Over the years, with its meteoric rise in popularity, fantasy football has become a year-round game. The Super Bowl may put the finishing touches on one NFL season, but the next one has already begun as coverage of college football and its premier prospects remains center-stage in anticipation of the upcoming NFL Draft. We love our fantasy football rookies, don’t we? Those shiny, new toys have everyone bubbling with excitement, and the moment the Super Bowl ends, hardcore fantasy football players are already scouting next season’s crop.

But, obviously, not every NFL rookie is worthy of your attention in fantasy football. We may think they are, but in reality, the percentage of guys who actually hit and make a significant impact in the fantasy realm is fairly low. That’s not to deter you from drafting them. It’s an attempt at keeping your expectations in check.

The 2025 NFL rookie class can be very exciting from the fantasy angle if all of our expectations come true. We have one “for sure” rookie quarterback starting, an extremely deep group of running backs, plenty of wide receiver hopefuls, and even a couple of tight ends looking to make an impact. Many found strong landing spots, and expectations seem to be running high, but everyone needs to curb some of that enthusiasm and keep expectations both in check and based in reality. 

Opportunity is key in fantasy football. So is landing in the right scheme. We’ve taken a deep dive through every rookie landing spot, broken down each offensive system, and assessed each player’s expected role on the team. We combine all of that with the actual skill sets and now present to you the top-10 rookies to draft in fantasy football for the 2025 NFL season…and then some.   

 

 

 

Top 10 Rookies to Draft in Fantasy Football

Cameron Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans

With the rise of superflex leagues, we have to lead off with the top rookie fantasy option at quarterback. Sure, there are hopefuls like Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders, but Ward is the only one who is locked into a starting job come Week 1 of the NFL season. The Titans made an immediate commitment to him, taking him first overall, and didn’t exactly give him much in the way of competition. Head coach Brian Callahan whiffed with Will Levis last year, and Ward should help him atone for his mistakes. While there is technically a competition in camp, Ward should take the reins of this offense fairly early. 

Ward is a pure pocket-passer, which Callahan loves, but he is also mobile enough to scramble and extend plays. We don’t view him as a dual threat like a Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, but he’s got the legs to avoid the sack while letting receivers run their routes. The offensive line has been bolstered both through the drafts and in free agency, and the scheme is not overly complex, with a lean on short, high-percentage passes, which should help him build his confidence and on-field rapport with his receivers. Ward is currently working on his chemistry with No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley and the other weapons brought in, like Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. While the veteran presence at receiver should help, the Titans have also committed to the long-term passing game, adding two receivers in the fourth round in Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. 

Ward is definitely a work-in-progress and can be left to the waiver wire in 12-team, single-QB redraft leagues. Expectations are probably right about where they should be for him. He should be usable as a third option in superflex leagues and is, obviously, worth a look in dynasty formats.  

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

The fantasy football ADP says it all, doesn’t it? Jeanty is going first overall in dynasty rookie drafts (even in superflex leagues) and is being drafted in the first round of all redraft leagues, both season-long and best ball. The only thing Raiders head coach Pete Carroll loves more than chomping gum is running the football, and his offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, leans heavily on his running backs both on the ground and inside the passing game. Our NFL Coaching Systems series will unlock the details of the intended outside zone run scheme, but it’s safe to say at this point that Jeanty will be a primary focal point for this offense.

Jeanty put up ridiculous numbers during his time at Boise State, and while you always take college totals with a grain of salt, there is plenty to take away. At 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, Jeanty has the size and durability to power through the line and the strength to break tackles and get into open space. He can be a pure workhorse, as evidenced by his 26.7 carries per game during his final collegiate year, but he also showed that he is a substantial threat in the passing attack as well, lighting it up for almost four catches per game in 2023. The Raiders are planning to use him as a workhorse, much like Bijan Robinson, and that is exactly what fantasy owners are hoping to see.

