Fantasy Football: Best NFL Landing Spots For Incoming Rookies

The 2025 NFL Draft brought exciting opportunities for several rookie running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers, with a few landing in especially favorable situations. These rising stars, including Ashton Jeanty, Mason Taylor, Jack Bech, RJ Harvey, and Kaleb Johnson, are now primed to make an immediate fantasy impact, as they step into roles with clear paths to significant playing time.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

At the start of the draft, many projected Boise State’s electric running back Ashton Jeanty to land in Jacksonville, where he would have joined a crowded backfield with Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. But a blockbuster trade that sent the No. 2 overall pick to the Jaguars upended expectations—clearing the path for Jeanty to fall into Pete Carroll’s lap at No. 6.

Las Vegas Raiders fans… this is the type of DAWG Ashton Jeanty is: pic.twitter.com/AsAx1zhR1D
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 25, 2025

Jeanty now joins a Las Vegas backfield led by Zamir White and Raheem Mostert, but it likely won’t be long before he takes over as the feature back. He emerged as Day 1’s biggest fantasy football winner, landing in a run-centric offense tailor-made for his versatile, three-down skill set. With a clear path to 250+ touches and a seamless fit in Chip Kelly’s scheme, Jeanty skyrockets to dynasty RB1 territory and warrants first-round consideration in redraft formats.

TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets

I expected the Jets to target Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, they grabbed Missouri’s Armand Membou and addressed their need at the tight end position by scooping up Mason Taylor out of LSU in the second round.

Taylor lands with a Jets franchise that recently acquired Justin Fields, a QB who has historically leaned on his tight ends (see: Cole Kmet, TE7 in 2022). A fluid athlete with elite pedigree (son of Jason Taylor, nephew of Zach Thomas), Taylor boasts soft hands, smooth movement, and untapped upside as a route runner.

With few pass-catching threats beyond Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, Taylor could earn early targets and develop into a top-10 player at his position in Year 1. He now profiles as the TE3 in rookie drafts with legit long-term TE1 potential.

WR Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders

Bech burst onto the scene as a freshman at LSU but quickly faded, producing middling numbers at both LSU and TCU before finally piecing together a 1,000-yard, nine-touchdown campaign last year. However, the 22-year-old turned heads at the Senior Bowl, showcasing elite hands, toughness, and physicality that earned him a second-round selection (58th overall) by the Raiders.

While he’s not a burner, Bech profiles as a reliable possession receiver and could walk into a major role right away. Las Vegas’ depth chart is thin behind Jakobi Meyers, clearing a very easy path to the WR2 role for the incoming rookie.

With Geno Smith newly installed at quarterback, Bech enters a level playing field alongside the rest of Las Vegas’ pass catchers—no incumbent chemistry to overcome, no entrenched pecking order. Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and RB Ashton Jeanty are all starting fresh with Smith, just like Bech. And beyond that trio, Bech looks like the next man up. If he can break the infamous TCU wide receiver curse (yes, we're talking about you, Quentin Johnston and Jalen Reagor), he has a real shot to emerge as one of this draft class’s unexpected steals.

RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Sean Payton finally has his guy.

After a forgettable year of backfield roulette in Denver, the Broncos spent a second-round pick on UCF’s RJ Harvey—a dynamic, dual-threat back who perfectly fits Payton’s long-standing blueprint. Harvey ranked top-three nationally in rushing yards and touchdowns, and his advanced metrics (1.39 YPRR, 9.9 YAC/reception) scream versatility and explosiveness. With minimal competition from underwhelming incumbents Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, Harvey is poised to seize the lead role and potentially reprise the Alvin Kamara archetype in Payton’s system.

The Broncos also boasted the top offensive line in 2024 according to Pro Football Network. A breakout campaign is on the horizon for Harvey.

Nearly 13 minutes of highlights of new Broncos RB RJ Harveypic.twitter.com/Lsqu1GStgT
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) April 26, 2025

RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Kaleb Johnson steps into Pittsburgh as a tailor-made successor to Najee Harris—and he’s ready to produce from day one.

The former Iowa standout brings elite contact balance and tackle-breaking prowess to an Arthur Smith offense that ranked sixth in rushing volume last season. With Jaylen Warren best suited as a change-of-pace option and the Steelers likely leaning on a run-heavy, ball-control approach behind a murky QB situation, Johnson is poised for immediate high-volume usage. His skillset fits Smith’s downhill scheme seamlessly, and given Najee’s four straight top-20 fantasy finishes, Johnson’s current RB19 ADP looks like a steal.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets

WR Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders

RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

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