 6.05)

Harvey worked his way up the depth chart while at UCF. He barely played in 2021 but played very efficiently as a backup in 2022 and further improved his efficiency in a much larger role in 2023 and 2024. He improved despite UCF jumping from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) to the Big 12. His PFF rushing grade against Power-Five opponents was 93.4 over the past three years, which was just ahead of Blake Corum, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, and just below Cameron Skattebo, Damien Martinez and Bucky Irving.

Harvey’s numbers as a receiver were generally high throughout his collegiate career. His grade notably declined in 2024, but that was mainly due to a fumble and two drops. On a small sample of 22 receptions and 31 targets, one fumble can make a significant difference in grade.

Our draft guide focused mainly on the positives, including great elusiveness that led to avoided tackles in both the run and pass game. When our draft analysts were asked to name their favorite prospect, our lead draft analyst, Trevor Sikkema, listed Harvey. He has a unique size for a running back, measuring at 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds at the combine. Devonta Freeman was the most notable running back of that size to find NFL success, with Darrell Henderson and Michael Carter also showing flashes.

A big reason for optimism around Harvey is that he gets to play in Sean Payton’s offense. Broncos running backs have caught 214 passes over the past two years, which is more than any other team. Back with the New Orleans Saints, Payton had Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Alvin Kamara, who were all fantasy-relevant, at times, even in part-time roles. For example, Kamara was selected 67th overall compared to Harvey, who was selected 60th. Kamara was a backup as a rookie and played 44.9% of his team’s offensive snaps over the season. Kamara finished fourth in fantasy points per game that season with 120 carries and 81 receptions.

That said, the Broncos’ backfield has been highly volatile in recent seasons. Predicting which back would lead in carries from week to week was nearly impossible, and Payton’s public comments about player roles often didn’t align with usage. Even preseason rotations proved misleading when it came to final depth chart decisions. While the hope is that Harvey and J.K. Dobbins can stabilize the backfield, there’s no guarantee history won’t repeat itself.

While Payton’s preseason usage hasn’t always led to regular-season usage, Harvey played all but one snap with the starters on first and second downs in the first preseason game, while Dobbins was restricted to playing a third-down role. While we expect a little more rotation for the regular season, this at least points to Harvey potentially leading the team in carries while catching a lot of passes.

Harvey was arguably the biggest winner among rookie running backs, landing in a situation where his skill set could translate to fantasy stardom. A top-10 finish is within reach if he secures the passing-down role and averages eight or more carries per game. Still, Denver’s backfield has been notoriously volatile in recent years, and there’s a chance that unpredictability continues even with Harvey in the mix.

WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints (ADP: 7.08)

Olave was the 11th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft for a Saints team with Michael Thomas returning from injury and free agent addition Jarvis Landry as starters. Olave started in Week 2, Thomas was out by Week 4, and Landry missed a lot of the season due to injury. This made Olave the clear top receiving option on the team, finishing with 1,042 receiving yards while catching passes from Andy Dalton, which was double the next closest receiver on the team. He accomplished this despite missing two games, and one miss was due to having the second concussion of his career, which followed one when he was at Ohio State.

Olave’s numbers were remarkably similar in 2023 despite a change in quarterbacks to Derek Carr. His routes per game increased, but his target rate decreased. This left his efficiency down a little bit, but the increase in routes per game led to more total targets, more receptions, more receiving yards, one more touchdown and a move up to 19th in fantasy points per game. Olave missed one game due to an ankle injury, but he also suffered the third concussion of his career and was able to return the following game.

The Saints won the first two games of 2024 with a combined score of 91-29. In Week 1, five other players scored touchdowns while Olave played the role of a decoy. In Week 2, he caught four passes for 81 yards, but his playing time and routes run were relatively low due to the blowout. Olave was fine over the next three weeks with 16 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown. He suffered a concussion after two snaps in Week 6, forcing him to miss Week 7. He returned in Week 8, totaling eight receptions for 107 yards. He suffered another concussion after eight snaps in 2024, and the Saints shut Olave down for the rest of the season.

All Olave per-game stats should be taken with a grain of salt, considering he left with a concussion after one reception in 25% of his games, and another 25% were blowouts in the Saints’ favor. In his four normal games, he averaged 14.7 PPR points per game, which would have been a career-high. One big concern is if he suffers another concussion. That would be his sixth documented case, which could be a season-ender or career-ender.

