Fantasy Football: Worst NFL Landing Spots For Incoming Rookies

The 2025 NFL Draft brought plenty of surprises for fantasy football managers, especially when it came to skill position talent and landing spots. From first-round WRs buried on deep depth charts to Day 3 QBs with uphill battles, this rookie class is loaded with long-term intrigue—but plenty of short-term question marks.

RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Although Najee Harris only signed a one-year deal, this is not a great landing spot for the former North Carolina Tar Heel. Hampton was the second running back taken off the board in Round 1 and while he’s a top three pick in rookie dynasty drafts, his redraft value took a significant hit after the Denver Broncos passed on him with the No. 20 pick and fell to the Chargers.

Hampton will begin the season as the RB2 behind the veteran despite producing over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024 at North Carolina. The future is extremely bright for Hampton especially given that the Chargers employ a run-heavy approach and have a great signal-caller under center in Justin Herbert, but unfortunately Hampton’s 2025 outlook is capped by the presence of Harris. With the Steelers in 2024, Harris finished as the RB20 in PPR formats despite splitting touches with Jaylen Warren. He tallied 1,043 rushing yards on 263 carries with six touchdowns. He also chipped in with 36 receptions for an additional 283 scoreless receiving yards.

Harris proved he still has plenty left in the tank and the Chargers will likely give him at least 250 touches in 2025, limiting Hampton’s upside. Barring an injury, Hampton can only do so much, though he will be viewed as one of the top handcuffs entering the 2025 season.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs already boasted one of the league’s deepest receiving corps entering the draft, led by future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and reliable slot technician Chris Godwin. And in his rookie season, Jalen McMillan emerged following Godwin’s season-ending injury, flashing massive upside with seven touchdowns in his final five games—seemingly locking down the WR3 role.

So, Tampa’s decision to invest a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka raised some eyebrows. Egbuka is practically the perfect mold of Godwin and McMillan, both of whom thrive in the slot where Egbuka also spent over 80% of his 2024 snaps.

With Evans and Godwin aging, this may be a forward-thinking pick—but in the short term, Egbuka’s path to fantasy relevance is murky at best.

The Bucs WR room is scary 😳

Emeka Egbuka is off to Tampa Bay at No. 19 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/JdCE08jBCv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2025

TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

Colston Loveland enters the NFL with a modest fantasy outlook following his selection by the Chicago Bears. Though part of a rising offense anchored by an improving O-line and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, Loveland is expected to begin his career as the TE2 behind incumbent starter Cole Kmet.

Loveland’s athleticism and red-zone chops could earn him early snaps in two-tight end sets, but with Kmet coming off a strong season (73/719/6), opportunities may be limited—especially in an offense where tight ends saw just 69 total targets in 2024. That target volume, combined with Chicago’s deep receiver room, tempers Loveland’s short-term fantasy value.

Still, his long-term upside is intriguing. With Williams under center and playmakers like DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and the recently drafted Luther Burden III stretching defenses vertically, Loveland could eventually carve out a meaningful role. For now, he’s more of a dynasty stash than a redraft option.

WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears

Burden III was viewed by most NFL Draft pundits as a top-five prospect at the wide receiver position. He drew comparisons to DJ Moore and many projected him to be a PPR machine in fantasy football leagues. However, he landed on the very same team as the player he’s been compared to with Moore only one season into a $110 million extension that could keep him in Chicago through 2029. That’s the uphill battle facing Burden III, whom the Bears selected 39th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Burden’s electric after-the-catch ability, bruising YAC style, and game-breaking 4.4 speed made him a fantasy football darling who was being considered as the top rookie wideout in dynasty formats. However, he now joins a ridiculously crowded offense featuring Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, D’Andre Swift, and fellow rookie Colston Loveland, all orbiting Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson’s newly turbocharged scheme.

Luther Burden highlights cause why not pic.twitter.com/8ILJG4C7bf
— Bears Nation (@BearsNationCHI) April 27, 2025

While Johnson may find creative ways to utilize Burden’s skill set, the harsh reality is that there simply won’t be enough targets to go around. His fantasy ceiling seems to be a WR3/4 rather than a fringe WR1 as many were anticipating. Plus, his dynasty value has cooled off immensely as he’s no longer being selected in the first round. There’s no denying Burden’s talent but we all know that in fantasy football, volume is king, and the rookie is going to struggle to earn significant targets.

QB Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

If you watched the draft, glanced at NFL Twitter, or know anyone who follows spots, you already know that Shedeur Sanders’ fall from grace was seismic. Once projected as a top-five lock, the Colorado QB shockingly tumbled all the way to pick 144, where Cleveland scooped him up after already drafting Dillon Gabriel two rounds earlier. Sanders now joins a crowded and chaotic QB room featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson.

.@ShedeurSanders is a Cleveland Brown@Browns | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/RSgFvyd3zU
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025

Unfortunately for Sanders, Day 3 quarterbacks almost never become fantasy-relevant starters—and Sanders doesn’t have the same dual-threat pedigree as others. His middling arm, sack-prone tendencies, and nonexistent rushing upside make him a poor fit for fantasy formats. Sure, you can stash him in the late rounds of superflex rookie drafts, but don’t expect him to be anything more than a longshot dart throw—a far cry from his early-April first-round ADP. Not to mention, the Browns don’t have many noteworthy options in the passing game outside of Jerry Jeudy, which will make it very difficult for Sanders to earn fantasy relevancy in Year 1 or in the future.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Sanders was a career backup when all was said and done.

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