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Corbin's five fantasy football slot receivers to target in redraft leagues for 2025, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Josh Downs, Cooper Kupp, Jayden Reed, and more.
Last offseason, we wrote about notable slot receivers, including Jayden Reed and Chris Godwin. We're back here again, examining slot receivers heading into the 2025 season. There's value in researching team-level trends before deep-diving into the player data. The teams that targeted the slot at the highest rate include the Panthers, Seahawks, Cowboys, Bills, and Jaguars, rounding out the top five.
The Panthers, Seahawks, Jets, Buccaneers, 49ers, and Bengals were uber-efficient in generating yards per route run in the slot. Adam Thielen (23 percent) and Xavier Legette (20 percent) led the team in target per route run in the slot, which might be most surprising among the team slot target leaders. The teams with the lowest target percentages toward the slot include the Eagles, Broncos, Lions, Vikings, and Texans. That's interesting because we have several high-end slot options for the Lions and Eagles, including Amon-Ra St. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
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After looking at the team-level data, we're examining the receivers who ran a high percentage of their routes in the slot in 2024. How do those players fit into their offenses in 2025? Can these players thrive in the slot role in the future? Let's examine the underlying metrics and usage for five slot receivers to target in drafts.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Slot Route Percentage - 83.9 percent
FFPC ADP - 32.1 ADP, WR16
Smith-Njigba took a step forward in Year 2, having a breakout season with over 250 fantasy points (PPR). He ranked 18th in expected fantasy points per game (EP/G) while running the highest slot route percentage among receivers with 25 targets. The Seahawks had DK Metcalf running 87.1 percent of his routes out wide, with Tyler Lockett at just over 70 percent last season.
That's notable because there's a chance Smith-Njigba might see more routes out wide, especially with Cooper Kupp joining the team. Or they mix it up with both receivers, with one in the slot and the other out wide. Unlike other primary slot receivers, Smith-Njigba can make plays downfield, with a respectable 9.2 average target depth and a 29.5 percent air yards share.
The Seahawks tied the Browns for third in neutral game script pass rate at 59 percent, trailing only the Bengals (66 percent) and Jets (62 percent). However, the Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak from the Saints, who ranked 25th in neutral script pass rate (25 percent). That indicates the Seahawks may be more balanced on offense in 2025.
Summary
The Seahawks signed Kupp, who we'll discuss later, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the offseason. They also drafted two undervalued rookie receivers in Tory Horton and Ricky White III on Day 3. Smith-Njigba should see an uptick in targets, especially without Metcalf and Lockett. Kupp will also demand targets, and we'll want to invest in the Seahawks offense, including Smith-Njigba, because he can separate and produce in the slot and out wide.
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Slot Route Percentage - 83.8 percent
FFPC ADP - 99 ADP, WR45
Downs had the second-highest slot route percentage behind Smith-Njigba among qualified receivers with 25 targets. He was an efficient producer, averaging 2.28 yards per route run while garnering an elite 30 percent target per route rate. Downs tied with Drake London in target rate, behind Puka Nacua (38 percent), Rashee Rice (35 percent), and Malik Nabers (32 percent).
He often saw short-area targets, with an average target depth of 6.8 yards. Downs produced similarly with and without Anthony Richardson Sr. at quarterback, averaging around 11 PPR per game. The main difference when Richardson hasn't been the quarterback with Downs involves over one more target per game.
Downs has been Richardson's most efficient pass catcher, with Downs averaging 8.17 adjusted yards per attempt. For context, Downs had about two yards per attempt than Alec Pierce (6.18) and Michael Pittman Jr. (5.60) among pass catchers with 25 or more targets from Richardson. Furthermore, Downs produced efficiently and garnered an above-average target rate against man and zone coverages.
He averaged 2.33 yards per route run against man and 2.15 versus zone coverage with elite target rates. Downs also showed he can separate against man and zone, making him a friendly target for Richardson or Daniel Jones if Richardson misses time.
Summary
Downs goes in the middle rounds as a WR4, though we know he possesses upside. We saw it last season when he averaged over 19 PPR per game in 35.7 percent of his games in 2024. Those indicate Downs has WR1-type upside within his range of outcomes, with WR2 being the most probable outcome. The Colts added Tyler Warren in the first round, and he could garner some opportunities.
