2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Latest Projections Entering NFL Preseason

NFL training camps are in full swing, and the Hall of Fame Game is just around the corner. That means the fantasy draft season will soon be popping like Orville Redenbacher's popcorn in the microwave.

With fantasy draft season rapidly approaching, savvy managers are busy preparing for the big day. And one way to prepare is to either participate in or examine mock drafts. To take a look at dry runs to see when players are coming off the board and who may be available in a position of value.

Of course, The B/R Mock That Ain't (Early as Hell) Charity Challenge 2025 isn't really a mock. The analysts (including our own Kristopher Knox and Maurice Moton), fantasy veterans and even a mystery novelist who participated in this draft will be playing it out.

So, with this writer drafting from the No. 7 hole (hate the middle), here's a round-by-round look at how the draft panned out: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Round 1

AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

Christian McCaffrey

1.01: Jahmyr Gibbs – RB, DET

1.02: Ja'Marr Chase – WR, CIN

1.03: CeeDee Lamb – WR, DAL

1.04: Puka Nacua – WR, LAR\

1.05: Bijan Robinson – RB, ATL

1.06: Justin Jefferson – WR, MIN

1.07: Christian McCaffrey – RB, SF

1.08: Nico Collins – WR, HOU

1.09: Saquon Barkley – RB, PHI

1.10: Ashton Jeanty – RB, LV

1.11: Derrick Henry – RB, BAL

1.12: Amon-Ra St. Brown – WR, DET

Surprises at the Top

There were a couple of surprises in the first round of this draft, starting with the very first pick.

Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions was fantasy's No. 1 running back in PPR points last year, topping 1,900 total yards and scoring a whopping 20 total touchdowns. But with a healthy David Montgomery back this year and a new offensive coordinator after Ben Johnson departed for Chicago, it's not unreasonable to wonder if Gibbs' fantasy production could backslide in 2025.

The bigger surprise in the eyes of most is likely Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles falling to the ninth overall after he became the NFL's ninth 2,000-yard rusher last year. But it shouldn't be.

No 2,000-yard rusher has come close to duplicating his magical season the year before. Running backs who surpass 370 regular-season touches nearly always experience significant regression the following season. So do players who lead the league in rushing.

It's not a matter of whether Barkley will regress so much as how much.

My Pick

To be fair, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is a risk/reward pick in his own right. The 29-year-old played in just four games last year, the third time in his career that he has missed double-digit games.

But if he can stay healthy, he has the potential to not only be the No. 1 overall running back but also to blow every other player at the position out of the water. Two years ago, he had over 2,000 total yards, won Offensive Player of the Year honors and outscored the No. 2 running back by over 100 PPR points.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Round 2

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Jonathan Taylor

2.01: Alvin Kamara – RB, NO

2.02: Malik Nabers – WR, NYG

2.03: De'Von Achane – RB, MIA

2.04: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAX

2.05: Drake London – WR, ATL

2.06: Jonathan Taylor – RB, IND

2.07: A.J. Brown – WR, PHI

2.08: Kyren Williams – RB, LAR

2.09: Ladd McConkey – WR, LAC

2.10: Breece Hall – RB, NYJ

2.11: Tyreek Hill – WR, MIA

2.12: Bucky Irving – RB, TB

Go Get Your Guy

It didn't take long for the first surprise of Round 2 to come. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans was the first pick of the round, coming off the board as RB7—a full 2.5 rounds earlier than his average draft position.

Some will no doubt call this pick a reach. And it's admittedly drafting him closer to his ceiling than his floor—I have talked up Kamara as a value pick much of the summer, but that was as a high-end fantasy RB2 being drafted in the middle of Round 4.

But when picking on the turn, fantasy managers have to consider there will be 20-plus selections made between their picks. It's not a huge stretch logically to posit that Kamara might not be there at 3.12. And the 29-year-old was a top-five running back in terms of PPR points per game a year ago.

Was it an optimal use of draft capital? Maybe not. But the only person who has to live with your selections on draft day is you.

Don't be afraid to go get your guys.

My Pick

I didn't roll into this draft planning to do a Robust RB build. But with Nabers, Thomas and London all being drafted just ahead of my second pick, it was time to party.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was solid for fantasy managers last year—despite missing three games, the 26-year-old topped 1,400 rushing yards and finished the season seventh in PPR points per game among running backs.

