NFL Draft szn is over, meaning it's officially time to fully embrace the 2025 fantasy season!
The Fantasy Life rankings crew has our 2025 fantasy football rankings updated and ready to go for any format you could imagine. Make sure you check them out right here!
Below, I outline my initial thoughts on the main incoming rookies and what we should expect from them in 2025 re-draft formats. As always: It's a great day to be great.
Where Do The Rookies Fall In 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings?
Titans QB Cam Ward
- Ian rank: QB28
Ward's arm talent and ability to create off-script should translate to bunches of fantasy-friendly passing production … once the Titans' rather abysmal offensive environment catches up. Barring immediate top-tier passing efficiency, I find it awfully difficult to rationalize ranking the No. 1 overall pick ahead of more proven passers like Geno Smith, Matthew Stafford, and Sam Darnold.
Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter
- Ian rank: WR34
Landing with Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville is certainly a better outcome for Hunter than joining the Browns, although the presence of Brian Thomas caps the target ceiling.
Luckily, it sounds like Jacksonville wants to feature Hunter on offense first and defense second, meaning something close to a full-time receiver role should be on the table. Full confirmation could lead to top-20 treatment at the position, but for now, I'm exercising just a bit of caution and leaving the reigning Heisman Trophy winner as a WR3 in the same tier as guys like Calvin Ridley, Rome Odunze, and Jaylen Waddle.
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty
- Ian rank: RB3
The touch ceiling here might as well be the moon: Jeanty is poised to work as the every-down workhorse inside a Chip Kelly offense that posted average top-seven rankings in rush attempts and yards during his time with the Eagles and 49ers. While it'd be a lot cooler if the Raiders' offensive line and overall scoring upside were better, Jeanty checks virtually every other box you could hope for from a fantasy RB.
Guys like Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry could feasibly out-score the rookie with good health, but I'm betting on Jeanty's youthful upside winning out in the long term, and accordingly, he's my sixth overall player in half-PPR scoring.
Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan
- Ian rank: WR18
McMillan has the highest target ceiling of any rookie pass-catcher, and the same could be true for his fantasy ceiling (big) IF Bryce Young can build on his encouraging second-half revival.
The gargantuan-sized rookie should emerge as the clear-cut No. 1 pass-game option inside this underwhelming WR room before too long, and the likelihood that Carolina's defense (again) stinks should lead to plenty of fantasy-friendly shootout game-scripts. For now, I'm being aggressive with T-Mac by ranking him ahead of fellow top-10 picks Travis Hunter and Marvin Harrison—there's legit 150-plus target upside here.
Bears TE Colston Loveland
- Ian rank: TE14
With Loveland the talent is easy to get behind; I would only rank him behind Brock Bowers and Trey McBride in dynasty. That said, Bears GM Ryan Poles gave incumbent starter Cole Kmet a four-year, $50 million extension for a reason, and it tentatively doesn't look like Chicago can get out of that contract until 2026 at the earliest.
Accordingly, Loveland could have a tough time earning the sort of 70-80% route rate that is almost essential to high-end fantasy production, and that's before considering the reality that he would still almost certainly be behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze in Caleb Williams' pecking order. I'm tentatively sticking with my pre-draft TE14 ranking for Loveland due to this depressed target ceiling.
Colts TE Tyler Warren
- Ian rank: TE16
Great job by the Colts for landing many's idea of a top-five talent at pick 14, although expecting 2025 fireworks might be wishful thinking. This is due in large part to Indy's gigantic question mark under center as well as the reality that guys like Josh Downs and Michael Pittman figure to continue to work in the same underneath and intermediate areas of the field where Warren would theoretically thrive.
The presence of Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor also has me bearish on Warren receiving anything close to a prominent role in the run game. Shane Steichen should give the Penn State talent a full-time role from day one, but the potential for limited pass-game efficiency and a meh target share has me treating the first-rounder as more of a borderline TE1 in 2025 re-draft leagues despite legit top-five upside in dynasty land.
Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka
- Ian rank: WR65
Ugh. Egbuka certainly makes the Bucs a better real-life football team, but that would be true for any squad. The problem in fantasy land is the reality that Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (once healthy) will assuredly lead the way in targets, and it seems unlikely Jalen McMillan is completely shoved to the curb after catching eight TDs as a rookie.
First-round draft capital should result in the Ohio State product snatching McMillan's job sooner rather than later; just realize even some sort of rotation between the four could render both complementary options obsolete when it comes to fantasy upside. Egbuka is nothing more than a WR5 dart who needs at least one injury ahead of him to become someone you will be able to start with any level of confidence.
Chargers RB Omarion Hampton
- Ian rank: RB21
The much-rumored Broncos landing spot would have been ideal, although landing with Jim Harbaugh and company *should* provide plenty of fantasy-friendly returns in the long run. 2025 could be just a bit problematic due to the presence of ex-Steelers bell cow Najee Harris, but Round 1 RBs don't tend to spend too much time on the bench.
Ultimately, I'm approaching this Chargers backfield as a middle-class man's version of the Lions: Give me Hampton over Harris straight up, but both are deserving of borderline RB2 treatment, and an injury to either would instantly lead to RB1 upside for the healthy back.
Packers WR Matthew Golden
- Ian rank: WR45
On the one hand, Golden's first-round draft capital could result in him leading Green Bay's passing game in routes and targets. On the other hand, it's far from a guarantee that Matt LaFleur kicks his incumbent four-some to the curb. I'd expect the Texas speedster to replace Dontayvion Wicks in the starting lineup, but similar to the Egbuka-McMillan equation, we aren't guaranteed to see the rookie run away with a true full-time role inside an offense that loves to keep plenty of WRs involved.
Still, Jordan Love and LaFleur have demonstrated the ability to operate this passing attack at a high level; I have the 23rd overall pick neck-and-neck with his new teammate Jayden Reed in the mid-tier WR4 range for the time being.
Giants QB Jaxson Dart
- Ian rank: QB32
It's unfortunate the Giants are planning to stick with Russell Wilson as their starter to open the season, as Dart's demonstrated rushing goodness (averaged 499 rush yards and 4 TD per season from 2022-24, including sacks) could have separated him from the low-end QB2 pocket passers.
Alas, the NFL's youngest (potential) starting QB looks more like a stash for 2026 and beyond as opposed to someone 2025 re-draft fantasy managers should be getting overly excited about.
