10 Biggest WR Questions in Fantasy Football with Yahoo's Justin Boone

Matt Harmon ranks Brown third among the elite WR1 trio (Jefferson, London, Brown), citing his age and uncertainty from changing teams to the Patriots as reasons for the lower ranking; however, Harmon expects Brown to thrive with a motivation narrative similar to his first season with the Eagles, where he had a career year. Brown has consistently put up big-time fantasy numbers in the Eagles offense over four to five years; even in the god-awful Kevin Patulo scheme last year, Brown finished as wide receiver 11 in PPR points per game, demonstrating the Eagles' ability to produce elite WR fantasy output regardless of scheme. Harmon expects a strong 2025 season as Brown aims to prove the Eagles made a mistake not getting him the ball more.

Projected for another top-four WR finish in 2025 based on three-year track record of elite production. Despite year-end stats feeling underwhelming throughout 2024, St. Brown posted over 1,300 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. With offensive improvements including new coaching (Clint Kubiak) and scheme changes, he's positioned as an exciting prospect heading into the new season.

Matt Harmon has no confidence that Brandon Aiyuk will get back to his production level from a couple years ago, even if he returns from injury. Players who take significant time off and attempt comebacks typically struggle to recapture their prior form.

Flashed high-end upside as a rookie in weeks 1–7 before foot and ankle injury derailed his season. Matt Harmon is willing to buy into the recovery narrative given how severe the decline was. Complements Parker Washington in the Jaguars passing attack, with both potentially helping the offense reach new heights.

Potential league-winner tight end in round 2 with rare ceiling upside. De facto number-one receiver for Vegas with 112 catches and over 1,000 yards as a rookie. Benefits from Clint Kubiak's offensive system and improved offensive line, while Vegas failed to adequately address the receiving corps beyond him. Speaker advocates for securing him after RB1 in round 1, positioning him as a rare tight end capable of winning fantasy leagues.

Ranked as RB3 in draft positioning; Justin Boone has the top three wide receivers (Chase, JSN, Puka) ahead of him, with Jonathan Taylor as the only other player ranked ahead of McCaffrey, making him a consensus top-tier running back.

Rookie tight end drafted early by Chicago under Ben Johnson in year one; worked into the offense as the season progressed and led the team in targets down the stretch; positioned to lead his team in targets in year two with the passing attack built around him and fellow early pick Luther Bird.

At 33 years old, turning 34 in December, Adams faces age-related concerns; receivers rarely produce big seasons past that age. Matt Harmon is "a little more worried about him" and expects the Rams offense may phase away from using the older receiver as much this year, which could limit his production as the season progresses.

DeVonta Smith is on the verge of a career year as he transitions from overqualified number two receiver to true number one in Philadelphia following AJ Brown's departure. As a number two receiver, Smith was a top-21 fantasy wide receiver three times in four seasons (WR17, WR21, WR16 from 2022–2024), providing a floor of number-two receiver production with a top-12 ceiling. Matt Harmon ranks him as a low-end WR1 for 2025 and drafts him at the end of the second/early third round (2.23 turn). Smith finished as WR28 in PPR points per game last year despite playing in the god-awful Kevin Patulo scheme, finishing ahead of Justin Jefferson and demonstrating the Eagles' ability to produce elite WR fantasy output even in poor scheme contexts. New offensive coordinator expected to be more creative and challenge Jalen Hurts to throw more. Eagles have the easiest fantasy schedule for receivers this season.

Matt Harmon ranks London second among the elite WR1 trio (Jefferson, London, Brown) and calls him "the one that's so interesting." Despite uncertain QB situation in Atlanta, Pennix wants to throw him 15 targets per game with less target competition than Jefferson or AJ Brown. London produced elite per-game stats last year despite missing five games and poor QB play: 96 catches, 300 yards, and 10 TDs on pace over 17 games; through week 11 he averaged the third-most fantasy points in half-PPR at receiver behind only JSN and Puka Nakula. Harmon projects he can be acquired in the second round and deliver first-round value, noting he's underestimated despite being a proven elite receiver in a bad offense that will be in comeback mode. London is positioned for solid fantasy production as long as QB play is average—he's already proven he can post decent stats with bad quarterback play.

