In fantasy football, wide receivers can make or break your season, especially when you're willing to take chances on boom-or-bust talent. While safe, high-floor wide receivers keep your roster stable, it's often the volatile players, the ones with massive ceilings and unpredictable weeks, who become league-winners.
In this article, we’ll break down five wide receivers with significant risk baked into their 2025 outlook, but who also carry the potential to crush their ADP and lead fantasy managers to a title.
Each of these players has a combination of uncertainty, whether it’s age, injury history, a new quarterback, or a crowded depth chart, but if things break right, they could outperform expectations and win you weeks (and championships). Let’s dive in.
1. Stefon Diggs — New England Patriots
ADP: WR43 (Round 6–7)
Reward: Alpha WR1 target share with a breakout QB
Risk: Age: 31, Patriots: Bottom 5 Scoring Offense In 2024
Fantasy Outlook:
Stefon Diggs’ fall from grace in Buffalo was sharp. After years of elite WR1 production, Diggs faded in the 2024 season due to a season-ending injury, frustrating managers who drafted him. Now in New England, catching passes from second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the hope is for a career revival.
On the surface, the move offers optimism. Diggs walks into the Patriots' offense as the undisputed WR1, and if Maye takes a step forward, Diggs could realistically command 130–150 targets. The Pats also made offensive upgrades across the board this offseason, including improvements along the offensive line and at the coordinator positions.
Still, this is an offense that ranked bottom five in scoring last year, and Diggs turns 32 mid-season. Declines are real, and his production in 2024 looked more like a player losing a step than one simply needing a change of scenery.
Verdict: If you believe in Drake Maye's progression and New England's offensive turnaround, Diggs is a potential steal in the 6th or 7th round. If you’re skeptical, he could be a WR4 who never bounces back. Draft with caution, but don’t ignore the upside.
2. Rashee Rice — Kansas City Chiefs
ADP: WR16 (Round 4-10)
Reward: Patrick Mahomes’ potential WR1 after suspension
Risk: Legal Issues: Likely Suspension (4–8 games)
Travis Kelce's target share, Crowded WR Room
(Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Jalen Royals)
Fantasy Outlook:
Rashee Rice exploded in 2023 as a yards-after-catch (YAC) monster and a favorite target of Patrick Mahomes. He was expected to build on that in 2024, but he tore ACL early in the year.
A turbulent offseason in 2024 led to legal trouble. Now heading into 2025, Rice's situation is clouded by a likely multi-game suspension. Add in Kansas City’s revamped wide receiver group (Xavier Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and a rookie Jalen Royals), and it’s hard to truly pinpoint Rice’s role once he returns.
However, if he’s healthy and clears his legal hurdles, Rice could step right back into a WR1-type role in the league’s most explosive passing offense. He’s shown elite efficiency with Mahomes, especially in short-to-intermediate areas that rack up fantasy points fast.
Verdict: At his falling ADP, Rice is the perfect stash. Ideal for best ball formats or patient redraft teams with strong wide receiver depth. If he’s back for the fantasy playoffs, he could be a league-winner.
3. Chris Olave — New Orleans Saints
ADP: WR36 (Round 6-7)
Reward: WR1 with Breakout Potenetial
New OC and Offensive Scheme
Risk: Stalled Progression, Unclear QB Situation,
Questionable Offensive Efficiency, Injury History
Fantasy Outlook:
Chris Olave is a puzzling case. The talent is obvious, crisp route-running, deep-ball skills, and strong hands. But through two seasons, he hasn’t taken that next step to fantasy superstardom.
Part of the problem? The Saints’ offense lacked identity. Quarterback play has been erratic, and Olave’s red zone usage has been limited. That could change in 2025, as the team brought in a new offensive coordinator and aims to modernize its scheme.
If the Saints’ offense clicks and Olave stays healthy, he’s capable of a 1,300-yard, double-digit touchdown season. But that’s a big “if,” and he comes with more downside than you’d like from a WR3 pick.
Verdict: Olave's current ADP gives you room to gamble. He’s a high-ceiling WR3 with legit WR1 upside if the offense finds rhythm. Draft him as part of a balanced wide receiver corps, not as your top dog.
4. Davante Adams — Los Angeles Rams
ADP: WR17 (Round 4-5)
Reward: Matthew Stafford + Sean McVay =
Potential for Another WR1 Season
Risk: Age (32), Declining Efficiency,
Target Competition with Puka Nacua
Fantasy Outlook:
Davante Adams forced his way out of back-to-back dysfunctional situations (Las Vegas and New York) and landed with the Los Angeles Rams, a much better environment. He joins an offense with Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Sean McVay calling plays, which is about as fantasy-friendly as it gets.
At 32, Adams is no longer in his prime, but he remains one of the league’s best red zone threats, and he thrives in tight coverage. The challenge will be how much work he gets alongside Puka Nacua, who has emerged as a star over the last two seasons.
Even if Nacua remains the primary volume guy, Adams can still return WR2 value, and with the right usage, he has a path back to WR1 numbers.
Verdict: Classic “bet on talent” situation. If you can get Adams in the 4th or 5th round, you’re buying elite talent at a discount. Just keep expectations in check and monitor early-season usage to see if he’s a true 1A or fading into 1B status.
5. DK Metcalf — Pittsburgh Steelers
ADP: WR21 (Round 4-5)
Reward: Elite Red Zone Monster with
Major QB upgrade (Aaron Rodgers)
Risk: Target Consistency, Unknown Offensive Identity,
Rodgers' Health (Age, Potential Injury Risk)
Fantasy Outlook:
DK Metcalf was always a freak athlete and big-play threat, but his fantasy production has been frustratingly inconsistent. In 2025, he’s betting on a fresh start, now catching passes from Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.
On paper, this pairing makes perfect sense. Rodgers’ deep-ball accuracy and red-zone vision line up perfectly with Metcalf’s physical dominance. But the offense is now led by Arthur Smith, a coach known for his conservative, run-first approach. That could limit Metcalf’s targets every week.
Plus, Rodgers is now 41 and coming off an Achilles tear from 2023 and a down year in 2024. If he holds up, Metcalf could shine. If he doesn’t, you're stuck with a talented receiver in a low-volume passing offense.
Verdict: Great in best ball and for managers looking to stack high-upside wide receivers. But in redraft, make sure your roster has floor players to balance the risk. Metcalf is a boom-or-bust WR2 who could explode or disappear.
Final Thoughts: Swing With Purpose
The wide receivers on this list are not for the faint of heart. Each come with red flags, whether it's age, injury, suspension, or uncertainty in offensive scheme. But they also offer something most mid-round wide receivers can’t: league-winning upside.
The key is in roster construction are to lock in dependable floor players early, take swings on volatile, high-ceiling wide receivers like these in the middle rounds, and to stay flexible and monitor early-season usage trends.
Championships are won by those willing to take calculated risks, and these five wideouts are exactly the kind of players who can separate your team from the pack.