Second-year wide receivers have long offered one of the best edges in fantasy football. This year, two breakout stars stand out as must-draft targets. While the market is beginning to catch up to their value, they still remain strong bets even at their current ADPs.
Xavier Worthy – WR23
A 2024 first-round pick, Xavier Worthy looked like a bust early in his rookie season. Through Week 10, he was averaging just 27.3 receiving yards per game on a rough 5.7 yards per target.
Importantly, Rashee Rice went down in Week 4, so the opportunity was there—Worthy just wasn’t converting. But from Week 11 on, he turned things around in a big way.
From Weeks 11 to 17, Worthy averaged 15.56 PPR points per game, which would have ranked him as WR17 over a full season. Then came the playoffs.
Worthy averaged 22.17 PPR points per game over three playoff games. His 287 playoff receiving yards were the second-most by a rookie since 2005, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase’s 368 in 2021.
Below is a list of rookie wide receivers, since 2005, with at least 55 receiving yards per game in the playoffs. Out of players with at least two games, Worthy finishes behind only DK Metcalf with 95.7 receiving yards per game.
| Player | Season | Age | Team | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | PPR/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | 21 | CIN | 4 | 35 | 25 | 368 | 1 | 92 | 71.4 | 10.5 | 17.75 |
| Xavier Worthy | 2024 | 21 | KAN | 3 | 21 | 19 | 287 | 3 | 95.7 | 90.5 | 13.7 | 22.17 |
| Rashee Rice | 2023 | 23 | KAN | 4 | 33 | 26 | 262 | 1 | 65.5 | 78.8 | 7.9 | 14.68 |
| Austin Collie | 2009 | 24 | IND | 3 | 26 | 17 | 241 | 2 | 80.3 | 65.4 | 9.3 | 17.7 |
| D.K. Metcalf | 2019 | 22 | SEA | 2 | 14 | 11 | 219 | 1 | 109.5 | 78.6 | 15.6 | 19.45 |
| DeSean Jackson | 2008 | 22 | PHI | 3 | 21 | 11 | 207 | 1 | 69 | 52.4 | 9.9 | 11.97 |
| Ladd McConkey | 2024 | 23 | LAC | 1 | 14 | 9 | 197 | 1 | 197 | 64.3 | 14.1 | 34.7 |
| Puka Nacua | 2023 | 22 | LAR | 1 | 10 | 9 | 181 | 1 | 181 | 90 | 18.1 | 32.9 |
| Keenan Allen | 2013 | 21 | SDG | 2 | 12 | 8 | 163 | 2 | 81.5 | 66.7 | 13.6 | 18.15 |
| Zay Flowers | 2023 | 23 | BAL | 2 | 13 | 9 | 156 | 1 | 78 | 69.2 | 12 | 14.5 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 2009 | 21 | PHI | 1 | 12 | 7 | 146 | 1 | 146 | 58.3 | 12.2 | 27.6 |
| Michael Gallup | 2018 | 22 | DAL | 2 | 15 | 8 | 137 | 1 | 68.5 | 53.3 | 9.1 | 13.85 |
| Marquise Brown | 2019 | 22 | BAL | 1 | 11 | 7 | 126 | 0 | 126 | 63.6 | 11.5 | 19.6 |
| Davante Adams | 2014 | 22 | GNB | 2 | 14 | 8 | 124 | 1 | 62 | 57.1 | 8.9 | 13.2 |
| Marques Colston | 2006 | 23 | NOR | 2 | 27 | 10 | 118 | 1 | 59 | 37 | 4.4 | 12.9 |
| Keke Coutee | 2018 | 21 | HOU | 1 | 14 | 11 | 110 | 1 | 110 | 78.6 | 7.9 | 28 |
| Tyler Lockett | 2015 | 23 | SEA | 2 | 9 | 4 | 110 | 1 | 55 | 44.4 | 12.2 | 10.5 |
| Matt Jones | 2005 | 22 | JAX | 1 | 9 | 6 | 94 | 0 | 94 | 66.7 | 10.4 | 15.4 |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 2020 | 23 | IND | 1 | 10 | 5 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 50 | 9 | 15.1 |
| Anthony Gonzalez | 2007 | 23 | IND | 1 | 4 | 4 | 79 | 1 | 79 | 100 | 19.8 | 17.9 |
| Cooper Kupp | 2017 | 24 | LAR | 1 | 13 | 8 | 69 | 1 | 69 | 61.5 | 5.3 | 20.9 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 2012 | 23 | IND | 1 | 13 | 8 | 66 | 0 | 66 | 61.5 | 5.1 | 14.6 |
