Fantasy Football 2025 Free Agency Preview: Top Free Agent Wide Receivers, best destinations, more

If you like older wide receivers then this free agent class is for you. Of the top nine guys who are available, six are already 30 or older, and all of them will be 28 by the start of the season.

Tee Higgins, 26, was taken off the market when the Bengals gave him the franchise tag for the second year in a row. DK Metcalf and Cooper Kupp could be available via trade, but we’re talking free agents here. And this class is flawed.

Chris Godwin (ankle) and Stefon Diggs (knee) are coming off serious injuries. Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins all struggled with new teams last season. And Davante Adams might need to follow Aaron Rodgers to continue playing at a high level.

The good news for this free agent class is that these receivers will likely be coveted. The rookie receiver class is good, not great, and Washington already made a trade with San Francisco to acquire a struggling Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick. Houston also traded a 2026 seventh-round pick to Jacksonville for Christian Kirk.

While I don’t have much faith in most of these receivers as Fantasy assets, I’m curious to see where they end when free agency officially begins on March 12. And it’s fun for us to speculate on what could happen.

• Free Agency Previews: QB | RB | WR

With that in mind, here are some potential destinations for the prominent free agent wide receivers this season. We’ll see if any of these scenarios become reality in the next several weeks.

Notable unrestricted free agents: Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Chris Godwin, Brandin Cooks, Diontae Johnson, Tyler Lockett, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams, Marquise Brown, Darius Slayton, Demarcus Robinson, D.J. Chark, Mack Hollins, Tyler Boyd, Elijah Moore, Van Jefferson, Olamide Zaccheaus, Josh Palmer, Dyami Brown, Noah Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Tim Patrick, Greg Dortch, Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Notable teams in need: Buffalo, Las Vegas, New England, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans, New York Jets, Tennessee, Arizona, Baltimore, Carolina, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Green Bay and Jacksonville

Where could the top wide receivers end up?

Ideal landing spot: Buccaneers

It’s boring to keep Godwin, 29, in Tampa Bay, but it seems likely a reunion will happen. And it makes sense given how well he played last season when he was the best wide receiver on the team before hurting his ankle in Week 7 and ending up on injured reserve. Godwin averaged 19.7 PPR points per game last season, which was second only to Ja’Marr Chase (23.7). Through seven games, Godwin had 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns on 62 targets, which put him on pace for 121 catches, 1,399 yards, and 12 touchdowns. We need to keep an eye on his health, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of the season. And the emergence of Jalen McMillan could impact Godwin and Mike Evans in 2025. The Buccaneers have a new offensive coordinator with Josh Grizzard replacing the departed Liam Coen, although Grizzard was Tampa Bay’s pass game coordinator in 2024, which is good. If Godwin remains with the Buccaneers then I’ll rank him as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver worth drafting as early as Round 4., but Sean Payton would lean on Jones quite a bit. He’ll likely remain a low-end No. 2 running back worth drafting in Round 6, and Minnesota or Denver would be quality destinations for his Fantasy value, even at his age.

Ideal landing spot: Chargers

We’ll see if Adams follows Aaron Rodgers wherever he goes, but there’s no guarantee a Rodgers landing spot is the best thing for Adams. Reports indicate he wants to play on the West Coast, and the Chargers could show interest in a veteran receiver to play alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. Adams, who turns 33 in December, played well with the Jets, and hopefully, he still has one more productive season left in his career. He closed 2024 with at least 17.6 PPR points in five of his final six outings, including three games with at least 20.8 PPR points over that span. Rodgers was leaning on Adams a lot with at least 11 targets in five of those games, and those two have an amazing rapport. That doesn’t mean Adams can’t connect well with Justin Herbert or another quarterback, but we’ll need to see it first. With the Chargers, Adams would play a prominent role, and he could still be a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. I’m probably not drafting Adams prior to Round 6 in most leagues, but I could see his Average Draft Position in Round 4 or 5 if he ends up with a good quarterback in 2025.

Ideal landing spot: Rams

Allen is the oldest player on this list since he turns 33 in April. He played in Chicago in 2024 and averaged 12.3 PPR points per game, which matched the second-lowest total of his career when he played at least eight games from 2014. Allen can still be a serviceable slot receiver, and the Rams have a need with Cooper Kupp expected to leave via trade. I don’t have much faith in Allen given his age, but he did show some flashes with the Bears last year, scoring at least 20.2 PPR points in four of his final seven games. And it’s hard to gauge how much of Allen’s early-season struggles were just a result of Caleb Williams learning the NFL. Allen can be a nice surprise with the right team, and I like his fit with the Rams. He’ll be a good mid- to late-round pick in the majority of leagues.