Durability is a concern with Taylor. He has missed at least three games in each of the past three seasons. But the last time he played in all 17 games, he led the league with 1,811 rushing yards and led all running backs in PPR fantasy points.

Round 3

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Brock Bowers

3.01: Tee Higgins – WR, CIN

3.02: Josh Jacobs – RB, GB

3.03: Chase Brown – RB, CIN

3.04: James Conner – RB, ARI

3.05: Garrett Wilson – WR, NYJ

3.06: Davante Adams – WR, LAR

3.07: Brock Bowers – TE, LV

3.08: Kenneth Walker III – RB, SEA

3.09: Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, ARI

3.10: Jaxon Smith-Njigba - WR, SEA

3.11: Terry McLaurin – WR, WAS

3.12: James Cook – RB, BUF

There Goes My Hero

As the faces of both the NFL and fantasy football have changed, more and more fantasy managers are attacking the wide receiver position early. Most leagues require at least three weekly starters, and PPR scoring is more rule than exception.

There were a pair of running backs who went early in Round 3 who could make a WR/WR draft start much more palatable.

Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers was sixth in the NFL in carries with 301, sixth in the league in rushing yards with 1,329 and sixth among all RBs in PPR points. He should again be heavily involved in Green Bay's offense this year.

Once Chase Brown of the Bengals became the featured back in Cincinnati, he was highly productive—from Week 8 on, he scored double-digit PPR points and ranked sixth in PPR points among running backs.

Getting either as a potential RB1 in Round 3 is good value.

My Pick

Another round, another pivot.

Generally speaking, this analyst doesn't target elite tight ends. The Round 2 ADP for Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders and Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals is too rich for my blood.

But in this draft, Bowers came off the board over a full round later than the second-year pro has on average. Last year, he set a new rookie record for receptions with 112 and a rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,194.

Bowers should again be the primary target in the passing game in Vegas, and he has an excellent chance to repeat as fantasy football's highest-scoring tight end.

Round 4

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Mike Evans

4.01: Jerry Jeudy – WR, CLE

4.02: Trey McBride – TE, ARI

4.03: Xavier Worthy – WR, KC

4.04: D'Andre Swift – RB, CHI

4.05: Lamar Jackson – QB, BAL

4.06: Mike Evans – WR, TB

4.07: Josh Allen – QB, BUF

4.08: Joe Mixon – RB, HOU

4.09: George Kittle – TE, SF

4.10: Omarion Hampton – RB, LAC

4.11: Chuba Hubbard – RB, CAR

4.12: Rashee Rice – WR, KC

Kansas City Conundrum

Last year was a story of two wide receivers in Kansas City. Over the first few weeks of the season, Rashee Rice appeared headed for stardom—only Malik Nabers of the New York Giants had more PPR points among wideouts over that span.

Then Rice got hurt, and the Kansas City passing game sputtered for some time. But while not much went right for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, rookie Xavier Worthy went off with eight catches, 157 yards and two scores.

In the early going this summer, Rice had an ADP a round-plus higher than Worthy. After being sentenced to 30 days of jail time and five years of probation for a street-racing incident that resulted in an accident, Rice is going to be suspended by the NFL—the only question is for how long.

With Rice likely to be suspended for at least four games, Worthy came off the board nine picks ahead of Rice in this draft. That gap could widen once a suspension is announced, but until it is, drafting Rice anywhere near his ADP of 37th overall is a gamble.

My Pick

Since it was Round 4 and I still hadn't rostered a wide receiver, I went way out on a limb and surmised adding one was wise.

And I was pleased to be able to make it Tampa's Mike Evans.

Yes, the 31-year-old isn't getting any younger. He can also be somewhat high-variance from week to week. But we're talking about a player who has posted an NFL-record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to open his career. A veteran who has scored at least 11 touchdowns six times, including four of the past five years. And a player who has posted four top-12 PPR finishes since 2020.

As the 21st wide receiver drafted, Evans is value here.

