2025 NFL Draft: Top Fantasy Rookie Winners & Losers, Round 1
The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft has reshaped the fantasy football landscape, with rookies landing in ideal spots or facing tough competition. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the biggest rookie winners and losers for fantasy football based on their landing spots. Continue reading for our top 2025 NFL Draft fantasy football winners and losers.
Fantasy Football Rookie Winners
We are just 32 picks into the 2025 NFL Draft and the fantasy football landscape has already shifted. Some rookie picks were drafted into ideal fantasy spots and some simply didn’t. Round 1 saw many key developments that will impact fantasy rookie drafts moving forward heading toward the 2025 fantasy football season.
Let’s go over which rookies were winners and which ones were losers after round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ashton Jeanty – Running Back, Las Vegas Raiders
After a record breaking collegiate season last year at Boise State, Ashton Jeanty finds himself as the future bell cow in the Raiders backfield. Jeanty finds himself on a team that quite frankly needed a running back the most. Last year, the Raiders rotated between four running backs in Zamir White, Sincere McCormick, Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison. Heading into the 2025 season, Jeanty’s primary backup is a 33 year old Raheem Mostert who was signed in the offseason.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll found his new Marshawn Lynch. Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will want to run the ball and establish a team identity. Ultimately, this should provide Jeanty will unlimited touches. Jeanty is the 1.01 in 1QB and superflex leagues and a potential first round pick in redraft leagues. As expected, he’s at the top of our recent dynasty rookie ADP.
Omarion Hampton – Running Back, Los Angeles Chargers
At first glance, this may not seem like a good landing spot for Omarion Hampton, considering the Chargers signed Najee Harris in the offseason. However, that contract for Harris is only for one year.
Hampton is a bull who has breakaway ability and can catch passes out of the backfield. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are another coaching duo who love to run the ball and have fortified the Chargers offensive line since joining the Chargers. If J.K. Dobbins can find success in this offense, then the ceiling is limitless with Hampton.
While Harris will be an inconvenience and probably be the Week 1 starter, it will only be a matter of time before Hampton becomes a major player in the Chargers offense this upcoming season.
Depending on your fantasy team’s need, Hampton could be the 1.02 in rookie drafts this year.
Tetairoa McMillan – Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers
Recent mock drafts had Tetairoa McMillan being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Dallas Cowboys. In either spot, at best he would have played second fiddle behind alpha receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and CeeDee Lamb. Ultimately, McMillan ends up being drafted in the top 10 (8th overall) and to a team where he could very well be the alpha wide receiver.
Curently, the Panthers still have Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen on the roster. However, none of these receivers have the skillset that McMillan possesses. McMillan is a prototypical X receiver and will most likely play that role while the other three receivers can rotate and fight for the leftovers.
Overall, the Carolina Panthers were one of the top landing spots for a rookie wide receiver. Even though they probably should have drafted to improve their horrible defense. Either way, McMillan will have a high target ceiling entering the 2025 fantasy football season.
Fantasy Football Rookie Losers
Matthew Golden – Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers
The last time the Green Bay Packers selected a wide receiver in the first round was in 2002 when they selected Javon Walker. While the Packers were also in need of a potential top receiver, I’m not sure Matthew Golden is it.
Golden finds himself in a crowded receiver room with the likes of Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed and Christian Watson (who will miss a big chunk of the season recovering from a torn ACL).
Furthermore, Golden is a burner, as shown by his 4.29 second 40 yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and fills a need for the Packers. However, I am always leery of players who have their draft projections significantly bumped up by their 40 yard dash time.
Furthermore, I simply cannot trust an offense led by Packers head coach Matt LaFleur who likes to spread the ball around. Last year three different receivers had just over 70 targets (Watson had 53). Meanwhile, Reed led the team with 857 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Reed only finished as the WR36 in average points per game (10.3).
However, some might point to the above analysis and argue that Golden can be the clear alpha that the Packers desperately need. Or will Golden murky the waters even more? Something tells me, Josh Jacobs won’t be particularly happy with the Packers first round pick.
Emeka Egbuka – Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Heading into the draft, the Buccaneers would rank near the bottom of teams that needed a wide receiver. This pick was truly a perplexing one.
Future Hall of Famer Mike Evans is still on the roster. Additionally, they re-signed Chris Godwin to a three year contract. More yet, they have upcoming sophomore Jalen McMillan who had a mini break out near the end of last year’s season.
Additionally, Egbuka played the majority of his snaps at Ohio St. out of the slot, which is where Godwin has excelled at. It will be a challenge all year for the four receivers to co-exist. Even if Evans retired at the end of the season, Egbuka would still have to contend with Godwin and McMillan.
All in all, Egbuka is an extremely talented wide receiver. However, it will be difficult for him to be an impact fantasy football player in the foreseeable future, especially in year 1. Ultimately, you may have to play the long game with Egbuka. For dynasty fantasy football purposes, this could be a very solid landing spot as the potential future WR1 of the Buccaneers.
Tyler Warren – Tight End, Indianapolis Colts
I don’t think there was a 2025 NFL mock draft that didn’t have the Penn State alum being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 14th overall pick. However, I am also not sure how many had Colston Loveland being the first tight end off the board at #10 by the Chicago Bears.
Notably, while the Colts had a desperate need at the tight end position, this isn’t a great landing spot for a rookie tight end. Having to catch passes from either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones isn’t an ideal situation for Warren or any tight end.
Furthermore, Warren enters into an offense that already has a trifecta of receivers in Michael Pittman, Alex Pierce and Josh Downs. The Colts offense isn’t one that is built to support high level performances from multiple receivers.
Overall, I would temper expectations with Warren this upcoming season. A Brock Bowers or Sam LaPorta rookie season does not seem to be in the forecast. Warren’s talents and ceiling won’t manifest itself until the Colts have a change at quarterback. This makes Warren one of my biggest losers for fantasy football purposes from Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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