Take a shot on Downs because he'll produce as a target per route king in the slot and might not have a route share of 80 percent or higher. With Jones opening the season as the starter, Downs's ceiling could be even higher.
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
Slot Route Percentage - 76.2 percent
FFPC ADP - 100.3 ADP, WR46
Reed took us on a rollercoaster ride based on his efficiency after averaging the 15th-most FPOE/G (2.6), yet only nine PPR/G. He was second on the team in yards per route run (2.37), trailing Christian Watson. Reed's 3.9 yards per target over expected (YPTOE) and Watson's 2.2 aligned with the efficient production on a per-target basis.
Like other efficient players, we want them to have more opportunities in the following season. Unfortunately, the Packers continued to spread the ball around between multiple pass catchers. That's evident in Romeo Doubs having a 21 percent target rate, with Dontayvion Wicks at 27 percent, Watson at 22 percent, and Reed at 17 percent.
Theoretically, Reed garners a higher target rate like Downs, but the Packers ranked 21st in pass rate over expectation, suggesting they tend to lean more on the run game.
Summary
The Packers added first-round rookie Matthew Golden and then drafted a unique receiver in Savion Williams in the third round. There will be additional competition for targets, though one could argue Golden and Williams could be upgrades to a couple of their regular starters. The FFPC redraft market is torn on Reed because he goes near other slot receivers like Downs, Khalil Shakir, Kupp, and his teammate, Golden.
Reed has the WR1-type upside like Downs, but we haven't seen it consistently yet. Golden might be like his former teammate, Xavier Worthy, where we don't witness the production until the latter parts of the season. Reed falls into the bucket of a small-miss, big-win type receiver to take a shot on.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
Slot Route Percentage - 73.1 percent
FFPC ADP - 92.7 ADP, WR43
Is it a good or bad thing when a slot receiver leads their team in target rate and yards per route run? That's the case with Shakir, who garnered an elite 27 percent target rate and a team-high 2.27 yards per route run. For context, Shakir nearly matched Dalton Kincaid in target rate.
Shakir played in a Bills' offense that ranked 20th in pass rate over expected, indicating they typically leaned on the run game. They have been searching for an elite target earner after Stefon Diggs left, though they adjusted their offense last season. Some expected Keon Coleman to garner more targets, but Shakir was the target earner, with a 24.9 percent first-read target share.
For context, that's much better than his target rate (15 percent) and first-read target share (8.2 percent) in 2023. Josh Allen targeted Shakir in the short areas of the field, averaging a 5.6 target depth. Shakir forced missed tackles on 25 percent of his receptions, with a high-end rate of yards after the catch per reception (8.1), which led the Bills.
Summary
The Bills didn't make significant additions on offense, with the most notable transactions being Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore, and Laviska Shenault Jr. They also drafted rookie Kaden Prather in the seventh round. None of those players will likely take away from Shakir's slot routes and opportunities. Shakir provides the floor and safety as a WR3, but doesn't possess the upside beyond a PPR machine.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Slot Route Percentage - 64.8 percent
FFPC ADP - 97.5 ADP, WR44
With Kupp joining the Seahawks, we might see his wide route percentage increase since Smith-Njigba tends to be their primary slot option. Kupp's EP/G shifted toward more of a WR2, as WR18 and WR15 in EP/G over the past two seasons. He still garnered an elite first-read target share with the Rams at 31.7 percent, close behind Nacua (34.8 percent).
Kupp showed he can still earn targets, though he garnered more when lined up in the slot.
He had a 32 percent target rate when lined up in the slot with solid efficiency via a 2.37 yards per route. Meanwhile, Kupp's target rate dropped to 24 percent with the yards per route run falling to 1.72. Interestingly, Kupp had a better Average Separation Score when lining up out wide. That might give us some optimism for Kupp's role with the Seahawks.
Summary
We discussed the additions to the Seahawks earlier when examining Smith-Njigba. There's a good chance Kupp and Smith-Njigba spend time in the slot, with both moving toward the outside to make it a versatile offense. Besides Kupp's first and second seasons, he hasn't had an ADP outside the top 60 picks.
Kupp's ADP is the lowest since Year 2, and the offensive environment will be somewhat of a dip for him since he's moving away from Sean McVay. He might start the season slowly in a new offense, but we'll want to buy the dip on Kupp because his skill set should bode well for the Seahawks, given that Kubiak comes from fantasy-friendly passing systems with the Saints, Vikings, and 49ers.
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