The dust has settled for the first wave of NFL free agency, making it an excellent time to revisit the fantasy football values of wide receivers. A pair of veterans are underpriced as fantasy football WR3s (WR25 through WR36) in best ball average draft position (ADP).
The two following wideouts are coming off excellent seasons, albeit the second player’s season was cut short by a gruesome injury. Still, both players have WR1 upside in 2025. Here are a few fantasy football values at the wide receiver position.
- 2025 NFL Draft Guide
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- 2025 NFL Mock Drafts
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Fantasy Football WR3s With WR1 Potential
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN) | ADP: 55.3/WR27
Among wide receivers who played more than four games in 2024, Courtland Sutton was tied for WR23 in half PPR points per game (11.8). Sutton’s WR27 fantasy football ADP in best ball is already a slight value relative to his 2024 finish. He’s the WR24 in best ball expert consensus rankings (ECR).
Yet, Sutton’s ceiling is much higher, evidenced by how well he played after a sluggish two-game start to the year. Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver had only five receptions for 64 scoreless yards in losses to the Seahawks and Steelers in Bo Nix‘s first two NFL starts. Nix settled into a groove with some hiccups along the way, and Sutton’s production increased.
From Week 3 through Week 18, Sutton was the WR17 in half-PPR points per game (12.7), reaching at least 10.3 half-PPR points in 12 out of 15 games. In those 15 games, Sutton was a WR1 four times, a WR2 three times, a WR3 four times and fell outside the top 36 of receivers four times, with a WR38 finish among his duds. While Sutton is a vertical weapon, he wasn’t exactly a boom-or-bust wide receiver in Nix’s rookie campaign.
Sutton’s underlying data was also stellar. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 127 wide receivers with at least 150 routes run in the regular season and the playoffs, Sutton was first in air yards (1,970), fourth in air yards share (45.8%), tied for 16th in target share (23.9%), tied for 26th in yards per route run (2.17 YPRR), tied for first in end-zone targets (18) and was 12th in expected half-PPR points per game (15.5). Sutton’s underlying data was WR1-worthy last year, even including the first two games of the 2024 season.
The Broncos signed Evan Engram to add a weapon to the pass-catching corps. Nonetheless, they didn’t make a splash at wide receiver, leaving Sutton as the likely top passing-game option in 2025. Sutton’s fantasy scoring could approach his expected scoring if Nix takes a step forward in his sophomore campaign.
Chris Godwin (WR – TB) | ADP: 59.5/WR31
Chris Godwin reportedly received a “blank check” offer from the Patriots but opted to return to the Buccaneers. It would have been interesting to see how Godwin would have performed as Drake Maye‘s top passing-game weapon. Yet, no imagination is required to figure out how he’ll play with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay’s offense.
Godwin thrived for the Bucs in 2024 after a reversion to a high slot rate. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, Godwin had a 38.7% slot rate, scored 9.8 half-PPR points per game and 13.2 expected half-PPR points per game in 2023. Those marks surged to a 64.1% slot rate, 16.1 half-PPR points per game and 15.6 expected half-PPR points per game in 2024.
Unfortunately, Godwin played only seven games last year before fracturing his ankle at the end of the seventh game. The Bucs know his medicals better than anyone else and re-signed him to a lucrative deal. According to Over the Cap, Godwin’s deal with Tampa Bay is for $66 million over three years, with $44 million fully guaranteed at signing. General manager Jason Licht also said about Godwin’s recovery, “he’s hitting all of his milestones.”
Godwin’s 16.1 half-PPR points per game last year were second only to Ja’Marr Chase‘s 20. The Jaguars hired Tampa Bay’s 2024 offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be their head coach. Nevertheless, Godwin’s injury and coaching change markdown from 2024 to 2025 is extreme.
Among 127 wide receivers with at least 150 routes last year, Godwin was eighth in target share (26.1%), tied for eighth in targets per route run (0.28), tied for 11th in first-read rate (31.7%), wast seventh in yards per route run (2.62) and 11th in expected half-PPR points per game (15.6). Godwin’s 2024 production was legitimate. He’s a steal at his present ADP and has WR1 upside if he returns to his 2024 form.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.