Round 5

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

TreVeyon Henderson

5.01: Chris Olave – WR, NO

5.02: Aaron Jones – RB, MIN

5.03: D.J. Moore – WR, CHI

5.04: Brian Robinson Jr. – RB, WAS

5.05: Jayden Daniels – QB. WAS

5.06: Quinshon Judkins – RB, CLE

5.07: TreVeyon Henderson – RB, NE

5.08: D.K. Metcalf – WR, PIT

5.09: Travis Etienne Jr. – RB, JAX

5.10: Jameson Williams – WR, DET

5.11: DeVonta Smith – WR, PHI

5.12: Tetairoa McMillan – WR, CAR

Welcome to The RB Dead Zone

For those who aren't familiar with the term, The RB Dead Zone is a portion of the middle rounds of drafts where the bust rates at running back are much higher than at wide receiver. Many fantasy pundits advise avoiding backs here.

But with the pool of legitimate starters drying up rapidly, many teams rolled the dice at the position anyway.

Brian Robinson of the Washington Commanders is a non-factor in the passing game. Cleveland's Quinshon Judkins and New England's TreVeyon Henderson are unproven rookies. Travis Etienne Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars is coming off a terrible 2024 season and is far from locked in as a starter.

With the likes of Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf and Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith all also being drafted in Round 5, those backs are risky picks.

My Pick

Analysts panic, too.

Actually, it's not so much panic as my natural proclivity to crave depth in the backfield. Every fantasy drafter has tendencies. That's one of mine.

Henderson has the potential to make a significant impact as a rookie. He has a three-down skill-set, he's exponentially more explosive than Rhamondre Stevenson and the Patriots saw enough from the Ohio State product to make him an early second-round pick.

But the 22-year-old also had some injury issues in Columbus, and Stevenson still lurks in the background with the potential to at least siphon some short-yardage and goal-line work.

Henderson could be a star. He could just as easily be only marginally useful in fantasy leagues.

Round 6

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Courtland Sutton

6.01: Isiah Pacheco – RB, KC

6.02: R.J. Harvey – RB, DEN

6.03: Tyrone Tracy Jr. – RB, NYG

6.04: Joe Burrow – QB, CIN

6.05: Travis Hunter – WR, JAX

6.06: Courtland Sutton – WR, DEN

6.07: J.K. Dobbins – RB, DEN

6.08 : Zay Flowers – WR, BAL

6.09: Kareem Hunt – RB, KC

6.10: Sam LaPorta – TE, DET

6.11: Jaylen Waddle – WR, MIA

6.12: Calvin Ridley – WR, TEN

Is There Such a Thing as an RB Deader Zone?

There were five running backs and five wide receivers drafted in Round 6—and a sizable gulf between them in terms of situation.

R.J. Harvey and J.K. Dobbins are battling to be the lead back in Denver, although given Sean Payton's tendency to use two backs in the past, both could be fantasy-relevant. Isiah Pacheco of the Kansas City Chiefs is returning from a major injury. Tyrone Tracy Jr. of the New York Giants has to hold off rookie Cam Skattebo.

And Kareem Hunt looked washed last year with the Chiefs.

Meanwhile, Courtland Sutton of the Broncos, Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens and Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans are all No. 1 wideouts for their respective teams. Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins has three 1,000-yard seasons in four years in the NFL.

If the bust rate among the Round 6 receivers is anywhere close to the bust rate of the Round 6 running backs, it will be an upset.

My Pick

Given it’s Round 6, getting Denver's Courtland Sutton as my WR2 is a pick this analyst can live with easily.

Last season, Sutton set career highs in targets (135) and receptions (81), surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his career, caught eight touchdown passes and finished 15th in PPR points among wide receivers.

The Broncos added tight end Evan Engram in free agency, but Sutton should again lead Denver in targets. Backing up last year's high-end WR2 fantasy numbers shouldn't be that difficult.

Round 7

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Kaleb Johnson

7.01: Kyler Murray – QB, ARI

7.02: Jakobi Meyers – WR, LV

7.03: Jalen Hurts – QB, PHI

7.04: Cooper Kupp – WR, SEA

7.05: Rome Odunze – WR, CHI

7.06: Tony Pollard – RB, TEN

7.07: Kaleb Johnson – RB, PIT

7.08: Javonte Williams – RB, DAL

7.09: Evan Engram – TE. DEN

7.10: Justin Fields – QB, NYJ

7.11: Baker Mayfield – QB, TB

7.12: Patrick Mahomes – QB, KC

Hurts So Good

In many cases, you can gauge the experience level of fantasy managers based on when quarterbacks are drafted.