Potential receiving work competitor in Lions offense; if he gains more snaps and targets, it creates a target-distribution math problem for the offense, making it harder for other pass-catchers to reach fantasy-relevant volume levels.

Ranked inside the top four wide receivers for 2026 alongside Puka Nakua, JSN, and Amon-Ra St. Brown; consensus elite tier positioning.

Elite upside ceiling-game player with week-winning potential in rounds 3–6, but faces meaningful target-competition headwinds in 2025. Speaker took him as WR3 in mock draft and is willing to target him for his talent and ceiling weeks. However, second-half 2024 production (15+ PPG) benefited from Sam Leporta's absence; with the full Lions roster healthy, target distribution tightens significantly. First-half 2024 splits show 10.9 PPG vs. 15+ PPG in second half without Leporta, creating boom-bust consistency risk rather than steady WR1 production despite first-round talent.

Daniels missed games in 2024, and he and Terry McLaurin only played together in three games, which had a massive impact on McLaurin's fantasy production; full health and availability from Daniels in 2025 is a key factor for McLaurin's volume upside.

Smith has an easy fantasy schedule for receivers and is positioned for a potential breakout season; the schedule advantage puts the wind at his back towards having a really big year and potentially being the JSN (Jalen Speedwell Newcomer).

Jaylen Waddle is positioned for a breakout season as he transitions from overqualified number two receiver in Miami to true number one in New Orleans. Matt Harmon ranks him WR11 and calls him a potential JSN candidate with an outside shot at being this year's George Pickens-type breakout; he's going outside the top 20 in ADP despite the bullish case. Waddle no longer has to play with Tyreek Hill and gets to operate in an offense that isn't going off the rails like the Dolphins were. Sean Payton views Waddle as his new Joker. He's moving to a high-volume passing offense; Bo Nix led the league last year in pass attempts, so Waddle will see a ton of throwing opportunities. Harmon takes him in the end of the third, early fourth round stretch, much earlier than his current ADP, and believes he will be one of those players fantasy managers look back on in 2026 as a league-winner who helped them win a title.

Ranked ahead of Christian McCaffrey in 2026 rankings; through the first 14 weeks of 2025 with Daniel Jones at QB before the Colts offense declined, Taylor was the number one running back on a per-game basis in half-PPR scoring, outproducing CMC and demonstrating elite production when healthy.

Josh Downs would not be meaningfully impacted by potential receiver additions like Keenan Allen to the Colts; his role remains relatively secure even if other receivers join the team.

Ranked first among elite WR1 trio (Jefferson, London, Brown) as the best real-life player at this stage of his career. Expects significant bounce-back from 2024's poor performance due to bad QB play (JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Bromer). Jefferson averaged 25+ more receiving yards per game in prior seasons; Kyler Murray's competent play in Minnesota should enable return to elite production. Additionally, Jefferson has significant red-zone regression opportunity: caught only 2 of 16 end-zone targets last year, worst conversion rate over the last decade except Julio Jones in 2017 (2 of 19). Julio rebounded to 8 touchdowns the following year, suggesting Jefferson could see meaningful touchdown upside in 2025.

Matt Harmon views Kyle Pitts' 2024 numbers as 'totally fraudulent,' noting he inflated stats when Drake London was sidelined and was the best TE in fantasy during that stretch. Once London returns to full health, Pitts will fall back to his normal range as a fringe low-end TE1, not a volume threat to London's target share.

WR2–early WR3 range target in auction or snake draft strategy. Speaker prefers accumulating multiple shots at this tier (McConkey, Mecole Hardman, Zay Flowers, JMO) rather than reaching for early WRs, positioning him as a preferred value target in mid-round WR construction.

Matt Harmon expects Ladd McConkey to bounce back after a scary 2024 with Mike McDaniel's arrival at the Chargers. Harmon is bullish on the entire Chargers offense and projects McConkey for a big season, though acknowledges the offense may spread the ball around with multiple options.

