Aging Alpha Wide Receivers: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley (2025)

July 18, 2025

Joey's wide receiver fantasy football outlooks for Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Mike Evans, and Calvin Ridley. Which WR should you draft in 2025 leagues?

Wide receivers are key in fantasy football, and one of the most surefire ways to build a title contender is to pick the right ones early in your draft. Of course, in Round 1, this is a fairly easy task. Superstars at the position like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are almost guaranteed to pan out.

But it's still the early going in Rounds 3-5, when the best players have already come off the board. These are the picks that you really need to hit on. And it just so happens that several intriguing veteran receivers can all be drafted in this range.

Four of these veterans are Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Mike Evans, and Calvin Ridley. Let's take a look at each of these wide receivers and project how well they will do in fantasy football next year.

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

The 31-year-old is coming off a disappointing year in 2024. Although he dealt with a wrist injury and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed significant time after yet another concussion, we've come to expect elite production from Hill when he's on the field. And that was not the case: Despite playing in all 17 games, Hill caught just 81 passes for 959 yards and six touchdowns.

Hill was rumored to be a trade candidate earlier in the offseason, but it now appears that the Dolphins are moving forward with him in their plans. As long as he stays in Miami - and Mike McDaniel's explosive offense - Hill will have a chance to bounce back in 2025.

Imagine thinking Tyreek Hill is washed. Not me. Dude is about to remind yall who he is🚀

150+ targets incoming.
1500+ yards incoming.
8+ TDs incoming.

Bookmark it. I’m all in.

You can draft him as WR23 right now 🤯
pic.twitter.com/Wur2HUIKC2

— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) July 10, 2025

In 2024, Hill appeared to have lost a step in terms of his ability to separate, and the statistics back this up. According to ESPN Analytics, Hill's receiver score (a metric that combines a WR's ability to get open, catch the ball, and gain yards after the catch) was 49, the lowest figure of his career.

So while it's fair to say Hill regressed in 2024, a return to form is also on the cards. Hill will go into 2025 at full health, along with Tagovailoa, which is scary for opposing defenses.

Another good sign for Hill is the trade of tight end Jonnu Smith. By the end of last season, Smith had established himself as the Dolphins' most reliable pass-catcher and led the team in receptions (88) and receiving scores (eight). With Smith now in Pittsburgh, expect Hill to reestablish himself as Miami's No. 1 target.

The big question is this: With the Dolphins turning to more short passes last year, can Hill regain his dominance as a deep threat in 2025? The answer to that question determines if his third-round price will be worth it.

Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams

The 32-year-old Adams now finds himself in a new situation: he's in a great offense, but as the offense's No. 2 receiver rather than its No. 1. Lining up alongside Puka Nacua, who has proven himself to be a target monster in his two NFL seasons, will be both a gift and a curse for the experienced wideout.

On one hand, the Rams are coached by offensive genius Sean McVay and love to pass: the Rams finished 10th in the NFL in passing yards despite injuries to Nacua and the departed Cooper Kupp. Adams has already spoken on his excitement to be a part of the Rams' high-powered offense.

Davante Adams on playing for Sean McVay:
“It’s just a different feeling in that building right now, for sure.” 🔥

Sounds like the Rams new WR is loving life in L.A. 👀 #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ZNORC5Pt1P

— LAFB Network (@LAFBNetwork) July 11, 2025

But on the other hand, the Rams' quarterback is Matthew Stafford, who loves to target his No. 1 receiver. His time in Detroit with Calvin Johnson and his early years in Los Angeles with Kupp are proof of that. This could prove to be a limiting factor for Adams if he sees a drop in targets.

But has Stafford ever had a No. 2 receiver as good as Adams? Not only that, he targeted Kupp and Nacua at very similar rates last season when both were on the field, indicating that Stafford is open to spreading the ball around.

It's impossible to question Adams' ability on the field: he caught 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 despite missing three games and playing for the uninspiring Raiders and Jets offenses.

What can be questioned is his opportunity. With that being said, if Adams sees 120+ targets, he will be worth every bit of his third-round average draft position.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Despite missing three games in 2024, Evans still managed to tie Jerry Rice's record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The big-bodied wideout snagged 74 passes for 1,004 yards and 11 TDs for the Buccaneers' elite passing offense.

MIKE EVANS. 1,000 YARDS ONCE AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/V4S7S8APUX

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Evans has been Tampa's No. 1 receiver for over a decade, and barring another injury, I believe he will be again in 2025. While Chris Godwin returns from a dislocated left ankle injury and first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka will also be a part of the mix, Evans will be just fine in terms of opportunity.

At 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, Evans is a tough matchup for smaller defensive backs just off sheer size. Despite his injury history and age (Evans will be 32 by the beginning of the season), he still has the speed and strength to take advantage of his physical traits.

A slight concern is the departure of offensive coordinator Liam Coen, whose pass-happy style of offense benefited Evans and the receivers. However, Tampa Bay replaced Coen by promoting passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard, so we can reasonably expect continuity in the play-calling next season.

All Evans has ever done in an NFL season is gain over 1,000 yards, and there's no reason to doubt his ability to do it again. As long as the Bucs' strong offensive line can keep Baker Mayfield clean, the passing game will thrive, as will Evans.

As a fourth-round pick in fantasy football, Evans is a solid value and could certainly outperform that perceived value. He's a great player in a great situation, and he's consistently produced throughout his entire career. Don't overthink this one.

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

The Titans' offense was terrible in 2024, but Ridley still managed to have a decent year despite that fact. Will Levis may not have been a good decision-maker at the quarterback position, but his big arm helped Ridley stretch the field and make big plays. In his first year in Tennessee, Ridley caught 64 balls for 1,017 yards (15.9 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.

Although 64 catches and four TDs are rather pedestrian for a No. 1 receiver, there is reason to believe Ridley will return to form in 2025. For starters, rookie QB Cam Ward, the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, will be an immediate upgrade on Levis. Ward will need to work on his decision-making to be a star in the pros, but his athleticism and arm talent are things that can't be taught.

Ridley's deep speed paired with Ward's big arm is exciting, even if there isn't much else going on with the Titans' offense. The Titans' other receivers, first-round bust Treylon Burks and aging veteran Tyler Lockett, aren't inspiring, which means Ridley will be targeted early and often in 2025.

Since Returning to NFL in 2023, Calvin Ridley has produced

💥2 straight 1,000-yard seasons

Excelled w Horrible QB Play in ‘24
💥26.7 Air Yards/Rec (1st)
💥21 rec of 20+ Yards (1st)

🤝Primary Receiver for Cam Ward
w 120+ Target Upside & Drafted as WR35?pic.twitter.com/CaN8MZaxJc https://t.co/8rAZbVprY0

— Dynasty Dad (@DynastyDadFF) July 8, 2025

Another factor that has to be kept in mind is the Titans' awful defense. They gave up 27.1 points per game last season, which ranked 30th in the NFL. If the Tennessee defense continues to struggle, Ward will have to air it out to keep them in games, which also helps Ridley's case.

Ridley is currently being drafted as a late fifth-round pick, which makes him the lowest-valued player in this article. However, don't let that scare you off. His opportunity is an excellent one, as he's got both the talent and environment to outperform his ADP.

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