Outlook: George Pickens is a highlight reel waiting to happen. In Pittsburgh, he piled up over 2,800 yards and 12 touchdowns across three seasons despite some truly ugly QB play. The guy's a deep-ball wizard who can go up and get it. Now in Dallas, he's stepping into a potentially elite passing offense (when Prescott's healthy), playing alongside one of the league's top slot options in CeeDee Lamb.

Pickens might see fewer targets with Lamb around, but the trade-off is juicy: better QB play and more single coverage as defenses focus on Lamb. Early reports show him building chemistry with Prescott, and his skill set screams big plays. He's a high-upside WR2 who could deliver some serious spike weeks if he's able to get deep multiple times in the same game.

Draft Pickens as a WR2 with boom potential. He's a mid-round gem who could explode in this offense. His cost to acquire isn't high and with CeeDee Lamb having dealt with injuries in recent seasons, there's even the potential that he could get a few games where he's the primary offensive weapon for Prescott.

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Outlook: Stefon Diggs' 2024 got derailed by an ACL tear in October with the Texans, but he still flashed WR1 chops -- 15.2 points per game (WR16 pace) and a four-catch floor in every outing before the injury.

Now a Patriot, he's the alpha in a receiving corps desperate for star power. Diggs is a WR2 with WR1 potential if he's fully healthy to start the season. Early reports peg him as ready for camp, and if he's even 90% of his old self he's probably back to feasting immediately.

Drake Maye's arm strength and McDaniels' love for feeding No. 1 receivers could push Diggs to a huge target share, such as the one he enjoyed in his early years in Buffalo. Unlike in Houston, where he split looks with Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Diggs is the clear top dog here in New England. The risk is real -- ACL recoveries can be dicey at 32 -- but the reward screams value. Bet on the talent, not the fear.

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Outlook: Chris Godwin was off to the best start of his career last year before his ankle injury ended his season after seven games. But in his abbreviated season, he still finished with 50 receptions for 576 yards and five scores, including his 11/125/2 masterpiece in New Orleans. I have long been a fan of Godwin, whose role as Evans' complement serves as an open door to productivity in the fantasy world. He hasn't been much of a TD scorer during the second half of his career, thanks in no small part to Evans' dominance in that area. But he's a monster in PPR formats, having secured 98, 104, and 83 receptions thru the 2021-2023 seasons.

The three-year contract extension Godwin signed in the offseason signals the team is not concerned about the gruesome ankle injury limiting him moving forward. But the big question for Godwin heading into 2025 is how much will rookie Emeka Ebugka eat into his productivity?

Godwin should continue seeing action in the slot, a position he played 44 percent of the time in 2024. His lack of scoring TDs limits his ceiling, which places him in the low-end WR2/high-end WR3 realm. But make no mistake: Godwin should once again be a solid contributor to any fantasy team he's on. Draft him with the understanding that, while he won't reach double-digit scores, he will provide consistent productivity week after week.

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Outlook: With Sam Darnold showing out, Addison remained a more than relevant fantasy asset last season. He followed up a solid rookie campaign with nearly identical numbers, and repeated as a top-20 option at the receiver position. Because of the presence of Jefferson, and what I think will be a more conservative passing game (The Vikings were already the middle of the pack in pass attempts), Addison will disappear for stretches, as he's done over his first two years. But his blow-up games are week winners, and he's a fantastic upside WR3 that has now exceeded expectations two years straight. Despite 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons, I'm still leery about trusting him to repeat those numbers for a 3rd straight season, especially since T.J. Hockenson will be healthy to start the season.

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Outlook: With Aiyuk injured and Samuel struggling, Jennings quietly emerged as San Francisco's top receiver threat last year. Previously known almost exclusively for his blocking prowess, the former Volunteer finished second on the club in receptions (77), yards (975), and touchdowns (6) while comfortably establishing new career bests in all three categories. Now, with Sameul gone and Aiyuk on the mend, Jennings heads into 2025 as the 49ers' de facto No. 1 receiver.

