Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Rankings Analysis – Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers

John's dynasty fantasy football rankings analysis for Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Malik Nabers. His analysis on each player's value based on 2025 ADP.

There's no question that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, and New York Giants wideout Malik Nabers are all elite receivers with sky-high production potential for fantasy football. Lousiana State University is WRU, without a doubt. This trio, along with Brian Thomas Jr., proves it.

While we won't be covering Thomas's dynasty value here, we will break down the other three. Each is an obvious elite option in fantasy football, but their specific skill sets and situations will largely dictate how they perform relative to each other.

Let's commence the splitting of hairs and analyze where they're ranked as dynasty fantasy football assets moving forward.

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Ja'Marr Chase Dynasty Ranking Analysis

I have no issue with Chase's spot as the overall No. 1 player in dynasty fantasy football startup leagues that aren't Superflex or 2QB leagues. Chase's dominant 2024 season was the result of his own ridiculous talent, the absurd talent of his quarterback, Joe Burrow, and the Bengals' having very little defense to stop opposing offenses, which often put them in holes they struggled to dig themselves out of.

Chase won the triple crown last season off the backs of these factors, and few would be surprised if he took that title again. Cincy has serious issues on defense that might not be solved for a while, and even the presence of another elite WR, Tee Higgins, didn't stop Chase from putting together monster games. Against good defenses, the presence of Higgins also helps No. 1 get more open looks.

JAMARR CHASE AGAIN 😭😭😭

HE HAS 238 YARDS 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/YlTJTFeCMZ

— Max Loeb (@loebsleads) November 8, 2024

Chase had "down" seasons in 2022 and 2023. He suffered a significant hip injury in 2022, only played in 12 games, and was likely not 100 percent when he returned. Then, in 2023, Burrow hurt his wrist and missed substantial time, hurting Chase's production yet again.

Everything worked out in 2024, though. Chase caught 127 passes on 175 targets for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, and logged explosion games of 6 REC/118 YDS/two TD, 12 REC/193 YDS/two TD, 17 REC/264 YDS/three TD, and 14 REC/177 YDS/two TD on his way to easily finishing as the overall WR1 in fantasy football.

He deserves this spot. He just turned 25 years old, so he has plenty of prime left in him. There's little reason to pass up on him if you have the first pick in startup leagues, and if you're lucky enough to have him on your team, you should feel blessed.

Justin Jefferson Dynasty Ranking Analysis

Thus far in his career, Jefferson hasn't had quite the single-game explosive upside that Chase has. After last season, it appears that Chase is simply the better receiver for fantasy. Jefferson is one of the best wideouts in the league, but the quarterback situation remains a question mark for now, and that's the only thing degrading his value.

"Jettas" is less than a year older than Chase and will be 26 when the 2025 season starts. There's not much to worry about, though. He's an elite wideout, and all quarterback J.J. McCarthy has to do to keep Jefferson's production sky-high is to be better than Sam Darnold, who won't be the starter next season.

JUSTIN JEFFERSON IS LIKE THAT ‼️

📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/3DI4k6n6nF

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Jefferson finds a way to eclipse 1,400 yards every time he plays a full season. Even the year he played only 12 games due to a hamstring injury, in 2023, he still managed to break 1,000. He's the best route-runner and separator in the league, and he's still in his prime. He probably has at least five more years of elite production ahead of him.

He's currently ranked No. 3 behind running back Saquon Barkley in FantasyPros' dynasty rankings for 2025. You could easily make the argument that he should be No. 2, which is something I would agree with. Running backs tend not to last quite as long in the NFL as receivers do, and Jefferson, obviously, has added PPR upside.

Hopefully, the quarterback situation will stabilize, and McCarthy will turn out to be a great quarterback. I think it will happen. There are no issues with where Jefferson is ranked right now.

Malik Nabers Dynasty Ranking Analysis

Nabers finished the season with 109 receptions on 170 targets for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. All good, right? Well, no, definitely not all good. He detonated in Week 17 for seven catches, 121 yards, and two TDs. But from Week 7 to Week 14, he eclipsed 15 PPR fantasy points just once. It's not like it was his fault, though.

The quarterback situation will need to work itself out. In a weak draft class, it's questionable whether the Giants will be able to get their QB of the future. I've heavily criticized both quarterbacks Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders. It looks like Ward is in contention for the first overall pick, and many believe the Giants will take Sanders, which is... probably not a good idea.

Digging into Malik Nabers film today/tomorrow.

Was there a nastier crossover all year? pic.twitter.com/zcANZiFq2x

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) February 3, 2025

But before we go down that road, let's talk about Nabers. He's a remarkable talent. He's the most explosive first-step wideout in the league. He has elite body control and change-of-direction skills, is extremely physical and dominant at the catch point, and can hit the gas and slam on the brakes with incredible suddenness. Any mistake in leverage or balance by an opposing defensive back can be swiftly and brutally punished by Nabers' skill.

Despite the fact that he broke the record for receptions by a rookie (109) and earned 170 targets, and despite missing two games, the Giants didn't give him the ball enough. Of course, if they don't pick up another viable receiver, Nabers will likely be bracketed all next season. But this is Dynasty, so they have time to address that.

Giants need to focus on one thing: Get Malik Nabers a QB who can consistently throw with anticipation
Outside of that, keep investing in the trenches. The rest will fall into place.
I cut this video up back in Week 5. Through just five games, he put this on tape for all to see.. pic.twitter.com/dzqDaTUCXx

— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) February 3, 2025

There isn't much negative about his game, and his weaknesses are just nitpicks. The nitpick I have is that the Giants are a ridiculously cursed franchise and have been ever since former quarterback Eli Manning left. There's not much I wouldn't do to see a prime Manning back and slinging it to Leek.

Still, it's hard to poke holes in Nabers' value. It's just sad that he's stuck with a team that hasn't been able to figure out the QB position. He's pretty appropriately ranked as well, at No. 10 in dynasty startup/keeper rankings. He's one slot behind Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins, which I can't argue with.

If anything, I'd probably move Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs down below Nabers since he'll likely remain in a committee backfield for much of his career, and RBs don't last as long in the NFL. Jacksonville Jaguars WR Thomas sits one slot below Leek. Makes sense, really.

It's not just that Malik Nabers is fast.

It's that he gets up to that top speed at a rate that few other humans can match. Just unreal burst in a 6'0" 200lb frame. pic.twitter.com/A3hVp2Ekqc

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 17, 2023

Yeah, I'm posting a college clip, because Nabers' potential came nowhere near being reached. If he can get a quarterback that hyper-targets him and just plays better than former Giants QB Daniel Jones, Nabers could flirt with the league lead in receptions and targets each season.

Without an elite quarterback, it seems unlikely that he'll ever do anything like winning the Triple Crown, though. And the guys ahead of him are generally on better, more stable offenses and benefitting from better quarterback play.

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