Fantasy Football Passing Game Stock Report: Biggest risers and fallers following 2025 NFL Draft

It took a while, but we finally made it — the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone. Let's examine how the last week has impacted passing games around the league, and consider what fantasy football values are on the rise and on the fall.

Risers

Caleb Williams, QB, Bears

Talk about a much-needed offensive makeover, the Bears sure got it. First it was the hiring of Detroit OC Ben Johnson, then it was improving the offensive line when the league calendar opened. A strong push. But the aim to give Williams every bit of help continued during the draft, with Chicago aggressively adding an impact tight end (Colston Loveland) and a DJ Moore-clone in Luther Burden III. Williams navigated a messy first year where things were constantly in flux — three different men called plays for the Bears — but he has all the toys needed to succeed forward.

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Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills

Shakir was already a winner when he signed a four-year extension in late February, bagging $60.2 million in that deal. But Buffalo confirmed its faith in Shakir by ignoring the wide receiver position at the draft, silent on that spot other than a seventh-round flier with Kaden Prather. Shakir's 76-821-4 line from 2024 probably represents his floor, if healthy, in 2025. He'll be entering his age-25 season and Josh Allen is still in his prime.

Bryce Young, QB, Panthers

It didn't happen overnight but Young was really cooking in the Dave Canales offense in the latter stages of 2024. He posted a passer rating over 100 in his final three starts, and even if you push the sample out for two months, Young was productive (12 touchdowns, just three picks, 91.7 rating, only 19 sacks). Now imagine what Young might do with an improved supporting cast. Carolina finally landed a possible No. 1 target with rookie Tetairoa McMillan (the eighth overall pick), and the Panthers were aggressive adding to the running back room (Chuba Hubbard returns, Rico Dowdle was signed, Trevor Etienne was drafted).

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars

Lawrence was already a winner when the Jaguars enticed offense guru Liam Coen to take the head coaching job, but things really got fun when Jacksonville pushed all-in and moved up for Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick. Brian Thomas Jr. was uncoverable all through his rookie season. Hunter also checks in as a winner — his fantasy value would have been murky in Cleveland, given the uncertain state of that quarterback room.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans

Stroud would like to throw every 2024 memory in the shredder, and unfortunately the Texans traded out of the first-round pick. Nonetheless, Houston went about rebuilding the offense — and Stroud's confidence — by selecting a lineman and two receivers with its first four selections. Veteran slot receiver Christian Kirk was added in free agency. New OC Nick Caley plans to give Stroud more freedom at the line of scrimmage this season.

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Kyle Williams, WR, Patriots

Third-round receivers are usually more longshots for fantasy than anything else, but Williams steps into a situation where he might be productive right away. The Patriots are screaming for impact receivers, and QB Drake Maye was poised and confident all through his rookie year, despite not getting much help. It's not hard to imagine Williams potentially being the No. 2 receiver in this offense, trailing only Stefon Diggs. Keep in mind Williams played five years of college ball, so he enters the league with more polish than the typical rookie.

Jack Bech, WR, Raiders

The Raiders are looking for a pass-catcher to step up after TE god Brock Bowers and reliable WR Jakobi Meyers, so Beck might absorb 85-100 targets right away. Maybe Geno Smith's upside is league-average quarterback, but that's an improvement over what this offense was tied to last season. Bech was good enough to play substantially at LSU as a freshman, and his final year at TCU (62-1034-9) offered a steady drumbeat.

Holding Steady

Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, WRs, Browns

You could write 1,000 pages about the wacky Cleveland quarterback room (Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and I guess we could mention Deshaun Watson) but the Browns didn't add to their receiver group. Jeudy emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option last season, collecting a 90-1,229-4 line and making his first Pro Bowl. Tillman and the much-traveled Diontae Johnson will jostle for the No. 2 receiver post, though this offense figures to throw liberally to its talented tight ends (David Njoku and rookie Harold Fannin Jr.). Jerry Jeudy, stability piece? Nobody saw this coming a year ago.

Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele, WRs, Broncos

Although the Broncos were linked to a number of high-profile wideouts and tight ends for the draft, only third-round receiver Pat Bryant landed under that umbrella. It's a vote of confidence in Mims and Vele, who both spiked in the final quarter as Bo Nix started to spread his wings. Mims had six touchdowns in his final seven games, including a 13-154-4 push in the final two weeks. He's an interesting candidate for a Year 3 breakout.

Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, WRs, Titans

Although Tennessee started the draft with QB Cam Ward first overall, it didn't pair him with a shiny rookie receiver — the Titans ignored the position for the first two days. Thus, Ridley is a virtual lock to lead this team in targets again, and Lockett obviously signed with a team that's going to use him liberally. Ridley enters his age-30 season and Lockett turns 32 in September, so this room could use some fresh paint. Look for the Titans to draft an impact wideout next year.

Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets

Wilson wasn't the happiest guy around at the end of last season, watching the Aaron Rodgers circus and getting nudged out by Davante Adams. Wilson will go back to unquestioned alpha status this year, and for whatever you think of new QB Justin Fields, at least he has past experience with Wilson, dating back to their two Ohio State years together. For the first time in his four years as a pro, Wilson enters fantasy draft season as something of a screened value.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Dolphins

Smith's shocking 2024 breakout (88-884-8) came out of nowhere, an explosion in his fourth NFL stop. The Dolphins have every intention of running it back, as Miami didn't draft a single pass catcher last week. It sounds a little wild to say it out loud, but Smith might be the most stable part of Miami's current passing game.

Fallers

Jalen McMillan, WR, Buccaneers

McMillan was one of the heroes of the fantasy playoffs, finishing the season with a 24-316-7 binge over his final five games. Whenever a rookie rallies like that, you start dreaming of what's next. But the Buccaneers were able to keep free agent Chris Godwin, star Mike Evans is still around, and polished Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka was drafted in the first round. This is all great news if you roster Baker Mayfield in a keeper format, but McMillan's fantasy value surely takes a hit with all these developments. Be sure to check the traffic report — there's gridlock in the Tampa Bay receiver room.

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

Most mocks had the Cowboys addressing the wide receiver slot early in the draft, but Dallas ignored the position completely with its nine picks. CeeDee Lamb remains one of the true alpha receivers in the league, but the collection of options behind him simply is not good enough. Prescott himself is a back-nine player, getting ready for his 10th NFL season. It's hard to believe he was the MVP runner-up just two years ago.

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Tyler Warren, TE, Colts

Warren was a catch-radius god at Penn State, gobbling up 104 receptions in his final year on campus. But his range of motion will be tested with the Colts, as Anthony Richardson has been a structural mess (50.6% completions) through two years. Daniel Jones is around to push Richardson — maybe that's an upgrade, maybe it's not.

To be fair, sometimes talent wins no matter who's around — Brock Bowers reminded us of that in Las Vegas last season. But for every Bowers and Sam LaPorta (2023) who smashes as a rookie, the league is littered with first-year tight ends who need adjustment time. Warren will probably face that too, even if it's not entirely his fault.