The biggest draft weekend of the fantasy football season has finally arrived. With kickoff less than a week away, managers everywhere are locking in their rosters—and here at Fantasy Sports on SI, we’ve got you covered with the most comprehensive PPR cheat sheet in the game. Our expert positional rankings will guide you to the right targets at every turn, so keep a sharp eye on ADPs and get ready to dominate your leaguemates.
The chalk in the industry has Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson as the top two quarterbacks. And it’s easy to see why. But Jayden Daniels had an electric rookie season and his dual-threat ability has launched him into the top tier of signal callers in the NFL. While we do have Josh Allen slightly edging the second-year sensation out in our projections, Daniels is the slightly better value at his ADP and we have him outright finishing ahead of Jackson.Â
After a ridiculous rookie campaign with the Washington Commanders, Daniels looks poised for another league-winning season in 2025, and a sophomore slump is simply off the table—espeically now that Terry McLaurin has signed his contract extension. The addition of former 49ers standout Deebo Samuel gives Daniels another dynamic weapon, setting the stage for an electrifying offense in the nation’s capital. After trading Brian Robinson Jr. to the 49ers, Daniels and the passing game could be asked to shoulder an even heavier load if the backfield—featuring Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt—fails to live up to expectations.
Typically, I employ a late-round quarterback strategy but if I were to target any top-tier QB, I’m looking for Daniels. If you miss out on Daniels, a few quarterbacks who we are higher than the consensus are Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence, and J.J. McCarthy.Â
Although Saquon Barkley posted a career year, he actually finished second in PPR scoring behind Jahmyr Gibbs—mostly because he sat out Week 18. Barkley enters 2025 as the RB3 in our PPR rankings, but history shows running backs coming off career seasons often take a step back. That’s one of the reasons he’s the RB5 in these projections.
His lower ceiling in receptions allows other backs to close the gap in fantasy points, and with Jalen Hurts stealing roughly half of Philadelphia’s rushing touchdowns, Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are the top two running backs over Saquon. Even with a career season under his belt, Barkley could see a slight regression—something fantasy managers should keep in mind.
You might be surprised to see Christian McCaffrey as our RB3 but he’s a former Offensive Player of the Year for a reason and he has the potential to deliver league-winning upside, especially with a super soft late-season schedule. So long as he is healthy, CMC has RB1 upside. Though fantasy football owners have certainly been burned by him before.Â
Not Ja’Marr Chase. Not CeeDee Lamb. Not Justin Jefferson. So who is our WR1 in PPR formats? None other than Puka Nacua. If you extrapolate Puka Nacua’s production from his final 10 regular-season games over a full 17-week slate, he would have finished as fantasy’s WR2—trailing only Chase. His bruising, after-the-catch style does raise some durability concerns, but the upside is undeniable.
The Rams unleash Nacua all over the field—sideline, slot, screens—making him one of the league’s most target-rich receivers. Despite ranking just sixth among wideouts in ADP, that feels criminally low for a player with such volume in one of football’s most receiver-friendly offenses. He is our top wide receiver heading into 2025, though we wouldn’t be upset if you decided to draft the more proven Chase after his historic triple crown season in 2024. Though the argument we made above about Barkley applies to Chase so buyer beware.
At the tight end position, there aren’t any surprises at the top of the list with Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. However, the TE3 is none other than Travis Kelce, who is entering the season as an engaged man after proposing to Taylor Swift. In fantasy football, Kelce has seen a decline over the past two seasons—not because of his relationship, but because the Chiefs lost structure at wide receiver.Â
Despite catching over 90 passes in seven consecutive years, Kelce averaged just 8.5 yards per catch in 2024, well below his 12.7 YPC from 2014–2022, and scored only three touchdowns. Last year, nearly 70% of his targets came behind the line or within 10 yards, slightly up from 2023 but in line with 2022. Improved spacing at the second and third levels should push his yards per catch back over 10 this season.
Kelce remains a consummate professional, combining work ethic, preparation, and elite talent. He looks poised to dominate again, keeping him central to the Chiefs’ game plan and giving fantasy owners plenty to celebrate in 2025.
