Fantasy football draft season is just around the corner! If you’re not one of the degenerates, like me, drafting best ball teams all offseason, this is your return after a 10+ month break to the most exciting part of the fantasy football season.
Fantasy football managers are getting better at every aspect of the game, with the draft likely being where the biggest gains are being made. People have locked in sleeper and bust takes, are weighing early-season versus late-season production, and drafting high-upside rookies. Something that too many drafters haven’t adapted to, though, is tiered rankings.
Ranking your wide receivers 1 through 70 simply isn’t taking into account the value differentials in your draft. Often, when looking at your 1 through 70 rankings for receivers, there’s five guys that you could rearrange on any given day, but that sixth receiver is clearly not as good as the first 5. Tier-based rankings allow for that to be taken into account.
I think I’ve sold the concept enough, so let’s get right into the 2025 wide receiver tiered rankings!
Tier 1 – The Elite 4
To me, the top of this position group hasn’t really moved. These four guys continue to dominate touches on their teams, they’re attached to high-powered offenses, they’re in the prime of their careers, and they’re simply elite talents. By next year, there could be a fifth or sixth name added to this list, but as of now, I think these four have all the upside with very little risk.
1. Ja'Marr Chase (CIN)
2. Justin Jefferson (MIN)
3. CeeDee Lamb (DAL)
4. Amon-Ra St Brown (DET)
Tier 2 – The Future Elite
(And One Former)
For the top group, I listed four categories that each player fits, which boil down to target dominance, strong offenses, carer primes, and talent. This group is filled with players that feature three and a half of the four. These are the heir apparents to the fantasy royalty above.
5. Nico Collins (HOU)
6. Malik Nabers (NYG)
7. AJ Brown (PHI)
8. Drake London (ATL)
Tier 3 – Borderline WR1s
These players don’t quite have the strength of profiles that the second group does, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have paths to the elite level of production. From elite route runners on run-heavy teams to wide receiver rooms split at the top, there’s plenty of upside to go around here, but the path is slightly less clear.
9. Ladd McConkey (LAC)
10. Puka Nacua (LAR)
11. Brian Thomas Jr. (JAX)
12. Tee Higgins (CIN)
13. Rashee Rice (KC)
14. Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI)
15. Garrett Wilson (NYJ)
16. Davante Adams (LAR)
Tier 4 – High Ceiling WR2s
If you time travelled from January 2026 to tell me that one of these players finished as a top-12 wide receiver (obviously the first use for newly-discovered time travel) I wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever. Actually, I’d be surprised if one of these players doesn’t finish in the top-12, I just can’t say who.
There’s a bunch of potential here for breakout seasons if things break the right way for the team. From a Dolphins resurgence to Aaron Rodgers having one more season of brilliance to simply playing the wide receiver position full time, there are various, but thin, avenues to stardom in this tier.
17. Tyreek Hill (MIA)
18. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA)
19. Terry McLaurin (WAS)
20. Mike Evans (TB)
21. DK Metcalf (PIT)
22. Travis Hunter (JAX)
23. Courtland Sutton (DEN)
Tier 5 – The Second Options (Plus Two)
This tier fits nicely into the category of good second options on their teams... almost. While the majority of this tier is made up of guys that are the number two option on a good team, or maybe it's ambiguous whether or not they’re the top guy or a number two, we also have a few top options. Tetairoa McMillan and Calvin Ridley are clearly expected to be the top receiving options for their teams, but the offenses are also projected to be among the worst in the league.
And before I hear it about Zay Flowers, I never said second receiving option. Between Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, that team’s first option is simply running the football.
24. Tet McMillan (CAR)
25. Xavier Worthy (KC)
26. DJ Moore (CHI)
27. Devonta Smith (PHI)
28. Zay Flowers (BAL)
29. Jaylen Waddle (MIA)
30. Calvin Ridley (TEN)
31. George Pickens (DAL)
32. Rome Odunze (CHI)
Tier 6 – The Wildcards
This group is one with some of the widest ranges of outcomes. There’s real potential for many of these players to be WR1s for their team, if not all of fantasy. There’s also potential for these guys to find their way to the waiver wire before the end of the season if their team’s offenses struggle or the talent just doesn’t translate.
33. Jameson Williams (DET)
34. Jordan Addison (MIN)
35. Chris Olave (NO)
36. Jauan Jennings (SF)
37. Matthew Golden (GB)
38. Jakobi Meyers (LV)
39. Ricky Pearsall (SF)
40. Jayden Reed (GB)
41. Chris Godwin (TB)
42. Michael Pittman (IND)
Tier 7 – Relevant but not Exciting
This tier is generally made up of older players that still have some productive use, but clearly aren’t going to provide top-end value anymore. There’s also younger players that have talent, but their situation isn’t really built for them to have elite seasons early in their careers due to offensive scheme or depth at their position. While I’m generally not excited to draft these players, they’ll still provide flex ability and could even find their way into top-24 weeks over the back half of the season.
43. Darnell Mooney (ATL)
44. Khalil Shakir (BUF)
45. Stefon Diggs (NE)
46. Emeka Egbuka (TB)
47. Brandon Aiyuk (SF)
48. Deebo Samuel Sr. (WAS)
49. Cooper Kupp (SEA)
50. Tre Harris (LAC)
51. Josh Downs (IND)
52. Jayden Higgins (HOU)
Tier 8 – A Glimmer of Hope
If you squint really hard at this small group, you can almost see a top-24 WR this season. Unfortunately, when you open your eyes to the reality of their situations, it’s much more likely they end up on your waiver wire in favour of the unexpected breakout or injury-replacement running back.
53. Jerry Jeudy (CLE)
54. Christian Kirk (HOU)
55. Rashid Shaheed (NO)
56. Cedric Tillman (CLE)
Tier 9 – Prove Yourself
This tier is filled with rookies and second-year players that have potential, but aren’t expected to fully take advantage for one reason or another. While Hollywood Brown and Rashod Bateman may seem like outliers here as the only veterans, they find themselves in similar situations behind multiple good pass-catchers. They will need to prove themselves to get the targets needed to be relevant for fantasy.
These are the type of players that’ll more likely than not be among the first to get moved to waivers, but be cautious as they may have that breakout as soon as they are.
57. Pat Bryant (DEN)
58. Keon Coleman (BUF)
59. Kyle Williams (NE)
60. Rashod Bateman (BAL)
61. Hollywood Brown (KC)
62. Xavier Legette (CAR)
63. Luther Burden III (CHI)
Tier 10 – Bye Week Replacements
This is the final tier, made up of players you’re unlikely to find in your starting lineup throughout the year unless you're facing some injuries or bye weeks. There’s a clear path to points for these receivers, but little room to the ceiling needed to be starters.
64. Jack Bech (LV)
65. Romeo Doubs (GB)
66. Dyami Brown (JAX)
67. Deandre Hopkins (BAL)
68. Michael Wilson (ARI)
69. Jaylin Noel (HOU)
70. Marvin Mims Jr. (DEN)