Fantasy Football: Plenty of elite wide receivers among riskiest players to gamble on in drafts

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Some players in fantasy football come with baked-in risk because they are unproven or buried on the depth chart. That's not what this list is. These are players already being drafted high, players you want to believe in and players who absolutely have the talent to deliver in 2025. Each of them has a path to a monster season that could swing a league. Each also carries a very real chance of burning you at their draft cost.
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This isn't about finding sleepers. This is a discussion about the big-ticket bets that could make you look like the smartest person in the room or have you wondering why you ever pushed your chips in.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
ECR has Hill coming off the board at WR15. When he's on, there's almost nobody better in the NFL. But last season was his worst fantasy finish since his rookie year, WR29 in PPR at 12.8 points per game. He posted 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns. The bigger issue is everything that happened at the end of the season.
He didn't want to play late, dropped passes, publicly criticized QB Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel and changed his profile picture to Antonio Brown leaving the field in Tampa. It stirred up enough noise that he had to apologize to try to mend relationships. Now trade rumors are starting to circulate.
The ceiling is a top-five WR if he is locked in. The floor is a weekly headache that tanks your roster. It was just a few years ago that he was chasing 2,000 yards and finishing as the WR2 with 23.5 points per game, and I still believe there is some of that left in the tank. Make no mistake, you are gambling every time you click "Draft" on Tyreek in 2025.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua only played 11 games last year but still finished as the WR2 in points per game at 18.8. He's going as the WR5 in drafts behind Malik Nabers, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase, which means you are paying a premium. The problem is the uncertainty in Los Angeles.
Matthew Stafford has been dealing with a back injury all offseason. He tried to throw on Saturday, was supposed to practice Monday, but soreness shut him down. That is a major red flag for a 37-year-old QB with a long injury history.
The Rams also added Davante Adams, who had 25 red-zone targets in 2024, which ranked third in the NFL, and 21 deep targets. Puka, by comparison, had just 13 red-zone looks, which ranked 28th, and nine deep targets, which ranked 70th. Even adjusting for missed time, Adams is a true alpha who could soak up the highest value opportunities.
If Stafford plays all year, Nacua can return on that WR5 price. But the combination of Stafford's back, Adams' presence and Puka's lack of touchdown upside makes this a risky bet.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Everyone is excited for Williams in 2025 and for good reason. Ben Johnson, one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, is now in Chicago. He turned Jared Goff into a top-seven QB in points per game at 19.8 in Detroit and helped him to the best fantasy finish of his career. Williams is a far better runner than Goff and steps into an offense with legit weapons.
His ECR is QB14 ahead of Drake Maye and Goff. The tools are there. The legs are there. The scheme could elevate him into the top 10. But reports out of camp have been inconsistent, with flashes of brilliance mixed with head-scratching moments. He also tied David Carr for most sacks by a rookie last year. The Bears upgraded the offensive line but if protection breaks down, that sack total could climb.
If you draft Williams as your QB1, you are betting big on him hitting early. If he struggles out of the gate, you could be scrambling for answers in September. The upside is real but so is the risk.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans is a walking 1,000-yard season. Last year in just 14 games, he caught 74 passes for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing as WR10 in points per game at 17.2. Over the last five years, he has scored 11 or more touchdowns in four seasons. That touchdown upside is his calling card.
Here's the problem. The receptions and yards have been slowly trending down and the chronic hamstring issues are not going away. Tampa Bay invested high draft capital in WR Emeka Egbuka, who profiles as a Chris Godwin replacement, and Jalen McMillan flashed upside as a rookie. Godwin himself might be sidelined early which could push more attention onto Evans from opposing defenses.
He's being drafted as WR17 ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr., DK Metcalf and others. At cost, you are paying for top-15 production in a body that has been through over a decade of NFL hits. If Evans stays healthy, he is a red-zone cheat code. If the hamstring flares up, that investment can go south fast.
Final Word
Every one of these players could be the reason you hoist your league trophy or the reason you are staring at the waiver wire in Week 5. Hill could be WR1 or a locker room nightmare. Nacua could lead the league in receptions or watch Adams take the highest value looks. Williams could break into the QB elite or leave you chasing streamers. Evans could be a touchdown machine or another aging star who finally slows down.
You can't play scared in fantasy football. Just make sure that when you roll the dice, you are ready to live with the outcome.