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The 2025 NFL season is nearly upon us. That means fantasy football managers can rejoice, knowing it is the most exciting time of year. It is time to draft a winner and show your friends what fantasy supremacy looks like.
For nearly two decades, the running back position was the bell cow of fantasy football. See what I did there! Ok, that was a poorly written dad joke. I digress.
But as the NFL has changed, so has fantasy football. Wide receiver has become the preeminent and most consistent position to garner fantasy points. More and more leagues are full PPR, with some even going three wideout-heavy plus a flex. I am in two of those myself.
After all, people love high-scoring affairs.
Hitting on those breakout receivers has become indicative of championships. With that said, let's dive into the five fantasy football breakout candidates at the WR position. Keep in mind, these players are on the list relative to their current ADP.
Top 5 Fantasy Football WR Breakout Candidates
1. Brian Thomas Jr. – Jaguars WR
Jacksonville Jaguars second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. is the first player on my list. Yes, he is already ranked just inside the top 10 at the wide receiver position. But even that could be too low for the talented youngster out of LSU.
For one, which LSU pass catcher has not blown up in recent years? Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jarvis Landry all once called Baton Rouge home. The first three became alpha WR1s, while all Landry did was set the NFL record for the most receptions over his first six years (564).
The Jaguars used a first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft to nab him. After a sluggish start to his rookie season, he took off in the second half.
Following the Week 11 bye, Thomas caught 45 balls for 593 yards and five touchdowns.
New Jags head coach Liam Coen ran a receiver-friendly offense in Tampa Bay, and there is no reason to expect things to be any different this year in Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence finally has someone who can help the offense utilize his talents. A top-3 finish at the WR position is within Thomas' range of outcomes. I am grabbing all his stock I can get.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Seahawks WR
Last season, Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a name for himself. He caught 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. Those stats helped him finish as WR10 in half-PPR leagues with 203 fantasy points. That was 45 points ahead of the team's supposed top receiver, D.K. Metcalf.
Metcalf signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, joining Aaron Rodgers. In his place, Seattle brought in veteran wideout Cooper Kupp. But the writing is all over the wall on the former Super Bowl MVP. Kupp is a shell of himself.
The Seahawks also made a change at quarterback, replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold. I see this as a lateral move.
Smith-Njigba proved doubters wrong that he was a one-trick pony and utilized nearly the entire route tree. Under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald, this offense should be improved. As this season progresses, I would expect JSN's usage to increase, especially when Kupp inevitably gets injured.
Tory Horton and Jake Bobo are next in line. In a target-rich environment for a team that will trail for much of the season, I love JSN to break out this season as a legit WR1.
3. Xavier Worthy – Chiefs WR
The Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to find their new X receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. There have been quite a few names that people inside Arrowhead expected to be that guy. But only Worthy profiles and appears to have the right head on his shoulders to do so.
He broke onto the scene with a rushing and receiving touchdown in Week 1 last year, showcasing his blazing speed. But then, for the better part of two months, mostly disappointed.
But as the season progressed, Patrick Mahomes trusted the young receiver, and he produced for fantasy football fans.
During the Chiefs' final six regular-season games, he garnered almost nine targets per game, scoring three times. Let's not forget his rushing prowess on sweeps and passes behind the line. He then took it to another level in the playoffs.
Worthy amassed 287 receiving yards and three touchdowns in three playoff games, including being the lone bright spot in the Super Bowl.
With Travis Kelce clearly showing Father Time has caught up, and no one else on the depth chart that scares you, I expect both his target share and production to go up this year. You can get him in the middle rounds, and he should be a steal, particularly in PPR leagues.
4. Jameson Williams – Lions WR
The Detroit Lions boasted one of the league's most explosive offenses last year. One of the biggest reasons was the emergence of Jameson Williams. The former first-round pick finally showed some of the promise he illustrated at Alabama.
Much of that came at the expense of tight end Sam LaPorta. However, he was a bit of a boom-or-bust receiver last season.
This year, I fully expect the Lions to showcase the bigger, more talented receiver at the expense of Amon-Ra St. Brown. I am not saying he will outproduce St. Brown in either real life or fantasy football.
However, his ADP suggests Williams is a WR3/Flex play at best.
Ben Johnson leaving town to coach the Chicago Bears likely hurts St. Brown. Johnson is so creative with his play-calling. He did a great job finding ways to get the ball in St. Brown's hands. I fully expect the offense to look a bit different without him, which should mean a larger target share for Williams.
You can certainly argue he ‘broke out' last season. But this is the year he turns into a superstar. I have Williams as a mid-range WR2 with even greater upside.
5. Matthew Golden – Packers WR/KR
The Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The reasons are quite obvious.
Christian Watson cannot stay healthy and is coming off an ACL injury. He also couldn't catch a cold, never mind a football. Jayden Reed wasn't much better, ranking in the top 10 in drops. Romeo Doubs is a nice complementary receiver, but not someone fantasy football managers can rely on.
Enter Golden, who broke out at the University of Texas last year.
The speedy wideout nearly runs a full route tree already, posted a blazing 40-time at the Combine, and has good hands. Those are all things Jordan Love should be thrilled about entering the season.
There is little reason to believe he will not lead an above-average Packers offense in receiving this year. Yet, he is ranked outside the top 35 at his position. Yeah, give me some Golden.