Generational talent is a term that may be thrown around too much by aspiring fantasy analysts, but it doesn’t mean Jeanty doesn’t warrant consideration for that label. Players like Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Ezekiel Elliot are all examples of rookie running backs who saw their ADP climb into the first round of many fantasy drafts, and all of them finished inside the top-12 of fantasy points at their position. Yes, even a misused Bijan managed to finish his rookie campaign as RB12. With the expected workload and role within this Raiders offense, Jeanty should finish as a top-10 back this season with the upside of being in the top five.

 

 

 

Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

As incredibly talented as Hampton is, there is a definite drop-off in fantasy expectations when you go from Jeanty to the rest of the 2025 rookie running back class. Not because of skill-set – Hampton’s big frame (6-feet, 220 pounds) allows him to push through between the tackles and run over opposing defenders, and he also has strong breakaway speed (he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash) to take it outside as well as support the passing attack. After all, he averaged 3.2 catches per game at North Carolina last year. Overall, he profiles as a featured, every-down back in the NFL.

The reason he’s not going where Jeanty is going in drafts is the presence of Najee Harris, whom the Chargers signed to a $9.5M deal with $5.5M guaranteed. Maybe the Chargers didn’t think Hampton would fall to them in the draft, and that’s why they signed Harris, but given the preferences of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, we expect him to have a strong share of the workload. That will give the Chargers enough time to watch Hampton develop without the pressure of needing help in the backfield. Maybe at some point in the season, Hampton starts to out-snap and out-touch Harris, but those who are drafting him at his current ADP of 48.29 may have to exhibit some patience as he shares the job to open the season.

Treyveon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots

Henderson lands in a similar situation to Hampton in the sense that he is expected to share the workload, but has the potential to see an increase in touches as the season rolls on. Unfortunately, his frame (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) doesn’t scream NFL workhorse, but his speed and pass-catching abilities give Patriots fans the hope of the next James White, something they’ve been craving ever since he retired. He split the work at Ohio State evenly with Quinshon Judkins, but his usage trended toward big-play and pass-catching work while Judkins handled the grunt work between the tackles.

We should see a similar running back game plan for the Patriots that we saw at Ohio State, with Rhamondre Stevenson filling the Judkins role. We’re not even considering Antonio Gibson, though he may be an annoyance at the start of the season. But Henderson should be offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ third-down, pass-catching back with the potential of filling out a slightly larger role eventually. 

The ADP does seem a little high for a guy in a limited role. Most drafts that have taken place so far have full-point PPR scoring, so he does get elevated a bit because of pass-catching expectations. Be wary of that when looking at your running back needs and who else is on the board. Guys like D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard might be in better situations for fantasy. Still, the resume looks good, and we know how McDaniels loves to get his pass-catching backs involved, so keep a watchful eye on him this season.

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos

Even with Denver’s signing of J.K. Dobbins, Harvey is one of our favorite rookies this season. The dynasty community is dogging him for his age (24), but landing in Denver could not have been better for those scouting him in redraft formats. At 5-foot-8, 205 pounds, he might look small, but he is densely built, has a low center of gravity, and is very difficult to take down. He is also a well-established pass-catcher as he showed in his three years at UCF with a 77.2 percent catch rate and 9.1 yards per target, and that’s going to be huge in a Joe Lombardi system. Remember, over the last 10 years,  the running back room in a Lombardi system has ranked among the top 5 in running back receptions every year and has actually led the NFL in three of the last four seasons.

The early preseason steam Harvey’s ADP has seen will start to come down with Dobbins along for the ride, so you should take advantage of the discount. It was always going to be a shared backfield as Lombardi and head coach Sean Payton want to create a running back tandem similar to what we saw in New Orleans with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. So, rather than worrying about whether the split would be between Jaleel McLaughlin or Audric Estime, the Broncos now have their tandem with Harvey landing in the Kamara role.

