With the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft officially in the books, it’s time to check in on the impact of the first 32 picks on dynasty fantasy football. 

 

 

It won’t be long before dynasty rookie drafts begin, so knowing exactly where each player stands after Day 1 is vital to making an informed decision for your dynasty squad. 

 

Some prospects saw significant shifts in their dynasty outlooks, so we’ll be finding the three biggest winners and losers in terms of dynasty fantasy football value after Round 1!

 

Winners

 

Colston Loveland

(TE, Chicago Bears)

 

Michigan’s Colston Loveland was selected by Chicago with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, becoming the first draft pick in the Ben Johnson era. 

 

It’s easy to see how this pick can be viewed as a homerun for both sides. Loveland will be catching passes from Caleb Williams, one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL, and Chicago gives their passing attack another dynamic weapon to work with.

 

As a prospect, Loveland is set up to become a premier pass-catching tight end for Chicago. He runs fantastic routes and looks extremely explosive on tape while also possessing impressive separation skills. Bears tight end Cole Kmet will likely shift to more of a blocking role while Loveland will take up most of the receiving duties, similar to how Las Vegas paired Brock Bowers with Michael Mayer last season.

 

Overall, I expect Loveland to develop into a reliable target for Caleb Williams going forward. Ben Johnson’s offense in Detroit featured a high-volume passing attack that provided its tight ends with plenty of targets. If this trend continues in Chicago, Colston Loveland will end up being worth the top-ten selection.

 

 

Omarion Hampton

(RB, Los Angeles Chargers)

 

Los Angeles is one of the more complex running back landing spots in this year’s NFL Draft, but nonetheless, I am very excited about Omarion Hampton’s dynasty outlook over the next few seasons.

 

While it’s fair to point out that L.A. signed former Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris in free agency this offseason, it’s worth noting that Harris’ contract is a short-term deal with only a $5.25 million price tag. All signs point to the veteran moving elsewhere after the 2025 NFL season, and the Chargers’ selection of Hampton with the 22nd overall pick could be the final nail in the coffin.

 

Hampton is the second-best running back prospect in this year’s class, boasting fantastic power, surprising elusiveness, impressive contact balance, and solid skills as a receiver. He has all of the tools necessary to become a three-down back in the NFL, and I have no doubt that he will develop into a starting running back, assuming that Los Angeles doesn’t have any plans to keep Harris around long-term.

 

With an offensive game plan that features the rushing attack and a strong group of young blockers in front of him, Omarion Hampton is in a great position to dominate when he becomes the starting running back.

 

Honorable Mention:

 

Travis Hunter

(WR, Jacksonville Jaguars)

 

 

Losers

 

Emeka Egbuka

(WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

 

Former Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka was selected with the 19th overall pick on Thursday. While I still believe that he has plenty of value in dynasty, I’m not sold on this being a great landing spot for the slot receiver.

 

Firstly, Egbuka will face potentially long-term competition for targets. Wideout Chris Godwin was re-signed to a three-year, $66 million contract earlier this offseason after suffering a season-ending injury in 2024. Jalen McMillan had a productive rookie season and is entering the second year of his rookie contract. Both of these receivers will likely be with Tampa Bay for the next few seasons, making it difficult for Egbuka to have the chance to become the team’s top target. Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans also poses some short-term competition.

 

Egbuka is an extremely well-rounded and athletic prospect with a high floor, so I’m not very worried about him severely underperforming in dynasty. However, I believe that this landing spot has slightly lowered his ceiling in fantasy football. I expect Emeka Egbuka to have a solid rookie season, but I now question if he’s worth more than a late first-round selection in dynasty rookie drafts. 

 

If Evans, Godwin, McMillan, and Otton all once again command a decent-sized chink of quarterback Baker Mayfield’s passing volume, Egbuka could have trouble finding consistent fantasy production during the first few seasons of his career. Again, I believe Egbuka is a talented player who will thrive in the NFL, but I’m not a huge fan of this landing spot for dynasty purposes.

 

Matthew Golden

(WR, Green Bay Packers)

 

This was another difficult decision. Matthew Golden is one of my favorite receiver prospects in this year’s draft. I think he’s talented enough to become the top target in Green Bay for quarterback Jordan Love over the next few seasons, and it certainly helps that the Packers don’t have a clear-cut top wideout at the moment. 

 

 

However, in a situation similar to Emeka Egbuka, Golden is a great receiver who landed in an offense with a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. I think that Golden has more of a chance than Egbuka to separate himself from the rest of the pack, but it may still prove difficult for the Texas product to live up to expectations right off the bat.

 

Golden is an explosive receiver with blazing speed, impressive ball skills, and route-running prowess. He broke out at Texas this season, leading to his name being called during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 23rd overall pick.

 

If Golden is able to establish a strong connection with Love initially, he could easily develop into a threat at all levels of the field. While Egbuka may have a high floor as a prospect, I believe that Golden has a slightly higher ceiling.

 

That being said, this wasn’t the landing spot I was expecting for Golden. If he had ended up in Dallas, he would’ve been the obvious second wideout under CeeDee Lamb. In Green Bay, however, Golden finds himself among several receivers who all demand significant target numbers, including Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Romeo Doubs. Tight end Tucker Kraft also had a strong season in 2024, leading the team in receiving touchdowns.

 

In the end, I think that Matthew Golden has a shot at becoming Jordan Love’s top receiver, but he’ll need to fight off several young players for volume.

 

Honorable Mention:

 

Shedeur Sanders - QB