It’s time to look at the future fantasy football breakout wide receivers for 2025! Our first look at balancing the fantasy football market and team’s workload distributions came in the recent look at running back handcuffs, and the Rest of Season Breakout Wide Receivers dives into which pass catchers to target for the 2025 season and beyond.
Understanding target distribution and route efficiencies for pass catchers can get a bit tough at times, as the amount of stats available can be overwhelming. But breaking it down in a digestible way, with important numbers that have direct applications to your fantasy football rosters, is key to providing you with a clear path forward for your pass catchers, especially ones from these offenses.
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Breakout Wide Receivers | Rest of Season Targets (2025)
| Team | Breakout Wide Receiver(s) | Trend | Rest-of-Season Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | George Pickens | Taking over lead role while CeeDee Lamb recovers; earning high-value targets. | Trending toward WR2 production and weekly breakout potential. |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey | Johnston emerging as WR1; McConkey’s usage and route share climbing steadily. | Both strong rest-of-season breakout WR options in a pass-heavy offense. |
| Tennessee Titans | Elic Ayomanor | Commanding red-zone looks and leading team in expected fantasy points. | Profiles as one of 2025’s premier breakout wide receivers for dynasty leagues. |
| Miami Dolphins | Jaylen Waddle | Thriving as WR1 with Tyreek Hill sidelined; elite target volume. | Locked in as a rest-of-season breakout WR1 and top-tier fantasy option. |
| Seattle Seahawks | Tory Horton | Already producing; red-zone threat in Seattle’s high-volume passing attack. | Prime breakout WR stash with WR2 upside if opportunity expands. |
| Cleveland Browns | Isaiah Bond | Filling WR2 role behind Jerry Jeudy; growing target share since Tillman injury. | Deep-league breakout WR candidate with long-term dynasty appeal. |
| Carolina Panthers | Jalen Coker | Returning from injury and competing for slot role in rebuilding offense. | Potential late-season breakout wide receiver if role stabilizes post-activation. |
Dallas Cowboys | The 2024 Bengals Approach
Important Pass Catchers: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson
The offseason acquisition of George Pickens has done wonders to open up the Dallas passing attack, especially with CeeDee Lamb nursing an early-season injury. The emergence of Jake Ferguson has been just as important for this offense to stay afloat, as he has become more than just a safety valve for Dak Prescott.
- If looking at just the first two weeks this year (when CeeDee Lamb was 100% healthy), the target breakdown was: Lamb (24), Ferguson (18), and Pickens (12), healthy numbers for all three in only two contests
- Looking at Weeks 4–6 when CeeDee Lamb missed time, George Pickens assumed the top target role (26), but Jake Ferguson stepped up too, as he racked up 19 targets in these three games
It’s tough to predict how the Dallas offense will look when CeeDee Lamb is healthy again, but comparisons can be drawn from how the Bengals offense looked in 2024. Ja’Marr Chase (the Lamb role) earned 10.1 targets over 17 games last year, Tee Higgins (Pickens) saw 8.8 targets in 12 games, and Mike Gesicki was CIN’s third-most targeted pass catcher, with 4.8/game. If you extrapolate the two-game target averages for CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and George Pickens for the remainder of the season, you would have 144 more targets for Lamb, 135 for Ferguson, and 90 for Pickens, showing that all 3 can still eat.
Wide Receiver Trivia Question | Who is the last rookie WR to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Los Angeles Chargers | Herbie Fully Loaded
Important Pass Catchers: Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey
One of the most surprising developments this season has been the ascension of Quentin Johnston into Justin Herbert’s favorite target for the Chargers. With Keenan Allen back in the fold, it has hurt Ladd McConkey the most, even as LAC is more pass heavy than in years past.
- Quentin Johnston leads all LAC receivers in receiving yards (377) and average depth of target (12.3 yards), and Keenan Allen leads in targets (42) and team target share (23.1%)
- Ladd McConkey’s slow start isn’t without a healthy target share though, as his 6.8 targets-per-game average (through the first five games) puts him in the top 35 of all WRs this season
Quentin Johnston is earning the positive headlines, Keenan Allen is flying under the radar, and Ladd McConkey is a screaming buy-low opportunity. You can absolutely trust all three of these pass catchers for the rest of the season for the Chargers, even if Ladd McConkey might be the least trustworthy based on his stats right now. His role in the offense will only increase as the season goes on, so buy the dip now if you can.
Tennessee Titans | Calvin Ridley Who?
Important Pass Catchers: Elic Ayomanor, Calvin Ridley, Gunnar Helm
It has been a lesson in trusting your eyes and a team’s draft stock when it comes to the pass catchers for the Tennessee Titans. Even with Calvin Ridley being brought in this offseason to be Cam Ward’s top target, the ascension of rookie Elic Ayomanor was right in front of us the whole time.
- Elic Ayomanor has outpaced Calvin Ridley in expected fantasy points (XFP) in three of five games this year, boasting a better weekly average (10.5) than DJ Moore, DK Metcalf, and Khalil Shakir
- Elic Ayomanor has earned two-thirds of Cam Ward’s end zone targets and has the highest rate of receiving first downs per route run on the team (through Weeks 1–5)
But outside of Elic Ayomanor, fellow rookie Gunnar Helm has started to cut into Chig Okonkwo’s hold on the TE1 spot, even if it has been a slow burn so far. Through the first five weeks, Gunnar Helm has a higher average depth of target (aDOT) than Chig Okonkwo, meaning that the team trusts his route running early on, and is averaging more yards per route run (1.51 vs 1.43) and per target (7.54 vs 7.48), showing that the rookie TE is more efficient with his touches.