In most industry and high-stakes drafts, signal-callers are drafted well past their ADP by folks who have been doing this long enough to know taking a QB in Round 2 is a bad idea.

In this draft, Round 7 brought with it a run at the position—after Arizona's Kyler Murray and Philly's Jalen Hurts were taken early in the round, it ended with the three straight passers being taken.

Of the quintet, Hurts was the best value.

His passing numbers weren't especially impressive last year—less than 3,000 yards and just 18 passing scores. But his 632 rushing yards ranked third at the position, and his 14 rushing touchdowns led the league.

Assuming Saquon Barkley does regress in 2025, the Eagles' passing game will have to pick up the slack. That could easily vault Hurts toward the top of the QB leaderboard—he was second at the position in fantasy points two years ago.

My Pick

This was the first of two times I was brutally sniped—Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard isn't a sexy pick, but he has three straight 1,000-yard seasons under his belt and a good chance to again finish the year as a top-25 fantasy option.

But I'm a believer in Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson, who is a more explosive runner than Najee Harris and a better fit for Arthur Smith's outside-zone running scheme.

Over Harris' four seasons in Pittsburgh, he surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground every year and never finished outside the top 24 in PPR points. There's a real path to Johnson finishing his first season as the second-most productive rookie running back in fantasy.

Round 8

AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

Jordan Addison

8.01: Chris Godwin – WR, TB

8.02: David Montgomery – RB, DET

8.03: Deebo Samuel – WR, WAS

8.04: George Pickens – WR, DAL

8.05: Jordan Mason – RB, MIN

8.06: Jordan Addison – WR, MIN

8.07: Khalil Shakir – WR, BUF

8.08: Roschon Johnson – RB, CHI

8.09: Geno Smith – QB, LV

8.10: Stefon Diggs – WR, NE

8.11: Mark Andrews – TE, BAL

8.12: Josh Downs – WR, IND

WR Values

Round 8 brought with it a number of wide receivers who could wind up excellent values when all is said and done.

Deebo Samuel's 2024 season in San Francisco was disappointing, but we've seen what the veteran is capable of, and the Commanders saw enough to trade for him. Look for Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury to look for ways to scheme Samuel the ball.

George Pickens was also traded in the offseason, joining the Dallas Cowboys after three years in Pittsburgh. Playing opposite CeeDee Lamb should mean lots of single coverage, and Pickens has an 1,100-yard season on his NFL resume.

New England's Stefon Diggs and Tampa's Chris Godwin are a pair of veterans coming off injury-marred seasons. Diggs caught 107 passes for over 1,100 yards two years ago in Buffalo, and Godwin was second in fantasy points among receivers last year before getting hurt.

Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts was WR35 last year with atrocious quarterback play. If Daniel Jones wins the quarterback battle in Indy, Downs could well be headed for a career year.

My Pick

Frankly, with the benefit of hindsight I'd like to take a mulligan on this pick. Godwin, Samuel and Pickens were all higher on my board than Jordan Addison, and with his DUI case now resolved, the 23-year-old is staring at a 2-3 game suspension to open the season.

But I'll point out Addison has come close to 1,000 yards in both of his professional seasons and scored a whopping 19 touchdowns over that stretch. Playing opposite arguably the NFL's best receiver in Justin Jefferson also means single coverage all game every game, and Addison was WR21 in PPR points last season.

Get through the suspension, and Addison should be a fine WR3.

Round 9

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Jauan Jennings

9.01: Rhamondre Stevenson – RB, NE

9.02: Zach Charbonnet – RB, SEA

9.03: Jayden Reed – WR, GB

9.04: Bo Nix – QB, DEN

9.05: T.J. Hockenson – TE, MIN

9.06: Caleb Williams – QB, CHI

9.07: Jauan Jennings – WR, SF

9.08: Tucker Kraft – TE, GB

9.09: Jaylen Warren – RB, PIT

9.10: Travis Kelce – TE, KC

9.11: Cam Skattebo – RB, NYG

9.12: Colston Loveland – TE, CHI

How the Mighty Have Fallen

As recently as 2023, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs was the unquestioned king of fantasy tight ends—the season before, he caught 110 passes, topped 1,300 yards and outscored the No. 2 tight end by over 100 PPR points. His ADP in 2023 was fifth overall.

