Ja'Marr Chase Vs Bijan Robinson: Who Should You Draft First In 2025 Fantasy Football?

League format and scoring will often dictate which position is more important to start your fantasy roster. At the same time, each draft slot will present different decisions. My first draft debate is between WR Ja’Marr Chase and RB Bijan Robinson. I play in PPR formats, so my thought process will follow this scoring system.

WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Last year, many fantasy leagues were won by rostering Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow as they combined to score 839.60 fantasy points in four-point passing touchdown leagues. The Bengals’ top wide receiver delivered three impact games (10/193/2, 11/264/3, and 14/177/2), two of which came against the Baltimore Ravens. He has a wide receiver impact rating of 52.9% (games with 20.00 fantasy points or more). In addition, Chase has a floor of 15.00 fantasy points in 13 of his 17 starts (76.5% - tied with Justin Jefferson). His one bust outcome came in Week 2 (4/35).

RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

The late charging Bijan Robinson pushed his way up to third in running back scoring (341.70) in PPR formats, thanks to scoring over 20.00 fantasy points in 10 of his last 12 starts. The fantasy market sees room for growth based on his lower fantasy scoring over the first five weeks (16.10, 16.20, 13.20, 11.40, and 10.70). Robinson’s only game with over 30.00 fantasy points came in Week 18 (28/170/2 with two catches for three yards). His floor rating came in at 70.6%, while leading all running backs in impact value (58.8% - games with 20.00 fantasy points or more).

Bijan Robinson is too smooth 🥶

(via @AtlantaFalcons)pic.twitter.com/uD29bA6eEm
— ESPN Fantasy Sports (@ESPNFantasy) July 28, 2025

Pick 1: Ja'Marr Chase Vs. Bijan Robinson

Chase was more explosive, which tends to be the outcome when comparing elite wide receivers and running backs. Volume of touches is the equalizer for the best backs in the NFL.

Either of these choices is an excellent start to a fantasy roster, but the best drafters look ahead to the top options in the second and third rounds to help see the best team structure.

Round 2 And Round 3 Players To Pair With Chase Or Robinson

Here are the best running backs expected to be available around picks 22 to 26:

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Here are the best wide receivers expected to be available around picks 22 to 26:

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

Trey McBride is the top tight end choice. In this format, all quarterbacks should be on the table in the third round.

Pick 1 Verdict: Target Ja'Marr Chase

Based on these decisions, I would rather pair Chase with Jonathan Taylor (may need to slide a pick or two) and Josh Jacobs than start with Robinson and say Garrett Wilson. If the top two running back options at this turn stay healthy, I prefer them over the wide receiver choices for these quick reasons:

Wilson – running quarterback, with an unknown passing opportunity. In addition, Justin Fields has a toe issue in August.

Hill – Is he going to bounce back? Coming off a down year, age isn’t his friend. Based on his ceiling, he may be worth the gamble in this area of the draft.

Smith-Njigba – Sam Darnold doesn’t excite me at quarterback, but the Seahawks’ top wideout should have a high-floor in catches. Ideally, I’d like to find a WR2 option who offers more potential in scoring in a better offense.

Final Thoughts

In the end, I trust the Bengals’ starting quarterback more than Michael Penix, which is the position that drives the fantasy scoring chances for their fantasy teams.

I want to start my teams with Ja’Marr Chase in this format. To make a better overall decision, it’s also essential to consider the tradeoffs on the 4/5 and 6/7 turns while deciding what is my best plan at quarterback and tight end.