Ideal landing spot: Cowboys

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Diggs return to the Texans given Houston’s need at receiver, even after adding Christian Kirk via trade from Jacksonville. Tank Dell (knee) could miss most of the season, and Diggs will hopefully recover from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 8 and play by Week 1. Last year, in his first season in Houston, Diggs connected well with C.J. Stroud and averaged 15.7 PPR points per game. He had four games with at least 18.5 PPR points in his first six outings, and hopefully, he’s not washed up at 31 and coming off a serious knee injury. If he leaves Houston then Dallas makes sense for two reasons. For starters, the Cowboys have a need at receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb since Brandin Cooks is also a free agent, and Diggs — if healthy — would be an upgrade. His brother, Trevon, is also a standout cornerback in Dallas, and it’s a fun storyline to have the two play together in 2025. If healthy and with the right team, Diggs could still emerge as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. I’m skeptical, especially at his age, but Diggs is worth a mid- to late-round pick in all leagues. 

Ideal landing spot: Bills

Brown is a candidate to return to Kansas City, and the Chiefs never saw the best of Brown in 2024 because he missed 14 games with a shoulder injury. When he eventually played, Brown didn’t make much of an impact with 14 catches for 141 yards on 28 targets in five games, including the playoffs. Brown, who turns 28 in June, will be coveted by plenty of teams, and I would love to see him in Buffalo with Josh Allen if he’s not back with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. The Bills have a need for a veteran receiver to play alongside Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, especially if Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins leave as free agents. With the right team, Brown could be a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues, and he has three seasons on his resume with at least 12.2 PPR points per game in stints with Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray. Most likely, Brown will only be drafted with a mid- to late-round pick in most Fantasy leagues, but he could be a nice surprise for managers in 2025 if he stays healthy.

Ideal landing spot: Steelers

Cooper went from a standout Fantasy receiver in 2023 when he averaged 15.1 PPR points per game with the Browns to a shell of himself in 2024 with Cleveland and Buffalo. He spent 11 games with the Bills following a mid-season trade, including the playoffs, and he only caught 26 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns on 40 targets. Cooper turns 31 in June, and it’s hard to expect big production from him at this point in his career. Ideally, he can still be a No. 2 receiver on the right team, and the Steelers are in the market for a running mate — and possible mentor — for George Pickens. We’ll have to see who ends up at quarterback in Pittsburgh, but Cooper can still be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver with the Steelers or the right franchise. He’ll only be drafted with a mid- to late-round pick in the majority of leagues after what happened in 2024, but he could still surprise us if he’s not washed up. Prior to last season, Cooper had averaged at least 13.3 PPR points per game in eight of the first nine years of his career.

Ideal landing spot: New England

The team I’ll be watching the closest for receiver help in free agency and the NFL Draft is New England. The Patriots have the most cap space and plenty of draft picks to help their receiver room, which is currently led by DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Kayshon Boutte. I’d love to see New England trade for DK Metcalf, but adding a couple of veterans makes sense. And Hopkins can still be a reliable option for Drake Maye, even at 32. Hopkins was dealt to the Chiefs prior to Week 7, but he had little impact in Kansas City. He finished with 39 catches for 408 yards and four touchdowns over the final nine regular-season games, and he had just three catches for 39 yards on eight targets over three playoff games. In 2023 with the Titans, Hopkins averaged 13.2 PPR points per game, and he reached at least that total in seven seasons in a row with Tennessee, Arizona, and Houston. We’ll see if he can have one more quality campaign, so keep an eye on where he ends up. At best, you’ll draft Hopkins with a late-round pick in the majority of leagues, but he could be a nice surprise in 2025.

Ideal landing spot: Raiders

Lockett looked like a 32-year-old receiver in 2024 when he took a backseat to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. Lockett had 49 catches for 600 yards and two touchdowns on 74 targets, and he averaged just 7.1 PPR points per game, which was the first time he was in single digits in PPR since 2017. Lockett going to the Raiders makes sense since Las Vegas needs receiver help, and he would be reunited with former coach Pete Carroll. We need to see the quarterback for the Raiders and who else is added to the receiving corps, but Lockett could still start in Las Vegas and be a complementary option to Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. At best, you’ll draft Lockett with a late-round pick in all Fantasy leagues, and he could emerge as a starter in three-receiver leagues if things go right for him in 2025.

Ideal landing spot: Seahawks

Slayton could be the 2025 version of Darnell Mooney as a low-key addition to a new team that becomes a quality Fantasy option, much like Mooney was with the Falcons in 2024. Slayton did little with the Giants in 2024 with 39 catches for 573 yards and two touchdowns on 70 targets, but he was great when Malik Nabers was out in Weeks 5 and 6. In those two games against Seattle and Cincinnati, Slayton had 14 catches for 179 yards and one touchdown on 22 targets, and he scored a combined 37.9 PPR points. He only had three games in 2024 with at least seven targets, and he scored at least 14.8 PPR points in two of them. Several teams will likely be interested in Slayton, 28, but I could see him going to Seattle with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf not expected to return. Slayton could play opposite of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Slayton could emerge as a starter in all three-receiver leagues. That could be the case no matter where Slayton plays, and he’ll be worth a late-round pick in all Fantasy leagues in 2025.