Fantasy Football 2025 Ideal Strategy for Each Spot in 12-Team Mock Drafts

That beautiful time of the year is upon us once more—fantasy football season is nigh.

And that means it's time for draft prep. Below, we've put together a brief strategy guide for all 12 drafting slots, including a recommendation for your first-round pick and a few thoughts about how to handle the early rounds.

1. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

No. 1 goes No. 1.

In PPR leagues, Ja'Marr Chase was the unquestioned MVP of the 2024 fantasy season and one of his main competitors in that regard—running back Saquon Barkley—had 482 touches between the regular season and playoffs last year, the sort of workload that often results in diminishing returns the following season.

Chase is only 25, Cincy's offense kept the band together this offseason and even if he doesn't lead the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2025, he's a pretty safe bet to be near the top in each category. Chase has an enormous ceiling, but he also has an extremely high floor—don't overthink it.

Now, the one risk from there is that you won't pick again until No. 24, meaning the running back market could thin out quickly. Doubling up on the position with back-to-back picks is a good option, barring a stud receiver falling down the board. You might be tempted to go with Brock Bowers here, but it's hard to predict positional runs when you have back-to-back picks and then long waits between selections. Having good running backs keeps you steady on a weekly basis—don't get caught at the tail end of an RB run.

Finally, we're going to offer some general advice that will apply to every draft slot to follow—wait, wait, wait to select quarterbacks. You can get amazing value well down the board. Stock up at wideout and running back first.

2. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

It was tough deciding who should go off the board at No. 2, but Justin Jefferson is about as safe at it gets. Bijan Robinson looks primed for an elite year, and there's still Barkley to consider, who has maybe the highest upside of the three if last year's production doesn't lead to injuries.

But Jefferson is such a safe option. His per-game averages for his career—6.4 catches for 96.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns—equates to 108 catches for 1,640 yards and eight touchdowns over the course of a 17-game season. A normal season for Jefferson, in other words, keeps him right in the mix for fantasy MVP.

He's done it with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold under center, so the adjustment to JJ McCarthy shouldn't be overly detrimental. There are excellent arguments to be made for Robinson, but Jefferson offers both the ceiling and floor you want at the top of the draft.

Like the advice given during the top pick section, go with double running backs at the turn in the second and third rounds, and let the board fall to you as it will from there.

3. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson was freed from the shackles of Arthur Smith last season, much to the joy of fantasy players, and he responded with a massive season trumped only by Jahmyr Gibbs and Barkley at running back.

The concerns regarding Barkley have been well-documented, while Gibbs still has to split his workload with David Montgomery. Robinson is probably just scratching the surface of his massive upside, and makes an argument to be the top overall pick in all formats.

At pick No. 22, go with the top wideout or running back remaining. At No. 27, you could consider Bowers or Trey McBride if either are still available. If not, adding to your WR or RB corps is the play.

4. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Gibbs is going to outperform Barkley in a major way in the passing game, which is the main reason he gets the nod at No. 4. He probably isn't going to replicate 20 touchdowns, but Barkley probably isn't going to replicate 345 carries or 2,005 rushing yards, so it's a wash in that regard.

The advice from there is pretty similar to that above. At No. 21, address running back or wideout—No. 28 could be tight end, but sticking to wideouts and running backs is never a bad choice.

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

The pros: He's wildly talented; he runs behind one of the best offensive lines in the sport; the Eagles are best as a run-first team; we've seen what it all looks like when it comes together after his epic 2024 campaign.

The cons: The workload last season was huge and the Eagles probably will manage the 28-year-old's touches more carefully this season; Jalen Hurts and the Tush Push steals a ton of his potential touchdowns; he's the No. 4 option in the passing game at best; he has an injury history that has cost him significant time in the past.

By the fifth pick, the upside is too great to ignore. But you'll want to handcuff him with Will Shipley later in the draft for sure.

Again, go running back or wideout at No. 19. We are getting close to the point where either Bowers or McBride are elite values at No. 29 if they drop, but you still can go running back or wideout there if you really love the available options.

6. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

We know what kind of upside McCaffrey has when healthy as both a runner and receiver, and the Niners got rid of a major weapon in Deebo Samuel this offseason, making the veteran running back even more important. He's always been a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's scheme.

We also know that he's 29, around the age when running backs generally start to lose some of their burst, and that he has a lengthy injury history.

So he's a huge risk this high up the board, but a healthy McCaffrey during the San Francisco years has been dominant. If you build your teams on pure ceiling, McCaffrey's tough to beat at No. 6.

