Fantasy
4/4/25
6 min read
Travis Hunter Is the Biggest Value In All of 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football
The word “generational” is thrown around way too often with NFL Draft prospects. There are truly only a few generational draft prospects over the last 30 or 40 years, but we hear that word thrown out during every draft cycle (Marvin Harrison Jr, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Chase Young, etc).
However, you can safely use that word to describe Travis Hunter, the do-it-all star from Colorado. Not only was he named the 2024 Chuck Bednairk Award winner (Nation’s best defensive player), but he also won the Fred Biletnikoff award for the top receiver in the country.
Those two awards have never been won by the same player, which shows how unique Hunter is as a prospect.
But for the last 12 or so months, the feeling has been that Hunter is a cornerback first who can help out as a receiver. That has been done in the NFL, as Deion Sanders, Patrick Peterson, and recently, Marcus Jones have made plays on offense despite their primary position being defensive backs.
Sanders is the most prolific DB-WR hybrid, catching 60 passes in his career while playing full-time defense. Roy Green is another name who should be mentioned, but he stopped playing defense in 1982 to become a full-time receiver. It has been done, and the expectation is that Hunter will play both in the NFL.
However, there is some chatter that is starting to get louder that Hunter should be a full-time receiver and a part-time defensive back. It’s hard to argue with that after the season Hunter just posted at Colorado.
He led the Big-12 in receptions (96), touchdown receptions (15) and finished second in receiving yards (1,258) behind only Tetairoa McMillan. All on top of playing more than 1,000 snaps on defense, as well.
There is no argument that he is the best receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s got the production, the athleticism, and the ball skills to be an elite receiver prospect.
If he were only a receiver prospect, we would be comparing him favorably to a prospect like Malik Nabers from a year ago. Take a look at his receiving success by route via Reception Perception during the 2024 season:
Hunter's production and advanced analytic profile as a receiver are as good as anyone we've seen in the last few years. He's not quite in the same tier as Ja'Marr Chase, but he's not far off either. However, because there are concerns about what position he’ll play and how much time he’ll spend on offense, it’s dramatically capped his value in dynasty leagues.
In the latest batch of startup average draft position (ADP) on Dynasty League Football, Hunter is being selected as WR42 around players like Michael Pittman Jr (WR41) and Khalil Shakir (WR43). Again, WR42 ADP is reflective of the fact that most drafters believe he’ll be a part-time receiver and a full-time defensive back.
What if Hunter were a full-time receiver only? What if the Patriots, at No. 4, picked Hunter and turned him into their No. 1 receiver for the foreseeable future to pair with Drake Maye?
Just how highly would you value him then? Or what if he landed in Jacksonville, playing alongside Brian Thomas Jr. with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback?
Certainly, he would be ranked over players like Ladd McConkey (WR12) and Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR13), right? That's not really a question, as he is just a much better prospect than either of those players. Could he go higher than that?
Would you take Hunter over Drake London (WR10) and A.J. Brown (WR11)? The point is that he has a chance to be a top-10 dynasty receiver right away if he were to land in the right spot. The only question is, how high do you draft him?
Where Should You Select Travis Hunter In Rookie Drafts?
Most dynasty players aren’t participating in startup drafts in April with rookies included, so Hunter’s current ADP doesn’t matter that much. The real question is, how highly should you consider taking him in Superflex rookie drafts?
The top of your rookie draft is almost certainly set in stone. The first three selections of your rookie drafts will likely look something like this, pending the NFL Draft:
1.01: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
1.02: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
1.03: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
Hampton and Ward could be interchangeable depending on the landing spot and the needs of that specific dynasty manager. But at pick 1.04, things get very interesting.
It would be understandable to pick the next highest-rated running back, likely TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins, because they’ll provide instant value at a position that is hard to find. Clear-cut RB1s are always hard to find and nearly impossible to acquire via trade, and that's why you can easily justify taking either player with the next few picks.
But if you are a dynasty manager with a strong stomach and can handle risk, consider taking Travis Hunter at pick 1.04, regardless of what position his respective team says he’ll play initially. His upside is just so much higher than the likes of Tetairoa McMillan, Matthew Golden, and Luther Burden, and that’s what we are chasing in dynasty leagues.
The good news is that you might not even need to get inside the top four picks to select the 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner. In fact, you might not even need to take him in the first round at all. In the latest batch of Superflex rookie ADP, Hunter has an ADP of 15.4 and is being drafted as the 14th overall rookie in mock drafts.
However, his ADP has been trending up during the past few weeks as more dynasty managers are warming up to the idea that he might be a full-time receiver. Even if he’s only a part-time player (20-25 snaps on offense per game), he still might see enough targets to be startable in fantasy leagues.
Hunter is the ultimate risk-reward dynasty prospect, as there is a legitimate chance that he just isn’t a factor on offense at all. There are certainly a few teams drafting high that might not want him to risk injury by playing offense, and keeping him on defense might help prolong his career.
There also might be teams out there that aren’t creative enough to play him on both sides of the ball. That would be a genuine shame, considering his unique skill set.
However, Hunter is a better receiver prospect than he is as a cornerback prospect, and that’s what will help him ultimately play the majority of his snaps on offense.
Plus, receivers get paid more, and the NFL generally values them more in free agency. All signs point to Hunter playing a significant role on offense in the NFL, and if he lands with the right team, we might just be talking about a top-five dynasty receiver as soon as 2026.
Take Hunter with confidence and conviction in your rookie drafts and reap the rewards, as he should take the league by storm as a rookie, even if he is playing some snaps on defense, too.
