By Louis Friedl 
The Wide Receiver position is no longer the secret weapon it used to be in fantasy leagues. Owners have wised up and realize now that a top-tier wide receiver is actually more valuable than a top running back in certain leagues. In this year’s fantasy drafts, as has been the trend for the past couple of seasons, the first round of most leagues featured more wideouts than backs selected. These 10 pass catchers are primed to lead their respective NFL teams passing attacks this Sunday, so let’s get them in our fantasy lineups and enjoy the ride.
1) Ja’Marr Chase vs. The Browns
Don’t overthink this one. He was taken as the top pick in many fantasy drafts for a reason. He is set to face off with a familiar foe in All-Pro cornerback Denzel Ward this Sunday in Cleveland. While Ward may hold his own, Chase is impossible to stop altogether. Ja’Marr averaged 19.9 fantasy points in full PPR (points per reception) leagues in two matchups against the Browns last year, which was about 4 points less than his season average. He also had two of his quieter games last year in the first two weeks of the season. While this may give some cause for slight concern, we aren’t going to let that stop us from playing Chase. Coach Zach Taylor has made it a point of emphasis for the Bengals to get off to a fast start this year, so we shouldn’t need to wait for Burrow and Chase to start lighting up the scoreboard.
2) CeeDee Lamb vs. The Eagles (Played Thursday Night)
Darius Slay is gone, leaving last year’s defensive rookie of the year runner-up, Quinyon Mitchell, and free agent signee, Adoree Jackson, to man the corners on the Eagles’ D. Cooper DeJean will contribute in Nickel defensive formations, but none of them will be able to shut down Lamb. Especially with the newly acquired George Pickens garnering some attention on the opposite side. We expect Dak to have to throw it a bunch as the Cowboys chase the Eagles, giving CeeDee plenty of chances to fill the stat sheets.
3) Justin Jefferson vs. The Bears
He’s done it with Kirko, and he’s done it with Sam Darnold. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to do it with J.J. McCarthy leading the offense. The target tree will be slightly narrower in the absence of Jordan Addison, so we expect JJettas to put up a healthy stat line against a Bears’ team that should keep the Vikings in pass mode all game. He was your first-round pick; get him in your lineup and don’t even think about taking him out.
4) Drake London vs. The Bucs
London is ready to threaten the top spot as overall WR1 this season, as expectations are high for 2025. Michael Penix started 3 games at the end of last season for Atlanta, and in those games, he attempted a total of 100 passes. Of those 100 pass attempts, 39 of them went in Drake London’s direction. That’s insane. We don’t expect London to average 13 targets a game, but even with some regression, he can still lead the league in that category. What has us licking our chops for this weekend is the matchup against a Tampa secondary that was ranked 29th overall against the pass in 2024. Fire him up with confidence.
5) Nico Collins vs. The Rams
Nico is fully healthy, and he’s C.J. Stroud’s main weapon again this season. The Texans will need to rely heavily on the pass, as they will be without top running back Joe Mixon for the first few weeks of the season. If the revamped offensive line can give Stroud time to throw, the Houston passing game could be top 10 in the league. Even if not, Nico will get a ton of targets, and he’s elite. The Rams’ defense was bottom half of the league last year against the pass.
6) A.J. Brown vs. The Cowboys (Played Thursday):
His hamstrings are fully healthy, and he’s back at practice, gearing up for opening night. We are expecting one of the higher-scoring games of the week on Thursday between the Eagles and the Cowboys, and Brown should be right in the middle of the action. Some people forget how dominant Brown can be as he put up back-to-back 1400+ yards seasons before taking a slight step backward last year. Look for him to get back on top as Jalen Hurts throws the ball more this year in Philly, and that should start with game 1.
7) Puka Nacua vs. The Texans
He really could be higher on this list as he’s been one of the top-scoring options at the WR position since he burst on the scene as an unheralded rookie in 2023. We are assuming Matthew Stafford’s back will be fine, and Davante Adams isn’t going to come into town and get the same 10+ targets a game he’s grown accustomed to with his previous few teams. But we aren’t totally sure. Either way, we’re riding with Puka if we drafted him, since he has the ability to be the WR1 in any given week.
8) Amon Ra St. Brown vs. The Packers
The concerns over the loss of Ben Johnson as offensive coordinator and Antwaan Randle El as Receivers coach are real. It may affect the Lions’ offense overall, but it should not affect St. Brown, who has been steady as a rock in Detroit since he arrived in 2021. He is a lock to get the bulk of the targets from Jared Goff and should once again lead the Lions in receptions. The Packers were a middle-of-the-pack defense against the pass last year, and this game should remain close the whole way. “The Sun God” is a safe bet to be a top 10 WR every week and is a must-start for your fantasy team.
9) Malik Nabers vs. The Commanders
He’s another player that feels like he could be higher on this list. We are taking a small measure of caution here as we just aren’t sure what the Giants’ offense will look like under Russell Wilson. The Commanders were a much weaker unit against the run (#30 overall) than they were against the pass (#3) in 2024, so we can expect the Giants will try and grind it out on the ground to keep the game close. Nabers should be a full go for the game after dealing with some lingering back, toe and shoulder injuries in camp. Start him if you have him, just realize there will be much better days ahead.
10) Brian Thomas Jr. vs. The Panthers
There really are no bad choices in the top 10 and BTJ is another fantastic option. He exploded in the second half of his rookie season, making all of us excited to see how far this young pass catcher from L.S.U. can take our fantasy teams in 2025. The only concern is that most of that production came with Mac Jones as QB. Trevor Lawrence is back under center, and he’s looked great in camp. This Sunday’s matchup against a Carolina Defense that ranked dead last in 2024 against the pass is one that’s too good to pass up. Get Thomas into your lineup and enjoy the show.
Angel Atienza-Romero