The preparation for your perfect 2025 fantasy football draft begins now.
Have a battle plan when you show up for your in-person draft or fire up the laptop for your online draft. But don’t make it a rigid plan.
Fantasy drafts are unpredictable. Average draft position goes out the window. Your competitors will make unexpected picks. You’ll occasionally get snaked on a player you wanted.
Be flexible. Be nimble. Be prepared.
And get those reps in before draft season arrives! Test your draft strategies by mock-drafting with the FantasyPros Draft Simulator.
Here’s an overview of the battle plan our analysts will be using for their 2025 fantasy football drafts. And you can find each of their perfect draft plans below.
Perfect Fantasy Football Draft: Strategy, Advice & Targets
Fitz’s Fantasy Football Draft Advice
Draft defenses and kickers in the final rounds.
Don’t be among the first people to draft a team defense or kicker. Scoring is too volatile and unpredictable at these positions to justify addressing them with middle-round picks.
Target defenses and kickers with favorable matchups in the first week or two of the season, then play waivers at these positions the rest of the season, seeking the best possible matchups each week.
Add these wrinkles to your Kentucky Derby strategy.
Some leagues determine draft order Kentucky Derby style, with people getting to pick their draft spots after a random draw. For most, the first consideration in picking a draft spot is trying to get a desirable player combination in Rounds 1-2. Two other things worth considering:
- It’s generally easier to land your favorite draft targets if you pick in the middle rather than on one of the ends, where you’ll have longer stretches in between picks.
- This sounds mean, but it can be advantageous to choose a spot adjacent to one of the less savvy members of your league. It will reduce the odds of seeing your favorite targets drafted directly in front of you.
Check out Fitz’s complete Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 
DBro’s Mid-Round Targets
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
RJ Harvey is set to explode in his rookie season. The runway is clear for takeoff. Sean Payton just put second-round capital behind a back that enters a room with Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, and J.K. Dobbins. No, I’m not worried about Estime or McLaughlin when they couldn’t carve out consistent roles last year with only the ghost of Javonte Williams standing in their way.
Dobbins will assist Harvey on early downs so Denver doesn’t run their talented rookie into the ground, but I don’t project him taking away passing down work or high-leverage opportunities. It’s hard not to love a player like Harvey, who has ranked inside the top 20 among FBS running backs in each of the last two seasons in breakaway percentage and elusive rating, per PFF.
Add in Payton’s running back usage, and Harvey looks primed to smash. Over the last two years, Payton has ranked fifth and first in running back target share. Harvey is a strong RB2 who could finish as an RB1 this season.
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
As Bo Nix‘s No. 1 WR last year, Courtland Sutton finished as the WR24 in fantasy points per game, commanding a 23.3% target share and 44.9% air yard share. Among 85 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 26th in receiving yards per game (63.6), 28th in yards per route run (2.13), and 15th in first downs per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
Sutton should reprise his role as Nix’s security blanket. He will face competition for the weekly lead in targets with Evan Engram, but it’s comfortably Sutton and Engram at the top of the mountain, while the rest of the receiving options fight for the remaining targets. Sutton is a strong WR2/WR3.
Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
The Panthers finally gave Bryce Young a true No. 1 WR this season with the addition of Tetairoa McMillan. The Carolina Panthers selected McMillan inside the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft. McMillan could be a wonderful volume hog this year in what looks to be an ascending passing offense.
Last year, in Weeks 12-18, when Young was hitting his stride, the Panthers ranked 13th in neutral passing rate. We could see that number increase this year, with a true number one option leading the way. Last year, during that same stretch, Young ranked eighth in CPOE, fifth in deep throw rate, 12th in highly accurate throw rate, and second in hero throw rate, per Fantasy Points Data.
McMillan is an incredibly talented receiver who can step up quickly. During his final two collegiate seasons, he ranked 17th and 21st in yards per route run. He’s a battle-tested man coverage beater as well. In 2023-2024, McMillan had the third-most and the 10th-most man coverage targets (among FBS wide receivers) while also ranking eighth and 10th in yards per route run against man coverage, per PFF.