If you do go with him, however, you can make a strong case for selecting running backs with each of your first three picks. This will require really nailing your later-round selections at the other positions, but there are always sleepers to be had.

One final note: Isaac Guerendo and perhaps even Jordan James are absolute must-haves as handcuffs in this scenario.

7. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

Malik Nabers has elite talent, and whatever you think of Russell Wilson, he's still a significant upgrade over Daniel Jones (and the rest of New York's motley crew of quarterbacks last season).

Plus, the Giants aren't exactly brimming with talent around the roster—getting the ball to Nabers as often as possible is their best option.

Go with the best available wideout or running back at No. 17. If you doubled up at wideout in the first two rounds, go running back at No. 31. Otherwise, consider Bowers or McBride if either are available, and avoid the temptation to go for a big-name quarterback.

8. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

When you have three straight seasons with at least 100 receptions and four straight seasons with at least 1,100 receiving yards, you are about as safe at wideout as it comes. Lamb's 38 receiving touchdowns through 91 career games comes out to an 17-game average of seven scores, however, which is why he isn't on the Chase-Jefferson tier and lags just behind Nabers in these rankings.

The Pickens addition may take a few downfield targets away from Lamb, but they are complementary enough players that Lamb should still feast. And if he does find the end zone a bit more, you've just gotten fantastic value.

Still, you might want to go for a bit more upside in your picks that follow. One player to consider at No. 16 is Bucky Irving, who seems poised for a big sophomore campaign.

You will undoubtedly have some strong running back options to choose from in the second round.

9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

When a team takes a running back in the top 10 at the NFL draft, they believe he'll be a star. When that team also has a head coach in Pete Carroll who loves to pound the rock inside, it's a recipe for a huge fantasy season. This isn't a timeshare situation, either—Zamir White and Raheem Mostert aren't major threats to steal significant snaps.

There is always risk involved taking a player in the first round of your fantasy draft when you haven't actually seen him play a down of NFL football in the regular season. But Jeanty's talent and situation offers him elite upside.

If you go this route, maybe play it a bit safer in the rounds to follow. But don't be surprised if Jeanty emerges as one of the top fantasy players this season.

10. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

Since entering the NFL in 2021, Amon-Ra St. Brown has averaged 107 catches for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns. If you only average the past two seasons (when he's developed into a true star), those numbers go up to 117 catches, 1,389 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Oh, and he's only missed two games in his career. It doesn't get much more reliable than that, and from a fantasy perspective, St. Brown is basically a can't-miss option for your team (or as close as it gets).

You are going to have some fantastic options at No. 15, so go with the best wideout or running back on your board. Irving is a fantastic option in this scenario if he's available.

11. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

Over the past two seasons, Collins has averaged 5.4 catches, 85.2 receiving yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game. Over the course of a 17-game season, that projects to 91 receptions for 1,448 yards and eight touchdowns.

Yes, injuries are a concern—he's missed seven games over the past two seasons. But he's giving you top-10 production at the position when healthy, and he won't have Stefon Diggs vying for targets this season.

Based on how this particular draft guide plays out, your best bets at No. 14 will be Puka Nacua or Brian Robinson Jr. (more on that below), though you could also consider a player like Irving, Jonathan Taylor or Josh Jacobs if you are worried about doubling up on wideout and missing a potential RB run.

12. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

He's 31, he had a huge workload last season, he isn't a factor in the pass game and he may not be able to replicate last season's 1,921 rushing yards or 18 total touchdowns.

Blah, blah, blah.

At what point has doubting Henry ever been the smart move? He'll slow down at some point, sure, but did he give any indication last season that it would be happening anytime soon?

And more importantly, what running back or wideout left on the board do you really feel has a bigger upside than Henry at this point in the draft?

Well, there's one name that comes to mind, but guess what? You also have the No. 13 pick. Your three main considerations for that selection are De'Von Achane, Brian Robinson Jr. and Puka Nacua. All three have enticing upsides but some questions marks worth considering?.

Achane was a fantasy superstar with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa last season and barely a flex option without him, and Tagovailoa's injury history is substantial. But if he stays healthy...

As for the other two, will Travis Hunter steal significant targets from Robinson? How will the Davante Adams addition—an upgrade over what Cooper Kupp had left in the tank left season—affect Nacua's target share?

The upside play is Achane. If he pops and Henry continues to do his thing, you have the foundation for a fantastic team, and you'll still be able to find strong value at wide receiver in the next few rounds.