Of the wide receivers that played at least 10 games in 2025, four averaged at least 15 half-PPR points and 24 total averaged at least 10 half-PPR points.
The first number is in line with what we've seen previously -- no fewer than four and no more than five wideouts averaged more than 15 half-PPR points in each of the past two seasons. But in 2024 and 2023, using the same 10-game minimum qualifier, at least 34 wide receivers averaged at least 10 half-PPR points.
It's not because teams are passing less -- the overall NFL pass play rate was 56.2% in 2025, about in line with where it's been since 2021. It's where the ball is going.
Receivers didn't score as much. In fact, the 470 total touchdowns caught by wide receivers in 2025 were the second-fewest since 2017. Meanwhile, tight ends caught 231 touchdowns, the most in a season since 2013 (233), and running backs caught over 100 scores for the first time since 2021.
Receivers also saw their lowest combined target share since 2017. The 57.9% was more than two percentage points behind where receivers were in 2024; usually, they've been around 59.5%. And while receivers lost targets, tight ends gained in a big way -- a 23.8% combined target share, the highest mark ever recorded.
And teams have preferred to use multiple receivers and spread the ball around when they don't have that undisputable alpha (or in the case of a few teams, two alphas). Nineteen qualifying wide receivers averaged at least seven targets per game, while 18 averaged between 6.0 and 6.9 targets per game. The seven-plus target number was 29 in 2024 and 2023!
It might make you want to put a premium on those receivers who you know will see a ton of targets -- and do your due diligence on others after the early rounds who could see a ton of targets.
Lastly, the more catches are worth, the more you should chase high-volume receivers. In half-PPR, that edge only goes so far -- the 10th-best receiver in half-PPR last year on a per-game basis would have ranked 18th among the running backs last year. So the premium you might put on stud receivers in half-PPR might not be as good in full PPR.
Some positional notes:
- Ten of the top-12 qualifying wide receivers (played 10-plus games) averaged at least 8.0 targets per game.
- The wide receiver with the longest active streak of consecutive seasons with 15-plus half-PPR points per game is Amon-Ra St. Brown (three seasons). Justin Jefferson would have held that record if he had not stumbled last year.
- Between five and six of the top 12 wide receivers in 2024 and 2025 were on playoff teams. That's a big drop from 2021-23, when at least eight of the top 12 wideouts were on playoff teams.
- Between seven and eight of the top 12 wide receivers in 2023-25 were also in the top 12 the previous year. That's fairly good consistency.
Tier 1
Round 1
Ja'Marr Chase WR CIN Cincinnati • #1
Age: 26 • Experience: 6 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 125 TAR 185 REYDS 1412 TD 8 FPTS/G 15.7 
Puka Nacua WR LAR L.A. Rams • #12
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 129 TAR 166 REYDS 1715 TD 11 FPTS/G 19.4 
Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR SEA Seattle • #11
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 119 TAR 163 REYDS 1793 TD 10 FPTS/G 17.7 
Amon-Ra St. Brown WR DET Detroit • #14
Age: 26 • Experience: 6 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 117 TAR 172 REYDS 1401 TD 11 FPTS/G 15.6 
CeeDee Lamb WR DAL Dallas • #88
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 75 TAR 117 REYDS 1077 TD 3 FPTS/G 11.7 Studs with high target volume from week to week. Not much else to think about here, other than one name in the group doesn't carry the same kind of track record of success as the others. That's the minimal risk you'll take with Smith-Njigba, whose previous high in half-PPR was 11.9 per game.
These will mostly be Round 1 picks expected to land north of 15 half-PPR points per game.
Tier 2
Round 2
Justin Jefferson WR MIN Minnesota • #18
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 84 TAR 141 REYDS 1048 TD 2 FPTS/G 9.4 
Nico Collins WR HOU Houston • #12
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 71 TAR 120 REYDS 1117 TD 7 FPTS/G 12.7 
A.J. Brown WR NE New England • #1
Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 78 TAR 121 REYDS 1003 TD 7 FPTS/G 12.1 
Rashee Rice WR KC Kansas City • #4
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 53 TAR 78 REYDS 571 TD 6 FPTS/G 15.5 
Drake London WR ATL Atlanta • #5
Age: 24 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 68 TAR 112 REYDS 919 TD 7 FPTS/G 14.0 Studs with high target volume from week to week, but also a wee bit of downside due to quarterback, injury, or age concerns. Any of these could finish top 5 and no one would be shocked, but it would mean carrying high target volume through most of the regular season without a drop-off in play from their quarterback. Honestly, it's not too much to ask for from any of these guys. Jefferson is the one most people are expecting a huge resurgence from -- you already know his track record.