Don’t be surprised if McMillan is a WR1/WR2 in his rookie season.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)
The Patriots drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft to challenge Rhamondre Stevenson from the jump. Stevenson isn’t going anywhere, but Henderson will play a prominent role in 2025 as, at worst, the 1B in this backfield. As we move through the season, Henderson will eat into Stevenson’s workload, if not quickly supplant him as the backfield leader.
Henderson has the talent to do so. In two of his last four seasons in college, Henderson ranked in the top 10 in yards after contact per attempt (seventh, eighth) and in the top 20 in breakaway percentage (10th, 18th). He will operate behind an improved offensive line that added Garrett Bradbury, Will Campbell, and Morgan Moses in the offseason. Henderson should be the team’s passing-down back immediately, which is great news for his floor and ceiling.
Across his last two collegiate seasons, Henderson has ranked 21st & 22nd in receiving grade, per PFF. Josh McDaniels will feature him through the air. In McDaniels’ last five full seasons of directing NFL offenses, he has ranked inside the top 10 in four of those years, with 20-36.2% of the passing attack flowing through the backfield. Henderson could be New England’s version of Jahmyr Gibbs.
Travis Hunter (WR – JAX)
Travis Hunter should be Brian Thomas’s running mate from the word go in Jacksonville. The Jaguars paid a hefty price, but they got their guy in Hunter. The Jags have stated that Hunter will begin his NFL career with the main focus being on the offensive side of the ball, which makes sense. It’s not impossible, but improbable that a team would make an aggressive move of this magnitude for a full-time cornerback. Hunter looks to be a full-time wide receiver with TBD status next to his corner usage.
Hunter still has some substantial growth to make as a wide receiver, but he’s in good hands with Liam Coen and company. I’m curious how much slot usage Hunter will get in his rookie season, but I’m guessing it could be at least 40-50% of his snaps. This will be immensely helpful for a player who, last year (among all FBS wide receivers with at least eight slot targets), ranked fourth in slot yards per route run, per PFF.
Overall, in his final collegiate season, Hunter ranked 38th in yards per route run (YPPR) and sixth in receiving grade. Jacksonville’s passing attack should flow through Hunter and Thomas, with each sniffing a target share north of 23%. Hunter is a WR2/WR3 who could easily crush his fantasy football average draft position (ADP).
James Conner (RB – ARI)
Last year was the first season since 2021 that James Conner played more than 13 games. He finished as the RB15 in fantasy points per game, racking up 283 touches and 1,508 total yards (nine scores). Conner didn’t look like he was slowing down at all, so I don’t see him relinquishing his workhorse role in 2025.
Assuming he can remain healthy again this season, Conner is set to smash. Last year, he was second in missed tackles forced per attempt, 11th in yards after contact per attempt, and sixth in explosive run rate, per Fantasy Points Data. He also retained his passing game excellence, sitting sixth in yards per route run and seventh in receiving yards per game. Conner could be a wonderful value in fantasy football again in 2025.
David Montgomery (RB – DET)
David Montgomery remained the Lions’ early-down hammer and preferred goal-line option last year when healthy. Before he was sidelined in the back half of the 2024 season with a knee injury (Weeks 1-14), he was the RB11 in fantasy points per game, averaging 16.3 touches per game and 83.1 total yards.
Last year, Montgomery ranked 17th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 25th in yards after contact per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data. When healthy, he dominated work inside the 10-yard line with 33 carries to Jahmyr Gibbs’ 16. It’s wonderful to be the goal-line king in an offense that led the NFL in points per game and red-zone scoring opportunities per game last year.
While Ben Johnson’s departure will have an impact on Detroit, this offense should still sit somewhere in the top-five/top-10 scoring offenses in the NFL. Montgomery is best viewed as a solid RB2 with obvious RB1 upside if he continues to spike touchdowns at a ridiculous rate.
Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)
Jaylen Waddle’s 2024 season was a huge disappointment, but all hope is not lost. The talent is still there, and Waddle is primed for a big bounce-back season. Last year, in the 14 games he played at least 70% of the snaps, his numbers don’t look amazing, but they were solid as he had a 16.3% target share, 1.79 yards per route run, 53.1 receiving yards per game and 0.092 first downs per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
If we look at just the numbers he accrued with Tua Tagovailoa under center and Waddle as a full-time player, we get a clearer picture of Waddle’s talent through the context-distorting muck. In that sample of games, Waddle had 2.14 yards per route run, 64.6 receiving yards per game, and 0.114 first downs per route run.
