The 2025 NFL season is right around the corner with training camp kicking off across the league this month.
That, of course, means we’re nearing fantasy football draft season. FanDuel Research will have you covered with the top sleepers, busts, and values for 2025 fantasy football drafts — but what about at the top? If you’re lucky enough to have the first overall pick in 2025 fantasy football drafts, what should you do?
Consensus opinion would deem Ja’Marr Chase the top option, regardless of scoring format. After finishing as the highest-scoring non-quarterback in 2024, Chase sits atop FantasyPros’ average draft position (ADP) data for standard, half-PPR, and full-PPR scoring. He’s the No. 1 overall player by their expert consensus rankings (ECR), too.
But should Ja’Marr Chase be the first overall pick in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Let’s dive in.
Ja’Marr Chase’s 2024 Season
Though he’s emerged as the consensus 1.01 for 2025 drafts, Chase nearly fell out of the first round leading into last season. Amid a contract dispute, Chase “held in” during 2024 training camp, and there were even concerns he would miss time during the regular season. Even so, he ended 2024 draft season as the seventh player off the board, on average.
That proved to be a mistake. After a quiet first two weeks, Chase caught fire. He averaged 21.7 half-PPR fantasy points per game from Week 3 onward, finishing as a top-12 performer at wide receiver in 10 of his final 15 weeks. Chase had just two weeks outside the top-24 receivers during that stretch.
By the end of the year, Chase paced the position in fantasy points per game (20; 3.9 more than the next-closest receiver). He averaged 7.5 receptions (first), 10.3 targets (second), and 100.5 yards (first) per game while leading the league in receiving touchdowns (17).
Ja’Marr Chase’s 2025 Fantasy Outlook
After last year, Ja’Marr Chase has now finished as the WR5, WR12, WR13, and WR1 across his first four seasons. He’s cleared a 25% target share each of the past three years and has back-to-back 100-reception seasons under his belt. His 5,425 receiving yards are the third-most all-time through a player’s first four NFL seasons. He has the fifth-most full-PPR fantasy points among any non-quarterback during their first four seasons, and the most among any wide receiver.
Entering his age-25 season, it’s hard to imagine that production wavering. Chase just inked a record-setting contract extension which ties him to Joe Burrow for the next four seasons. 2025 will be the seventh season Chase and Burrow have played together — two in college at LSU and four in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve become one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in modern football and are just entering the prime of their careers.
Cincy has ranked top five in raw pass rate each of the past three seasons, finishing 2nd, 2nd, and 1st in pass rate over expectation, according to nfelo. The Bengals enter 2025 with PFF’s 31st-ranked offensive line and 25th-ranked secondary — a perfect storm for fantasy production through the air. They’re unlikely to establish much of a run game after finishing bottom-10 in yards per carry (4.1) last season, and their bottom-10 scoring defense from 2024 didn’t receive much of an upgrade this offseason.
As such, we can expect more of the same from the Bengals in 2025 — good news for Ja’Marr Chase’s 2025 fantasy outlook.
Should Ja’Marr Chase Be the First Overall Pick in 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts?
It’s hard to make much of an argument for anyone besides Ja’Marr Chase with the first overall pick in 2025 fantasy football drafts. He’s entering the prime of his career, attached to one of the league’s best passers, and on a team primed for high-scoring shootouts.
Oh, and Chase has been uber-durable to this point. He’s appeared in at least 16 games in three of four NFL seasons, and that durability cannot be overstated at the top of drafts.
Ja’Marr Chase offers a combination of floor and ceiling unmatched by any other player entering 2025. Coming off the best season of his career, he’s the clear top option in fantasy and should be the first overall pick in any league which offers fantasy points for receptions. Even in standard leagues, there’s an argument for him at the 1.01.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.
