August is here, and that means it is officially fantasy football season. Hot takes will be dropped, rankings will be adjusted, and most importantly, drafts will begin.
Every year, some players greatly outperform their average draft position and become key pieces of championship teams. These receivers all have the chance to do that this season, based on where they are currently going in drafts.
These receivers below might not be the deepest sleepers, but they are all currently being drafted outside the top twenty-five receivers in PPR leagues, and they all have a great chance to finish higher than their average draft position.
All Average Draft Position (ADP) statistics in this article will come from the FantasyPros 2025 ADP consensus sheet.
Current ADP- WR 27
My Ranking- WR 11
2024-2025 Stats- 91 Targets, 58 Receptions, 1,001 Yards, 7 Receiving Touchdowns(11 Carries, 61 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
2024-2025 Fantasy Finish- WR 22
The drum beat couldn’t be any louder for Jameson Williams this off-season. All the noise out of Detroit has been about how the former first-rounder has taken a major leap as a player and a leader. The team is relying on Williams to have an even larger role than he did last year.
Despite being the best offense in the NFL last year, the Lions did not shred defenses apart with home run plays. The offense was aggressive and explosive, but not by way of deep passing. That is expected to change this season, as new offensive coordinator Johnny Morton has made it a focal point to be more aggressive downfield.
There is good reason to believe Morton, as he was an offensive assistant in Detroit back in 2022, and Jared Goff’s average depth of target and deep target rate were higher in those two seasons than it was last year without him. More downfield shots will only benefit Williams, as his best attribute his his speed, and the more the Lions take advantage of it, the better.
It is understandable why some people are hesitant to make the bet on Williams, but the truth is that last year was essentially his first full season. He spent most of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL. His 2023-2024 season was then put on pause due to a suspension for gambling on other sports in the team facility. By the time he returned from suspension, the Lions were on a roll, and it didn’t make much sense to disrupt the offensive flow.
Last season was the first time he was a full-time player, and he delivered all year. The Lions made a major investment in Williams when they traded up twenty spots for him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and it appears that investment is starting to pay off.
In the 5th round of drafts, Williams should be an auto-pick as he has both league-winning upside and a comfortable floor.
Current ADP- WR 30
My Ranking- WR 21
Speaking of players who have been getting rave reviews out of camp, Tetairoa McMillan has been even better than advertised thus far for the Panthers.
McMillan, the 8th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, has already formed a strong connection with Bryce Young, and he is primed to be the go-to target for the Panthers this season. He will line up as the team’s starting “X” receiver, a role that has seen success under head coach Dave Canales. In 2023-2024, during his lone year as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, he had Mike Evans playing the role of the “X” receiver, and he had one of his best seasons ever.
Evans saw 136 targets, his most since 2018, and he turned those targets into 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has been one of the league’s best receivers since entering the league. He has had at least 1,000 yards every year of his career, but that season with Canales was one of his best.
Another player who saw a lot of success playing the “X” in a Dave Canales offense was Adam Thielen. In his age-34 season last year, the former Vikings star had 62 targets, which led to 48 receptions for 615 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those seem like average numbers, but Thielen only played in 10 games due to injury last season. He was on pace for over 1,000 yards playing as the primary outside target for Bryce Young.
McMillan isn’t Mike Evans, but he is a much more dynamic player than Adam Thielen at this point in his career, and he should thrive in the same role the Panthers veteran did last year. He is a QB-friendly target with his 6’5 frame, and he should see a lot of volume from day one as a starter. Given his current ADP, it would be a surprise if McMillan didn’t rise up draft boards throughout draft season, but given his current price, he is one of the best values due to his upside.
Current ADP- WR 41
My Ranking- WR 31
2024-2025 Stats- 129 Targets, 87 Receptions, 1,027 Yards, 4 Touchdowns
2024-2025 Fantasy Finish- WR 20
Jakobi Meyers finished as the wide receiver 20 last season, had his first 1,000-yard season, despite playing with one of the league’s worst quarterback rooms. Now he gets a massive upgrade at quarterback with Geno Smith, he is still the top receiver in Vegas, and yet he is the wide receiver 41 at the moment. That simply doesn’t add up. Meyers is one of the league’s most underrated receivers, and he has become underrated for fantasy as well.
Reports out of training camp have been extremely positive regarding Meyers and Smith having a strong connection. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden said, “Geno Smith and Jakobi Meyers have the potential to be an intriguing quarterback-wide receiver duo this season. The signs were especially noticeable Friday morning.”
Meyers has not finished outside the top 35 receivers since the 2020 season, and a large reason for that was that he didn’t score a single touchdown. To add to that, he hasn’t finished outside the top 30 since 2021, when he was the wide receiver 35. Meyers is one of the safest picks in fantasy, and at worst, a locked and loaded wide receiver 3 for a starting lineup. He isn’t a league winner, but he is the type of player every team needs if they want to make a run.
Meyers is once again one of the best values in drafts, given his current ADP, and he should once again outperform it. Don’t make the mistake of passing on him in the middle rounds.
Current ADP- WR 31
My Ranking- WR 22
2024-2025 Stats- 120 Targets, 64 Receptions, 1,017 Yards, 4 Touchdowns(8 Carries, 55 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
2024-2025 Fantasy Finish- WR 27
Everyone has the player that they can’t quit, and for me, that is Calvin Ridley. Everyone expected a big year last season; instead, they got one of the most frustrating fantasy players. That was in large part due to the Titans’ quarterback situation. Will Levis did not take the leap that people had hoped he would, and Mason Rudolph was as advertised. There is now hope once again for Ridley with this year’s number 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, under center in Tennessee.
Trusting a rookie quarterback to provide consistent fantasy value for surrounding players is always risky, but given the Titans’ roster, it is expected that Ridley will be peppered with targets. He is the best receiver on the roster, and he has already formed a connection with Cam Ward. While writing about the duo and their connection, Jeremy Brenner said, “On the practice field, these two have connected for some of the biggest highlights of camp so far.”
Ward is a gun slinger, and Ridley can win down the field, meaning there will be plenty of chances for fireworks from the Titans duo this season. It may be risky to rely on the Titans receiver being one of your top fantasy options, but he has the league-winning upside that everyone looks for. Given his draft capital, you will have the chance to build out a strong team around Ridley and not rely on him to be a consistent star.
Last year, players such as Terry McLaurin, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Brian Thomas Jr. crushed their average draft position. This year, there will certainly be a handful who do the same. Based on a combination of opportunity, situation, and other factors, the four players listed above all feel like great bets to finish higher than their ADP.
It may feel like a risk taking a player such as Jameson Williams or Calvin Ridley, but you play fantasy to win, and they have the upside to help bring home the title. Don’t make the mistake of passing on these players in your drafts, as they all have a strong chance to outperform their ADP.
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