Kelce missed two games that season and failed to hit 1,000 yards for the first time since 2015. But he was still third in fantasy points among tight ends and a Round 2 pick on average in 2024.

Kelce caught 97 passes a year ago, but his 8.5 yards per catch and 823 receiving yards were both career lows (with the exception of his rookie season, when Kelce didn’t play). The 35-year-old finished fifth in PPR points among tight ends, and this year he fell all the way to Pick No. 106 in this draft.

Kelce admittedly looked his age last year. His era of fantasy dominance at the position is over. But this feels like an over-correction—Kelce is still going to be a big part of the Chiefs offense, and his 133 targets in 2024 trailed only Brock Bowers of the Raiders and Trey McBride of the Cardinals.

Kelce may be old. But he’s not dead. This late in drafts, he’s worth rolling the dice.

My Pick

Apparently, my team needed some more drama—after setting career-highs across the board last season on the way to a WR24 fantasy finish, there’s contract drama with Jauan Jennings—he wants either a new deal or a trade out of San Francisco.

The latter is highly unlikely—with Brandon Aiyuk recovering from an ACL tear and Deebo Samuel in Washington, Jennings enters his fifth professional campaign as San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver. Niners beat writer Matt Maiocco has stated that he expects player and team to smooth things over in relatively short order.

And if that’s the case, Jennings is a rock-solid WR3 or PPR “flex” option who came with a price tag outside the top 100 picks.

Round 10

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

Dak Prescott

10.01: Ricky Pearsall – WR, SF

10.02: Michael Pittman Jr. – WR, IND

10.03: Darnell Mooney – WR, ATL

10.04: Jake Ferguson – TE, DAL

10.05: Rashod Bateman – WR, BAL

10.06: Dak Prescott – QB, DAL

10.07: David Njoku – TE, CLE

10.08: Najee Harris – RB, LAC

10.09: Matthew Golden – WR, GB

10.10: Jerome Ford – RB, CLE

10.11: Dalton Kincaid – TE, BUF

10.12: Dallas Goedert – TE, PHI

Going Deep at Wide Receiver

By the time Round 10 began, 45 wide receivers had been drafted. But even with all that talent off the board, there was still some meat on the bone—at least potentially.

Ricky Pearsall of the 49ers and Matthew Golden of the Packers are a pair of talented youngsters who could see significant roles in 2025. The former flashed as a rookie after recovering from a gunshot wound, while the latter is the first wideout Green Bay has used a first-round pick on in over two decades.

Michael Pittman of the Colts had a forgettable 2024, but that tends to happen to wideouts when their quarterbacks are stinky poo. He has garnered at least 110 targets in four straight seasons, topping 1,000 receiving yards twice.

Had Atlanta’s Darnell Mooney not missed a game, the 27-year-old would have logged the second 1,000-yard season of his career in 2024. He caught a career-high five touchdowns last year and was a top-40 fantasy receiver.

Baltimore’s Rashod Bateman only had 45 receptions last year, but he averaged almost 17 yards a reception and scored more than twice as many touchdowns as in his first three seasons combined.

There are no sure bets here. But there’s more than a little "sleeper" appeal.

My Pick

During this draft, another manager made it clear he was playing "QB Chicken" with me. It's no secret I prefer to wait at the position, and he wanted to be the last team to draft a starter under center.

He won that battle—I blinked in Round 10.

Dak Prescott may be the most undervalued quarterback in fantasy football. His injury-marred 2024 season was undeniably not good. But just two years ago, he was third in the NFL in passing yardage, led the league in touchdown passes and was third at his position in fantasy points.

If the Dallas ground game is as bad as I suspect it will be, the Cowboys are going to be throwing the ball a lot in 2025.

That means a big year for the Dak Attack.

