Late Round WR Targets
Round 10 and Beyond: Wide Receivers With League-Winning Upside
Every year, late-round players surprise analysts and, thanks to talent and opportunity, become weekly starters despite being drafted well after the early rounds. Last season’s league winners included Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey, while players like Jakobi Meyers and Jerry Jeudy proved to be valuable contributors.
I will try to identify 8 late round flex targets, meaning 10th round or later, that could crack your starting lineup and take your team to the playoffs: 3 RBs, 3 WRs, and 2 TEs.
Today, I’m breaking down my three favorite late-round WR targets using draft data from ESPN.
Ricky Pearsall
Situation
Pearsall’s rookie season was anything but ordinary. After being shot before the season, he missed the first six games while recovering. When he finally got on the field, he flashed early — scoring over 11.5 fantasy points in two of his first three appearances — before going ice cold with three straight zeros. He remained a non-factor until the very end of the year, when he exploded in Weeks 17 and 18 with stat lines of 8/141/1 and 6/69/1. Over that stretch, he showed his upside with a 21.7% target share and a 30.4% first-read share (Fantasy Points Data).
The fantasy community has circled him as one of the best values entering 2025, largely because the 49ers’ offense is in transition. San Francisco has 124 vacated targets, and Pearsall has positioned himself to inherit a big slice of that opportunity.
The 49ers’ WR Room in Flux
Deebo Samuel? Gone.
Brandon Aiyuk? Recovering from a torn ACL/MCL. Kyle Shanahan insists he’s doing “great” and aiming for a Week 6 return — Considering Shanahan said Christian McCaffrey would be good to go for week 1 last season, we can only assume that Aiyuk is in a coma.
Jauan Jennings? Holding out for a new deal while also nursing an injury.
That leaves George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey as the established options, but the door is wide open for Pearsall. Reports from camp have consistently highlighted his chemistry with Brock Purdy. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco summed it up perfectly after practice:
“Now, there seemingly is no question that second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is the team’s best wideout during camp. Purdy continues to show a lot of trust in Pearsall, and Pearsall has responded.”
That trust showed up immediately in preseason action, where Pearsall caught 3 of 4 targets for 42 yards and looked like Purdy’s go-to option on their lone drive.
Coaching Staff and Talent
Draft pedigree matters — and Pearsall has it. As Mike Clay noted, “Over the past 5 seasons, 85% of the top-50 WRs in fantasy points per game were drafted in the top 3 rounds of the NFL Draft.” The 49ers saw first-round talent in him, and it’s showing. Shanahan’s offense is built to maximize skill players in space, and Pearsall’s precise route running and reliable hands are a perfect fit.
Conclusion
With Jennings in limbo and Aiyuk sidelined to start the year, Pearsall has a clear path to lead San Francisco’s WR room. At his current ADP (WR45, around pick 100 on ESPN), you’re getting a player with WR2/Flex potential in one of the league’s most efficient offenses. That’s a smash value in double-digit rounds. I would reach for him in round 8 or 9 depending on your draft board. His ADP is climbing quickly.
Emeka Egbuka
Situation
I usually fade rookie wide receivers who don’t have a clear path to becoming their team’s WR1. That said, Tampa Bay’s setup is unique. As long as Mike Evans is around, Emeka Egbuka won’t be the primary option, but opportunity is knocking. With Chris Godwin likely to miss the early part of the season, the rookie steps into a wide-open role in one of the league’s most pass-heavy offenses.
The numbers back it up: Tampa Bay ran 11 personnel (3 WR and 1 TE sets) 71.2% of the time last season (8th-highest in the league, per SumerSports), finished 3rd in passing yards per game, and saw Baker Mayfield throw for 4,500 yards and 41 TDs. Simply put: this offense throws a lot, and Egbuka will be on the field from Day 1.
Talent and Profile
Why did a top-5 offense spend a first-round pick on yet another wideout? Because Egbuka brings a polish few rookies possess.
College Resume:
Two 1,000-yard, 10-TD seasons in his last three years.
Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions (205).
Second all-time in receiving yards (2,868).
Scouts praised his route running, ability to manipulate coverage with tempo, and elite concentration in traffic. He tracks deep balls with ease and consistently finds soft spots in zone coverage. Add in leadership qualities — he was a captain at Ohio State — and it’s clear he’s pro-ready.
The concerns: he did most of his damage from the slot, and he lacks elite explosiveness outside the numbers. Physical corners can challenge him, but in today’s NFL, slot-first wideouts thrive, especially in pass-heavy schemes.
Conclusion
Egbuka is a high-ceiling insurance / breakout candidate, but he’s in the perfect ecosystem to matter in fantasy. If Evans misses time again or Godwin’s recovery lingers, he has a path to significant volume in a top-tier passing attack.
I like his current ADP (12th round range), but I would not reach for him. He’s a high-upside stash rather than an auto-start. If you do not draft him, Look for the post bye week bump for Egbuka. He has a bye in week 8 and could be an excellent trade target at that point.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Overview
Just last year, Pittman was viewed as a back-end WR1 — ranked WR10 and 19th overall according to ESPN. The drop-off in 2024 was tied directly to poor quarterback play and injury issues. Despite a strong target share, he finished as the WR41 overall. Still, the first three years of his career prove his consistency: three straight top-20 finishes, including WR13 in 2023. Pittman’s ceiling is well established, but quarterback stability has become the hinge point of his fantasy value.
QB Situation
The Colts enter 2025 with major uncertainty under center. Former top-5 pick Anthony Richardson and newly signed Daniel Jones have been splitting first-team reps, with the depth chart listing them as joint QB1. Richardson brings upside with his athleticism, but he’s struggled to stay healthy and has yet to show consistent accuracy or command of the offense. Jones, meanwhile, is far from perfect, but he’s a more reliable passer and has demonstrated the ability to feed an alpha wideout.
Looking back at 2024, Pittman averaged 14.15 PPG in games Richardson either missed or left early. That pace would have landed him as WR22 on the season — even including games where he was playing hurt after fracturing his back midyear. On the flip side, in games Richardson started and finished, Pittman managed just one double-digit performance and averaged under 8 points per game.
Accuracy remains the biggest question. Kevin Bowen of 93.5 The Fan in Indianapolis reported that through preseason team sessions (as of August 14), Richardson was completing 60% of his passes (110-of-183), while Daniel Jones was at 71% (138-of-194). The contrast is clear: Richardson is the superior athlete, but Jones is the superior passer.
Upside With Daniel Jones
If Jones wins the job — or inevitably takes over when Richardson struggles or gets hurt — Pittman has a clear path back into WR2 range. Last season, Malik Nabers thrived with Jones, leading the league in target share (37%) averaging over 17 fantasy points per game, and was WR10 during the stretch that Jones started. While Nabers is a more dynamic talent than Pittman, the takeaway is that Jones has shown he can hyper-target his top receiver. Pittman’s volume profile fits that mold.
Conclusion
This is a true “win-win” scenario for fantasy managers. If Richardson starts, the leash will be short, and injury history looms large — he’s played just 15 of 34 possible games across two seasons. Should he falter, Jones would step in quickly, and Pittman’s fantasy stock would rise immediately. If Richardson surprises and takes a real step forward as a passer, Pittman remains in weekly flex consideration with the chance to creep back into WR2 territory.
Hunting Upside
At his current draft price — WR47 on ESPN (101st overall) and WR48 on Sleeper (110th overall) — Pittman is an upside swing. You’re drafting him as a WR5 and he’s already proven he can produce WR2 numbers. That’s the exact kind of profile worth targeting in the later rounds.
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