Fantasy Football 2025 Dynasty Draft Rankings, Keeper Advice and Team Names

Kristopher KnoxAug 16, 2025

The second week of the 2025 NFL preseason got underway on Friday, and these exhibition games can be particularly interesting to fantasy enthusiasts in dynasty leagues.

Now's the time to get a good look at those promising rookies and potential second-year stars.

While dynasty leagues may not be as popular as traditional redraft leagues or daily fantasy sports, it's an exceptionally fun way to play. The commitment, of course, is considerable, but the reward of building a multi-year contender is great.

As is the case in other formats, smart drafting and even smarter roster management is the key to success. With this in mind, let's dive into some useful resources new and returning dynasty managers can utilize for the 2025 season.

Mock Dynasty Draft

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AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

Round 1

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

Round 2

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
Tre McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Keeper Advice

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AP Photo/John Locher

Raiders TE Brock Bowers

As one might assume, dynasty leagues are multi-year endeavors in which rosters don't always change significantly from season to season. As is the case for actual NFL teams, the goal is to draft players who will contribute for the long haul.

This means that managers must choose wisely during their start-up drafts and target the right players during the annual redraft. They must also avoid losing great players in order to make room for a promising rookie or enticing free agent.

Because of roster limitations, a manager who wants to add, say, Cam Ward or Ashton Jeanty will have to waive a player before their 2025 rookie draft.

There are, of course, reasons to part with good players. If a roster simply isn't good, managers will often trade off top pieces for draft capital. Solid contributors may then be dumped to make way for rookies or free agents with more potential.

Today, though, we'll focus on advice for managers looking to keep a team together. The first piece of advice is to hang onto high-level producers under the age of 30, like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Brock Bowers and Josh Allen.

Wide receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks also tend to hold more long-term value than running backs because backs traditionally have shorter career spans. This doesn't mean that managers can't build a foundation around a player like Saquon Barkley or Jahmyr Gibbs, but they shouldn't place too much effort into retaining mid-level starters. Free agents and serviceable rookie RBs are frequently available.

While it's often wise to move on from players with significant or repeated injury issues, managers shouldn't automatically dump those coming off of injury-plagued seasons. If a player has elite upside and is still in a favorable age window, he should be kept—though it's wise to add a little insurance at the position.

Last year, for example, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was coming off of a season-ending wrist injury. He returned to throw for a league-high 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Managers who kept Burrow were wise to do so but even wiser to snap up a rookie like Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix or Drake Maye in the draft. Heading into 2025, those managers now have a high-end starting QB and a backup who can win leagues should Burrow suffer another significant injury—those who drafted Daniels might have also placed Burrow on the trade block.

Two years ago, though, it made far less sense to hang onto then-New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury early in 2023 and entered 2024 at age 40. The only managers who should have been interested in keeping him were those with championship-caliber teams and other viable options at quarterback.

Keeping older players can make sense if a manager is firmly in a Super Bowl window. Hanging onto a 35-year-old Travis Kelce is probably a smart move for managers looking to win their third straight championship. Again, though, it's smart to have younger backups behind aging vets.

Managers who are struggling to build a playoff contender can dismiss all but the best older veterans, though they should be placed on the trade block before being outright released. If a player seems unlikely to still be in his prime when your quad is ready to contend, it's probably time to start thinking about ways to move him.