Rounds 11-13

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Rachaad White

11.01: Marvin Mims Jr. - WR, DEN

11.02: Brandon Aiyuk – WR, SF

11.03: Christian Kirk – WR, HOU

11.04: Tyjae Spears – RB, TEN

11.05: Brock Purdy – QB, SF

11.06: Quentin Johnston – WR, LAC

11.07: Tre Harris – WR, LAC

11.08: Jaylen Wright – RB, MIA

11.09: Jordan Love – QB, GB

11.10: Philadelphia Eagles D/ST

11.11: Emeka Egbuka – WR, TB

11.12: Denver Broncos D/ST

---

12.01: Denver Broncos D/ST

12.02: Justin Herbert – QB, LAC

12.03: Keon Coleman – WR, BUF

12.04: Baltimore Ravens D/ST

12.05: Isaac Guerendo – RB, SF

12.06: Rachaad White – RB, TB

12.07: Adam Thielen – WR, CAR

12.08: Jaydon Blue – RB, DAL

12.09: Matthew Stafford – QB, LAR

12.10: Tank Bigsby – RB, JAX

12.11: Bhayshul Tuten – RB, JAX

12.12: Minnesota Vikings D/ST

---

13.01: Cedric Tillman – WR, CLE

13.02: Tyler Allgeier – RB, ATL

13.03: Marquise Brown – WR, KC

13.04: Zach Ertz – TE, WAS

13.05: Houston Texans D/ST

13.06: Buffalo Bills D/ST

13.07: Tyler Warren – TE, IND

13.08: Ray Davis – RB, BUF

13.09: Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST

13.10: Trey Benson – RB, ARI

13.11: Dylan Sampson – RB, CLE

13.12: Austin Ekeler – RB, WAS

“Zero RB” Time

The “Zero RB” draft strategy hinges on a fantasy manager’s ability to find late-round backs with either a path to snaps or who are one injury away from the lead role. Several candidates over this stretch potentially meet those criteria.

Uncertain backfield situations in Jacksonville and Dallas could mean touches for rookies Bhayshul Tuten and Jaydon Blue. If Christian McCaffrey gets hurt (again), Isaac Guerendo would be the next man up in San Francisco. Ditto for Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta, who has shown he can function as a lead back were Bijan Robinson to go down.

Don’t Be That Guy

Last year, the difference in scoring between the No. 1 fantasy defense (the Denver Broncos) and the No. 12 fantasy defense (the Los Angeles Rams) was just over 2.5 points per game. That’s not exactly cartwheel-inducing.

Simply put, using an 11th-round pick on a defense is wasted draft capital. Not when there are legitimate upside plays still on the board like those young running backs just mentioned or Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman.

My Picks

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tre Harris is an intriguing size/speed combo platter and a trendy “sleeper” pick this year. After Mike Williams retired, the only thing standing between Harris and No. 2 wide receiver duties for the Bolts is Quentin Johnston.

Missing out on Guerendo as a handcuff for Christian McCaffrey stung (a lot). But Rachaad White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a contract-year player who topped 1,000 total yards and finished as a top-20 fantasy running back in 2024.

The highest-scoring fantasy tight ends each of the past two seasons were rookies. Tyler Warren of the Indianapolis Colts isn’t likely to make it three straight, but he’s a versatile and talented player.

