Fantasy Football Who Should I Draft: Pass Catcher Edition | CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Warren and More

Our FantasySP “Who Should I Draft?” tool is an invaluable preseason tool that allows you to compare players head-to-head to see who the better pick is based on preseason projections. It looks at stats, defensive projections, matchups, injury concerns, and more.

Yesterday, I looked at some of the running backs who have been showing up most on the draft tool and who the more appealing players are to draft. Let's do the same with pass catchers today, looking at two pairs of receivers and finishing a set of rookie tight ends.

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Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Ja'Marr Chase is generally seen as the top fantasy receiver, with Jefferson and Lamb falling in right after him. You could make a case for either of these guys as the top option, but I think it's fair to give Chase that top spot after he finished as the top fantasy receiver last year and will be catching balls from Joe Burrow again.

So, if you want a receiver in the first round and don't get Chase, who should you take? There's no wrong answer. Jefferson finished as WR2 in both standard and PPR last season and has much the same ecosystem around him outside of quarterback Sam Darnold, who left to sign with the Seahawks.

It's fair to question how J.J. McCarthy will play, as he is essentially a rookie after missing his entire first season with injury. Darnold played really well last year, but he had been a below-average QB his entire career up until that point. I am willing to bet that his performance had a lot more to do with the situation created by head coach and play caller Kevin O'Connell (along with Jefferson), and that would mean McCarthy would theoretically have the same chance to succeed.

It's impossible to know what we will see from the young passer. Even the best quarterbacks can take time to adapt to the NFL, so McCarthy could be a below-average player who brings down his receivers compared to last year. I'm counting on McCarthy playing close to the standard of Darnold, though, or at least close enough to allow Jefferson to excel.

Lamb had to play without his top quarterback for half the games last season, hurting both his top-line performance and the Cowboys' chances of winning. He was still great, catching 101 passes for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns, but he averaged a career-low 11.8 yards per catch, something that comes with catching shorter passes from lesser quarterbacks.

Lamb's “worse” season was still worth a top-10 fantasy wide receiver finish, so it's easy to assume that he'll climb back into the top five if Dak Prescott stays healthy. Dallas added George Pickens in a trade with the Steelers, but Lamb is the unquestioned top guy and has a chance to get closer to his 135-catch, 1,700-yard, 12-touchdown season of 2023.

This really is a toss-up. I can't argue with you no matter who you prefer, but there might be a little more safety in Lamb because of his surer quarterback situation (assuming Prescott's health, which is a risk in itself). Jefferson has the better play caller and offensive ecosystem, though he also has dealt with his own injury issues. I'm favoring Lamb by an ever-so-slightest margin.

Verdict: Draft CeeDee Lamb over Justin Jefferson, but it's truly a 50/50 proposition

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Nico Collins, Houston Texans

St. Brown is being drafted a few picks before Collins, but an owner could reasonably take Collins ahead of the Detroit receiver and expect similar or even better results. This is another small margin, though St. Brown has the advantage at first glance.

St. Brown has topped 105 catches and 1,100 yards in each of the past three seasons, totaling 28 touchdowns in that time. He has been about as consistent as anyone during that time, but there's a major change this season: Detroit will be without Ben Johnson, their offensive coordinator the last three years who left to become head coach for the Chicago Bears.

Detroit still has a ton of talent on offense, and I expect them to keep going as a successful unit. There is definite worry, though, given how good they really were the last few years and how things are sure to be different without such an innovative mind designing the offense.

While St. Brown has barely missed a game in his career, Collins has dealt with injuries in multiple seasons, including playing just 12 games last year. That's already a point in St. Brown's favor. Collins has been very good when on the field but has also relied more on explosive plays than St. Brown, not topping 80 receptions in any season but averaging more yards per reception (14.8 versus 11.3 for St. Brown).

Those explosive plays mean something, and they add up, but I'm more confident in the guy who is more often getting the ball in his hands. This is a case where I am trusting ADP and going with St. Brown, a guy who finished as WR3 in both standard and PPR scoring in 2023 and 2024.

Verdict: Draft Amon-Ra St. Brown over Nico Collins

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears vs. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

The top two tight ends taken in April's draft (and the only two in the first round), Loveland and Warren are both seen as guys who could become top tight ends within a few years. Rookie tight ends have historically taken time to adapt to the NFL, but Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers bucked that trend the last two years, each setting rookie records along the way.

Loveland went 10th overall to Chicago. It's not just that he was drafted that high: the Bears had needs at both left tackle and pass rusher, and players were on the board who could have filled those slots, but they went with Loveland because of his ability to stand out as both a blocker and pass catcher, often being compared to George Kittle in the pre-draft process.

Warren had buzz that he would go above Loveland, but he fell four more picks to the Colts at No. 14. Warren is seen more as the pure receiver of the duo, able to play in tight, in the slot, or even out wide like a receiver. I see more of Bowers in Warren's game; that doesn't mean he's about to go put up 100 catches, but Warren has the acumen to be a top target in the Indianapolis offense.

That's where the distinction comes between these two players as fantasy TEs in 2025. Warren could legitimately be the top option on the Colts the same way Bowers was for the Raiders last season, when he led the team in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Michael Pittman is the top wide receiver on the Colts, and he's fine, but there aren't any other pass catchers on the team who look like go-to guys ready to emerge.

Loveland might not even be the top tight end on his own team this season. He has a higher ceiling than Cole Kmet, but Kmet is a steady veteran who has played five seasons in Chicago and never missed a game. More importantly, the Bears are stacked at wide receiver with top man D.J. Moore, last year's first-round pick Rome Odunze, and this year's second-round pick Luther Burden III.

With so many capable pass catchers, Loveland will probably get fewer chances to catch the ball, especially games with bulk targets. That doesn't mean he can't be effective or have good fantasy weeks, but it limits his ceiling in a way that Warren doesn't have to worry about.

Loveland theoretically has the better quarterback and play caller, as Warren is catching passes from Daniel Jones and maybe Anthony Richardson Sr., but opportunity is the biggest factor a player can have in his favor in fantasy football, and Warren figures to have much more opportunity than his counterpart in Chicago.

Verdict: Draft Tyler Warren over Colston Loveland