Most of these receivers will be second-round picks with an expectation of 14 half-PPR points per game.
Tier 3
Round 3
George Pickens WR DAL Dallas • #3
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 93 TAR 137 REYDS 1429 TD 9 FPTS/G 14.4 
Tee Higgins WR CIN Cincinnati • #5
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 59 TAR 98 REYDS 846 TD 11 FPTS/G 12.1 
Emeka Egbuka WR TB Tampa Bay • #2
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 63 TAR 127 REYDS 938 TD 6 FPTS/G 9.7 
Chris Olave WR NO New Orleans • #12
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 100 TAR 156 REYDS 1163 TD 9 FPTS/G 13.6 
DeVonta Smith WR PHI Philadelphia • #6
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 77 TAR 113 REYDS 1008 TD 4 FPTS/G 9.6
Most of the guys in this tier do have quarterback concerns but also have incredible talent to pair with real good target volume, albeit a little less than eight targets per game. Nearly every single player in the group could justifiably finish inside the top 10 or outside the top 20 at receiver and no one would be surprised either way.
Figure this group has a shot at 13 half-PPR points per game, but with volatility. Only Olave and Pickers were top-12 in consistency rate last year.
Tier 4
Round 4
Jaylen Waddle WR DEN Denver • #17
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 64 TAR 100 REYDS 910 TD 6 FPTS/G 10.1 
Terry McLaurin WR WAS Washington • #17
Age: 30 • Experience: 8 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 38 TAR 60 REYDS 582 TD 3 FPTS/G 9.5 
Garrett Wilson WR NYJ N.Y. Jets • #5
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 36 TAR 59 REYDS 395 TD 4 FPTS/G 11.6 
Zay Flowers WR BAL Baltimore • #4
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 86 TAR 118 REYDS 1211 TD 6 FPTS/G 11.8 
Ladd McConkey WR LAC L.A. Chargers • #15
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 66 TAR 106 REYDS 789 TD 6 FPTS/G 9.2 
Tetairoa McMillan WR CAR Carolina • #4
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 70 TAR 122 REYDS 1014 TD 7 FPTS/G 10.4 
Malik Nabers WR NYG N.Y. Giants • #1
Age: 22 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 18 TAR 35 REYDS 271 TD 2 FPTS/G 12.0 This tier comes after 16 receivers are off the board and is cluttered with receivers with questionable potential. They're best drafted as No. 2 options. Sure, any one of them could be really good, but combined this tier has three top-12 half-PPR finishes between them. One of those three was by a then-rookie Malik Nabers in 2024; he was on track to go back-to-back in 2025 before his injury cost him 13 games. If he's healthy and looks like his old self before Week 1, he'll get elevated at least one tier if not two.
This tier might be expected to land closer to 12 half-PPR points per game, with the exception of Nabers, who might be awful for half the year and then round into form in the second half of the year.
Tier 5
Round 5
Christian Watson WR GB Green Bay • #9
Age: 27 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 35 TAR 55 REYDS 611 TD 6 FPTS/G 11.5 
Luther Burden III WR CHI Chicago • #10
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 47 TAR 60 REYDS 652 TD 2 FPTS/G 7.0 
Davante Adams WR LAR L.A. Rams • #17
Age: 33 • Experience: 13 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 60 TAR 114 REYDS 789 TD 14 FPTS/G 13.8 
DJ Moore WR BUF Buffalo • #2
Age: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 50 TAR 85 REYDS 682 TD 8 FPTS/G 8.5 Tier 6
Round 6
Rome Odunze WR CHI Chicago • #15
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 44 TAR 90 REYDS 661 TD 6 FPTS/G 10.3 
Brian Thomas Jr. WR JAC Jacksonville • #7
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 48 TAR 91 REYDS 707 TD 3 FPTS/G 8.2 
Mike Evans WR SF San Francisco • #5
Age: 32 • Experience: 13 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 30 TAR 62 REYDS 368 TD 3 FPTS/G 8.7 
Parker Washington WR JAC Jacksonville • #11
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 58 TAR 95 REYDS 847 TD 5 FPTS/G 9.7 
Carnell Tate WR TEN Tennessee • #14
Age: 21 • Experience: Rookie 
Alec Pierce WR IND Indianapolis • #14
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 47 TAR 84 REYDS 1003 TD 6 FPTS/G 10.7 
Jameson Williams WR DET Detroit • #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 65 TAR 102 REYDS 1117 TD 7 FPTS/G 11.0 And you thought Tier 4 carried risk! As you might expect, all of the remaining tiers prove to be tricky, but it feels like there's a big drop-off from the safe No. 2 options with upside in Tier 4 and everyone else. That reads as super silly when Fantasy staples like Davante Adams, DJ Moore, and Mike Evans are going to be in these next two tiers, but there's evidence of all three guys starting to lose shreds of their explosiveness. They're grouped with a lot of young receivers who had flashed incredible potential before, too.