Despite a clear uptick in his fantasy profile, there are still plenty of question marks when it comes to valuing Jennings for the upcoming campaign: How much will the offense flow through a healthy McCaffrey? When will Aiyuk return and what will his role be when he does? How big of a leap will Ricky Pearsall take after having his rookie year derailed? How successful will Jennings be operating as a lead receiver without someone like Samuel to draw attention from secondaries?

There's a lot to digest with Jennings, who very much looks like a "your mileage may vary" option for fantasy owners. He's proven capable of at least producing at a WR3 level, but he's someone that's likely to have his most productive games early in the season, making him a potential "sell high" candidate. Taking a full-season view, Jennings, despite the added motivation of entering a contract year, is best viewed as a solid No. 4 fantasy wideout.

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Outlook: Travis Hunter is the wild card on this offense. The gifted two-way player spent time during the Jags' recent minicamp on both sides of the ball, further fueling expectations that he will be used in some capacity like he was used in college but more focused on offense.

The question remains, though: How will a 22-year-old rookie fare in the NFL if he plays offense and defense? We only have Deion Sanders and, to a lesser degree, Charles Woodson as examples in modern times, but even they played the bulk of their time on defense. That question will remain through draft season and will only be revealed, of course, during the season. That means whoever drafts Hunter will do so not fully understanding how it will play out. But considering Hunter is viewed at this point as a low-end WR3, perhaps it's a risk worth taking.

The other question to ask is: If Brian Thomas Jr. continues ascending, how much production would be left for Hunter? It's a real concern but one that could pay off handsomely should Hunter become a force on offense. Hunter is one of those players that you wait and wait and wait on, and if it reaches a certain point in the draft where he is still available - Round 9 or 10 perhaps - you grab him.

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Outlook: A first-round pick in 2024, Pearsall was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt just prior to the start of the season and wound up missing six games as a result. As you'd suspect, his numbers weren't great, finishing with a 31-400-3 line. He closed strong, however, catching 14 passes for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the final two weeks. While it's always a bit dangerous to get read too much into late-season production (for example, Patrick Taylor had 121 yards in Week 18 and faces an uphill battle to even make the team in 2025), there's no doubt that Pearsall has talent.

When the 49ers selected him, many suspected the Florida alum was taken with an eye on the future, and with Samuel gone the opportunity to become a major part of the offense is here. Shanahan can be notoriously tough on young wideouts, so we'll see if Pearsall can ingratiate himself quickly. The arrival of veteran Demarcus Robinson provides the team some depth at the position, though he feels more like a stopgap until Aiyuk can return from injury.

In breaking down the 49ers' receiving corps, Jennings looks to be the higher-floor, lower-ceiling candidate while Pearsall has a bit more boom or bust in his outlook. If he can lock down the slot, his speed and height could make him a problem for opposing cornerbacks both downfield and in jump ball situations. As your fourth or fifth receiver, Pearsall offers interesting upside.

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Outlook: For the first time since the Bush administration, Green Bay spent 1st round capital on a receiver. While that may have left Aaron Rodgers stretching his head, Jordan Love should benefit greatly from Golden's skillset. He's a strong route runner, has the speed to command safety help, and more importantly, can play the X, Z, and slot, which is especially important if he plans on carving out space in this offense. He's landed in a prime spot for long term fantasy relevance, and there's the catch. Unless this receiver core is trimmed by injury or otherwise, it's hard to see a path where Golden leads this team in receptions. He's a fantastic long-term hold for the season, but I think his biggest value is in 2026 and beyond, making him at best a late-round stash in non-dynasty leagues.

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Outlook: After several injury plagued seasons, Bateman bounced back nicely last year, piling up a career high 756 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite some trade chatter in the offseason, Baltimore re-signed Bateman to a three-year, 36-million-dollar extension in hopes of a continuation of his breakout 2024, but it's hard to see an avenue to a big bump in his numbers. The receiver room is a bit more crowded, and expecting a repeat of nine scores is folly. Baltimore had the 2nd fewest pass attempts in the NFL last season, so there is room for growth, but that's not the way this team is built, both philosophically or positionally and thus Bateman is no better than the 3rd or 4th option in the passing game.

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