Calvin Ridley And 4 More Mid-Round Fantasy Football Wide Receivers With WR1 Upside

I truly believe that the wide receiver position will provide many league-winning assets in 2025. There are countless sleeper candidates. The NFL is shaping up to be a year of the quarterback. No defenses stun me, and many offenses wow me. This provides for many wide receivers to be undervalued. There are just too many options to be able to rank them all in the top 15, but I do believe that these wide receivers have great WR1 potential.

DK Metcalf

Current ADP: WR26

I see no reason as to why Metcalf will not just go absolutely bananas in a Steelers uniform. Aaron Rodgers comes with some perceived caution, but it really has no validity. In a poor Jets 2024 season, Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams both finished as Top-15 wide receivers in fantasy. In 2025, Metcalf is the clearcut number one receiver in the Pittsburgh offense. Even if Rodgers went down at some point, I love Mason Rudolph to feed Metcalf.

Marvin Harrison Jr

Current ADP: WR14

I do believe that caution is aired with legitimacy in Arizona. They strugged to gain the traction that many expected in 2024. That being said, Arizona is a sleeper team of mine. I do think that Jonathan Gannon is a respectable head coach, and this team has a ton of good talent.

As for Marvin Harrison Jr, my eye test has confirmed that he is a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL. Naturally, this team will only get better at serving him the ball. Even in a poorly-connected rookie year, he did still have 8 touchdowns. The jump may easily hit 1,200 yards and 12+ touchdowns.

Garrett Wilson

Current ADP: WR16

The Jets project to be very run heavy this season. That comes as no surprise as they are running out Justin Fields with the two-headed monster of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. The team also may have a top-10 offensive line in football.

Being that they will run heavy, I still love Garrett Wilson. He is with his college quarterback and the clearcut number one. Even in limited passing, he may command a 35% target share which claims huge fantasy value whether the team throws for 200 yards per game, or 300.

Justin Fields throwing a perfect pass to Garrett Wilson in the middle of the field for a touchdown. The media said he couldn't throw in the middle of the field. Justin Fields is up to 41 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions in camppic.twitter.com/7h9UIu6Tsm
— Justin Fields Fan Club (@JustinFieldsFC) August 19, 2025

Calvin Ridley

Current ADP: WR27

Calvin Ridley is another high-usage player in for a big season. Ridley had about a 30% target share and now that he adds Cam Ward, this is automatic upgrade over Will Levis. Between the target share and trailing game script, expect Ward to pass the ball a lot in Tennessee.

Courtland Sutton

Current ADP: WR25

I may be low on Bo Nix this season, but that does not mean that Sutton has to struggle. The Broncos just traded away DeVaughn Vele and so it opens up the 57 targets that he had in 2024. Sutton saw 144 targets last year, and that can easily increase to 160 range this year. Not to mention, Courtland Sutton is as good a red zone, 50/50 threat as anyone in the NFL.

Sutton finished as the WR10 in fantasy last year despite a slow Broncos start.

2024 WR/TE Leaders by End Zone Target Share@FantasyPtsData

1. Drake London (56%)
2. George Pickens (52%)
3. Courtland Sutton (50%)
3. Davante Adams (50%)
3. Malik Nabers (50%)
6. Nico Collins (48%) pic.twitter.com/22FlnoYUbT
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) August 20, 2025