Fantasy Football: Top Free Agent ADP Ranking Risers
The 2025 NFL free-agent “frenzy” has certainly lived up to its moniker as several big-name players have landed lucrative contracts with new teams.
While the star players are the ones who have rightfully garnered all of the attention, the quarterback carousel, as well as trades of elite skill position players have strongly impacted the value of many other players in fantasy football for next season.
Let’s take a closer look at the top five players who have received a positive boost from free-agent movement!
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Following Sam Darnold taking over for Geno Smith and the trade of DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh, the Seattle offense will have a far different look in 2025.
From a fantasy perspective, third-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba has become a sure-fire back-end first-round, early second-round selection. The former Ohio State standout finished as the overall WR9, averaging 14.9 PPR fantasy points per game after posting 100 receptions, 1,130 yards, and six touchdowns in his sophomore campaign.
After hauling in 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season, JSN lands as my overall WR8 in my 2025 fantasy football rankings, slightly ahead of Malik Nabers due to the unsettled QB situation in New York.
Last season, the emerging talent finished 14th among all players with 137 targets. With 31.9% of targets now up for grabs following the departure of Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, JSN should be the biggest beneficiary, likely increasing his 8.1 targets per game average. As we know, high volume leads to high production.
WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay & Co. brought in veteran wideout Davante Adams to replace Cooper Kupp for next season.
However, instead of targeting Adams in the middle rounds of drafts, my plan is to target Los Angeles’s top offensive weapon, Puka Nacua, at the back end of the first round in fantasy drafts next summer.
Despite missing five games due to a knee injury, the former BYU standout still finished as the overall WR26, averaging 18.8 PPR points per game after averaging the fifth-most targets (9.6) per contest among all pass-catchers.
Adams, who currently sits 10th all-time in receiving touchdowns (103), will create more single-man coverage red-zone opportunities for Nacua. With a higher touchdown projection and immense target share, Nacua lands as my overall WR5 behind only Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
RB Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
Following the departure of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, my projections have Najee Harris flourishing as the new RB1 in a run-heavy Los Angeles offense.
Harris finished as the overall RB20 in PPR formats on the strength of averaging 12.0 fantasy points per game in his fourth season with the Steelers. The two-time college football national champion with Alabama has been a model of consistency, rushing for 1,000-plus yards and six-plus touchdowns in each of his first four seasons in the NFL.
Behind a great offensive line, Dobbins ranked as the overall RB18 in PPR points per game (14.8). Playing in OC Greg Roman’s scheme, Harris lands as a top middle-round target, slotting in as my overall RB19 for next season. Expect Harris to be a top target of those who employ the “zero-RB” approach this summer in high stakes Fantasy Football World Championship (FFWC) drafts.
TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
The arrival of veteran QB Geno Smith in Las Vegas cements the supreme value of TE Brock Bowers. The star rookie finished last season as the overall TE1, averaging 15.5 PPR fantasy points per game. The former Georgia standout, who broke several NFL tight end records, hauling in 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, is in line to eclipse that production with Smith now under center - as crazy as that may sound.
Bowers, who drew the sixth-most targets (153) of any pass-catcher last season, should be Smith’s top red-zone target ahead of Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and D.J. Turner. A deeper dive reveals that Bowers drew a team-high 25.4% red zone target share in 2024 with inconsistent QB play. With a more reliable option in Smith now piloting the Silver & Black attack, a near double-digit TD projection (8.3) is not of the question for my overall 2025 TE1 in fantasy football.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
A significant amount of targets will be up for grabs in Jacksonville’s offense following the release of veteran tight end Evan Engram, who averaged 101.6 targets per year in his three seasons with the Jaguars.
The vacated volume will likely fall upon talented wideout Brian Thomas Jr., who finished as the overall WR4 in PPR formats, averaging 16.7 fantasy points per game while leading the Jaguars in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,282), and receiving TDs (10).
The trade of Christian Kirk to Houston, coupled with the release of Engram, lands BTJ as the WR7 in my early fantasy football rankings. Thomas is the lone bonafide passing weapon for Trevor Lawrence as Gabe Davis, Dyami Brown, and Parker Washington all land outside my top 75 wideouts for next season. Expect Thomas Jr. to finish among the top players in fantasy football next season.
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Frank Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frank Taddeo primarily performs as On SI’s Senior Fantasy Analyst, providing his significant experience and resources in the sports world.