2025 Fantasy Football WR Rankings: Justin Jefferson Vs. CeeDee Lamb ADP Breakdown

Justin Jefferson and Ceedee Lamb are two of the best wide receivers in both the NFL and fantasy football. Based on their current ADP, Jefferson is being drafted as the WR2 and the third overall player in drafts, while Lamb is being drafted as the WR3 and the fifth player overall. When you have two players who are so good and are going so close in drafts, it can be tough to know which player to pull the trigger on. So, who should you pick in the first round?

WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

WR ADP: 2.0 OVR ADP: 3.0

The Case For Jefferson

In a vacuum, Jefferson is the better wide receiver of the two. It's usually never a terrible idea to bet on talent. Jefferson has proven to be quarterback-proof and is the safest player in fantasy football. Last year, with Sam Darnold as his quarterback, was his worst fantasy season in terms of points per game since his rookie year in 2020. In this "down season" last year, he scored 15.6 fantasy points per game in 0.5 PPR format and finished the season with 103 receptions for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Despite never seeing less than 100 targets in a season, he has also been one of the most durable wideouts in the league. His only injury came in 2023, which limited him to 10 games in that season; otherwise, he's played in every other game in his career. It's not difficult to make a case for the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Justin Jefferson’s hands are like glue.

🎥: overtimeszn via IG pic.twitter.com/JpISOHni3Z
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 10, 2025

The Case Against Jefferson

While he is the best receiver in the NFL, he's not necessarily in the best situation. In 2024, the Vikings were the most balanced team in the NFL, coming in 16th in the league with a run/pass ratio of 457/548. That balance could lean more towards rushing this season with the addition of running back Jordan Mason in the backfield to pair with Aaron Jones, and redshirt-rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy taking over at quarterback.

Technically, McCarthy is not a rookie, but after missing his entire rookie year due to injury, he is expected to take his first NFL snaps this season. He's also a prospect I wasn't particularly high on coming out of Michigan. There is a real chance that he was built for college football and simply isn't good, or at least not good right away. We continue to hear the case made that if he can do it with Darnold, then he'll be fine with McCarthy, but Darnold was a better prospect and is a more talented passer than McCarthy. He may have just been bogged down by the dumpster fire that is the New York Jets' passing attack. McCarthy shouldn't be assumed to be an upgrade.

If the passing volume does fall off, there are a lot of mouths to feed in Minnesota. That's not to say that Jefferson would see the most targets because he certainly will. However, when passes are also being spread out between guys like Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, and Jones, then that could be enough to bump a guy like Jefferson from the WR2 down closer to WR5. We know we are splitting hairs here, but we have to in a situation with two receivers who play at this high of a level,

WR Ceedee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

WR ADP: 3.0 OVR ADP: 5.0

The Case For Lamb

Lamb is an elite NFL wide receiver and is playing on one of the most pass-heavy attacks in the league. Even with his quarterback, Dak Prescott, only playing eight games last season, the team still threw 637 pass attempts, which was the third-most in the league. 152 of those attempts came in Lamb's direction. With a backup quarterback, he scored 14.2 fantasy points per game in 0.5 PPR format, down from 19.7 in 2023 when he had Prescott, who is expected to be healthy to start 2025.

There is a real chance that you will be drafting an elite wide receiver with the potential of being the most pass-heavy offense in the league, and could see the most targets of any player in the league. He will also have a healthy starting quarterback to start the season, and the team traded for wide receiver George Pickens to play opposite him and draw more attention from the defense. There is no doubt that he has WR1 overall upside.

Why CeeDee Lamb?

Best Floor of ANY Fantasy Football WR.

Last 20 Games Played w/ Dak Prescott
- Top 24 or Better WR in 85% Games
- Top 12 WR in 55%

For Context…

Ja’Marr Chase Historic 2024
- Top 24 or Better WR in 77% Games
- Top 12 WR in 59%

Lamb Higher Floor Than Chase. pic.twitter.com/shBBLzeoki
— Joe Orrico (@JoeOrricoFF) July 11, 2025

The Case Against Lamb

The Cowboys' offense could not be quite what we are all expecting, much like it wasn't last season. Their offensive line has been in a steady decline, they can't run the ball, and Prescott has become a bit injury-prone. The nine games he missed last season weren't the first issue he's had. He's only played once in the past five seasons. During that span, he's missed a total of 27 games.

There are also a lot of changes with the Cowboys' offense this season. They have a new offensive coordinator in Klayton Adams, who was an offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals. We don't know exactly how this offense will be run under him. We still expect it to be very pass-heavy, but this does throw in a question mark. There is also a chance that Pickens is much better than what we saw with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that he was being held back by a subpar passing scheme and poor quarterback play. If the passing volume comes down slightly, and Pickens eats into Lamb's targets slightly, all of a sudden, Lamb could drop down to a mid-range WR1. Especially if injuries strike his quarterback again.

The Verdict

We are going to have to go with Jefferson over Lamb. Jefferson is the most talented wide receiver in the league and has the safest floor. Even with the question marks at quarterback, it's hard to imagine anyone holding this man back. Lamb is a great option as well, but the changes in Dallas, combined with fading belief in Prescott, are just enough to drop him to our WR3 spot. Being that there is just about no way to come away with both of these guys in any non-keeper or dynasty format, Jefferson is the wideout you'll be better off walking away from drafts with in 2025.