2025 NFL Draft Instant Reaction: Round 1 Winners and Losers For Fantasy Football

April 29, 2025

Andersen's biggest fantasy football winners and losers from Round 1. His top winners and losers from the 2025 NFL Draft for 2025 fantasy football leagues.

The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft didn't have many surprises at first. However, as the round went on and more picks were made, football fans were met with a bunch of shocking picks.

Thursday's selections shook things up across the league, resulting in newly arranged depth charts and an exciting cluster of positional competitions.

Below are some of the fantasy football winners and losers from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft First Round Winners

Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

The Raiders entered the draft with major running back questions. Sincere McCormick looked solid during limited opportunities last season, and veteran Raheem Mostert joined the backfield as a free agent signing over the offseason. However, neither of those players is a long-term solution.

With his first pick as Raiders head coach, Pete Carroll went back to his roots and landed a star running back. Jeanty was excellent at Boise State this past season, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Even if Las Vegas struggles offensively this season, the Raiders have been able to sustain significant fantasy production at the running back position before. Look no further than Josh Jacobs, who averaged the third-most fantasy points per game among running backs in 2022 when Vegas went 6-11.

Jeanty should be the Raiders' workhorse running back right away. This is a great landing spot for the Boise State product, who should be the consensus 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts this season. A top-12 running back finish is certainly within reach.

Most rush yards in FBS last season:

1. Ashton Jeanty - 2,601
2. Ashton Jeanty after contact - 1,970
3. Cam Skettebo - 1,711
4. Omarion Hampton#RaiderNation is getting a BEAST 😤 pic.twitter.com/im2PJSc2Mf

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 25, 2025

Matthew Golden, Packers

For the first time since 2002, the Packers have spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver. If there's any receiver worthy of breaking this streak, it's Golden.

The Texas wide receiver posted a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which led the event and even beat his speedy teammate, Isaiah Bond. Golden is capable of producing at all levels of the field, and he's capable of making contested catches in traffic.

Joining a crowded position group isn't usually a favorable outcome for fantasy football, but in Golden's case, it might just work out. Green Bay has a bunch of No. 2 receivers, and the wideout position has been an area of weakness for the team.

Golden has a powerful chance to emerge as the Packers' alpha wide receiver, ranking ahead of players like Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks. Being the No. 1 wide receiver in a high-powered offense should be a recipe for success as Golden emerges as a fantasy football weapon.

Caleb Williams, Bears

Ever since the Bears drafted Williams last year, they have made a strong effort to surround him with weapons. In addition to previous wide receiver and offensive line reinforcements, the Bears gifted him a flashy new tight end.

Chicago selected Michigan's Colston Loveland 10th overall, making him the first tight end off the board, to some people's surprise. It was Ben Johnson's first pick as Bears head coach, and we can already see plenty of similarities between Loveland and Detroit's Sam LaPorta.

Loveland is an advanced route runner who is capable of making contested catches. He has reliable hands and possesses the athleticism needed to haul in difficult passes. His rare combination of size and speed can create mismatches all over the field, enabling him to outmaneuver any defender.

Williams now has a beefed-up offensive line and plenty of pass-catching support in DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Loveland. He is set up for success in 2025.

The @ChicagoBears are loading up around Caleb Williams 🐻

📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/L9bO09kNqA

— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

There was a bit of "draft fatigue" with McMillan this month as he slid down draft boards and mock drafts. However, the Panthers weren't falling for it, and they pulled the trigger on the Arizona receiver at No. 8 overall.

McMillan exploded for 174 catches, 2,721 yards, and 18 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons. He is an advanced route runner who can make adjustments and come down with contested catches.

McMillan should immediately step in as the Panthers' No. 1 receiver, providing yet another weapon to Bryce Young. Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, David Moore, and Jalen Coker all turned in impressive fantasy performances at times last year, and now, McMillan should take over plenty of those opportunities.