 

 

 

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

The easiest way to describe expectations for Johnson is to say that he should serve in the same capacity as Najee Harris did over the last few seasons. Jaylen Warren is still there and he is ranked as one of the top pass-blockers at the running back position. Knowing Aaron Rodgers and his routine audibles at the line of scrimmage to change a run play to a pass, Warren isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  However, anyone who understands the kind of offensive scheme Arthur Smith likes to run will know that Johnson is actually the better fit.

We’ve watched Smith’s offensive game plan over the years, and there is really no major change from year to year. He likes a lot of 12-personnel and the overall idea is to run the ball down the opponent’s throats. He did it with Derrick Henry in Tennessee, Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta, and last year, the Steelers ranked fourth overall in rushing attempts. He prefers a wide-zone blocking scheme and loves play-action, which is good for Johnson’s skill set, though we may see a few tweaks for Rodgers. 

The final note is not to sleep on Johnson’s pass-catching abilities. He didn’t see a whole lot of receiving work at Iowa, but he did catch 22-of-27 targets last year and averaged 8.5 yards per reception. If his pass-blocking is on par with what Smith, Rodgers, and head coach Mike Tomlin want to see, perhaps he sees a bigger share of the workload. For now, consider him a power-run specialist who will see plenty of work near the goal line.  

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars

He’s going to be a hot commodity this draft season, and whether we love him as a pass-catcher or not, Hunter isn’t going to see his ADP drop anytime soon. His popularity obviously stems from the anticipation of him playing as both a wide receiver and a cornerback, but your league’s scoring will ultimately tell you just how valuable he could be. If you’re playing in the Scott Fish Bowl, the scoring gives him tremendous value. If you are in any sort of IDP league and he can be used as both an offensive and defensive player, he should have solid value, though we are hearing about limited packages on defense. If you are in a regular redraft league with no IDP scoring at all, his value definitely takes a hit.

In reality, Hunter is probably a better cornerback than he is a wide receiver. He still catches with his body most of the tim,e and that is going to be a problem against some of the more physical corners who can get their hands in there on contested catches. He’s good and he’s going to have a great opportunity as the WR2 in Liam Coen’s offense, but he is really more of a work-in-progress on the receiving front in the NFL. His current ADP puts him in the same draft range as guys like Jameson Williams and George Pickens, but be wary of his first season’s overall production. If you draft a pair of high-quality wideouts early on, then you can take the chance on him, but if you’ve gone running back-heavy and are looking for guys with a high floor, you may not be able to take the shot with Hunter just yet.

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

His current ADP has him right after Travis Hunter, but McMillan could prove to be the better fantasy wideout here in the first season. When the Panthers drafted him at No. 8 overall, they sent a very clear message to the receivers already in the room – McMillan should be the team’s WR1, and the targets will fall in line after that. Adam Thielen was resigned to be Bruce Young’s security blanket out of the slot, while Xaver Legette and Jalen Coker will fight for snaps on the outside opposite McMillan. 

If you’re looking for the build of a prototypical WR1 in Dave Canales’ offense, then the 6-foot-5, 210-pound McMillan is your guy. He’s built like Mike Evans, and while his overall speed comes off as average for receivers in general, it is definitely better-than-average for a receiver his size. He’ll have to prove himself at the NFL level, and we still need to see if Young’s 2024 late-season surge is sustainable, but overall, a guy of this caliber seeing a 25-percent target share is well worth the risks.

Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers

The guy is fast. No doubt about it. He ran a 4.29 40-yard dash ahead of the NFL Draft, and he drew a heavy amount of praise among those teams looking to add speed to their receiving corps. But we’ve seen burners fail in the past, so we cannot just assume that because he’s super-fast and the Packers finally used up a first-round pick on a wideout, that he is going to be a hit. He has to show us more than speed in camp, and he does seem ready to do it.

The main reason I list him here as a solid draft option is a combination of his very reasonable ADP (107.83) and how we expect him to be used in this offense. We know Matt LaFleur likes to run the football, but with Jordan Love under center, he also likes to have the run set up a ton of play-action. Golden will certainly be leaned on to stretch the field vertically, and with incumbent field-stretcher Christian Watson still tending to those asymmetrical hamstrings and likely to open the season on the PUP list, Golden will be presented with…well…a golden opportunity. 

