Rookie Fits That Could Shape the 2025 Fantasy Season

Round One of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Here are the takeaways from a fantasy perspective.

Travis Hunter – Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars made a bold move, aggressively trading up to land Travis Hunter while letting Shedeur Sanders slide out of the first round. If any decision screamed "this is our guy," this one did. Jacksonville's front office sent a powerful message: Hunter is the playmaker they're banking on to electrify their offense.

From a fantasy perspective, this is about as close to a perfect situation as Hunter could've hoped for. The only real threat to his success is if Trevor Lawrence falters significantly. But with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen calling plays, a solid supporting cast, and Lawrence showing enough flashes to trust, Hunter is positioned to thrive.

With Hunter and fellow rookie Brian Thomas Jr. drawing coverage, defenses will be stretched to their limits. Expect Hunter to face a lot of single coverage—and with his reach and athleticism, that's a mismatch more often than not. Jacksonville plans to feature him heavily, and the team's commitment suggests he could quickly emerge as the face of the franchise. Outside of running backs, this level of investment in a non-QB is rare—and fantasy managers should take notice.

Matthew Golden – Green Bay Packers
Green Bay might just be the perfect home for Matthew Golden. They offer something more valuable than many other teams: a clear opportunity to rise to the top of their receiving hierarchy.

The Packers haven't been a pass-heavy team, but that could shift with a dynamic new weapon in the mix. Golden's strength as a route technician makes him a tough cover, especially when paired with the team's already diverse and balanced offensive group. Defenses won't be able to hone in on him, which means plenty of one-on-one chances—and he's built to win those.

Jaxson Dart – New York Giants
The Giants weren't going to wait around. Trading up to grab Jaxson Dart suggests they weren't the only ones eyeing him in Round 1. While his film shows some wild inconsistencies—risky throws, questionable decisions—it also shows legit NFL arm talent, big-play potential, and mobility that can change a game.

Dart thrived in Lane Kiffin's offense, outperforming past quarterbacks in the same system in terms of efficiency and versatility. He's not a polished product yet. His non-play-action passing game still needs development, and he can bail from the pocket too quickly. But the traits are there.

New York has the luxury of patience with veteran QBs already in place, giving Dart a chance to learn before being thrown into the fire. And when he does get his shot, he'll have Malik Nabers waiting downfield. In Superflex formats, he's a worthy first-round rookie selection with sneaky upside if used correctly in a play-action-heavy system.

Omarion Hampton – Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles made it crystal clear how they view Omarion Hampton: as their feature back of the future. Drafting a running back in the first round is a statement—and it's one fantasy players should pay attention to.

Najee Harris, despite heavy usage, produced one of the league's lowest rush success rates last year. Hampton enters with a much more well-rounded profile and should be able to handle a full workload from Day 1.

While Greg Roman's reputation as a run-game architect hasn't always translated into fantasy dominance, Hampton's draft position and skill set make him an exception. It's not out of the realm of possibility to see him with 200+ touches in his rookie season and finish the season as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2.

Colston Loveland – Chicago Bears
The Bears' new offensive regime under Ben Johnson wasted no time making a splash, using top-10 draft capital to take tight end Colston Loveland. It's an unconventional choice for a non-premium position, especially with another capable TE already on the roster, but it shows how much they believe in his potential.

Though some may be wary due to target competition from DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, Loveland's skillset is anything but ordinary. He moves with surprising fluidity for a player his size and was one of the few bright spots in Michigan's offense last season. When he wasn't on the field, the entire unit noticeably struggled.

He may not rack up immediate monster stats like he might've in a place like Los Angeles, but Loveland has a chance to earn meaningful targets quickly. With Johnson's track record of using mismatch weapons effectively, Loveland could fly under the radar—until defenses realize they've made a mistake ignoring him.

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