Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Draft Calvin Ridley Over Travis Hunter

Tennessee Titans wide receiver and Jacksonville Jaguars first-round rookie wideout Travis Hunter are both being drafted at similar ADPs. Both receivers have a ton of upside, but both also have some things to be concerned about. We're going to make the case for which one you should opt for in your fantasy draft if they are both on the board and you need to make a decision between the two.

WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

ADP: WR29 Overall: 65.2

The Case For Ridley

Ridley was very good based on all the underlying analytics last season; he just didn't have a quarterback who could get him the ball. The talent is still there, and the way he is used in the offense gives him major upside. We saw him create separation and catch what was possible, but so many of his targets were uncatchable that it drove down his production. No receiver in the NFL had more unrealized air yards than Ridley. Despite only catching 64 of his 120 targets, he still topped 1,000 yards and caught four touchdowns.

Titans veteran WR Calvin Ridley is still one of the best route runners in the entire NFL 💨pic.twitter.com/FWMmNTtgmQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 7, 2025

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Titans selected Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the first-overall pick. Ward is an outstanding prospect whose skill set meshes perfectly with Ridley's. Ward is a gunslinger who throws an accurate deep ball. The addition of Ward gives Ridley legitimate low-end WR1 upside this season.

The Case Against Ridley

It's been five years since we've seen Ridley come close to meeting his full potential. In 2020, he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. He hasn't come close to that production sense. While we are very high on Ward, he is still a rookie quarterback who has never taken an NFL snap. Ridley's upside hinges on him. If Ward doesn't pan out like we're expecting him to, Ridley could be stuck with another quarterback who can't get him the ball like he needs to be a fantasy star. Ward could also have a better connection with another player and not utilize Ridley as much as we are anticipating.

WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP: WR30 Overall: 65.5

The Case For Hunter

The Jags traded up to make Hunter the second-overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. The draft capital is there for him to be a featured piece in their offense. We also know he has the talent to be great. We saw that at Colorado last year. Jacksonville is expected to have a much more high-octane passing attack this season after a regime change, and Brian Thomas Jr will be opposite him to attract WR1 coverage. Things should line up for Hunter to have every opportunity to be successful.

The Case Against Hunter

Hunter is expected to play both offense and defense and is already dealing with an injury. It could be tough for him to hold up playing both sides of the ball in the NFL. He'll also be competing for targets with Thomas Jr, who will most likely be the WR1 over Hunter. We also believe Ridley has the better quarterback of these two stud receivers. Trevor Lawrence hasn't come close to living up to the hype and has developed into just an average NFL quarterback. He hasn't proven that he can sustain two high-end fantasy receivers like BTJ and Hunter.

The Verdict

We are going with Ridley here. He has both a safer floor and high upside this season. He doesn't have any serious target competition and has the superior quarterback. There is a real chance he makes a push to be a fringe WR1 this season. It's unlikely Hunter gets there in that Jacksonville offense. Especially if his offensive snaps are limited because he's also playing defense.