Rounds 14-16

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Drake Maye

14.01: Jared Goff – QB, DET

14.02: Isaiah Likely – TE, BAL

14.03: C.J. Stroud – QB, HOU

14.04: Jayden Higgins – WR, HOU

14.05: Hunter Henry – TE, NE

14.06: Drake Maye – QB, NE

14.07: Nick Chubb – RB, HOU

14.08: J.J. McCarthy – QB, MIN

14.09: Green Bay Packers D/ST

14.10: Jonnu Smith – TE, PIT

14.11: Trevor Lawrence – QB, JAX

14.12: Jacory Croskey-Merritt – RB, WAS

---

15.01: Bryce Young, QB, CAR

15.02: Arizona Cardinals D/ST

15.03: Cleveland Browns D/ST

15.04: Wan’Dale Robinson – WR, NYG

15.05: Rashid Shaheed – WR, NO

15.06: Theo Johnson – TE, NYG

15.07: Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST

15.08: Anthony Richardson – QB, IND

15.09: Brenton Strange – TE, JAX

15.10: Cade Otton – TE, TB

15.11: Washington Commanders D/ST

15.12: Justice Hill – RB, BAL

---

16.01: Jake Bates – PK, DET

16.02: Brandon Aubrey – PK, DAL

16.03: Ollie Gordon – RB, MIA

16.04: Cameron Dicker – PK, LAC

16.05: Michael Penix Jr. – QB, ATL

16.06: Jake Elliott – PK, PHI

16.07: Wil Lutz – PK, DEN

16.08: Chase McLaughlin – PK, TB

16.09: Jordan James – RB, SF

16.10: Matt Gay – PK, WAS

16.11: Younghoe Koo – PK, ATL

16.12: Harrison Butker – PK, KC

Tastes Just Like (QB) Chicken

That team that stared me down at quarterback finally took a quarterback in Round 14—and only rostered one. Starting Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars is a bold choice, but there were other quarterbacks available around the same region of the draft who show the potential of waiting under center—and then waiting some more.

Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions was sixth in fantasy points among quarterbacks a year ago. From Week 12 on last year, Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers was ninth among quarterbacks in fantasy points.

TE Sleeper Time

There were a pair of tight ends who came off the board late here who have some “sleeper” appeal in 2025.

After a red-hot start to the 2024 season, Isaiah Likely’s fantasy production tailed off with the Baltimore Ravens last year. But Likely is the future for the team at the position, and out-pointing Mark Andrews this season isn’t kooky talk.

With Evan Engram now in Denver, it’s Brenton Strange’s turn to serve as the No. 1 tight end for the Jaguars. Strange showed flashes of legitimate talent filling in for Engram last year, and Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will keep coverage away from the middle of the field.

My Picks

Getting New England’s Drake Maye as Dak Prescott’s backup in Round 14 might be my favorite pick of this draft. Maye is a gifted second-year pro with better weapons and an improved offensive line who was ninth among all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards last year.

The logic behind drafting the Tampa Bay defense is easy—it’s a team with talent at all three levels that takes on an Atlanta Falcons team with an unproven quarterback in the season opener.

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott was 10th at his position in fantasy points last season. Playing for one of the league’s top offenses should mean no shortage of scoring opportunities.

My Team

AP Photo/Scot Tucker

Christian McCaffrey

Quarterbacks: Dak Prescott, DAL (10.06); Drake Maye, NE (14.06)

Running Backs: Christian McCaffrey, SF (1.07); Jonathan Taylor, IND (2.06); TreVeyon Henderson, NE (5.07); Kaleb Johnson, PIT (7.07); Rachaad White, TB (12.06)

Wide Receivers: Mike Evans, TB (4.06); Courtland Sutton, DEN (6.06); Jordan Addison, MIN (8.06); Jauan Jennings, SF (9.07), Tre Harris, LAC (11.07)

Tight Ends: Brock Bowers, LV (3.07); Tyler Warren, IND (14.06)

Defense/Special Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (15.07)

Kicker: Jake Elliott, PHI (16.06)

In many respects, this is a very “Robust RB” build.

At quarterback, no players were selected until the double-digit rounds. But the team still has a proven veteran with top-five fantasy upside and a youngster who oozes fantasy potential should that veteran falter.

After last year’s fiasco, many fantasy managers are undoubtedly bristling at the notion of trusting McCaffrey. But between him and Taylor, this team has two of the last four RB1 overall—along with a pair of promising rookies and a player in White who is seemingly being written off without a real reason for doing so.

Hitting running back early creates potential issues at wide receiver, but frankly this cadre isn’t that bad. In what could be his last year in Tampa, Evans should be motivated to keep his streak of 1,000-yard seasons going. If he once again cracks the top-12 in fantasy points and Sutton can back up his 2024 production, platooning the remaining three at the WR3 and or/”flex” spot shouldn’t be especially difficult—and this team’s “weakness” could be a sneaky strength.

At tight end, paying up for Bowers should afford this team both consistency at the position and an advantage over most teams most weeks. Warren is depth and a bye-week fill-in—nothing more.

It’s not perfect. No draft ever is. But My Fantasy League ranked the draft third among the 12 teams, and that should be enough to keep it in the postseason hunt.

That’s all you can reasonably ask from a fantasy draft.

Grade: B