Thielen and Legette are still factors, but McMillan immediately becomes the top fantasy option in Carolina. He should be one of the first players off the board in dynasty rookie drafts, and he could also end up as a low-end WR2 in redraft leagues.

NFL Draft First Round Losers

Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris

A running back addition seemed inevitable after the Chargers signed Najee Harris in free agency, but this draft pick was frustrating nonetheless.

Harris scored six touchdowns last year and has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his four NFL seasons. Meanwhile, Hampton totaled 2,033 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns during his final campaign at the University of North Carolina.

Adding a first-round running back talent to this backfield creates plenty of headaches for fantasy managers, who may never be able to trust either option on a week-by-week basis. Hampton has a higher ceiling, but the Chargers are certainly going to find a way to give Harris at least 10 touches per game.

Chargers RB Omarion Hampton says he wants to learn from vets on how they've stayed in the league so long, specifically mentioning Najee Harris:
"I wanna learn from Najee, how he sees the defense. How he deals with 1 on 1 situations." pic.twitter.com/uFrTx9M3T0

— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) April 25, 2025

Jalen McMillan

McMillan was one of last year's most notable up-and-coming receivers. He capitalized on injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and he closed out the regular season with seven touchdowns over his final five games.

The Buccaneers re-signed Godwin during the offseason, dropping McMillan back down to the No. 3 receiver role. However, he slid down the depth chart even further as the Buccaneers spent their first-round pick on Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

Make no mistake: there will be opportunities for McMillan to get involved. Godwin might not be healthy to start the season, and Egbuka isn't a lock to earn a starting job on offense. Still, the existing roles of Evans and Godwin, coupled with the draft capital invested in Egbuka, could certainly present an obstacle to McMillan earning meaningful playing time.

Dynasty managers should hold McMillan for now, and managers in redraft leagues should knock him down to the end of the draft board as nothing more than a late-round flier.

Cole Kmet

The Bears' aforementioned selection of Loveland spells disaster for Kmet. The Notre Dame product's job was threatened in training camp last offseason when Gerald Everett impressed, and although Kmet held onto his job for the time being, his outlook in Chicago still looks bleak.

We must also acknowledge that a different front office and coaching staff drafted Kmet. He has struggled to emerge as a dependable starter in the NFL, and now, Ben Johnson has decided to bring in a different tight end who better fits his offensive vision.

Sure, there are opportunities for Kmet to get involved in two-tight end sets. After all, Johnson wasn't shy to use Brock Wright in Detroit, even when LaPorta was healthy.

However, the tight end position belongs to Loveland now, and Kmet finds himself in the backup role. He's off the redraft radar.

Cole Kmet is 26
Colston Loveland is 21

Mark Andrews was 27 when the Ravens drafted 22 y/o Isaiah Likely

Zach Ertz was 28 when the Eagles drafted 23 y/o Dallas Goedert

+Cole Kmet is worse than Andrews & Ertz
+Colston Loveland is YOUNGER & a better prospect than Likely & Goedert pic.twitter.com/plm0KxnBe6

— Sadeek 𓋹 (@SadeekCreates) April 25, 2025

Jalen Coker

Coker showed promise last season as a rookie out of Holy Cross. He defied the odds and made an impact in his first pro season, appearing in 11 games and making four starts. He ultimately caught 32 passes for 478 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Coker had a chance to earn snaps last season because of injuries to various players, including Thielen, as well as the Panthers' lack of star power at wide receiver.

Now, though, McMillan has been added to the receiver room, and the rest of Carolina's pass catchers are healthy. At best, Coker will open the year as the Panthers' No. 4 receiver behind McMillan, Thielen, and Legette. However, there is also nothing stopping him from dropping even further down the depth chart if the Panthers bring in more competition or Coker has an underwhelming training camp.

Dynasty managers should feel comfortable dropping Coker if they need to create roster spots ahead of rookie drafts. Meanwhile, the second-year receiver should go undrafted in most redraft leagues.

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