| Chris Henry | 2005 | 22 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 66 | 100 | 66 | 7.6 |
| Julio Jones | 2011 | 22 | ATL | 1 | 8 | 7 | 64 | 0 | 64 | 87.5 | 8 | 14.7 |
| Sterling Shepard | 2016 | 23 | NYG | 1 | 9 | 4 | 63 | 0 | 63 | 44.4 | 7 | 10.3 |
| Martavis Bryant | 2014 | 23 | PIT | 1 | 9 | 5 | 61 | 1 | 61 | 55.6 | 6.8 | 17.7 |
| Sammie Coates | 2015 | 22 | PIT | 1 | 3 | 2 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 66.7 | 20.3 | 8.1 |
| DeVonta Smith | 2021 | 23 | PHI | 1 | 11 | 4 | 60 | 0 | 60 | 36.4 | 5.5 | 12 |
| Chase Claypool | 2020 | 22 | PIT | 1 | 7 | 5 | 59 | 2 | 59 | 71.4 | 8.4 | 22.9 |
This is a small sample, but these are impressive achievements for a 21-year-old rookie that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Using the RotoViz Screener and Worthy’s elite second-half performance (including playoffs), he draws elite comps.
| Player | Year | Age | Pick | G | Rec | Tgt | reYDs | reTDs | reFPOEPA | YPT | PPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Worthy | 2024 | 21 | 28 | 10 | 5.8 | 7.6 | 67.9 | 0.6 | 0.42 | 8.9 | 17.5 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | 21 | 5 | 12 | 5.2 | 7.5 | 82.3 | 0.6 | 0.59 | 11 | 17.3 |
| Keenan Allen | 2013 | 21 | 76 | 9 | 4.6 | 7 | 71.2 | 0.8 | 0.66 | 10.2 | 16.3 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | 2017 | 21 | 62 | 6 | 5.3 | 6.8 | 66.8 | 0.5 | 0.51 | 9.8 | 15 |
| Michael Clayton | 2004 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 72.6 | 0.6 | 0.44 | 10 | 15.3 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2020 | 21 | 22 | 7 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 91.1 | 0.6 | 0.16 | 9 | 19.4 |
| Zay Flowers | 2023 | 23 | 22 | 8 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 58.6 | 0.6 | 0.48 | 8.8 | 15.5 |
| Puka Nacua | 2023 | 22 | 177 | 9 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 93.3 | 0.6 | 0.49 | 11.5 | 19.1 |
| Rashee Rice | 2023 | 23 | 55 | 11 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 74.7 | 0.4 | 0.16 | 8.7 | 16.3 |
| Malik Nabers | 2024 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 6.9 | 10.9 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 0.07 | 7.9 | 18.9 |
| Justin Blackmon | 2012 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 5.4 | 10.4 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 0.09 | 8.4 | 18 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 2012 | 23 | 92 | 8 | 4.2 | 7.2 | 71.5 | 0.6 | 0.51 | 9.9 | 15.1 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2021 | 22 | 112 | 8 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 75.1 | 0.6 | 0.32 | 8 | 20.1 |
| Mike Evans | 2014 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 4.1 | 8.7 | 66.6 | 1 | 0.28 | 7.6 | 16.8 |
| Percy Harvin | 2009 | 21 | 22 | 8 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 50.9 | 0.4 | 0.11 | 7.7 | 13.3 |
| DK Metcalf | 2019 | 22 | 64 | 8 | 4.2 | 6.2 | 65.5 | 0.4 | 0.44 | 10.5 | 13.1 |
| DJ Moore | 2018 | 21 | 24 | 7 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 67.3 | 0.1 | -0.03 | 9.2 | 12.9 |
| Christian Watson | 2022 | 23 | 34 | 7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 59.4 | 0.6 | 0.37 | 9.7 | 15 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 2009 | 21 | 19 | 6 | 5.3 | 8.7 | 84.3 | 0.2 | 0.07 | 9.7 | 14.8 |
Insanely, Worthy outscored Ja’Marr Chase in Weeks 11 to 22 as a rookie.
