The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to draft Travis Hunter. While the rookie is a generational talent because of his ability to play both sides of the ball, that fact is not exactly a good thing for fantasy football. Will Hunter play enough wide receiver to justify his cost in fantasy drafts?
Travis Hunter Fantasy Outlook
Rookie wide receivers are already difficult to evaluate for fantasy. Hunter presents a whole new set of challenges, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
Hunter is a talented player. On a good offense with a good quarterback as the clear WR1, there’s a case to be made that he has 16 fantasy points per game upside.
Typically, when a wide receiver is taken as early as Hunter was (No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft), elite upside is presumed. However, a big reason Hunter went that early is that he’s also an NFL-caliber cornerback. The nature of his generational talent is the ability to play an offensive position and a defensive position at the highest level. He is not a generational wide receiver. He is not a generational cornerback.
The good news is that we are not without insight into the Jaguars’ plans. They traded up to get Hunter, which is not a move they likely would make for a guy they envision spending significant time on defense. That’s not to say he won’t play defense. He certainly will. However, we should expect him to be primarily a wide receiver, precisely what the new head coach, Liam Coen, said.
Q: What is your vision for Travis Hunter? Do you see him playing more on offense?
Liam Coen: “We’ll have a plan right now of [him playing] primarily on offense, with him learning the defensive system and practicing on the defensive side of the ball as well throughout this… pic.twitter.com/juYRrsGXLc
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 25, 2025
Hunter did not join a team with a void at wide receiver. The Jaguars have Brian Thomas Jr., who is already one of the best young WRs in the league. He is an elite player, and Hunter poses no threat to Thomas’s WR1 status. That said, that doesn’t preclude Hunter from being a fantasy factor.
Coen was the architect behind Baker Mayfield’s career season in 2024. He coaxed another WR1 season out of 31-year-old Mike Evans and had Chris Godwin pushing 20 PPG before the latter broke his ankle in Week 7. I’m not saying Hunter is likely to be a WR1 alongside Thomas. It’s possible that both can be immensely productive.
The Jaguars do not project to have a particularly great backfield. However, this team could throw a ton, especially with a defense that checks in at No. 31 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric.
Last season, the Jaguars’ pass rate when trailing by seven-plus points was only 64%, the 12th lowest in the league. Even when losing, they ran more than they should have. We could be in store for more volume and better play calling from a smart young offensive mind.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Hunter’s average draft position (ADP) sits at WR30, which is very fair for a player with his wide range of outcomes. I have him ranked at WR29, right in line with consensus.
Given my affinity for Thomas and my disdain for Trevor Lawrence, I will not be investing in two Jaguars wide receivers. If I draft Thomas, I’m not taking Hunter. At the same time, Hunter’s price is reasonable. If you don’t end up with Thomas, there’s nothing wrong with taking a chance on Hunter. As long as the steam doesn’t get too hot, elevating him to a place where it becomes more difficult for him to provide a positive return on investment, Hunter is a fine selection as your fantasy team’s WR3.
Mason LeBeau‘s Travis Hunter Projection
Look, I’m a massive Travis Hunter fan on account of being a Colorado alum, and I cannot confidently tell you if you should take him or not. His ceiling is through the roof, and it feels like taking a shot on that sort of outcome is exactly what the draft’s middle rounds are for. He’s attached to a solid quarterback who’s willing to sling it, and he’s going into a very promising offense under head coach Liam Coen.Â
He’s not getting WR1 snaps because that belongs to Brian Thomas Jr, but he can easily exceed WR2 volume. So, take him, right? I don’t know. Hunter is bound to play both sides of the ball. He’s too good not to, and the Jaguars did not trade up for a great WR2. More importantly, the team is much thinner at cornerback than they are at receiver.
 I’d expect him to play receiver first and foremost, but still get reasonable defensive snaps. I’m not worried about him getting too tired or hurt, but I am worried that he’s the only player in fantasy that could just play defense for a week because the matchup requires it. Losing your player for the week to defense, not injury, is a scary idea. Â
Yet at his ADP, I still feel Hunter is worth the risk. If you went light on receiver earlier, I wouldn’t take Hunter to be your one or two. If you went heavier, and he can be your bye receiver or FLEX, I think that’s the best case for him. Don’t put yourself in a position where you rely on him weekly, but still use him as a ceiling play.Â