His 25.4% target rate over the last three seasons is eighth-best among all wide receivers, while his 2.21 yards per route run is ninth-best.

The Saints brought in Kellen Moore as their new head coach. His offenses tend to throw to wide receivers at high rates despite having some great receiving running backs, so that’s also good news for the wide receivers and bad news forAlvin Kamara.

Over the last three seasons, Moore’s primary slot receiver has averaged between 15.3 and 21.5 PPR points per game. His six primary outside receivers in three receiver sets have largely been unrosterable in fantasy, but the major exception wasA.J. Brown last season. Shaheed is a better second option than his other options with the Los Angeles Chargers or Dallas Cowboys in 2022, so ideally, both will be valuable. The question is who will play in the slot. 

Both Olave and Shaheed have similar measurables to each other. The Saints’ wide receivers are generally shorter, smaller and faster than the wide receivers Moore is used to, outside ofDeVonta Smith last season. Both receivers have plenty of experience in the slot in recent seasons. Shaheed has 2.27 yards per route run when lined up out wide compared to 1.49 in the slot, while Olave has 2.23 in the slot compared to 2.16 out wide. This could make Olave the favorite for slot work.

This played out in the final game of the preseason, which was the only preseason game where Olave, Shaheed and Brandin Cooks all played. Olave consistently lined up in the slot in three-receiver sets, which is a very positive sign that Olave will play more snaps there this season.

Olave has the talent to be a top-15 fantasy option, as new head coach Kellen Moore could help him thrive. However, the quarterback situation is far from ideal, and Olave’s concussion history is a serious concern, making him more likely to suffer a season-ending injury than most players. 

RB Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 10.02)

Mason was an undrafted rookie who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. By midseason, the 49ers completely changed their backfield, trading for Christian McCaffrey and elevating Mason to the primary backup. Mason did an excellent job on his limited snaps, earning a 90.6 grade and averaging 6.0 yards per carry. In 2023, Mason fell to third on the depth chart with Mitchell’s return. Mitchell missed some time, allowing Mason to be a primary backup, and he played at a high level, like in 2022. There was talk heading into 2024 that Mason would replace Mitchell as the primary backup to McCaffrey. Mitchell ended up suffering a season-ending injury, allowing Mason to be the primary backup.  McCaffrey was dealing with an Achilles sprain to start the season, elevating Mason to the top back on the depth chart.

Mason was a top-six fantasy running back over the first five weeks of the season. He fumbled three times over the season, which lowered his PFF rushing grade, and there was some expected regression in his rushing efficiency over a larger sample size, but for the most part, he continues his electric play. He broke long runs at an elite rate, ran for at least 70 rushing yards in six of his first seven games and averaged at least 4.1 yards per carry each week. He didn’t develop much as a receiver, finishing with one or two receptions each week.

Unfortunately, Mason suffered a shoulder injury in Week 6 and re-injured it in Week 7. McCaffrey was able to return for a four-week stretch, bringing Mason to a backup role. It’s worth noting that any of his per-game metrics from 2024 include him being a backup for nearly half of his games. McCaffrey suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13, leading Mason to run 13 times for 78 yards, but then Mason was dealt a season-ending high-ankle sprain.

Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, allowing him to no longer back up McCaffrey with a chance for more playing time. The Vikings‘ lead running back last season was Aaron Jones Sr., who spent most of his career in a two-back committee. Jones has dealt with hamstring, MCL, hip, rib and quad injuries over the last two seasons and is 30 years old.

Mason has been an early down back throughout his NFL career, while Jones has been more well-rounded. Jones gained 408 receiving yards last season, which was the most for him since 2019. While Jones has graded very well as a runner for most of his career, he’s shown signs of decline to an average runner in recent seasons. It seems likely that the backfield split will include Mason seeing significant work on early downs and Jones seeing significant work in passing situations.

If Jones were to get injured, we could see Mason having a similar role to his five weeks as a starter with San Francisco. C.J. Ham has taken significant work on third downs as a pass protector in recent seasons, and he would probably take the third downs from Mason. Ty Chandler would be Mason’s backup, but Mason would probably be given as much work as the Vikings think he could handle in that situation.