Last year, among wide receivers with at least 200 routes run, those numbers would have ranked 27th, 23rd, and 13th. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy this year, Waddle can revert to the strong WR2 with WR1 upside receiver we have loved in previous seasons (WR21, WR12, WR15).
George Pickens (WR – DAL)
George Pickens has been freed from the horrid quarterback play that he has been saddled with since entering the NFL. There’s no doubt that Dak Prescott will be the best quarterback Pickens has played with during his NFL career. Last year, Pickens finished as the WR35 in fantasy points per game.
Pickens proved he could operate as a number one option, ranking 16th in target share (23.9%), 25th in yards per route run (2.18), ninth in first-read share (32%), and 24th in receiving yards per game (64.3, per Fantasy Points Data). His numbers were even better in Weeks 1-13, before his hamstring injury, when he ranked 18th in separation, eighth in yards per route run (2.53), and 25th in route win rate.
Pickens should enjoy the bump in passing volume as CeeDee Lamb‘s running mate. Last year, Pittsburgh had the fourth-fewest passing attempts, while Dallas had the third-most. Pickens should settle in as a strong WR2 this season, who could easily post a career-best season.
Jerry Jeudy (WR – CLE)
Jerry Jeudy finally had the breakout season we have all been waiting for. Last year, he finished as the WR21 in fantasy points per game while securing 90 of his 144 targets with 1,229 receiving yards. Among 85 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 14th in receiving yards per game, 33rd in target share, and 45th in yards per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
The rollercoaster he endured with quarterback play did impact those numbers. In Weeks 8-18, with anyone outside of Deshaun Watson throwing him the ball, he ranked 15th in target share, 20th in yards per route run, and first downs per route run, and second in receiving yards per game behind only Ja’Marr Chase (among 95 qualifying wide receivers). The uneasy quarterback situation in Cleveland is pushing Jeudy down draft boards, but the talent and volume are there for Jeudy to crush expectations again in 2025.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
Calvin Ridley had to suffer through horrible quarterback play last year en route to a WR36 finish in fantasy points per game. Among 85 qualifying receivers, Ridley finished 78th in catchable target rate.
Ridley finished 31st in target share and receiving yards per game, 32nd in yards per route run, and 33rd in separation and route win rate, per Fantasy Points Data. He was the WR28 in expected fantasy points per game. If Cam Ward can hit the ground running, Ridley could see a big boost in his stat line in 2025. Ridley is a volume-based WR3 who could be a weekly WR2.
Check out DBro’s complete Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
Erickson’s Approach to Round 1
Approach to Round 1
Last season, I faded Christian McCaffrey and ranked Ja’Marr Chase at WR1.
I know what you’re thinking. Erickson, why are you still writing fantasy football articles and not sitting pretty, sipping Mai Tais on your private island from all your winnings? Well, informed reader, I got spooked by the Chase contract holdout late into draft season. As a result, I moved Breece Hall to RB1 and first overall… Yikes.
I won’t make the mistake again.
I’ve toyed with the idea of Bijan Robinson (RB1) over Ja’Marr Chase (I just recalled that the Falcons did throw out “Bijan Robinson in the Christian McCaffrey role” last offseason), but I just don’t feel the need to do it. Even with the amount of parity atop the standings every year in fantasy football, Chase is “chasing” Antonio Brown (for the right reasons) as he attempts to be the first back-to-back WR1 fantasy finisher since 2015. And with Joe Burrow as his quarterback, he seems as primed as ever to repeat.
After Chase, it’s Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson to round out my top-five overall players.
That is correct. No Saquon Barkley. For more on that, be sure to read my “players to avoid” piece.
Also, I’m much lower on Amon-Ra St. Brown as a first-round pick. But besides those two players, I’ve got no qualms about the rest of the first round crop. It’s extremely deep this year, which is why I often prefer picking toward the end.
A common theme with fantasy football positional tiers is to stay out of the middle, and I think you can make the same application here within round one.
