Travis Hunter and Most Difficult Players to Value in 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts

Tracking NFL news, conducting mock drafts and doing a fair bit of summer research can all help fantasy enthusiasts during draft time. Even when managers are keeping up with their homework, though, there's still some guesswork involved in the draft process.

Unfortunately, it's not enough to know which players are healthy, which rookies have the highest NFL floor and which former stars are likely to regress. It's hard to predict how some players will fare because of questions that surround their roles.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter, for example, has all the physical tools needed to be an instant fantasy sensation a la Malik Nabers or Brian Thomas Jr.

What we don't know is whether this year's No. 2 overall pick will be a full-time receiver, a part-time offensive contributor or a full two-way player as he was at Colorado. That uncertainty makes him a tremendously difficult player to value ahead of fantasy drafts.

Hunter is far from the only potential fantasy star entering a difficult-to-decipher situation. Here, you'll find a look at the most notable, the biggest questions they face and whether each should be valued higher or lower than their current average draft position (ADP).

Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Current ADP: 40.8

Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton might not have a profile as high as Hunter's, but he has the highest ADP of any player on our list.

The 22-year-old is currently trending as a second-to-fourth-round selection in points-per-reception (PPR) formats and often ahead of players such as Alvin Kamara, George Kittle, Terry McLaurin and Davante Adams.

On one hand, Hampton feels worthy of that value. He's a proven high-volume back entering a great situation in a run-first Jim Harbaugh offense; on the other, it's hard to know if he will actually have a heavy workload as a rookie.

The North Carolina product will likely split time with free-agent addition Najee Harris. The former Pittsburgh Steelers standout has been out with an eye injury but returned to practice for drills on Tuesday.

Harris, who rushed for at least 1,000 yards in all four of his seasons with Pittsburgh, is likely to steal a high percentage of carries—and, possibly, a higher percentage of goal-line work—away from Hampton.

Add in the fact that L.A. has lost star left tackle Rashawn Slater (torn patellar tendon) for the season, and it's easy to think Hampton is being overvalued. He should probably be targeted in the fourth or fifth round at the earliest.

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Current ADP: 64.2

Every year, at least a few rookie receivers emerge as legitimate league-winners in fantasy. This is what makes Travis Hunter so enticing heading into draft season.

What makes him intriguing as a player, though, is his ability to play both wide receiver and cornerback on a semi-full-time basis.

Last season at Colorado, Hunter logged 688 defensive snaps and 672 offensive snaps, per Kyle Newman of The Denver Post. The Jaguars, it would seem, will allow him to try playing significant snaps as a receiver and as a corner in the NFL.

Seeing as how Hunter racked up 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns last season, one could expect him to have a significant rookie season in fantasy.

However, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said the reigning Heisman winner is a bit more pro-ready as a cornerback than a wideout.

"His most natural position is probably corner… Hence, we deployed him more on offense throughout the spring and summer to develop the offensive skill set that maybe just wasn't there quite yet," Coen told Up & Adams (h/t Nishant Gupta of Athalon Sports).

It's also worth noting Hunter probably won't be the go-to No. 1 target he was at Colorado. The Jags have 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown and promising tight end Brenton Strange, who will also command Trevor Lawrence's attention.

Hunter projects as a No. 2 receiver who faces a learning curve and won't play every offensive snap if he's also seeing time on defense. That's about where he's trending, just ahead of receivers like Jerry Jeudy, Chris Olave and Deebo Samuel.

Managers should look to target Hunter in the Round 6-7 range

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

Current ADP: 89.5

The Cleveland Browns dealt with a ton of instability at quarterback last season, but David Njoku still finished the year as TE11 in PPR formats while ranking seventh in points per game.

It's extremely hard to tell where he might end up this year, though.

Cleveland's quarterback situation is just as unclear as it was a year ago. With Deshaun Watson out of the mix, it's not necessarily worse, but there's no guarantee the four-way competition between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and  Shedeur Sanders will yield a dependable starter.

Njoku may also lose targets to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who could be a dangerous pass-catcher for Cleveland in two-tight-end sets. He caught a ridiculous 117 passes for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns at Bowling Green last season.

The other thing to consider is that the tight end landscape is a bit more crowded with first-round rookies Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland in the picture.

Njoku could be a quality fantasy starter this year, but there's a real chance he doesn't finish as a top-10 tight end. He has solid value at his current ADP, but managers should avoid drafting him ahead of Round 8.

Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

ADP: 97.8

A year ago, Jauan Jennings was a breakout star and a waiver-wire pickup who delivered multiple fantasy titles. He emerged as Brock Purdy's go-to wide receiver and finished the year with 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns.

There are reasons to believe the 28-year-old can be even more prolific in 2025. For one, the 49ers traded away Deebo Samuel and aren't expected to have Brandon Aiyuk (torn ACL, MCL) early in the year.

"I know it's not Week 1 or anything like that, so it's something I'm not really thinking about too much," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

The problem is that Jennings has missed most of training camp with a calf injury and won't be inclined to rush back to the practice field while trying to leverage a new contract.

This creates a couple of potential issues. He may not be properly prepared for Week 1, and he could see another receiver, such as second-year man Ricky Pearsall, take over the No. 1 role.

According to Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, though, Jennings' desire for a new deal hasn't led to an official trade request. The Niners have other receiver question marks, too, including Jordan Watkins' ankle sprain and Demarcus Robinson's likely suspension.

Jennings' health is worth watching, but he should still be San Francisco's top wide receiver this season. Managers should be willing to target him a few spots higher than his current ADP and ahead of both Aiyuk and Pearsall.

Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Current ADP: 106.7

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is difficult to evaluate because he hasn't been a reliable fantasy starter since suffering a torn ACL in 2022.

The 25-year-old was terrific as a rookie the previous season—he recorded 43 catches, 1,219 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns—but saw a major decline after.

In 2023 and 2024, Williams averaged just 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry, respectively. He barely topped 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2023 (1,003) and fell short (859) last season.

All of that, though, was with the Denver Broncos. Williams is now a Cowboy and appears likely to fill the starting role. At least, he's gotten "most" of the starting reps in training camp, according to The Athletic's Jon Machota.

However, managers shouldn't anticipate a bounce-back campaign too eagerly. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer may try to feature a balanced offense, but Dallas is still likely to lead with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and its passing attack.

Williams is also likely to share the backfield load with some combination of Miles Sanders, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and rookie Jaydon Blue.

Williams' ceiling is probably around where it was in 2023, which makes his current ADP a fair evaluation. He's trending just ahead of other projected committee backs such as J.K. Dobbins, Zach Charbonnet and Jordan Mason.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Current ADP: 114.2

A few rookie receivers will step right into No. 1 roles, but Ohio State product Emeka Egbuka is not one of them. He's joining a loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that already features Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton.

What makes Egbuka's situation tricky is the status of Godwin, who was off to a hot start in 2024 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery. He caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games while showcasing a ton of chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Godwin, who re-signed on a three-year, $66 million deal this offseason, remains in Tampa's long-term plans. However, he opened camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and may not be ready for the early season.

ESPN's Jenna Laine reported the 29-year-old underwent a second surgery this offseason.

Egbuka is likely to slide into Godwin's role as an inside-outside receiver early in the year, and he may never fully relinquish it. In an offense that should see plenty of down-the-field passing from Mayfield, Egbuka has a ton of upside. He's a terrific route-runner who tallied 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns for Ohio State last season.

There's still a risk-reward element to targeting Egbuka early, but his current ADP feels low. Managers should strongly consider him in the top 100, along with receivers such as Jennings, Jakobi Meyers, Khalil Shakir and Matthew Golden.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Matt Krohn

Current ADP: 142.3

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is one of the biggest unknowns in all of fantasy entering Week 2 of the preseason. He underwent knee surgery last preseason and never saw the field in a meaningful game.

Minnesota, meanwhile, rolled on with Sam Darnold, who finished as QB9 for the season.

Could McCarthy have similar results this year? With a supporting cast that includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones, it's entirely possible—though, Addison faces a three-game suspension to open the season.

The uncertainty stems from the fact that McCarthy has no regular-season NFL experience. While Darnold wasn't exactly an established star before last year, he had started 56 games before arriving in Minnesota.

The good news is McCarthy appeared to be both fully healthy and comfortable in the Vikings' preseason opener. He's on track to start in Week 1, and there's little doubt he'll be more prepared than he would have been as a rookie.

As a first-year starter, though, he is still a boom-or-bust fantasy option worth little more than a late-round flier. His ADP feels a bit high since he's trending ahead of more-proven QBs like Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Matthew Stafford—though they all carry some degree of injury concern heading into the season.

Managers will have to decide for themselves whether to roll the dice on McCarthy, but they should look to land him in Round 12 or later.

*Fantasy scoring and ADP according to FantasyPros as of 8/13