Fantasy Sports

Dynasty Fantasy Football: Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter Highlight Top Rookie WRs

The NFL has a ton of young talent coming in at the WR position. Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter, and Matthew Golden highlight the star-studded cast of rookies.
Thomas Carelli|
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) smiles as he walks off the field after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) smiles as he walks off the field after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Carolina PanthersJacksonville JaguarsGreen Bay Packers

Transitioning into the NFL is never an easy task for a rookie. However, if any positions find quick success, it often is found amongst wide receivers. Recent top rookie WR options in the league have included: Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey and earlier, Garrett Wilson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. I believe that this rookie class is elite, and it will provide many valuable fantasy assets right away. Let's dive into our top options.

Tetairoa McMillan - Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan entered this NFL Draft a highly touted product out of Arizona. This came to fruition when the Panthers drafted him at 8th overall, making McMillan the first WR selected. In 2024, McMillan was among the best pass-catchers in the entire FBS. He ranked 4th in yards per game, 6th in total receptions, and 2nd in total yards. He is NFL-ready, and will prove it in this Dave Canales offense.

McMillan joins as the immediate top receiving option on the team. At 6'4" and 219 lbs, Tet is a great comp to the Buccaneers, Mike Evans. He can run any route, he comes back to the ball, wins 50/50 balls with ease, and will provide a great insurance option to Bryce Young.

In Canales' first and only year as the Buccaneers OC, he had a new Baker Mayfield come in and feed not one, but two 1,000 yards receivers — Mike Evans (1,225) and Chris Godwin (1,024). This offense needs to take a step forward and Tetairoa McMillan will be a vital piece to that happening. This offense will provide heavy usage to McMillan which, in turn, provides Top-10 WR upside for the Arizona product.

Travis Hunter - Jacksonville Jaguars

Fans bring a lot of hype towards the reigning Heisman winner, but others state their concern. Hunter is elite, but he also appears to be raw at times. He is so insanely athletic that he makes everything look easy, but some argue that his core skills are still raw. This can be viewed two ways: He is a very, very good prospect, or he needs to improve and can be exposed. Per his NFL.com scouting report, "On offense, Hunter gets by on talent over technique but will need to smooth out the journey from press release to catch with better route running."

Regardless of how we may judge the talent, one thing is for certain — Travis Hunter is a really good. He will perform, and Liam Coen will make sure of that. Brian Thomas Jr. had a massive rookie year and he will surely follow that up with another nice season in 2025. If that means anything for Hunter, it actually should mean well. Many defenses would panic and overcompensate by double-teaming Travis Hunter. With Brian Thomas threatening as his counterpart, many corners will be stuck in zone coverage, or man to man. Either way, Travis Hunter will eat and Trevor Lawrence will be the man feeding.

Matthew Golden - Green Bay Packers

The Packers fans have fallen in love with their rookie WR. They drafted one in the first round for the first time in over 20 years, and he is very much looking the part in camp. Packers fans have yearned for this to happen for years, and now it is here.

Golden will battle Jayden Reed for the WR1 spot on the roster, but I think that battle will be short-lived. Matthew Golden is the best WR on this team in every aspect. You can run his college numbers, and eye test, a player poll, whatever you want. They will all tell that he is their best receiving option. Jordan Love has curated excellence among his pass-catching options. Jayden Reed has gained fantasy relevance, Romeo Doubs had some breakout games last season, and though rarely healthy, Christian Watson has also come up big at times. With a full time high-usage role, the Texas Football alum will have a huge year.

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Thomas Carelli
THOMAS CARELLI

Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.

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