The Vikings had a relatively average offensive line last season, which should be notably better this season, depending on how quickly the line can gain chemistry. Their best run blocker, Christian Darrisaw, missed more than half of last season. The Vikings’ guards were underwhelming last season, so they upgraded with Will Fries in one spot. It’s hard to predict exactly how well a rookie offensive lineman will do in their first season, but first-round rookie Donovan Jackson should be an upgrade at the left guard spot. The 49ers always had a top-10 offensive line when Mason was on the team, so if anything, this could be a step down for him.

It’s yet to be determined exactly how snaps will be distributed between Mason and Aaron Jones Sr., but there is a chance Mason is the better fantasy back if both are healthy, and he is likely to be a fantasy starter if injuries continue to disrupt Jones’ career.

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers (ADP: 8.04)

Warren was an undrafted rookie in 2022 who immediately found a role in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense as the No. 2 running back and third-down back. He played 23 snaps in his first game and averaged over 30% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps throughout the rest of the season. He slowly but surely earned more touches, finishing two games with double-digit carries over the last four weeks.

In 2023, Warren entered a near 50-50 split with Najee Harris, but Warren’s playing time increased in every situation. Naturally, Warren tended to play more when the Steelers were losing and less when they were winning. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry thanks to a very high rate of making breakaway runs. He was much more involved in the run game. He finished 22nd in fantasy points for a running back, but his situation and playing time made it difficult to ever start him unless it was a flex spot or a league where fantasy managers start three running backs.

Warren started the 2024 season with a hamstring injury in the preseason and a knee injury in Week 3. He was back playing in Week 6, but it wasn’t until Week 8 that his quality of play started to return to normal.  He was RB25 from Week 10 until the end of the season. Once Week 14 hit, Warren started to consistently play at least 50% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps. 

Warren spent the first three years of his career competing for offensive snaps with Najee Harris, whom the Steelers opted not to re-sign. The Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the draft, and he will be Warren’s primary competition. The Steelers also added Kenneth Gainwell, as well as multiple former Indianapolis Colts, but most of those players will likely only see playing time if someone gets injured.

Johnson is unlikely to take Warren’s snaps on third downs. Considering how much the Steelers moved toward Warren in the two-minute drill, his snap count in those situations is also likely safe. While Johnson is a bigger back than Warren, the gap between them isn’t large, so there is a chance Warren will see more goal-line opportunities.

Warren’s value compared to Johnson will largely depend on how quickly Johnson can develop. We can expect both players to play at least 30% of the early-down snaps and carries, but there will be a big difference between Warren playing 70% of the early-down snaps and 30%. 

Throughout the preseason, it was clear Warren was at the top of the depth chart, as he sat out the first two preseason games, with Gainwell playing ahead of Johnson. In the third preseason game, Warren started and basically played in Harris’ old role while Gainwell played on third down. Johnson didn’t play until the other two running backs were done. While it’s unclear if this will be the exact rotation in the regular season, it does suggest Warren will have a significant role on early downs.

Warren will have Arthur Smith as his head coach for a second straight season. This is a big benefit for Warren because Smith’s offenses have always been more run-heavy than most. In the last two seasons, he’s had no problem throwing to running backs. When Smith was asked if the split between Johnson and Warren would be similar, Smith said it wouldn’t, suggesting Warren would play more on early downs than he did last season. He also talked about the need to run over 500 times, a mark only six teams hit last season, including the Steelers. The Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, which could lead the team to be less run-heavy. However, Rodgers has a high rate of throwing to running backs both with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers, so this should help ensure Warren sees plenty of targets.

Warren has been a borderline fantasy starter when healthy the last two seasons, and that should continue this year. His upside is higher this time around because there’s a chance Warren stays ahead of Kaleb Johnson in both the run and pass games. However, there is also the risk that Johnson plays better than Harris, in which case Warren could lose playing time.

TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 9.06)

Jermichael Finley topped 660 receiving yards in three seasons with the Packers before his career was cut short by injury in 2013. In the decade since, Green Bay cycled through several tight ends, with Robert Tonyan’s 11-touchdown campaign in 2020 standing as the only fantasy-relevant season during that span. The Packers sought a long-term solution in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third.