Feel free to think of the players in both tiers to average around 11 half-PPR points per game, with the Tier 5 guys bound for about a half-point more per game and the ones at the bottom of Tier 6 potentially looking at a half-point less per game.
Tier 7
Round 7
Marvin Harrison Jr. WR ARI Arizona • #18
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 41 TAR 73 REYDS 608 TD 4 FPTS/G 8.9 
Wan'Dale Robinson WR TEN Tennessee • #4
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 92 TAR 140 REYDS 1014 TD 4 FPTS/G 10.7 
Ricky Pearsall WR SF San Francisco • #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 36 TAR 53 REYDS 528 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.8 
Chris Godwin WR TB Tampa Bay • #14
Age: 30 • Experience: 10 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 33 TAR 51 REYDS 360 TD 2 FPTS/G 7.4 
Courtland Sutton WR DEN Denver • #14
Age: 30 • Experience: 9 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 74 TAR 124 REYDS 1017 TD 7 FPTS/G 10.8 
Jordan Addison WR MIN Minnesota • #3
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 42 TAR 79 REYDS 610 TD 4 FPTS/G 8.2 Tier 8
Round 8
Jakobi Meyers WR JAC Jacksonville • #3
Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 75 TAR 110 REYDS 835 TD 3 FPTS/G 8.6 
Quentin Johnston WR LAC L.A. Chargers • #1
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 51 TAR 84 REYDS 735 TD 8 FPTS/G 10.4 
Josh Downs WR IND Indianapolis • #2
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 58 TAR 88 REYDS 566 TD 4 FPTS/G 6.7 
Xavier Worthy WR KC Kansas City • #1
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 42 TAR 73 REYDS 532 TD 1 FPTS/G 6.4 
Michael Wilson WR ARI Arizona • #14
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 78 TAR 126 REYDS 1006 TD 7 FPTS/G 10.7 Tier 9
Rounds 9+
Michael Pittman WR PIT Pittsburgh • #11
Age: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 80 TAR 111 REYDS 784 TD 7 FPTS/G 9.6 
DK Metcalf WR PIT Pittsburgh • #4
Age: 28 • Experience: 8 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 59 TAR 99 REYDS 850 TD 7 FPTS/G 10.5 
Matthew Golden WR GB Green Bay
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 29 TAR 44 REYDS 361 TD 0 FPTS/G 4.0 
KC Concepcion WR CLE Cleveland
Age: 21 • Experience: Rookie 
Jordyn Tyson WR NO New Orleans
Age: 21 • Experience: Rookie 
Jayden Reed WR GB Green Bay • #11
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 19 TAR 22 REYDS 207 TD 1 FPTS/G 5.6 
Jalen Nailor WR LV Las Vegas • #9
Age: 27 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 29 TAR 53 REYDS 444 TD 4 FPTS/G 5.1 
Makai Lemon WR PHI Philadelphia • #9
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie 
Rashid Shaheed WR SEA Seattle • #22
Age: 27 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 59 TAR 92 REYDS 687 TD 2 FPTS/G 7.1 
Romeo Doubs WR NE New England • #87
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 55 TAR 85 REYDS 724 TD 6 FPTS/G 8.6 
Stefon Diggs WR NE New England • #8
Age: 32 • Experience: 12 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 85 TAR 102 REYDS 1013 TD 4 FPTS/G 9.9 
Jalen Coker WR CAR Carolina • #18
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. 2025 Stats REC 33 TAR 43 REYDS 394 TD 3 FPTS/G 6.7 Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments 
