Fantasy Football 2025 Mock Draft and Winning Strategy for 1st-Round

The NFL has held one preseason game already and will soon see the entire league enter the exhibition portion of their schedule.

Football season is back, and it's bringing fantasy football's mock-draft season along with it.

Just like players going through training camp reps, fantasy football managers should be taking advantage of the time remaining until their actual drafts to participate in simulations of the real thing. Mock drafts allow for exactly that, so we'll lay out the the first three rounds using FantasyPros' mock draft simulator, then run through a selection strategy for the first round.

Simulated 3-Round, Half-PPR Mock

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Round 1

1. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL
2. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET
4. Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI
5. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN
6. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL
7. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET
9. Nico Collins, WR, HOU
10. Malik Nabers, WR, NYG

Round 2

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, LV
2. De'Von Achane, RB, MIA
3. Derrick Henry, RB, BAL
4. Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF
5. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAX
6. Brock Bowers, TE, LV
7. Josh Jacobs, RB, GB
8. Bucky Irving, RB, TB
9. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI
10. Chase Brown, RB, CIN

Round 3

1. Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA
2. Drake London, WR, ATL
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL
4. Trey McBride, TE, ARI
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND
6. Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC
7. Josh Allen, QB, BUF
8. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, SEA
9. Alvin Kamara, RB, NO
10. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ

1st-Round Draft Strategy

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Picks 1-4: Enjoy Your Superstar

Regardless why you're drafting in one of these spots, consider it a gift from the fantasy gods and make sure you make the most of it.

You won't get another pick for a while, so you have to do everything you can to maximize this spot's value. That means this isn't the time to bet big on upside or break the mold with some ADP-defying hunch. Superstars are on the board, and you need to grab one.

It's your choice which direction to take, but you might consider giving a slight bump to elite running backs (like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs or Saquon Barkley) over high-end pass-catchers just because a truly featured back is such a rarity on the modern game. However, if you're in a league that rewards a full point per reception, then give a boost to both pass-catching backs and actual receivers.

Picks 5-8: Target a WR, Unless an Elite RB Slips

If your draft is anything like our mock, then picking in this spot will deny you a chance at Robinson, Gibbs or Barkley. Feel free to disagree, but we'd caution against considering Ashton Jeanty, De'Von Achance, Derrick Henry or Christian McCaffrey in this tier.

So, you should have one of two options: Taking the best receiver on the board, or snatching up any one of Robinson, Gibbs or Barkley if they slip.

If you take the receiver route, you should still be getting a difference-maker, whether that's Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown or Nico Collins. If you don't get a running back, though, that's a position you'll want to hit in one of the next two rounds (if not both).

Picks 9-12: Plot Out Two Picks

Admittedly, it isn't a whole lot of fun watching eight (or more) top talents come off the board before you ever make your first pick. The snake style selection process accounts for that, though, and offers the consolation prize of coming back your way early in the second round.

Keep that in mind as you make your first pick, since you'll have one of the first chances to start molding your team.

Figure out a draft strategy you're comfortable with, and do what you can to stick to it. Maybe you're good with two receivers or two running backs first. Perhaps you want one of both. Or maybe you think there's a quarterback or tight end worthy of going in these spots. (Please don't do that.)

Either way, this is the point of the first round in which it makes sense to allow your second-round selection to have some impact on the choice you make.