Heading into 2024, many expected the snaps between Musgrave and Kraft to be more evenly split. Instead, Kraft emerged as the clear starter. He played at least 80% of snaps in three of the first four games, while Musgrave missed over two months and was eased back into action, allowing Kraft to maintain a lead role. By season’s end, he averaged 85% of the Packers’ offensive snaps.

Kraft finished 2024 with 9.6 fantasy points per game, ranking 15th among tight ends. While his 14.5% target rate was the fourth lowest among 28 tight ends with 300 or more routes, his work after the catch stood out. Kraft led all tight ends with 229 yards after contact and averaged 9.3 yards after the catch per reception, 1.5 yards more than any other player at the position. He also ranked first in avoided tackles per reception (0.32) and second in avoided tackles on receptions per game (0.94).

Though his target volume kept him from consistent fantasy relevance, Kraft’s 707 receiving yards were the most by a Packers tight end since Finley’s 2011 season, giving Green Bay hope they’ve finally found their answer at the position.

There was plenty of buzz after the 2024 season about the Packers needing to feature Tucker Kraft more in their offense. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich doubled down on that sentiment after the draft, saying the team is working on new ways to get him the ball. With consistent praise from Green Bay’s coaching staff and a clear desire to expand his role, Kraft’s outlook remains strong despite the presence of promising young talent around him.

Kraft will continue to operate in Matt LaFleur’s offense with Jordan Love under center — a pairing that’s shown steady improvement. As the Packers’ offense found its groove late last season, Kraft benefited, tying for the fourth-most touchdowns among tight ends in 2024 with seven.

While Kraft hasn’t yet seen the target share needed to be a weekly fantasy starter, his ability after the catch makes him one of the position’s most dynamic playmakers. If Green Bay follows through on its plan to get him more involved, Kraft has top-12 fantasy tight end upside for 2025.

TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (ADP: 9.04)

Warren is the top tight end of the 2025 draft class because of his all-around ability.

From 2020 to 2022, he was buried on Penn State’s depth chart behind Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson, all projected NFL starters in 2025. Warren and Johnson often shared the field in 2023, whereas Warren ran more routes and sustained more blocks. Warren showed signs of greatness in 2023 as one of four Power-Five tight ends with a positive grade on at least 10% of his routes across more than 300 routes run.

However, a high drop rate dragged down his PFF grade. His 14.6% drop rate was the highest among the same subset of tight ends. His separation rate ranked in the 88th percentile among tight ends, but it was also the second-lowest clip of the expected Day 1 and Day 2 tight end draft prospects.

Penn State made Warren its clear lead tight end in 2024 in a way we haven’t seen since early in James Franklin‘s tenure. He posted one of the best seasons by a Power-Five tight end in the PFF era. His PFF overall grade ranked in the top 10 among those with at least 500 offensive snaps during the regular season. His 974 receiving yards in the regular season were the most for any Power-Five tight end since 2014. He cut his drops in half despite seeing nearly triple the targets. His yards per route run mark ranked second best in the PFF era, behind Brock Bowers in 2021.

Warren’s college experience should put him in a position to be an NFL starter from day one who can immediately contribute.

Warren joins an Indianapolis Colts team that consistently utilizes three or four tight ends in a rotation. In 2024, that included Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Kylen Granson, who left for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, and, at times, Will Mallory. Jelani Woods showed some promise as a rookie in 2022 but has missed the past two seasons due to injury.

None of the tight ends on the field will stop Warren from taking as many snaps as he can handle. He has extensive experience lining up in a traditional tight end position, which isn’t always true for an NFL rookie. Warren played more than 500 snaps from the slot, more than 200 out wide and more than 150 out of the backfield in 2024. He can handle an 80% snap rate as a rookie, which isn’t all that common for NFL tight ends. His diverse skill set should make him a scheme fit for any team. Alie-Cox, in particular, has been one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL and will likely join Warren in two-tight end sets.

This preseason, Warren has played 34 of 35 plays with the starters over the first two games and has received multiple targets. His solid usage in the preseason, combined with more questionable usage by players like Dalton Kincaid and Colston Loveland, has led to his ADP rise.

At 260 pounds, Warren is larger than the typical fantasy starting tight end. The top nine consensus tight ends for 2025 all weigh 250 pounds or less. Tucker Kraft, Hunter Henry, Dallas Goedert and Pat Freiermuth all finished last season with at least 650 yards while weighing more than 250 pounds. He posted an OK average depth of target and deep target rate throughout his time at Penn State, but he won’t be a tight end who can be a fantasy starter through big plays and low volume.

