A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft; grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out this value, we asked our staff to identify players available in the top half of your draft who should outperform their draft position.
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Six underrated wide receivers quickly gathered interest. See what our staff has to say about each player.
Underrated WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
Jason Wood: Coach Andy Reid brought Xavier Worthy along slowly as a rookie; he didn't play 80% of snaps until Week 14. But once he earned a full-time role, he was electric, finishing as the WR14 on a per-game basis from Week 14 onward, including the playoffs.
Worthy's historically impressive speed might have pigeonholed him as a vertical threat, but as the season progressed, he became a full-fledged weapon—both as a runner after the catch and as a target across all passing zones.
While the Chiefs are always tinkering and should have Rashee Rice back, as well as Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Travis Kelce, Worthy's productivity, versatility, and upside ensure he'll remain a key piece.
Another way to think about Worthy is how you feel about the Chiefs' passing attack overall. If you believe Patrick Mahomes II can return to the 5,000-yard, 40-touchdown form we saw in 2018 and 2022—which I do—then nearly every Chiefs receiver is undervalued. If you think Mahomes' 2023-2024 role as a "game-manager plus" is the new status quo, then you're probably better off ignoring Worthy and anyone else on the roster.
Ben Cummins: Xavier Worthy's affordable average draft position is one I find very perplexing. Drafting elite athletes in good fantasy offenses is a priority, and that's exactly what Worthy allows us to do.
Kansas City's offense, led by Patrick Mahomes II, ranked eighth in Expected Points Allowed per Play and second in Pass Rate Over Expected last season.
Worthy ran the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL history (4.21) and posted a 41" vertical and a 10'11" broad jump. He plays way tougher than his 165-pound weight.
Andy Reid utilized him as a chess piece as a rookie, moving him in motion and on shifts, and also lining him up in the backfield. Worthy progressed and improved as his rookie season went on, culminating in an 8-reception, 157-yard, 2-touchdown Super Bowl performance. He adds rushing upside as he ran 20 times for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns last year.
Rashee Rice's return is very notable, but the two should be able to co-exist in a potent passing attack. Travis Kelce will turn 36 during the season and should no longer be expected to be a major receiving factor for the Chiefs. Expect continued growth for Worthy in year two.
Matt Waldman: Worthy didn't come into the league and set defenses on fire like DeSean Jackson did for Andy Reid in Philadelphia. You can thank the umbrella coverage era of the NFL for some of that. Still, there are a lot of similarities between the two players, and Worthy showed enough moments late in the season to be optimistic about 2025, especially with the Chiefs prioritizing the revitalization of their vertical game this year.
Even if the vertical game doesn't experience lift-off, there's another avenue for Worthy to emerge. Rashee Rice may not return to full strength this year from his knee injury, and Worthy could see more of Rice's role as the extension of the run game with short passes.
My podcast partner, Brandon Angelo, is an athletic trainer to professional athletes. He had concerns about Kirk Cousins last spring that were rooted in his job knowledge. He has concerns about Rice's ability to withstand the punishment of the game this year.
My high ranking of Worthy and low ranking of Rice is based on this. If you want to bet against this, then flip-flop where I have valued Worthy and Rice.
For now, I'm in on Worthy.
Maurile Tremblay: Xavier Worthy enters his second season with a defined role, demonstrated production, and substantial untapped potential that fantasy markets haven't fully priced in.
During his rookie year, Worthy became one of the team’s most explosive playmakers. From Week 13 onward, his slot usage increased to 40%, his yards per route run rose to 2.13, and his fantasy production spiked. These are strong indicators for future volume and fantasy difference-making.
Worthy cemented his upside by setting a rookie Super Bowl record with 157 yards and two touchdowns, demonstrating the ability to excel under pressure. Head coach Andy Reid now describes him as a "primary receiver," and offseason workouts firmly established him among the starters.
Patrick Mahomes II has emphasized a return to the deep-strike explosiveness that relies heavily on Worthy's record-setting 4.21-second combine speed, a crucial element that restores defensive spacing lost since Tyreek Hill's departure.
With uncertainties surrounding Rashee Rice’s off-field issues and Marquise Brown’s recent injury history, Worthy has shown he can thrive as the primary receiving option. His combination of efficiency, role clarity, and elite speed makes him one of the most compelling bargains heading into 2025 fantasy drafts.
Meng Song: It might come as a surprise that Xavier Worthy could've had over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns as a rookie were it not for multiple downfield misses from Patrick Mahomes II.
Despite consistently great play since he became a starter in 2018, Mahomes has struggled downfield with a 27 percent deep ball completion rate last year (34th) and 28 percent (33rd) in 2023. There have been two big factors contributing to this decline from his 40 percent deep ball completion rate in 2022 (10th).
The first has been inconsistent offensive line play, which the Chiefs addressed this offseason by signing Jaylon Moore and drafting Josh Simmons in the first round. The second has been a lack of personnel to beat deep safety looks like Cover 3 and Cover 2, which defenses have emphasized in recent years to limit explosive downfield passes.
If Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown can both return healthy, their presence can help Worthy attack the seams and generate big plays downfield. The Chiefs have already emphasized deep shots in OTAs and can return to being a dangerous big-play offense in 2025, and that starts with Worthy.