Yes, Rashee Rice will return, and targets will be harder to come by. But Travis Kelce is hitting the age cliff, and the presence of multiple weapons should raise the quality of the targets in this offense. If Worthy and Rice become the new Tyreek Hill and Kelce, they’ll elevate each other.
At just 21 years old, Worthy closed his rookie year with elite company. I’m not betting against that profile.
Malik Nabers – WR6
After finishing as WR6 as a rookie (despite missing two games), Nabers is being drafted right where he left off. And he did this while catching passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito.
The situation isn’t perfect in 2025—Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart aren’t exactly elite—but this is a bet on talent, and only one of Wilson, Dart, or Jameis Winston needs to be viable. Nabers is widely viewed as a generational prospect, and his Year 2 comps via the RotoViz Screener back that up:
| Player | Year | Age | Pick | WT | G | Rec | Tgt | reYDs | reTDs | YPT | PPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Nabers | 2024 | 21 | 6 | 200 | 15 | 7.3 | 11.3 | 80.3 | 0.5 | 7.1 | 18.1 |
| Anquan Boldin | 2003 | 23 | 54 | 220 | 16 | 6.3 | 10.3 | 86.1 | 0.5 | 8.3 | 18 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2020 | 21 | 22 | 202 | 16 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 87.5 | 0.4 | 11.2 | 17.1 |
| Puka Nacua | 2023 | 22 | 177 | 201 | 17 | 6.2 | 9.3 | 87.4 | 0.4 | 9.4 | 17.6 |
| Michael Thomas | 2016 | 23 | 47 | 212 | 15 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 75.8 | 0.6 | 9.4 | 17.3 |
| Eddie Royal | 2008 | 22 | 42 | 185 | 15 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 65.3 | 0.3 | 7.6 | 15.5 |
| Jaylen Waddle | 2021 | 23 | 6 | 182 | 16 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 63.4 | 0.4 | 7.2 | 15.5 |
| Michael Clayton | 2004 | 22 | 15 | 197 | 16 | 5 | 7.6 | 74.6 | 0.4 | 9.8 | 15.3 |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | 2024 | 22 | 23 | 209 | 17 | 5.1 | 7.8 | 75.4 | 0.6 | 9.6 | 16.5 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 2020 | 22 | 25 | 200 | 12 | 5 | 8.1 | 62.3 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 15.4 |
| Amari Cooper | 2015 | 21 | 4 | 211 | 16 | 4.5 | 8.1 | 67.6 | 0.4 | 8.3 | 13.5 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | 21 | 5 | 201 | 17 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 85.6 | 0.8 | 11.5 | 18 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 2009 | 21 | 19 | 198 | 14 | 4.5 | 7.4 | 65.6 | 0.4 | 8.9 | 13.2 |
| Julio Jones | 2011 | 22 | 6 | 220 | 13 | 4.7 | 7.9 | 78.7 | 0.6 | 9.9 | 16.8 |
| Sammy Watkins | 2014 | 21 | 4 | 211 | 16 | 4.1 | 8 | 61.4 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 12.5 |
| Keenan Allen | 2013 | 21 | 76 | 211 | 16 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 67.1 | 0.5 | 10 | 14.3 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 2020 | 21 | 17 | 198 | 16 | 4.6 | 6.8 | 58.4 | 0.3 | 8.6 | 13.4 |
| Chris Olave | 2022 | 22 | 11 | 187 | 15 | 4.8 | 7.9 | 69.5 | 0.3 | 8.8 | 13.3 |
| Mike Evans | 2014 | 21 | 7 | 231 | 15 | 4.5 | 8.2 | 70.1 | 0.8 | 8.5 | 16.3 |
| Tee Higgins | 2020 | 21 | 33 | 219 | 15 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 60.5 | 0.4 | 8.5 | 13.1 |
With comps of Anquan Boldin, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Michael Thomas, Ja’Marr Chase, Julio Jones, and CeeDee Lamb, the sky is the limit for Nabers. Incredibly, Nabers averaged the most PPR points per game (18.1) out of these WRs during their rookie year.
Be sure to monitor Nabers’ lingering toe injury, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
If Nabers takes the expected Year 2 leap, we could be looking at a player joining Chase and Jefferson at the top of the WR hierarchy.
In Summary
Both Xavier Worthy and Malik Nabers enter their second seasons with momentum, pedigree, and room for further growth. They’re already being priced highly, but not highly enough given the ceiling outcomes their profiles suggest.
If you’re betting on Year 2 breakouts, like I am, these are your guys.