Year-three target who flashed high-end upside but underperformed in year two; Matt Harmon believes the fantasy community is overreacting to year-one expectations not being met. Likely to be drafted at a discount relative to talent, making him a value pick.

WR2–early WR3 range target in auction or snake draft strategy. Speaker prefers accumulating multiple shots at this tier (McConkey, Hardman, Zay Flowers, JMO) rather than reaching for early WRs, positioning him as a preferred value target in mid-round WR construction.

Matt Harmon views Evans as an interesting draft target in the low-end WR2 range (WR22-25 ADP). The team is excited about his performance, and touchdown scoring alone could elevate his fantasy output; he is positioned to outperform his ADP as week-one rankings adjust upward from season-long projections.

Ranked higher than Brian Thomas Jr. by speaker; showed strong late-season performance when Jaguars offense found rhythm; extension candidate with team excitement around him; goes later in drafts than BTJ, making him a more frequent target for speaker; complements BTJ in the passing attack with slot versatility.

Ranked inside the top four wide receivers for 2026 alongside Jamar Chase, JSN, and Amon-Ra St. Brown; however, off-field miscues this offseason warrant monitoring, though such issues often resolve without impact.

Matt Harmon positions Quentin Johnston as a cheaper way to gain exposure to the Mike McDaniel Chargers offense compared to higher-priced receivers. Harmon is bullish on the Chargers' offensive setup and healthy offensive line, wanting to acquire pieces of the offense at multiple price points.

Matt Harmon expresses concern about Rashee Rice's pattern of off-field bad decisions, preferring to draft Devontae Waddle, Ladd McConkey, and Zay Flowers ahead of him. Harmon notes Rice is one mistake away from league trouble and lacks the volume security of other receivers. However, Harmon acknowledges Rice's top-5 to top-6 per-game fantasy performance when healthy and would reconsider if Stefon Diggs joins the Chiefs, which could further reduce Rice's volume.

Year two receiver expected to lose the number one role to rookie Luther Bird; speaker not as high on Odunze given the emergence of the rookie and the overall passing attack being built around the two early draft picks (Loveland and Bird); foot injury adjustment concerns also cited.

If traded to the Commanders, Diggs would likely take over the Debo Samuel-type role in the offense, filling a secondary receiver need without meaningfully displacing Terry McLaurin from his tier.

Matt Harmon projects Terry McLaurin to far outproduce his ADP if everyone stays healthy. McLaurin's setup is similar to a couple years ago with arguably even less target competition; he had a huge year two years ago posting 14 fantasy points per game as a WR1. Despite entering his age-31 season and coming off a low-output year (due to contract issues and missing seven games to injury), there is no one challenging him for volume. Even if Stefon Diggs joins the Commanders, McLaurin would only see a slight ranking bump down, as Diggs would take over the Debo Samuel-type role without meaningfully reducing McLaurin's volume or tier placement.

Tyler Warren is positioned as a potential breakout tight end for the Colts, described as "Brock Bowers light." As a rookie, he led the team in targets despite Michael Pitman's 111 targets, and with Pitman gone, Warren is expected to see even more volume. Already ranked inside the top five at tight end; positioned as a potential goal-line rushing touchdown beneficiary if he becomes his team's primary red-zone option, which could unlock significant upside. Matt Harmon breaks his usual tight end strategy (elite guys or wait late) to draft Warren in the fifth round.

Matt Harmon is not a huge believer in Xavier Worthy; even if Worthy has a better year in 2025, he is not expected to command significant target share, making him a secondary option in the Kansas City passing game.

Totally underrated WR2–early WR3 range target. Ravens haven't added significant receiver help beyond mid-round rookies Elijah Serat and Jacobe Lane. Flowers performed like a WR1 early last season and projects as a top-15 to top-20 receiver, well within his range despite Rashad Bateman's hype. Part of speaker's preferred mid-tier receiver accumulation strategy in auction/snake drafts.