The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books and while most of the boom in fantasy football will be felt at the running back position, the first round still brought us four wide receivers. Rookie receivers have been some of the best value picks you could make in recent seasons. There will be some big hits from the 2025 crop.
However, these rookie wideouts can take some time to become consistent starters. While this sometimes has to do with general Year 1 development, it can also be a result of situation. When rookies do miss, it’s usually because managers didn’t quite have a full grasp of the pitfalls of offensive environments — look at Rome Odunze’s middling rookie year statistical performance in a broken and crowded Bears’ ecosystem or Marvin Harrison’s disappointing fantasy campaign in a volatile role with the Cardinals.