I love the idea of going McCaffrey and then the best available wide receiver in round two (oftentimes Drake London). The same approach works with a top-three selection with either Robinson or Gibbs.
I’m not even opposed to double-tapping receivers at the round one/round two turn, although I probably would only do so in full PPR formats.
All things considered, I do prefer going with a running back more than a wide receiver in round one. And that’s because it’s very likely I’ll go the wide receiver route in the second round.
A first-round back sets you up greatly for a Hero RB build, which is the strategy I typically abide by before entering any draft.
You’ve got one spot dialed in, and the other spot can be filled by the rotating carousel of remaining running backs on your roster.
I believe the golden standard approach of selecting a running back with your first- or second-round pick has not changed. Yes, I understand how hip it is to draft wide receivers and go Zero RB in recent years.
But running backs who see work as both receivers/rushers score the most points. Running backs are still the drivers behind fantasy-winning teams, so get your talented studs early because the backs who score the most points are drafted accordingly, based on average draft position (ADP) data. The longer you wait, the odds of landing a true Hero RB diminish.
And there’s no better time to get back in on running backs. We have a strong crop of diverse, hungry and young running backs in the player pool.
I bet last season that we would return to the glory days when the top running backs would reign supreme as they had done the two previous seasons. It wasn’t exactly how I thought it would play out, but backs were more productive (and healthy). It was a bit of an outlier season by health standards.
But even so, draft running backs in the early rounds that you think can be league-winners and true difference-makers. You’re not looking for floor or value this early on. Shoot for the moon or punt running back down the road. You’d be surprised how easy it is to fill your fantasy RB2 slot.
Solidifying a top back early also helps you avoid reaching for running backs in the dreaded RB Dead Zone (RB2 range), where your primary focus should be drafting wide receivers poised for significant leaps in 2025 and/or elite quarterbacks/tight ends
There’s a long tier of running backs drafted after the top options who can be true Hero RBs, where you are much better off just waiting, with such a gradual decline in projection. It’s important to identify backs that can stand out from the crowd. If you are going to take a running back early, you can’t have any reservations about their upside. If you do, you are better off waiting on running backs with similar median projections at much better prices.
Especially considering wide receivers in full PPR can score a lot of points. And the top of the position looks primed to stake its claim — I will divulge more later.
From 2018 to 2020, in PPR scoring, wide receivers had the highest percentage of top-12 finishes (55%). In 2021, seven of the top 12 overall finishers (58%) were receivers, with six finishing in the top eight. That was true in both PPR and half-PPR. However, the trend did not continue in 2022. Just six wideouts finished inside the top 12, with five backs and one tight end (Travis Kelce). Only four inside the top eight, and an even split between receivers/backs inside the top six. In half-PPR, five running backs finished inside the top eight overall, with just three wideouts.
In 2023, half-PPR scoring was evenly split between the top 12 finishers. For three straight seasons, fewer receivers have finished inside the top 12. Four running backs finished inside the top seven compared to three receivers. In the last two seasons, only three wideouts have finished inside the top eight of overall scoring. Current fantasy football ADP has five wide receivers drafted inside the top eight, compared to three running backs.
In 2024, three wide receivers finished inside the top 12 in half-PPR (four in full PPR). The veteran running back renaissance smoked the wideouts. Now, for four straight seasons, fewer wideouts have finished inside the top 12. Last year, it was 8-4 overall. Inside the top seven, it was 5-2. In the last three seasons, only five wide receivers have finished inside the top eight of overall scoring.
Current best ball ADP has four wideouts drafted inside the top eight, with the other four being running backs.
Some wide receivers are being drafted early who will be outscored by running backs selected after them. Again, to be clear, it’s less likely in PPR than in half-PPR.
But given how strong the WR1 tier is in drafts in the first two rounds this year, you’ve got to come away with at least one. Wide receivers should be healthier than they were last season, whereas running backs are more likely to get hit by the injury bug after their “health luck” in 2024.
This sets the stage for Hero RB to be the strategy to follow in 2025: One stud running back early, a plethora of receivers in the middle rounds, an elite quarterback and/or tight, followed by shot after shot on this amazingly talented rookie running back class that could be the best we’ve seen since 2017.
Check out Erickson’s complete Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
