Rookie Fantasy Football Outlooks For First-Round Wide Receivers

Quincy Milton breaks down the 2025 fantasy outlook for the 2025 first-round wide receivers. First-round wide receivers you should target in your 2025 fantasy draft.

While the 2025 NFL Draft class for wide receivers is not as prolific as the 2024 slate, there are several players who can make an impact on their teams as rookies. However, given the lack of perceived generational talent at the position this year, just three players were selected in the first round as opposed to the seven selected on Day 1 in 2024.

Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Matthew Golden each had their dreams come true on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Draft pundits were split on the value of each player and the way they fell in the draft was a surprise to many. Still, they are all talented players who can be immediate contributors to their teams.

Historically, first-round wide receivers have performed fairly well for fantasy. The wide receiver seems to have a lower adjustment period than other positions in the league. Additionally, each player is walking into a situation with at least a solid quarterback in place. Let's dive in and explore the 2025 fantasy football outlook for each player.

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Tetairoa McMillan - Carolina Panthers

The first wide receiver off the board in 2025 went a little bit earlier than many thought he would.  After a 1,319-yard and eight-touchdown senior season, the Carolina Panthers snatched Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth pick on Day 1. McMillan has a chance to immediately step in as the No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Bryce Young.

McMillan is not necessarily a special prospect but he is certainly a first-round talent. At 6-foot-4, 219 lbs, McMillan has the size and length to grant Young a huge catch radius at which to throw. McMillan's knock is his relative lack of separation ability, but he is a smooth route runner at his size with a high-end ability to make contested catches.

For fantasy, McMillan could be an immediate contributor. His main competition for targets includes Xavier Legette, who showed flashes as a rookie in 2024, and an aging Adam Thielen. McMillan is probably better than both of those players right now and if he does not take over the No. 1 job in Week 1, it should not take long.

Throughout the draft process, McMillan has been heavily compared to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Mike Evans. Like Evans, McMillan is a big-bodied wide receiver who is deceivingly fast. Evans is not the greatest separator in the NFL but his ball skills have made him highly successful and put him on track to enter the Hall of Fame when his career is over.

NEW #PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVER TETAIROA MCMILLAN IS A FREAK.

THIS IS INSANE.

😱😱😱
pic.twitter.com/54epIO87dh

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 25, 2025

McMillan may not reach Evans' heights as a wide receiver but he certainly has the raw talent to do so. He is only going to get better over the course of 2024 and if Young continues his ascension, McMillan could be a significant value in fantasy drafts.

The first-round wide receivers are unlikely to experience the fantasy draft stock boost often observed each season. As such, expect McMillan to be of reasonable draft cost once you have finished forming the main structure of your team. He should be a fantasy draft target as a player with a reasonable chance to push for 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns as a rookie.

Emeka Egbuka - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Emeka Egbuka's selection by the Buccaneers at No. 19 was a bit of a surprise. Not only was Egbuka viewed as more of a second-round prospect, he was selected ahead of Matthew Golden who was viewed by some to be the best wide receiver in the draft. Additionally, the Bucs already have wide receivers Jalen McMillan, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans in place.

Emeka Egbuka's reaction to finding out he is a first-round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/8ppmTp45kr

— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025

Egbuka's landing spot is unfortunate for his 2025 fantasy football outlook. The Buccaneers were clearly trying to fortify their wide receiving corps for years to come with Mike Evans entering Year 12 and Chris Godwin coming off a serious ankle injury. This passing offense will be formidable with this quad of wide receivers but there is only so much to go around.

The Buccaneers will likely use Evans and Godwin as their main wideouts in two wide receiver sets, with McMillan and Egbuka receiving runs throughout each game. Egbuka has the draft capital and talent to supersede McMillan on the depth chart. However, McMillan is coming off a successful rookie season in which he caught eight touchdowns and he will not simply fade away.

Egbuka will likely be drafted towards the end of your fantasy draft as a late-round flier. He may be worth a shot in deeper leagues but given the unclear path to a substantial role, he is going to be better off avoided.

Patriots: We would like to pay Chris Godwin $30,000,000.

Buccaneers: Mhm I don’t think so.

Patriots: That’s okay we have Chris Godwin at home. We’ll draft Emeka Egbuka instead!

Buccaneers: pic.twitter.com/s6U1GZbxMG

— MattBucs 🏴‍☠️ (@MattBucs) April 25, 2025

Matthew Golden - Green Bay Packers

The Packers broke with their usual draft philosophy and selected a wide receiver in the first round. Golden is blazing fast with a 4.29 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine. He is going to step into a loaded wide receiving corps in Green Bay with a chance to be the leader sooner rather than later.

The Packers love the players they have in place at wide receiver but they lack a high-end option and are instead deploying several solid options. They spread the ball around, but highly talented players demand the ball through scheme, and Golden has that type of potential.

While incumbent No. 1 wide receiver Christian Watson is nursing a torn ACL suffered in Week 18, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Romeo Doubs all figure to receive decent target shares in 2025.

Golden will enter the fold with the ability to take the top off a defense like Watson but with a more polished underneath game as well. Golden may only be 5-foot-11 but he has an ability to pluck the ball out of the air like a bigger-bodied wide receiver. That ability will serve him well in the NFL.

Patriots: We would like to pay Chris Godwin $30,000,000.

Buccaneers: Mhm I don’t think so.

Patriots: That’s okay we have Chris Godwin at home. We’ll draft Emeka Egbuka instead!

Buccaneers: pic.twitter.com/s6U1GZbxMG

— MattBucs 🏴‍☠️ (@MattBucs) April 25, 2025

For fantasy football in 2025, Golden profiles as a rookie who could start slow as he navigates his way up the depth chart. However, he is a fantastic name to watch for the second half of the 2025 season. This is a player the Packers will simply be unable to keep off the field because of his talent. If he can tap into his star potential as a rookie, he should supersede his position mates on the depth chart quickly.

Golden is a perfect draft and stash candidate. Additionally, if he does not come out on fire, he is an intriguing trade-for candidate as other fantasy football managers give up on him. Either way, Golden should be on your radar with a solid path to fantasy football relevance this season.

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