However, Trey McBride posted a 3.6% deep target rate last season with a 6.5-yard average depth of target, and he’s a top-two fantasy tight end heading into 2025 due to his talent and volume. In recent seasons, Jonnu Smith, David Njoku, Evan Engram and Travis Kelce also fit the category of fantasy starters despite average-to-low deep target rates and average depth of targets.

The Colts’ wide receiver room includes Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell. All play roles in the offense, but the room ranks as a bottom-tier unit due to a lack of top-end talent. This means Warren should be able to reach a relatively high target rate.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen hasn’t had a clear top tight end since joining the team, but he gained experience with featured tight ends when he was an offensive coordinator. In 2020, Hunter Henry played 87.3% of the Los Angeles Chargers‘ offensive snaps. And in 2021 and 2022, Dallas Goedert played 78.6% and 90.0%, respectively, with the Philadelphia Eagles, excluding games missed due to injury. The Colts’ previous rotation at tight end should be of no concern for Warren’s potential snap share.

It is fair to be concerned about the Colts’ offense in general. Typically, the quarterback doesn’t matter much for a low-average-depth-of-target tight end. Daniel Jones won the Colts’ starting job, and his accuracy is more in line with the league average than Anthony Richardson Sr.‘s. He also has more experience throwing shorter passes. Darren Waller’s time with the Giants was short-lived, and Jones was injured for half of it, but Waller did post an eight-catch, 86-yard game and a six-catch, 76-yard game during their five outings together.

Warren has the talent to be a high-volume, fantasy-starting tight end. He will likely have the necessary playing time and the support of his head coach. The immediate questions are at quarterback and whether Jones builds enough chemistry with Warren for the rookie to become a reliable fantasy starter.

QB Justin Fields, New York Jets (ADP: 10.08)

Justin Fields spent three seasons as the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback after being drafted in the first round in 2021. While his rookie season was largely forgettable, he broke out as a fantasy star in 2022, averaging 20.7 PPR points per game, the fifth-highest among quarterbacks that year. Fields led all quarterbacks with 1,143 rushing yards, nearly 350 more than the next closest player. That season included two historic rushing performances of 147 and 178 yards in November, both ranking in the top 10 for single-game rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.

In 2023, Fields continued to flash his rushing upside, averaging 21.2 points per game over the first five weeks and 19.8 from Weeks 11-17, excluding a midseason injury absence. Throughout his career, his fantasy production has been fueled primarily by his legs. Among quarterbacks with at least 2,500 snaps over the past four seasons, Fields ranks third in rushing grade (behind onlyJosh Allen andLamar Jackson) and first in scramble yards per game (31.3) and scramble touchdowns per game (0.26). His passing, however, remains a work in progress. His 62.4 passing grade over that span ranks last among qualifying quarterbacks, with Mac Jones and Daniel Jones as the next closest.

After the Bears traded Fields to the Steelers following their selection ofCaleb Williams at No. 1 overall, Fields began 2025 as Pittsburgh’s starter while Russell Wilson recovered from injury. In that stretch, he averaged 19.1 PPR points per game, seventh-best among quarterbacks over that span, before returning to a reserve role when Wilson returned. Encouragingly, Fields’ passing grades over his last two seasons have improved significantly from his early career, helping keep him in the conversation as a potential NFL starter.

Justin Fields joins the New York Jets with a fresh start under new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. After signing a two-year, $40 million deal last season, Fields is positioned to get an extended opportunity as the team’s starting quarterback.

He will bring a clear rushing element to the Jets’ offense, but how heavily the Jets lean into designed runs remains a key variable. That usage could be the difference between Fields finishing as a top-five fantasy quarterback or landing outside the top 12.

One intriguing wrinkle is the Jets’ vote to keep the “tush push.” Fields has only four career carries from the one-yard line, converting two for touchdowns, but if New York fully commits to using him in short-yardage situations, his rushing touchdown total could spike. That extra goal-line work could be a key factor in Fields cracking the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks in 2025.

Fields has been a fantasy starter whenever he’s held the job and stayed healthy, and that should remain true in 2025 if he gets enough rushing volume.