View him in a similar light to Travis Hunter, much in the way Andrew Cooper has it laid out in the Dynamic Tier WR Rankings. He is an upside play as a WR3, which means that you need to be sure you have strong, high-floor receiving weapons to lead the way and then use Golden as a guy with strong potential. If he does garner a strong snap-count and target-share, then maybe we adjust, but for now, it’s all about the upside. 

Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears

You can’t be drafted 10th overall by a head coach who is looking to put his stamp on a new offense and compares you to Sam LaPorta and not garner heavy interest in fantasy. Yes, that is correct – a report came out after Loveland’s pro day that new Bears coach Ben Johnson told the tight end that he reminded him of LaPorta. Whether the comments are being weighed in too much or not, it’s definitely worth noting, especially when recent reports indicate Loveland should be the Bears' top pass-catching tight end. Sorry, Cole Kmet.

We know the offense Johnson is running in Chicago this season, and we know exactly what he did for LaPorta during the Lions’ tight end inaugural season. If you didn’t, here you go – fifth in targets, fourth in receptions, fifth in receiving yards, first in receiving touchdowns, and first in fantasy points for full-point PR scoring. Now, we’re not saying Loveland is going to pop off with those types of numbers, especially when the Bears have four legitimate wide receiver options, but the scheme will dictate heavier looks than most tight ends will see this season. The 127.45 ADP has him coming off the board as TE13 right now, so the price is right for potential value. Maybe grab him as your TE2 and make a deal if/when he starts to pop off.

 

 

 

5 Bonus Rookies to Watch

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns

We love the player, and we love the skill set. He did tremendous work at Ohio State as the between-the-tackles running back and should serve in a very similar capacity in Cleveland. Obviously, not knowing who the starting quarterback will be has to be factored in, not to mention the fact that Jerome Ford is still there and the team also used fourth-round draft capital on Dylan Sampson. If Judkins lights it up in training camp, we’ll push him up the board.

Tre Harris, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

He’s got a fantastic opportunity (and the skills) to beat out both Quentin Johnston and Mike Williams for the premium split-end job in this system and be the WR2 they need working alongside Ladd McConkey. Don’t dismiss the video game-like numbers he posted last year at Ole Miss and question whether or not he will play in the NFL. Harris has both the size and speed to dominate. We do worry about total targets in this run-first scheme, though, which, along with the competition in camp, has us invested but not in the same way as guys like Hunter and McMillan.

Kyle Williams, WR, New England Patriots

This one is all about opportunity and upside. Stefon Diggs becomes Drake Maye’s No. 1 guy, but the door is wide open for Williams to become the WR2. DeMario Douglas profiles more as a low-aDOT chain-mover, and neither Kayshon Boutte nor Ja’Lynn Polk has stood up as guys we expect to see locked in. The athleticism is there, though maybe he’s closer to average than he is to elite, but as we said up above, it’s about the opportunity. For what amounts to basically a free pick at the end of your draft, he’s worth the risk. 

Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos

While we don’t like to go crazy over potential coach-speak, hearing Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi compare Bryant to Michael Thomas should grab your attention. Courtland Sutton is the X-receiver who should see the bulk of the targets, but he’s on the last year of his deal, and the Broncos are looking ahead to the future. He’s a better receiver for this system than Marvin Mims out of the slot or any of the other third-tier options, so when you’re looking for late-round upside, mark the name.

Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets

Opportunity is everything, and Taylor already has a strong one here. He is expected to be the Jets' starting tight end, and he could end up as Justin Fields’ No. 2 target behind Garrett Wilson. Who else is going to command looks? Allen Lazard? He could be traded to Pittsburgh. Josh Reynolds? Malachi Corley? Unlikely. Jets OC Tanner Engstrand comes from Ben Johnson and the Lions, and we know they know how to get the tight end involved.