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Miami Dolphins | Pass Catchers to Watch
The Post-Tyreek Times
All eyes are on Jaylen Waddle as he assumes the WR1 role for the Miami Dolphins after Tyreek Hill’s injury, yet Jaylen Waddle’s 100-yard outburst in Week 5 was overshadowed. It has been the Darren Waller show the past two weeks, as he has turned three of his eight receptions into touchdowns.
- Jaylen Waddle (40) and De’Von Achane (38) are easily the most targeted pass catchers this year
- Across Weeks 4–5, Darren Waller averaged over 11 yards per target, easily outpacing Jaylen Waddle (9.22) and De’Von Achane (5.41)
While Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane are the headline grabbers, Darren Waller is more than worth a look moving forward. His questionable health history paints a cloudy picture for his dynasty stock after this season, but for right now, he would be worth a cheaper investment, especially in a TE-premium league.
Breakout Wide Receivers to Stash (2025)
| Wide Receiver | Team | Why Stash? |
|---|---|---|
| Tory Horton | Seattle Seahawks | Already producing; one injury away from consistent WR2 volume. |
| Isaiah Bond | Cleveland Browns | Securing WR2 role behind Jerry Jeudy after Cedric Tillman injury. |
| Jalen Coker | Carolina Panthers | Returning from injury; poised to claim slot role and steady target share. |
Deep-league Breakout Wide Receiver candidates (tap to expand)
Tory Horton (Seattle Seahawks)
- Less of a stash and more of a buy, Tory Horton has already caught three touchdowns on the year, and he is an injury away from being a WR2 in a pass-happy Seattle Seahawks offensive attack.
Isaiah Bond (Cleveland Browns)
- The WR2 spot for the Cleveland Browns is leaning Isaiah Bond’s way, especially after Cedric Tillman’s injury. Even though he has only racked up 9 catches so far, the undrafted free agent from Texas has earned 21 targets across the first 5 games, sliding into the secondary role behind Jerry Jeudy.
Jalen Coker (Carolina Panthers)
- Hunter Renfrow isn’t a threat, and Xavier Legette hasn’t shown enough to have the WR2 role locked down, so come on down Jalen Coker as Carolina’s new WR2. Having missed the first five games, Jalen Coker had his practice window opened this week, as he looks to jump into the starting slot role for the Panthers.
Non Breakout Wide Receiver Drop Candidates (2025)
| Wide Receiver | Team | Reason to Drop |
|---|---|---|
| DeMario Douglas | New England Patriots | Lost role to Kayshon Bouette; minimal weekly usage despite one good game. |
| Joshua Palmer | Buffalo Bills | Limited target share despite high-volume offense; non-factor depth piece. |
| Jalen Royals | Kansas City Chiefs | Failed to earn snaps even with Rashee Rice sidelined; minimal dynasty value. |
Shallow league Non Breakout WR drop candidates (click to see)
DeMario Douglas (New England Patriots)
- While it was always going to be the Stefon Diggs show, the inability of DeMario Douglas to latch onto any extra targets in the New England offense is puzzling. Having been passed by Kayshon Bouette in the pecking order, you can disregard DeMario Douglas’ Week 6 71-yard showing, as this was 54 more yards than any other game this year.
Joshua Palmer (Buffalo Bills)
- Following the offseason money usually works for fantasy football, but Joshua Palmer has been the exception to that rule for the Buffalo Bills this year. Brought in on a big-money deal, Joshua Palmer only has one game of earning more than four targets and only one game of three-plus catches. Attached to the BUF offense makes rostering him intriguing, but he is a non-factor that is the fourth target at best in this offense.
Jalen Royals
- Both Pat Bryant and Jalen Royals were in contention for this final spot, as both rookies have failed to make any contributions whatsoever this year. Giving up on rookie wideouts is a slippery slope that can come full circle, but Jalen Royals earns the nod because of the impending return of Rashee Rice. Even in the time that Rashee Rice has missed, Jalen Royals has not taken on a role in the passing attack, rendering him a taxi stash or a roster casualty.
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FAQ | Breakout Wide Receivers for 2025 Fantasy Season
Q: Who is the top breakout wide receiver for the rest of the 2025 fantasy season?
A: Quentin Johnston leads the way, emerging as Justin Herbert’s new go-to target for the Chargers. His target share, route rate, and efficiency metrics all signal a breakout stretch run.
Q: Which WRs are currently underperforming their rest-of-season projections?
A: Keenan Allen and Jake Ferguson have seen strong usage but modest production. Both are positive regression candidates as their offenses stabilize and health returns to their supporting casts.
Q: Who are the top wide receivers to stash for dynasty leagues?
A: Tory Horton, Isaiah Bond, and Jalen Coker offer long-term upside. Each is a young receiver trending toward increased snap shares, making them ideal dynasty stashes for 2025 and beyond.
Q: Which wide receivers should I trade for rest of season as a contender or as a rebuilder?
A: Contenders should target proven volume earners like CeeDee Lamb and Calvin Ridley, while rebuilders should buy cheap upside plays like Elic Ayomanor and Ladd McConkey. Each can deliver value in different roster windows—short-term stability vs. long-term growth.
Q: How do target distributions predict breakout wide receivers?
A: Tracking increases in target share and route participation helps identify ascending players before production hits the box score. Metrics like first downs per route and end zone targets often foreshadow breakout performances.
Q: What’s the best way to find breakout wide receivers and trade targets for your specific dynasty roster?
A: Sync your leagues with the Dynasty Nerds App. It automatically highlights the top pickup and trade targets based on whether your team is a contender or rebuilder, helping you make data-backed moves before your leaguemates react.
Trivia Answer | The last rookie wide receiver to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets in 2022. (click to return)
He finished that season with:
🎯 4 touchdowns
🏈 83 receptions
📏 1,103 yards
