Fantasy Football 2025 Mobile Cheat Sheet, Mock-Draft Strategy for Top Positions

The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions kicked off the 2025 NFL preseason on Thursday, and the start of the regular season is just over a month away. At some point between now and then, most fantasy enthusiasts will do a little drafting.

It's almost always better to draft as close to the regular season as possible. Preseason and training camp injuries will occur, and there will be a great deal of player movement surrounding roster cuts on August 26. Of course, that won't be possible for everyone, and early drafts involve their own unique strategies.

Anyone looking to cram for an upcoming draft will find a cheat sheet for the top fantasy positions here, along with some strategies for early-preseason drafting.

All rankings and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
3. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
6. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
8. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
10. Justin Fields, New York Jets
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
12. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
13. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
15. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

There are a handful of quarterbacks who make up the top tier, and the majority of them are dual-threat stars. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels regularly add rushing yards, which raises their weekly floor.

It's worth using mock drafts to determine where these quarterbacks might be available. Managers shouldn't reach for a QB in Round 2, and Round 3 is even a little high, but mocks can provide a feel for where these top signal-callers are going.

The second tier of quarterbacks includes high-volume pocket passers like Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. Bo Nix is more of a dual-threat but also a bit of a game manager, which keeps him out of the top tier.

If an elite quarterback can't be found in a reasonable range, however, managers should look to fill the rest of their starting lineups before coming back for a QB.

The weekly point differential between last year's QB10, Kyler Murray, and QB24, Russell Wilson, was just 1.9.

Running Back

AP Photo/Rick Osentoski

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
3. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
5. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
6. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
7. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
8. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
10. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
11. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
12. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
13. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
14. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
15. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
16. Breece Hall, New York Jets
17. Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
18. Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
19. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
20. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
21. Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
23. Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
24. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
25. Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

While running backs don't carry quite as much value in PPR formats as in standard, they can still form the backbone of any championship-caliber team. The trick is to find at least one high-volume back who sees regular action in the passing game.

It's also important to balance potential upside with risk. Saquon Barkley, for example, topped 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2024 and was an absolute league-winner. However, he also logged 382 touches between the regular season and playoffs, putting him at risk for a decline.

Christian McCaffrey topped 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2023 but is coming off of a season plagued by injuries. This is likely why younger backs like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are trending as "safer" first-round picks than Barkley and McCaffrey—it's also why rookies like Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton will be popular picks on draft day.

Of course, managers can use mock drafts to determine how early top RBs are going and where they feel comfortable taking a shot at a risky player with elite upside. It's worth noting that McCaffrey could be poised for a bounce-back campaign. He was healthy enough to spend part of the offseason training with Robinson.

"It was really cool, like two guys coming together just trying to make each other better," Robinson said, per Terrin Waack of the Atlanta Falcons' official website.

Managers should hope to come away from their draft with at least two reliable RBs. They can be found in the latter rounds, but managers probably won't find true star potential there. Instead, they should target high-volume starters on bad teams and/or committee backs who regularly see the receiving work.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
4. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
6. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
8. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
9. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
10. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
11. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
12. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
13. Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
15. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Gerrett Wilson, New York Jets
17. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
18. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
19. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
20. DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
21. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
22. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
23. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
24. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
25. Tetairoa McMillan
26. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
27. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
28. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
29. George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
30. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

Along with running backs, receivers form the foundation of any playoff-caliber fantasy squad. Elite high-volume receivers like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Puka Nacua will regularly compete with top RBs for early first-round draft slots.

It's worth remembering, though, that there are far more No. 1 receivers in the NFL than true every-down backs. Last year's WR4, Brian Thomas Jr., averaged just 0.4 fantasy points more than WR12, Davante Adams, though he was available for three more games.

It can be worth "reaching" just a bit for a top RB and coming back for a WR in Round 2. Managers should consider creating their own RB and WR tiers before conducting mock drafts to get a feel for the draft ceilings and floors of players they most want.

It's also beneficial to try different approaches at the top of mock drafts to find the best combinations of running backs and receivers. This can also help managers be prepared to pivot in actual drafts.

You might prefer to take a RB within the first two rounds, but an early run at the position could leave far more value at WR. Trying out a few receiver-oriented mocks can provide an idea of just how long you can wait at the position if a RB run makes it sensible.

Tight End

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Raiders TE Brock Bowers

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
4. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
5. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
6. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
7. Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
8. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
9. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
10. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
11. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
12. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
13. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
14. Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers
15. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

There are a handful of elite tight ends and then a wide swath of starting-caliber tight ends who can be snagged much later in drafts. While the days of having to target Travis Kelce in Round 1 have passed, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are regularly going in Round 2.

Now, Bowers and McBride are top-tier players at the positions, but they're not necessarily more valuable than high-volume receivers and every-down running backs—and Bowers is about to play in a brand new offense with a new quarterback and an elite running back.

If Bowers or McBride slide into Round 3, they're worth grabbing. Tight ends like George Kittle, and Travis Kelce are also worth considering in the third-to-fourth-round range. After that, it can be more valuable to wait at the position. The weekly point differential between last year's TE5, Mark Andrews, and TE 14, Cade Otton, was just 2.1.

Managers can use early mock drafts to figure out where rookies like Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren fit into the picture. Rookie tight ends can provide tremendous value, but there's no need to reach at the position.

*Fantasy scoring information via FantasyPros