Updated Fantasy Football Rookie WR Rankings (August): Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, Jayden Higgins, Tre Harris

August 18, 2025

Updated 2025 fantasy football rookie WR rankings for August. See the top rookie wide receivers and draft targets, including Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, and more.

This rookie wide receiver class didn't get a ton of hype in the predraft process, but many are drawing a ton of attention during training camp. To help you in your rookie, dynasty, and redraft leagues, we're back with our updated 2025 fantasy football rookie wide receiver rankings. Below, check out our new cut of rookie WR rankings to see where key players like Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, Jayden Higgins, and Tre' Harris stand among all others.

These rookie rankings will be continually updated all offseason long as depth chart developments, injuries, and more take place, so be sure to check back regularly for updates. In addition to this article, you should also be sure to check out our other dynasty rookie rankings and analysis articles, including in-depth coverage of various NFL rookie profiles. Identifying sleepers and busts among first-year players is key for dynasty and redraft leagues, so we have you covered.

Four of our lead fantasy football analysts -- Phil Clark, Jackson Sparks, Andrew Lalama, and Matt Donnelly -- have put together these fantasy football rookie rankings. In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2025 fantasy football rankings dashboard, you will also find our team's Dynasty fantasy football rankings. Bookmark that page, and use it to prepare for all of your 2025 fantasy football dynasty league drafts.

Fantasy Football Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings (August Updates)

Rookie rankings are from after the 2025 NFL Draft with August Updates. Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings.

Recent Fantasy Football News for Rookie WRs

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (hamstring) did not practice Monday while resting a "minor" injury, according to team officials. The first-round pick is expected to play a major role right away in Carolina's offense and has already developed a strong connection with quarterback Bryce Young during camp.

McMillan's combination of size and athleticism gives him immediate fantasy appeal as one of the top rookie wideouts in 2025 drafts. While the team doesn't appear overly concerned, fantasy managers should keep an eye on his health status leading into Week 1.

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers

Zach Kruse of The Packers Wire writes that he hasn't heard the entirety of the Green Bay Packers organization "talk about a rookie like they have with wide receiver Matthew Golden in a long time." Kruse says that every time someone is asked about Golden, it's some variation of, "Yeah, he's good, and he's only scratching the surface of his potential." It's looking more and more like the 22-year-old from Texas will be a key contributor through the air for the Packers offense right away in 2025.

There will be more opportunity with Christian Watson (knee) expected to begin the year on the PUP list, and Jayden Reed (foot) could also be up in the air for Week 1. Golden has been practicing with the first-team offense since early in training camp and has gained valuable chemistry with quarterback Jordan Love. The speedy rookie is already in the conversation as a weekly WR4/flex in 2025.

Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans released their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason on Tuesday, and rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins was listed as a starter next to Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. As we always say, take unofficial depth charts with a grain of salt in the preseason. It's a good sign for the 22-year-old second-rounder, but it hardly guarantees him a big role right away in his first NFL season in Houston. The Iowa State product was productive in college and showed plenty of athleticism at the scouting combine in February.

The problem is that Collins should continue to be a target hog through the air in an offense with a shaky offensive line. It's possible that Higgins could continue ascending and leapfrog Kirk for WR2 duties, but that will likely take time. Consider Higgins a decent late-round dart throw for receiver depth in fantasy drafts.

Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka didn't see a ton of action, but he was able to help his team during their second preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Egbuka was on the field for the first three drives and made an impact during his little time on the field.

The rookie wideout hauled in one of his two targets for a five-yard touchdown. It was an impressive corner grab by Egbuka and a solid throw by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Egbuka could be asked to make an impact early in the season if Chris Godwin (ankle) is sidelined to start the season.

Tre' Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers' rookie wide receiver Tre Harris had a strong night despite the team's last-second 23-22 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Harris led the team with six catches for 85 yards on eight targets, including an impressive over-the-shoulder, toe-tap 40-yard catch from Trey Lance that was one yard short of a touchdown.

The 23-year-old, a second-round pick from Ole Miss, had been quiet so far this preseason, entering the game with no catches on two targets in the first two games. Rotoballer has Harris projected as WR64.

Efton Chism III, New England Patriots

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III caught all six of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings. Chism is an undrafted free agent who is competing for a spot on New England's 53-man roster. All of his catches Saturday came in the first half, making his performance even more remarkable.

The rookie didn't play in the second half of the game, most likely due to his strong first half. The Patriots' TV broadcast speculated that Chism made the team with his big showing, and they also noted that he was receiving some attention from a trainer, which will be a storyline to follow going forward. Head coach Mike Vrabel and vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf both prioritized speaking favorably about Chism during their respective television interviews, which is another good sign as he competes for a roster spot.

It's also worth noting that Chism attended Eastern Washington, which is the same school where Cooper Kupp played. Chism broke many of Kupp's records with the Eagles program, and now he looks to make an impact at the NFL level.

Luther Burden, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III hauled in all three targets, gaining 49 yards in Sunday’s 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills. The rookie wide receiver caught his three passes from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and took most of his snaps with the second-team offense.

The second-round pick has performed well this preseason as both a receiver and a blocker, but has yet to garner significant playing time with the first-team offense. However, keeping Burden off the field might be difficult if he keeps stacking stellar performances like his one on Sunday. The next time we can see Burden in action is next Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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